The Life and Career of William J. Pascrell: A career in public service, politics, and government At the age of eight, William J. Pascrell III was already actively involved in political campaigns, thanks to a public service-oriented family. He recalls helping his father and others work on various campaigns in his home state of New Jersey. In fact, his father, a former high school teacher and mayor, would go on to become a New Jersey Assemblyman and U.S. Representative. (56 views)
Profile Jim Barber, CP, Christensen & Jensen, P.C., Salt Lake City, UT Jim Barber has been a paralegal for more than 18 years. About five years ago, he decided he had enough experience to share, so he started writing. He has been published in numerous paralegal publications, such as the National Paralegal Reporter and the Texas Paralegal Journal. But it was an article he helped write for the University of Detroit Mercy Law Review that has... (200 views)
The Life and Career of Joe Swimmer: The business of law at LexisNexis As an executive with LexisNexis, Joe Swimmer uses his J.D. to improve and expand the well-known research tool used by countless lawyers and law students. It didn't take long for Mr. Swimmer to find his niche. A 1997 graduate of Stanford Law School, he practiced for about two years at San Francisco law firms-handling everything from energy law to mergers and... (295 views)
The Life and Career of Nina Kaufman: Law, Laughter, and Legal Advice for Small Businesses Did you hear the one about the attorney/stand-up comedian? She's so funny she keeps her clients laughing even after they get the bill. (331 views)
Profile: Negar Ashtari When women call the Tahirih Justice Center for help, paralegal Negar Ahstari is generally their first point of contact. LawCrossing talks with Ms. Ashtari about her work at the center and the desperate women who call there for help. (361 views)
Helping to Protect Others: Employment Opportunities in Homeland Security Helping to Protect Others: Employment Opportunities in Homeland Security Whether it's assisting with border protection, emergency preparedness, or information analysis, employment opportunities in homeland security are bountiful, and a legal background or experience can serve job seekers well in this field. (112 views)
Productive Summer Vacations from Law School As summer winds down, it's time to examine what you did with your time off and what —if anything— you can do with the remaining month. (429 views)
Profile: Mary ''Becky'' Rolland, paralegal at Heller, Draper, Hayden, Patrick & Horn, LLC Mary ''Becky'' Rolland is one of the top bankruptcy paralegal experts in the country. LawCrossing speaks with Ms. Rolland about her strong opinions on new bankruptcy laws, which she believes will hurt small businesses but not corporate giants. (165 views)
Immigration Law Offers Legal Staff a Diverse and Personal Work Environment Diversity is the cornerstone of immigration, and not only when it comes to newcomers. For non-attorney legal professionals working in the field, immigration law also reflects great diversity during any given workday. (286 views)
Profile: Dwayne Krager, litigation paralegal, Reinhart, Boerner, Van Deuren, s.c., Milwaukee Litigation paralegal Dwayne Krager said the secret to his success is spotting trends and anticipating what an attorney might need before being asked. LawCrossing speaks with Mr. Krager about his career and the state-of-the-art mock courtroom he helped to create. (236 views)
Robert Dockery - Choosing a specialty and playing nice in the law firm sandbox Robert Dockery, a shareholder and recruiter at Jenkens & Gilchrist in Dallas, has some sound advice for law clerks, interns and young attorneys: respect the paralegals, legal secretaries and other staff in the firm. Never act superior. (173 views)
The Life and Career change of Derede McAlpin and The Five W's of Law Fresh out of Temple University Law School in 1992, Derede McAlpin worked as a clerk with the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. It didn't take long for the former television journalist, who had covered high-profile trials for Philadelphia's ABC affiliate, to realize that an ideal career would combine her media background and legal skills. This became increasingly... (519 views)
Profile: Michele Boerder, Paralegal, Hughes Luce, LLP A paralegal for 25 years, Michele Boerder was recently named one of the top paralegals in the country by legal author Carole Bruno. Law Crossing speaks to Ms. Boerder about her career and how she discovered the nascent paralegal profession. (116 views)
Profile: Victorialei "Nohea" Naka'ahiki, litigation paralegal, Day, Casebeer, Madrid & Batchelder Involved in seemingly every paralegal organization in California, Hawaii, and nationally, Victorialei ''Nohea'' Naka'ahiki was recently named one of the top paralegals in the country by author Carole Bruno. LawCrossing speaks with Ms. Naka'ahiki about her career in Hawaii and on the mainland and why she prefers law firms to the corporate world. (45 views)
Profile: Joseph ''Joe'' Patriss, Dwyer & Collora, LLP, Boston For many paralegals, the law is a second career. This week, LawCrossing speaks to a litigation paralegal, Joseph ''Joe'' Patriss, about choosing the law as a second career and how his skills in TV production have proved useful in his new profession. (84 views)
Profile: Mathew D. Laskowski, Senior Paralegal, Porzio, Bromberg & Newman, P.C., Morristown, NJ Bankruptcy paralegal Mathew D. Laskowski is a computer whiz, and he uses his skills to bring courtroom displays to life. LawCrossing talks with the senior paralegal about his career. (139 views)
Legal Nurse Consultants Provide Medical Expertise to Firms in Need When a case involves medical questions and requires extensive medical knowledge, attorneys often turn to a fairly new breed of experts for help: legal nurse consultants. They may be the key to sorting out medical issues in a case. (620 views)
Law Enforcement as a Career Career opportunities are wide open for those armed with a law degree. One of the many alternatives to working in a law firm is a career in law enforcement. (667 views)
The Life and Career changes of Mike Gibbs Mike Gibbs probably never imagined he would be asking, ''Do you want fries with that?'' his first day on the job as an in-house attorney. (34 views)
Profile: Deborah Hampton, paralegal, Limited Brands, Inc. New York City Deborah Hampton treats trademarks like living, breathing things that she has helped create-and she's proud of her creations. LawCrossing talks with the trademark paralegal about her career with Limited Brands Inc., a career that incorporates one of her favorite pastimes-shopping. (237 views)
Effective Discovery Techniques: Ten Tips for Legal Staff It's not just a television channel…discovery is one of the most integral parts of trial preparation, which often doesn't receive the attention it's due from legal staff. ''A lot of people think of discovery as just filling out papers, but it's really everything we do up to the moment of trial,'' explained Diana Orozco, paralegal at Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder, P.C. in... (1023 views)
Linda M. Collier Finding her calling was a matter of debate Linda M. Collier practiced law for five years before devoting herself to a career teaching people how to argue. (441 views)
Shipping Off Shore: Legal Outsourcing and its Effects on Legal Staff Customer service, typing and transcription, information technology-outsourcing has been increasingly popular in many industries. It wasn't long before the legal field caught on. Law firms and legal departments have begun to outsource projects for increased efficiency and decreased costs. (39 views)
Profile: Nancy B. Heller, Litigation Paralegal, Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease, LLP It was January 1978 in Columbus, OH, and Nancy Heller was a fresh graduate in need of a job. She had moved to Columbus to work in a state youth correctional facility, but her first day on the job was a nightmare. (131 views)
Profile: Patricia Gustin, Certified Legal Assistant and Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator, Harrisburg, PA Paralegal and fire investigator is a unique blend. And Patricia ''Pat'' Gustin is a unique character. LawCrossing speaks with Ms. Gustin about her varied and colorful career. (308 views)
Legal Staff Who Make a Difference While most non-attorney legal staff help attorneys do their jobs, some legal staff also help the public. Positions in environmental and animal rights law, as well as at legal aid clinics and community organizations are just some ways legal staff can make a difference on the job. (102 views)
Lauren Prevost on practicing for the fist time and home work In the age of the Internet and information overload, there's no excuse for job seekers to be unprepared. Candidates who don't do their homework about potential employers stick out like a sore thumb. Lauren Prevost, partner in charge of law school recruiting at Morris, Manning and Martin in Atlanta, advises applicants to take advantage of all the resources available to... (52 views)
Profile: Cyndi Adams, CP, Danner & Martyn Paralegal found her calling as legal ''minesweeper'' Cyndi Adams has been an active paralegal for almost 20 years. LawCrossing speaks with Ms. Adams about her colorful career and how she compares her job to a minesweeper, always on the hunt for potential pitfalls. (89 views)
Working Better Together: Improving Attorney-Legal Staff Relationships It's a common and recurring complaint of legal staff across the board: many attorneys don't value, appreciate, or even understand the work of their support staff. ''The support staff in my office are treated as an inexhaustible resource. We are shamed into working off the clock,'' said Joseph Jeremy Root, a paralegal from Massachusetts. ''The greatest challenge is not... (1311 views)
Careers in Various Aspects in Law A respected corporate immigration lawyer, Angelo Paparelli is passionate about his work. But in his early days as an attorney, he had briefly considered leaving the profession. Finding his calling in immigration law made all the difference. Paparelli urges young lawyers to do some real soul-searching to discover their strengths and passions. (152 views)