The Estrin Report

New Survey Shows Paralegal Salaries Going Down

2009-11-21T15:34:11-08:00

Not so good news out here in the paralegal world. The new 2010 Salary Guide from Robert Half Legal just published, shows that paralegal salaries are dipping. The salary guide is a review of actual starting salaries in 2009 and...

2009-11-21T09:42:00-08:00

New survery from Robt. Half: Salaries for 2010 expected to go down for lawyers in small - lrg firms by -0.4% to -5.4% & -0.2% to -3.7% for paras.

New Association for Bankruptcy Paralegals Forms

2009-11-18T11:47:42-08:00

We've seen a number of new associations spring up lately. This is a great sign! It means that paralegals are getting much more involved in the profession, are more interested in ever in promoting the field and are developing more...

New Organization for Healthcare Paralegals Launches

2009-11-03T13:35:12-08:00

Robin Margolis is at it again. This industrious paralegal has started another organization for paralegals that fits the current trends in the field. The Healthcare Paralegal Federation has been formed to meet the needs of healthcare paralegals, paralegals interested in...

Sex, Secretaries and Audacious Attorneys

2009-10-22T16:17:05-07:00

Sometimes, you're just plain shocked at behavior. Law.com Legal Blog Watchreported today a bombshell of a complaint over a May 2009 ad on Craigslist under "Adult Gigs" for a secretary/legal assistant. The ad was titled: "Loop lawyers hiring secretary/legal assistant."...

When to Say No to Your Dream Job

2009-10-14T18:57:08-07:00

Have you ever wondered what might have happened in your life if you had chosen one road over another? I mean, what really might have happened? I don’t make a habit of writing about my own experiences but…..a few years...

The Empowered Paralegal - A New Book for New Paralegals

2009-09-21T11:56:02-07:00

For those of us who are "old" hands at this, the information presented in a new book by Robert E. Mongue, The Empowered Paralegal, may seem pretty obvious. However, when I think back to when I was brand new on...

You Call This Networking??

2009-09-15T13:14:04-07:00

Networking. No matter how you twitter, tweet, link, face or space, you have to do it these days if you want to avoid career suicide. With all this online socializing, however, your knack for meeting strangers one-on-one (probably the best...

DOJ Paralegal Whistleblower Dissed & Dismissed - Exclusive Interview!

2009-09-10T17:12:52-07:00

Exclusive to KNOW, The Magazine for Paralegals From Justice Dream Job to Nightmare Tamarah Grimes, Justice Department Paralegal: Why This Whistleblower Was Dissed & Dismissed By Andrew Kreig, J.D., M.S.L. As federal prosecutors prepared in 2006 for the corruption trial...

Critical Need for e-Discovery Certification & The OLP

2009-09-01T04:43:04-07:00

Today’s screaming for qualified e-discovery professionals has reached an unprecedented volume. Recently, Socha-Gelbman published an overview of the results of their annual survey on the Legal Technology News site. One of the most important single observations from it is the...

Why Would the S.C. Bar Stifle Competency Improvement?

2009-08-27T06:19:48-07:00

According to the Carolina Paralegal News, South Carolina paralegals won't be seeing voluntary certification and registration any time soon. The South Carolina House of Delegates has tabled a proposal for paralegals to start a voluntary certification program for paralegals. The...

The Organization of Legal Professionals - An association worth joining

2009-08-21T05:45:20-07:00

The Organization of Legal Professionals, a non-profit organization has launched its membership drive. Dedicated to certification of e-Discovery and other areas in the legal field, this association has attracted some of the top lawyers and legal professionals in the country...

WSPA Hits One Out of the Park with Social Media Guide for Paralegals

2009-08-13T14:01:25-07:00

The Washington State Paralegal Association sent us their new "Unofficial LinkedIn User Guide" they developed for new paralegal LinkedIn users. This simple guide is fantastic. I wish I had it when I started instead of making the bloopers I made!...

Tired of the Same Old Paralegal Job? Positions Exist Where You Least Expect

2009-08-07T12:03:45-07:00

Have you ever found yourself performing an assignment that you know perfectly well, given a different name and a different case, would be the same assignment you have performed over and over ad nauseam? For example, deposition summaries, indexing, boiler...

The Search for America's Favorite Paralegal

2009-07-22T10:34:31-07:00

Somewhere out there are America's Favorite Paralegals. You know who they are. These are colleagues, friends and managers who love their jobs, push the profession forward and always strive for excellence. Not only do you enjoy working with them, they...

Trends: Brand New Resume Writing Tool Is Wave of the Future

2009-07-16T17:31:55-07:00

Margaret Agius is a rock solid paralegal. But after ten years with a major Detroit law firm, she was laid off from her job as a products liability specialist. Since then, this lively, smart and well-educated paralegal has had difficulty...

Top DOJ Paralegal Fired for Whistleblowing

2009-07-09T12:37:32-07:00

According to the Huffington Post, new questions are surfacing about political intrigue at the U.S. Justice Department after former White House political strategist Karl Rove provided his long-awaited responses to House Judiciary Committee staff Tuesday about allegations that he pressured...

15 Warning Signs Your Firm May Be Laying Off Staff

2009-07-09T12:03:18-07:00

The Wall Street Journal Blog this morning reported that DLA Piper on Wednesday laid off 121 people — 21 lawyers and 100 staffers. The news bring the total number of layoffs at DLA to 440 in the U.S. and U.K....

New Book, eDiscovery Plain & Simple, is Helpful for Paralegals

2009-07-06T18:48:59-07:00

A new book, "eDiscovery Plain & Simple", has just arrived in bookstores. Written by Shawnna Childress, Executive Director and co-Founder of Women in eDiscovery and Allison Brecher, Senior Litigation Counsel and Director of Information Management and Strategy, Marsh & McLennan...

Former Paralegal Uses Skills to Become Chief of Police - In Liberia

2009-07-03T13:02:16-07:00

A 41-year old Liberian and former paralegal at a 50-attorney Washington, D.C. law firm has been appointed the Liberian Inspector-General by President Sirleaf. According to allafrica.com, Marc Amblard faced tremendous criticism about questionable skill sets necessary for the position. His...

New 2009 Paralegal Survey Released from IPMA and Incisive Media

2009-06-28T00:29:37-07:00

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Incisive Legal Intelligence, a leading source of business intelligence for the legal profession, in partnership with the International Paralegal Management Association (IPMA), today announced the release of the Annual Compensation Survey for Paralegals/Legal Assistants and Managers, 2009 Edition,...

Stealth But Powerful Paralegal Organization Celebrates 25th Birthday

2009-06-10T10:04:40-07:00

This year is the 25th anniversary of the International Paralegal Management Association (IPMA). Surprisingly, not everyone has heard of this influential and powerful association, even after all these years. In fact, compared to associations such as NFPA and NALA, it...

Life Gets Easier: Google Introduces The Next Evolution of E-Mail?

2009-06-05T00:09:56-07:00

Imagine making e-mail slicker, faster and easier to use. Apparently, Google imagined that too. Today, Google announced Google Wave what will probably become the next new e-mail. Wave is an ambitious new communication platform. It seeks to replace many of...

Paralegal Buys Law Practice from Elderly Lawyer for $20.00

2009-05-29T19:42:40-07:00

This goes right up there in the "Hall of Shame" red file. According to the ABA Journal (quoting from the Orange County Register in Orange County, CA), a paralegal "bought" a law practice valued at $750,000 from an elderly, 84-year-old...

Paralegal Salaries Slashed by 20% at Prestigious Firm

2009-05-26T18:13:18-07:00

Above the Law, the gossip blogloid (that previously has pretty much scoffed, jeered and laughed at paralegals) printed a sobering story today. Apparently, the law firm of Allen Matkins, known for its quality reputation in real estate law, rounded up...

Paralegal Arrested for Robbing Peter to Pay Paul

2009-05-19T04:23:33-07:00

A former paralegal has been arrested for allegedly stealing from one firm to pay another. The paralegal allegedly stole over $100,000 from the Norristown, PA firm of High Schwartz to repay $285,000 to a New York firm. According to the...

Paralegal Denied Permission to Speak at Conference - New Trend?

2009-05-18T14:06:54-07:00

Here's an interesting development regarding confidentiality and risk management: A very good friend of mine, let's call him/her Leslie (a unisex name), was asked to speak at the Paralegal Technology Institute at Legal Tech in Los Angeles. Now, Leslie is...

In Pursuit of Freedom: The Peter Kirchikov Story

2009-05-13T17:43:03-07:00

We have never given just bits and pieces in this blog nor teased you with a story in KNOW. However, I wanted to share with you a bit of the upcoming issue. Occasionally, we run across stories that move your...

Associate Job Losses May Mean Paralegal Job Gains

2009-05-06T22:43:04-07:00

This is the second time this week I read an article about paralegals gaining jobs in this miserable economy. OK, it's not miserable for absolutely everyone. But if you're watching Katie or Brian on the BigNews channels, you'll have to...

Virtual Paralegal Jobs: This One Pays Up to $100k

2009-05-04T23:55:00-07:00

I must be in the wrong business. Today, I spotted an ad for a "Partial Telecommute Paralegal" who can work from home. The paralegal must be experienced in litigation, contracts, tort and workers compensation. The salary? $35,000 - $100,000 per...