There is really no need to hide or be ashamed of the fact that I am a legal nerd. If you know me, work with me, or read my paralegal blog regularly, you already know it. What makes me a legal nerd? Read on to find out: 1. I think legal research is fun. You…
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…
If you work in personal injury or worker’s compensation you may have had the unfortunate experience of dealing with a litigation loan shark. Litigation lending is becoming more and more common with the difficult economy. All legal professionals should know what really happens when a plaintiff borrows against his or her future settlement. Please note:…
I graduated from paralegal school in May 1992 which makes this the 20th anniversary of my paralegal certificate. Happy Anniversary to me! Well, time flies and things changes. Take a stroll down paralegal memory lane with me as I look at what has changed in twenty years… The Paralegal Job Market When I was finishing…
In today’s legal market, many small firms and solos operate on tight budgets with little or no support staff. What some attorneys fail to realize is that there comes a point when doing everything yourself actually costs you more than getting a little help from a contract, freelance or virtual paralegal (I use the terms…
Do you know someone who has been a victim of a crime? If you answered no, you are probably wrong. Statistically speaking, you most likely have a friend, a relative, a co-worker, or a neighbor who has been the victim of a crime. Perhaps you have been a crime victim yourself; if so, do…
A great resource for essential paralegal skills and training. If you don’t sharpen your paralegal skills now, you will hate yourself later. No matter how much or how little experience you have as a paralegal, you need to always be moving forward by acquiring more skills to make you as indispensable as possible. In this article, I…
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to start your own virtual paralegal business? I used to sit in Atlanta traffic each morning and dream of becoming a freelance paralegal (it was 1992 so “virtual” was not an option). In 1994, I began drafting a business plan to make my dream a reality….
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 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…