The Life and Career of Robin Hall: Program Coordinator for the Certificate Program in Paralegal Studies at California State University, Los Angeles On the morning of November 7, 2006, I sat down for a phone interview with Robin Hall, Program Coordinator for the Certificate Program in Paralegal Studies offered by California State University, Los Angeles,' Extended Education department. Hall had much to say about the program and about her role as Program Coordinator, but first I wanted to know a little about her... (114 views)
Kathy Surber Moore: Paralegal with Butler, Vines and Babb, Knoxville, TN Kathy Surber Moore said that she was motivated to become a paralegal because she wanted a career that was both challenging and personally rewarding. She added that she also wanted a career that was connected to the law in some way. (302 views)
Sinclair Community College's Paralegal Program, Dayton, OH Sinclair Community College has a mission, should you choose to accept it. The school is committed to helping individuals turn dreams into achievable goals by offering accessible, high-quality, affordable learning opportunities. (282 views)
Patricia F. Clapper: Paralegal, Levine & Stewart, Chapel Hill, NC For paralegal Patricia Clapper, the best part of her job is that there's never a dull moment. She makes the daily 45-minute commute from Apex, NC, to Chapel Hill, where she works at Levine & Stewart, a general practice law firm. She said she enjoys working at a firm where she can handle a variety of different cases. ''Every day brings a new and exciting challenge,... (306 views)
Allen F. Mihecoby: Paralegal, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Company, Fort Worth, TX Allen Mihecoby admits that he just fell into the perfect profession. He entered college with plans for a career in medicine. During his freshman year, he joined the debate team and decided that a career in law was for him. (386 views)
Heather A. Moreau, Senior Litigation Paralegal with Paul, Frank & Collins, PC, Burlington, VT Heather A. Moreau, who is a senior litigation paralegal with the law firm Paul, Frank & Collins in Burlington, VT, said that the seeds for her career as a paralegal were planted at an early age. (213 views)
Marie Koster: Trusts and Estates Paralegal, Quarles & Brady, LLP, Milwaukee, WI Without hesitation, Marie Koster describes the best part of being a paralegal by saying, ''I love the people contact. I love helping the client through the difficult job of trust or estate administration. The clients tend to need a lot of hand-holding, and I want to be that person. I think being a good listener is what the clients need during this grieving process.'' (204 views)
Amanda Silvester Williams: President, Government and Politics Legal Society, Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School Third-year Brigham Young University law student Amanda Silvester Williams has reached an exciting point in her life. Quickly approaching graduation, Williams currently serves as President of the Government and Politics Legal Society (GPLS), President of the National Resources Law Society, one of two Lead Dean's Fellows for the Academic Success Program, Student/Alumni... (15 views)
Cindy Lopez: Founder of NJParalegal.com and Paralegal with the Law Firm of Charles M. Byrnes, Toms River, NJ In 2000, Cindy Lopez had been working as a paralegal in the New Jersey area for six years and was an active member of her college's paralegal alumni association. She realized that there was a need for more communication among paralegals in her area, as well as a need for paralegals to have a stronger voice in the legal community. (630 views)
Lissa Treadway: President, Nevada Paralegal Association, Las Vegas, NV Lissa Treadway, a senior paralegal at Shea & Carlyon, Ltd., is also the brand-new president of the Nevada Paralegal Association. What's on her agenda for the coming year? Getting the association's scholarship program off the ground, increasing membership, educating the bar about what a paralegal is and does, and starting up a mentoring program. (262 views)
Todd Frankel: Paralegal, Reed Smith, LLP, Los Angeles, CA Todd Frankel, a paralegal at Reed Smith in downtown Los Angeles, CA, made the career change from photojournalist to paralegal in January 2004, and he loves his new job. A litigation paralegal, Frankel deals with product liability with regard to pharmaceutical and medical device technology. (318 views)
Blanche Berkowitz: Paralegal, Schell Bray Aycock Abel & Livingston, PLLC, Greensboro, NC Corporate paralegal Blanche Berkowitz practices her profession at Schell Bray Aycock Abel & Livingston, PLLC, in Greensboro, NC—a law firm that specializes in business/corporate law, including real estate and trusts and estates. There, she handles all aspects of business law support to the attorneys and clients in her firm. Berkowitz has been a corporate paralegal for 23... (171 views)
Elizabeth Vance: Paralegal, Wyatt Early Harris Wheeler, LLP, High Point, NC Elizabeth Vance comes from a family of law enforcement officers and said that while she was fascinated by the law, she did not want to be in law enforcement and definitely did not want to go to law school. A paralegal career seemed like the perfect blend of behind-the-scenes work and interesting legal issues. She found her current job through a placement agency for legal... (1110 views)
Erin Brockovich: Part 3 Going To Trial Fate dropped Erin Brockovich's latest lawsuit against Beverly Hills High right into her lap.It all began several years ago when Brockovich was in New York promoting her memoir, Take It From Me: Life's a Struggle But You Can Win. During a book signing, she met a young woman named Lori Moss, who had just finished a form of chemotherapy. When Brockovich asked the Beverly... (7458 views)
Part 2: Erin Brockovich Losing Ed Masry Since the 2000 release of the popular film Erin Brockovich, the woman who fearlessly convinced lawyer Ed Masry to challenge Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a billion- dollar corporation, has entranced the world. Together, Brockovich and Masry fought for the residents of California cities Hinkley and Kettleman, winning millions of dollars in damages. (91254 views)
Erin Brockovich: Part 1 Just Getting Started It was the day of my interview with Mrs. Erin Brockovich-Ellis. Mixed with feelings of nervousness and enthusiasm, I picked up the phone and dialed her home number. With a warm hello, Brockovich immediately made me feel as if I were chatting with an old friend. Her confident yet humble demeanor made it clear that this gal knew who she was and what she wanted to accomplish... (3088 views)
Laura Ahtes: Paralegal, Potter Anderson Corroon, LLP, Wilmington, DE For Laura Ahtes, education was the lucky charm that launched her career. After obtaining her degree from Goldey-Beacom College and graduating with honors from the ABA-approved Paralegal Certificate Program through the Legal Education Institute (LEI) at Widener University, she has never looked back. Widener University has a long-standing reputation for providing quality... (400 views)
Karen Woodward: CLA, Pearson, Horowitz & Burnett, P.C., Denver, CO Karen Woodward, a paralegal for Pearson, Horowitz & Burnett, P.C., enjoys working for the small, Denver, CO, firm. However, after almost 16 years as a paralegal, Woodward is about to take her career in a new and interesting direction, combining her love of the law with something else that is close to her heart. (338 views)
Sameera Ansari: Paralegal with Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker, LLP, New York, NY After working five years as a paralegal, Sameera Ansari decided to plunge into deeper legal waters. (246 views)
Tita A. Brewster: 2006 President Elect, National Association of Legal Assistants A year ago, LawCrossing spoke with Tita A. Brewster about her career as a freelance paralegal. Since then, Brewster has been elected to become the next President of the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA). Serving out her term as the organization's first Vice President, Brewster is looking forward to becoming President. (96 views)
Marcel Fitch: Paralegal for Karen Smith, Solo Practitioner, Coeur d'Alene, ID Marcel Fitch has been a paralegal for four years, but it wasn't until recently that he made the switch from working at a large firm to working for solo practitioner Karen Smith. Transitioning from handling mainly medical malpractice cases to dealing with just about anything was a nice change for Fitch. In fact, he said he prefers his new situation. (119 views)
Shawn R. Olley: Owner, Midwest Paralegal Services, Oak Creek, WI Shawn R. Olley founded Midwest Paralegal Services in September 1989 after noticing a need for contract paralegal services in the Midwest. Since then, the business has grown to employ 42 paralegals and IT personnel. She also founded Midwest Imaging, a division of Midwest Paralegal, in order to better meet the technical needs of her clients. (858 views)
Donna M. Profeta: Paralegal As a realtor, Donna M. Profeta decided to enroll in a paralegal course in order to further her career in real estate. However, now a proud graduate of Washington Online Learning Institute (WOLI), she is not only using her paralegal education in her career as a realtor, but she also has big plans to open her own legal document-preparation business. (196 views)
Thelma Alvarado-Garza: President of the Capital Area Paralegal Association and Paralegal with Whitehurst, Harkness, Ozmun & Brees; Austin, TX As a paralegal in plaintiff's civil litigation, Thelma Alvarado-Garza deals with people who are facing sad and difficult situations. She said sometimes it's a challenge to keep a professional perspective and not become personally invested. (186 views)
Kimberly L. Sawyer: Paralegal, Hall & Evans, LLC; President, Colorado Association of Professional Paralegals and Legal Assistants Kimberly L. Sawyer dreamed of becoming a concert pianist, but she ended up as a paralegal. Now, she uses her long, graceful fingers to juggle her work at Hall & Evans and manage her responsibilities as president of the Colorado Association of Professional Paralegals and Legal Assistants (CAPPLA). (261 views)
Amy S. Davis: Paralegal, Rake & Catanese, P.C., and President of the Paralegal Division of the Maricopa County Bar Association; Phoenix, AZ Amy S. Davis is a woman with drive. Having worked in the legal field for almost 20 years, she has successfully navigated a steady path up the professional ladder, stopping short of law school in order to spend more time with her daughter. (710 views)
Kathleen Leroy: Placement and Internship Coordinator for the Division of Extended Education, California State University, Los Angeles Drawing upon her background as a teacher, Kathleen Leroy is using her paralegal certificate to ensure that paralegal students at California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA), get a top-notch education. (89 views)
Kristen Noll: President, St. Louis Association of Legal Assistants and Paralegal, Lewis, Rice & Fingersh, L.C. Kristen Noll is a litigation paralegal for Lewis, Rice & Fingersh, L.C., a position that has exposed her to many different areas of law, including labor, environmental, patent and trademark infringements, product liability, admiralty, and personal injury. (404 views)
Douglas Rice: Paralegal, Pacific Crest Legal Solutions, LLC, Salem, OR Currently living and working just outside of Salem, OR, for Pacific Crest Legal Solutions, LLC, Douglas Rice said it is the variety that he enjoys most about his job. (37 views)
Sharon Robertson; Paralegal, North Carolina Prisoner Legal Services, Inc.; Linville Falls, NC As a paralegal for the North Carolina Prisoner Legal Services' (NCPLS) Safe and Humane Jails Project, Sharon Robertson has a job that would make most people nervous. (1236 views)