Paralegals, here is your wake-up call… If you answer “yes” to any of the following questions, read the rest of this post – seriously. Have you grown apathetic toward your work? Do you make careless mistakes frequently? Have you stopped striving to be the very best at what you do? Are you annoyed by every assignment you…
Is there a difference between a freelance paralegal and a virtual paralegal? Which one should an attorney look for when needing some extra help? I don’t want to insult anyone’s intelligence, but the only difference is that a virtual paralegal’s work is all done virtually and a freelance paralegal’s work can be done at the…
One of the top complaints I hear from paralegals is that their supervising attorneys are not utilizing the paralegal’s full potential. This scenario leads to boredom, frustration, and low job satisfaction. It is a lose-lose, for the paralegal and the firm. Today I am going to share three ways to help you get more substantive…
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…
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…
Considering becoming a freelance paralegal? You should take a serious look at your motives, personality, experience, and finances, just for starters. I am going to give you the good, the bad, and the ugly on being a freelance paralegal versus being a law-firm-employed paralegal. I prefer bad news first, so here goes… • You will…
What puts you on cloud nine in your professional life? Is it a successful settlement, winning a motion, calming a client’s fears? For most litigators, it is winning in court. Last year, I represented myself in a small civil matter (less than $17,000) in magistrate court. Yes, I know what they say about someone who…