Category Archives: The Legal Profession

Be Careful What You Hate

For Valentine’s Day, everyone is talking about love.  I am not much of a “me too” writer, so today’s post is about hate.  I am a believer that the line between love and hate is fine.  They are both very passionate emotions, which is why we must be careful what we hate. I am referring…

Cupcakes, Attorneys, and Happy Clients

Cupcakes have been around a long time, but the kinds of cupcakes we have today are not the ones I had as a child.  Today’s cupcakes are an art, a trend, an industry.  Despite the  phenomenon, what makes cupcakes really yummy has not changed very much.  The most basic ingredients are the same whether the…

Paralegal Career Moment – A Pleading for Matlock

We have moments in our careers that we will remember forever; some for good reasons, some for bad. I had one of those “paralegal career moments” early on when I drafted a pleading for Matlock. Here is a little back story for my more youthful readers.  Bobby Lee Cook is a famous criminal defense attorney…

Three Common Objections To Outsourcing Paralegal Work

I am privileged to work with very talented and forward-thinking attorneys.  I realize working with a virtual or freelance paralegal is a little off the beaten path.  One of the challenges I encounter is convincing firms to break out of the mold and try something new.  Attorneys are change resistant, but those willing to move…

Home Office – A Few of My Favorite Things

I enjoy reading about the latest tech gadgets and software.  Who doesn’t want information about things to make your professional life more efficient, convenient, and productive?  Technology makes my virtual work possible, but my favorite and most used items are completely no-tech or  low-tech.  Here some items that make my home office a very pleasant place for…

Emotional Stages of a Document Review

Document reviews have changed drastically since I became a paralegal in 1992. E-discovery is now its own industry and the market place is full of document review technology products that did not exist only a few years ago.  Even though we have moved from paper to PDF,  I have found something that remains the same…

Are You An ABA-Certified Paralegal?

No.  You are not an ABA-Certified Paralegal. Even if you graduated from an ABA-approved paralegal program and have “ABA-Certified Paralegal” plastered all over your resume and LinkedIn Profile, you are in fact NOT an ABA-Certified Paralegal because there is no such thing. If you follow me on Twitter, you have heard me express my frustration…

So You Want To Be The Perfect Paralegal?

I have been thinking about my career goals.  I would like to be the perfect paralegal, wouldn’t you?  Hmmm, what would make me the perfect paralegal? For starters, I would like to always know what the attorney wants; never make a mistake; only work on big cases; know how to do everything possible; and never get emotional…

If Santa Claus Were A Lawyer…

Ever wondered what kind of lawyer Santa would be?  I think he would make a terrific attorney.  The type a freelance paralegal like myself loves to work with.  Here are a few reasons why… Santa enjoys his work. The best attorneys I work with have found a niche they are passionate about and they love…

What’s In Your Briefcase? 5 Essentials That Could Save Your Reputation

I recently helped to save the professional reputation of one of my attorney-clients (that might be a reach, but I did save her some embarrassment).  I did not do it with my paralegal expertise; I did it with a few things I carry in my brief case/laptop bag. Maybe these items could save your reputation…