I am referring to healthy hate, not embittering, ugly hate.  Not sure what healthy hate looks like?  Well, generally what we fight against and resist are the things we have a healthy hatred for.  Here are a few examples. Perhaps you love dogs and you hate the reality of  dogs being euthanized.  This healthy hatred could motivate you to volunteer at a dog adoption project.  Or, you hate seeing children shuffled through the courts and foster care system so you decide to work with CASA.

I once took my daughter to see Dr. Leila Denmark, a locally famous pediatrician. Dr. Denmark was 98 years old when we met her and still running a thriving practice, the old fashioned way.  When Dr. Denmark was a young pediatrician there was no cure or vaccine for whooping cough (pertussis). During an outbreak of whooping cough she saw a family lose six of their children, who were her patients, within one week.  She began to passionately hate this sickness as she saw more lives lost.  She shut down her practice for six years to work diligently on developing a vaccine. She did not have a grant or any type of funding other than her husband’s income.  Because she hated passionately, hated wisely, and hated well, she successfully developed a vaccine that has saved the lives of countless children. She practiced medicine  until the age of 104 and is now 113.

I have worked as a freelance paralegal for many attorneys who are successful because of their passionate hatred of injustice.   When they meet a person who has been truly wronged they don’t see dollar signs as the stereotype would suggest; they see an opportunity to use their hatred of that wrong to help the person.  I have worked on cases where I have developed a hatred for the wrong that was done. They may not have been on an Erin Brockovich scale, but they are my favorites, because I worked on them with passion.  I would have done the work for free.

I strive to be motivated and driven by my passions without becoming a slave to them.  I carefully choose what to hate and what to love.  What about you?  Did a healthy hatred of something direct your career path?  What work would you do for free if necessary?  Do you hate well?

The legal industry has undergone its own transformation due to technology. But, good attorneys are a lot like good cupcakes. The basic ingredients are the same as they were decades ago and they are the same on rural Main Street as they are on DC’s First Street.

I am not talking about intelligent, competent representation; let’s say that is a given for the sake of the example.  Studies have shown that your clients’ satisfaction depends more on how they are treated by the attorney and staff than the actual outcome of their legal matter.  I have worked with a lot of attorney as a freelance paralegal and I have identified three simple C’s as the basic ingredients for making clients happy.  The attorney (and every member of the legal staff) should be:

Caring

Clients need to feel like their attorney cares about their legal matter.  The best way to do this is to listen to your clients.  The most pressing legal issue may not be what is keeping your client up at night.  While it is your job to identify and address the legal issues, find out how your client feels about their dilemma.  The few moments it will take to listen your client’s real concern  may be more important and insightful than hours of fact gathering.

Communicative

Just like any healthy relationship, the attorney/client relationship requires communication.  The problem attorneys run into is that it takes time and time is money.  This is where the legal staff becomes extremely valuable.  Legal staff can keep clients abreast of the progress of their matter.  If nothing is happening with their case at the moment, it is better to communicate that than to keep clients wondering.  Regular communication can be placed on a tickler system just like important deadlines.  Good communication with your clients will also decrease the chances of some types of malpractice.

Confident

While you cannot promise your client a definite outcome, you can assure them that you are working for them to the best of your ability and you will do everything possible to represent their interests well.  What is the best way to convey confidence? SMILE! A simple smile reassures your client that you have things under control and you feel confident in your work.

Well, there you have it.  The three C’s for making your clients happy.  It is good old fashioned CRM without the need to learn any new software.

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 are asked to do?  Are you uninterested in learning more about the area of law in which you are working?  Do you refuse to be a team player and think about the firm as a whole, not just yourself?  Yes??? Then you are what I am going to call the complacent paralegal.

Complacent paralegals: WAKE UP!  Don’t think that your boss will not replace you; she will.  How do I know?  Because I get calls regularly from attorneys who  are getting ready to fire their paralegal and are exploring  options for replacing her.

On one such call, I was very curious about the poor paralegal about to lose her job so I decided to ask a few questions.  I thought that perhaps she was a new hire that did not work out; or maybe she had made a mistake that was very costly to the firm; or perhaps she did something unethical. What I found was that she had been with the firm a few years; she had not made some grievous mistake; and she had not “misbehaved” in any way.  The attorney explained that the paralegal had just become lazy.  She seemed uninterested in her work; she never offered any type of assistance without being asked; she had a bad attitude toward others in the firm; and she did not pay attention to details.  The saddest part of the conversation was when I asked him if the paralegal knew she was about to be let go; he said she did not have a clue.

Could this be you?  If you think you may have become a complacent paralegal, decide now to turn things around.  Set some career goals for yourself; ask for more substantive legal work; or pursue paralegal certification.  You have to grow and move forward in your career to get out of the complacent paralegal mindset. Need some motivation?  Think of the all the paralegals out there who would love to have your job.

Photo

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 brick and mortar law office.  I work as both a freelance and virtual paralegal.       

If you are an attorney interested in outsourcing paralegal work you need to consider which arrangement will work best.  Most of the attorneys I work for do a combination of both; a few I work with virtually only.  The virtual only relationships work very well with firms who are almost paperless.  When all files are stored in the cloud a virtual paralegal’s work  is very seamless.

When I go into a physical office, it is usually for one reason: that is were the paper is located.  I spent a week in a small law firm this summer getting a file ready for trial.  The files had taken over the conference room with with stacks of paper on the table, floor, and in chairs.  The case needed to be organized and a trial notebook or binder created.  This could not be accomplished virtually.

Before you hire a virtual paralegal, take a look at how you run your practice.  If you think you may want the paralegal to come to your office at times or possibly accompany you to a trial, you need to look locally.  If you foresee all of the outsourced paralegal work as virtual, you can broaden your search geographically.  You also need to think about the types of tasks you will outsource and whether knowledge of local court rules and state laws will be a factor.

Not all virtual paralegal services offer on-site freelance paralegal services.  If on-site services are available ask if there are any additional fees involved such as mileage or a  trip fee; time billed for travel; a minimum number of hours per trip; or a different hourly rate for on-site services.

Be sure to think through all the possible duties and tasks you would like to outsource to a paralegal before making a decision.  The difference  between a freelance and virtual paralegal  is small, but it can make a big difference to  the hiring law firm or solo attorney.

Photo: “Clouds” by Brian Kerr

Photo: “Atlanta, Georgia, skyline, dusk”   by apple.white2010

Note: If you cannot see the video in your email or reader, it’s on YouTube: Paralegal Career Tip.

If you have a question about being a paralegal or advancing your paralegal career contact me, Misty Sheffield.  I will be answering your questions in a series of paralegal career tips videos.  I hope to hear from you.

Here is a little back story for my more youthful readers.  Bobby Lee Cook is a famous criminal defense attorney from Georgia.  The long running legal drama “Matlock” starring Andy Griffith is widely believed to be based on Mr. Cook who is also famous for saying, “If you can railroad a bad man to prison, you can railroad a good man.”  Bobby Lee Cook has a persuasive way with juries that seems to be as innate to him as breathing.  The ABA Journal published an excellent article about the legal legend that is a very entertaining read, well worth your time.

My first encounter with Bobby Lee Cook was at a political event my family had been invited to when I was about 15 year old.  I had not yet set my sites on a legal career, but I was intrigued by the man because he had a larger swarm of people around him than Georgia Governor Zell Miller.  I decided to get in line to meet Mr. Cook and see what the fuss was all about.  I walked away completely baffled by the man’s popularity.  He talked like a hillbilly and defended murderers.

Fast forward eight years.  By the time I graduated from UGA and finished my paralegal program, I knew a lot more about the famous defense attorney and found him brilliant, fascinating and entertaining. I was working at a small law firm in downtown Atlanta.  One day my supervising attorney explained we would be doing a case with Bobby Lee Cook.  Because of his talent and fame, people with all types of cases flocked to the law offices of Cook & Connelly.  Mr. Cook would farm the cases out to attorneys working in the particular area of law at issue.  He would keep his name on the case; stay abreast of the progress; and come in for hearings, negotiations, and most importantly a trial if necessary.

My attorney explained  the facts of a wrongful termination case, handed me a thin file and said, “Draft the complaint, Bobby Lee Cook will be here to sign it in the morning.”  What?  Less than six months of paralegal experience under my belt and I was drafting a pleading for Matlock!  I was terrified, excited, and extremely nervous.  I drafted the complaint making sure everything was in perfect order.  Looking back, it was a very basic task and there was little I could have done wrong. But at the time, it seemed like there were a million mistakes I could have made if  not careful.

The complaint was reviewed and signed by the attorneys without revision.  I got another quick handshake from Mr. Cook, my perception of him was much different this time.  I felt like I had just written a hit song for a rock star.  It was a paralegal career moment.

The case settled during discovery so I never had the opportunity to see the real live Matlock in action.  I believe the sheer force of  Bobby Lee  Cook’s name and the thought of facing him in court made the case go straight to negotiations.  Or, maybe it was the skillfully drafted complaint that made opposing counsel shudder. (Hey, a paralegal can dream.)

If you have a paralegal career moment you would like to share, I would love to hear from you.  Leave a comment or contact me here.

I would like to address some of the common concerns I hear from attorneys who have not tried outsourcing work to a freelance paralegal.

1.  I don’t have the time to find a freelance paralegal.

Finding a freelance paralegal has never been easier.  You need to first decide what you are looking for.  Here are some questions to get you started… Can all of the work be done virtually or do I want someone to come into my office on occasion?  Is there a special skill set I would like the paralegal to have?  Am I going to retain a certain number of hours per month or do I only need a freelance paralegal during busy times?  Once you know what you are looking for, begin your search on Google.  You should find most of the information you are looking for on the freelance paralegal’s website.  You can send a short email for more information or make a quick phone call.  If the paralegal has a blog you can learn a lot about the person from reading a few posts.  It is really a quick and easy process.  You just have to take that first step.

2.  I can’t afford a freelance paralegal.

Working with a freelance paralegal will not only save you money, it will make money for your firm.  You already know that you will save money by outsourcing over hiring an employee.  You also know that you will bill the paralegal’s time at almost double what you pay for it.  But have you thought about the other ways outsourcing will bring in a profit?  If you are  busy micro-managing every case, you will find that you no longer have time to bring in new clients.  A freelance paralegal can do some of the tedious and time-consuming legal work to free you up for rain making.  If you don’t spend time feeding the pipeline your practice will dry up.

3. I don’t trust anyone else to work on my cases.

It can be very hard to delegate work.  You want to do your very best for your clients and keep them happy.  One of the great things about working with a freelance paralegal is that she is a business owner like you who wants to do her best for her clients and protect her reputation  in the legal community. Most freelance paralegals will treat your work with the same effort and dedication you would – their business depends on it.  Solo attorneys in particular have to learn to delegate to have a thriving practice (see above) this involves trust.   I frequently have attorneys test the waters with me on small tasks.  They give me increasingly more substantive legal work as their trust in me grows.

So what about you, are you willing to try something new?  You may be pleasantly surprised with the ease and affordability of working with a freelance paralegal.  I am very easy to get in touch with and I would be more than happy to talk with you about how outsourcing can help your practice run more efficiently.  Contact me today for a consultation.  Note: I work only with attorneys in good standing with their state bar association.

My Comfy Office Chair

This is first on the list because it is so very important.  If you spent a lot of time sitting, you need to have proper support for your back.  Aeron chairs are famous for their lumbar support if they are in your budget.  I don’t even know what company made my chair; I think it was purchased at Office Max.  The important thing is that it is a perfect fit for me.  Take your time selecting a good chair; consider it an investment in your productivity (because it is).

My Little Red Book

Some call it a calendar, planner, diary, agenda or day timer.  I use Google calendar with some clients and other programs for a tickler system, but I can’t give up my paper calendar.  This is just a personal preference.  I use a  red, leather Filofax (Finchley, personal size for Filofax fans).   I like the feel of the paper, the smell of the leather, and the visual of having it open on my desk at all times.  My Filofax also houses my address book and certain lists I like to have handy.

My Desk Jewelry

Everyone has a favorite pen, right?  Mine just happens to be  from a jewelry line (Brighton), not a pen company.  It is actually a pen cover; you can put a variety of pen types into the cover.  I not only enjoy writing with this pen, but I also enjoy the look of it.

My Weather Station (only techy thing on the list)

My entire family is addicted to this little gadget.  It displays indoor and outdoor temperature,  relative humidity, twelve hour weather forecast, time, and date.  Yes, I could get most of this  from weather.com, but the weather station’s local outdoor temperature is truly local.  I have a remote sensor on my front porch that transmits information to the device.

My Paper Inbox

I feel a little guilty showing you this since I am an advocate of the paperless office, but this letter and paper organizer is a convenient way to sort documents immediately and keep them handy when I need to access them.  I bought this at IKEA for less than $20.  IKEA is a great place for things to organize your office economically.

My Office Assistant

How could I leave out this cutie?  He is actually very helpful to me as I plow through documents and help small firms thrive.  He serves several purposes: he keeps me company; he looks really cute; and he can be quite entertaining. Unfortunately, he is of no use as a guard dog.

You may be wondering if these things really help me to be a better paralegal and offer a more outstanding service to my clients.  Well, they help me a lot by creating an environment that I truly enjoy. I love my office so I want to spend time there.  I am comfortable and happy while doing my work which I believe translates into better quality of work and of life.

One definition of  ”crusade” from dictionary.com reads, “any vigorous, aggressive movement for the defense or advancement of an idea, cause, etc.” After giving this definition a little thought, I decided that I am indeed  a crusader.  I also realized  all of my heroes are crusaders and pretty much everyone I truly respect is a crusader of  some sort.

Today, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we remember a great crusader. I will listen to  ”I Have A Dream.”  I keep it on my iPod year round; my children have heard it numerous times.  I am always inspired by not only the message, but also the passion and conviction with which the message is delivered.  This famous speech draws from the works of other important crusades including the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation, the Gettysburg Address, and the United States Constitution.

I am not lumping myself in with Martin Luther King, Jr., Abraham Lincoln, or the founding fathers by declaring myself as a crusader.  But, like these heroes I have dreams and ideas I believe in fervently and that is where all great things begin.

What about you? What are you passionate about?  Are you a crusader?  If you are, what are you doing to advance your ideas?  If you are not, you should be – I dare you.

I have identified my five emotional stages of a document review…

1. Excitement -The initial stage of a document review can be very enjoyable.  Tackling a new assignment; learning about the case; setting up a team; defining the project; these are all very exciting.  Another great thing about this stage is motivation is very high.  People are not usually stressed out or burned out; they are ready to work.

2. Overwhelm – This stage usually creeps up on you as you realize how much information you have to process by your deadline.  The excitement wears off and you feel the weight of having been entrusted with possibly the most labor intensive and expensive part of  a case.  The key here is to make sure your overwhelm leads to greater efficiency, not panic.  When you panic, you freeze.  Learn to use the pressure of overwhelm to do your best work.  Check your workflow, monitor your quality control and make improvements where they are needed.

3.  Acceptance – This is the smoothest of the emotional stages.  You are no longer overwhelmed; your systems are in place and running smoothly.  Your team is familiar with the the case, the types of documents, and the technology.  You are making great progress and are on pace to finish before your deadline.  Doesn’t this sound lovely? It is, but it may not last for very long because here comes the next stage…

4. Fatigue – You feel like this document review will never end.  You may also feel cross-eyed and a little crazy.  Are you dreaming about hot docs instead of hot (fill in the blank with your preference)?  This is the time to focus on the light at the end of the tunnel.  There is also a paycheck at the end of the tunnel; think of something special to do with a little of that paycheck.

5. Closure – That great feeling of accomplishing your task.  Stand back a marvel at your work.  Enjoy the satisfaction of a job well done and treat yourself .  If you know you will be doing a second-pass document review don’t think about that right now. That is a separate project where you can start the emotional stages all over again.

Do you experience a similar emotional pattern when working in document review or other large projects?  I would love to hear from you.