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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
#7. They are both odd birds. Turkeys have some strange body parts: snoods, spurs, caruncles, gizzards, beards, and wattles; not your average tweetie bird. Attorneys tend to use strange language, words normal people never use such as: aforementioned, hereinafter, pursuant to, estoppel, laches, voir dire certiorari, habeas corpus, prima facie, inter alia, and mens rea. #6….
Last week I attended Solo Practitioner Boot Camp at Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School, hoping to glean a few helpful ideas to pass along to my solo attorney clients. What I got was five hours chocked full of great information to share with you. I will just be hitting the high points as I condense…