The Estrin Report

The Paralegal Bill of Rights

2012-01-25T10:09:40-08:00

Here's a great post that I caught from the Paralegal Society blog: In The Paralegal Society’s “social club,” which is hosted on LinkedIn, we decided to have a little fun one day (actually more like a week), and we compiled the following Paralegal Bills of Rights. We wanted to share it with all of you, so you are well-versed in all of your paralegal rights! Remember, as a paralegal, you have the right to… 1. To read the minds of attorneys for the power of all that is good in the legal kingdom. 2. The right to food, family and...

Informative Articles, Interesting Blogs.....

2012-01-11T10:33:23-08:00

Our guest blogger today is Celia Elwell - back with another useful column of Informative Articles and Interesting Blogs: Legal Articles & Blogs: 2011 a transformative year” for workplace class action litigation, by Ashley Post, InsideCounsel http://bit.ly/wE1eT1 D.C. Judge Orders Deloitte To Court In Subpoena Dispute, posted by Mike Scarcella, The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times http://bit.ly/ydRSeL Piggybacking on Students' Free LEXIS Access by Practitioners: "No can do" says Utah State Bar, Law Librarian Blog http://bit.ly/wWMHeF Stop Online Piracy Act Wants Biglaw Support; Biglaw Says, Aw, Hell No’ by Christopher Danzig, Above the Law Blog http://bit.ly/zlOlXZ What Employers and...

About 1/3 of Law Firms Plan to Hire in 2012

2011-12-29T09:13:08-08:00

Well, here's a breath of fresh air. According to the Denver Business Journal, a Robert Half Survey found that 1/3 of law firms surveyed are planning on increasing their attorney and non-attorney staff in 2012. Of course, the Negative Nellies can interpret that to say that two-thirds of law firms surveyed do not plan on increasing staff in 2012. Is the glass half-full or is the glass half-empty? According to the survey, about one in three law firms and corporate counsel nationwide plan to add legal staff in the first quarter of 2012, according to the quarterly Robert Half Legal....

Paralegals, Mind Your Manners

2011-12-18T15:41:28-08:00

Stayce Wagner, an intellectual property litigation paralegal with over 15 years of experience, joins us today with a guest blog. Read about Stayce in the January issue of KNOW Magazine for Paralegals. Find out how a former Ms. Black World California turned paralegal leveraged her background into an interesting and exciting new career. Enjoy! The First Rule of Etiquette The sheriffs and movers who refused to evict 103-year-old Vinia Hall and her 83-year-old daughter from the Atlanta home that they have shared for fifty years understand. They understand that having good manners isn’t always about power handshakes and proper introductions....

Paralegal Allegedly Forges $285K Law Firm Check to Put Down Payment on $3M House

2011-12-16T08:33:25-08:00

Boy oh boy. We've heard everything now. And I mean everything. If you're not in California, you may not have heard about the Newport Beach, CA paralegal who allegedly stole a $19,000 check written to her law firm and turned it into a $285,000 check for herself and her pal, an elementary school teacher. After the check was deposited into a joint account for the paralegal and the elementary school teacher, authorities say, the two friends flew to New York City with friends in a chartered jet and went on a spending spree, according to the Los Angeles Times and...

New LitSupport Survey Shows Managers Get Big Bucks

2011-12-14T17:32:53-08:00

The Organization of Legal Professionals (OLP) has been surveying Litigation Support Professionals to uncover interesting insights and valuable facts to help LSPs make the most of their careers. The survey, sponsored by ZyLab and Career Numbers, is unlike traditional salary and utilization surveys. The survey is left open to regularly update the information and release new and interesting insights. Additionally, OLP/Zylab will continue to provide free access to the updated results to each person who completes the survey. The Organization of Legal Professionals (OLP) is a non-profit organization providing continuing legal education and certification exams to the legal community. The...

Mayo Clinic Legal Dept. Says Paralegals Are Awesome

2011-12-09T11:25:35-08:00

OK, they didn't exactly use the word, "awesome" but they may as well have. In an interview with Corporate Counsel magazine, Jonathan Oviatt , chief legal officer of the Mayo Clinic, revealed that crunching the numbers has led in-house legal departments to rely more and more on legal support staff rather than attorneys. The ratio of lawyers to non-lawyers on its staff is a key metric for demonstrating to his corporate bosses that the legal department is doing its part to keep expenses down. "I use that in demonstrating value to the C-suite that the legal department is focused on...

Explaining your job to your kids - A new book for paralegals

2011-11-29T11:59:24-08:00

Here's a good question for you: How do you explain to your child what you do during the day at work? It's hard enough to explain the paralegal career to adults. According to parenting.com, until the child is about three years old, "Mommy is going to work" is about all they can understand. However, after that, when they're asking "Why is the sky blue, why is the grass green?" it starts to get a bit complicated. Work is hard to visualize and a position where you aren't exactly physically making a product you can bring home to show them is...

7 Habits of Highly Unsuccessful Paralegals

2011-11-22T09:01:01-08:00

Today's guest blogger is John Featherstone, author of "Start Hiring Winners". They don’t listen: It isn’t enough to just hear your boss when being addressed. Look at the person talking, and focus on what is being said so you can understand the message. They don’t follow instructions: When receiving an assignment, write down the instructions. Carry paper and pen with you at all times so you can write down instructions and good ideas as they occur. They don’t complete work assignments: If you run into difficulty, ask for help in time to meet the deadline. Don’t just set the project...

Thinking about leaving your job? It may be time for a reality check.

2011-11-18T16:46:46-08:00

Two of the greatest attributes most paralegals possess are dedication and loyalty to the profession. Many come to this field as career changers, having had successful jobs in totally unrelated fields. Making the decision to leave your current position is a tough one that cannot be made lightly. It can be a joyous decision or one fraught with pain and anxiety. Changing jobs is one of the most stressful activities a professional can undertake. Stress surveys rank it almost equally with a death in the family. Often you felt trapped in your present position because you may think that no...

Are Good Manners A Requirement for Business Success?

2011-11-12T00:11:25-08:00

Guest Blogger: Stacey Wagner “Respect for ourselves guides our morals; respect for others guides our manners.” Laurence Sterne As I sat down to write this business etiquette blog for The Estrin Report, I wondered, are good manners a requirement for business success? Not surprisingly, the answer is an unequivocal no. Anyone who has worked in corporate America can effortlessly think of at least two people who are rude and inconsiderate, but who are nevertheless wildly rich and successful. What is the point of good manners, then, if you can succeed with bad manners? The point of good manners is simple:...

Can You Say Millennial? Law Firm employees learn to all get along.

2011-11-09T01:48:11-08:00

At a dinner the other night, I realized (possibly for the first time) that generational differences in communication absolutely existed. It started when a group of Millennials at the far end of the table were discussing Kardashian’s spilt from her husband of 72 days, the reported $17 million earned working up towards the $10 million wedding (netting an assumed profit of $7 mil to get dressed up and have a little fun) and whether the whole thing was fake or real. In the meantime, at the other end of the table, a group of Baby Boomer friends began to chat about issues of the day that were important to them: Zantac, Phazyme and Breathe Right Strips.

Fired at Fifty: It Can Happen to You

2011-11-01T00:26:55-07:00

FIRED AT FIFTY by Tucker Mays and Bob Sloane This article is written for you and the thousands of others across America who are age fifty or over. The unemployment rate for this age group is now higher than that of any other and at the highest rate since the depression. Why is it that America’s most skilled and experienced workers struggle to find work? Although they will never admit it, most recruiters and companies admit privately that they are significantly less interested in hiring executives when they reach the age of fifty. There are many reasons for this bias...

The Game Changer for Paralegals

2011-10-25T06:08:49-07:00

Anyone continuing their legal education encounters opened doors to new adventures and opportunities that are closed to those without the same benefits. The value of continuing legal education increases every year. Without a college degree, including a degree from two-year program, the prospects of finding a high-quality job with excellent earnings is difficult at best. Without a certificate in this marketplace, the prospects of finding a great job decrease even further. The level of education for the average paralegal in the United States is increasing, making it essential to complete additional education beyond a paralegal certificate. Back in the "old...

How to Handle a Group Interview and Live to Tell the Tale

2011-10-19T10:10:43-07:00

Get real about your qualifications. Understand precisely why you are the right person for this particular position so you can effectively present yourself as the best candidate. When researching interviewers, LinkedIn can be a great resource. If your interviewers have public profiles, check them out. Your goal is to gather information to help you develop rapport, so you should look for aspects of their backgrounds that align with your own. Your network can also be a great resource; if you know anyone who has worked with your interviewers, hit them up for information, too. Keep in mind, though, that you don’t want to come across like a stalker.

Wanna Buy a Watch? Legal discount deals space gets bigger

2011-10-07T11:15:49-07:00

The discount deals space just got a little more crowded with a niche site that offers deals specifically geared to lawyers. MyLegal.com, LLC, has introduced the world’s first Legal Vendor Deals Program where service providers from over 100 verticals offer deals to lawyers and other legal professionals. The Legal Vendor Deals program is the first of its kind to combine discount deals with vendor Ratings & Reviews. Law firms can now turn to a single website for vetting prospective service providers around the globe and getting deals that they can pass along to their clients. “Everybody wins,” said Lisa DiMonte,...

Forbes Rates Paralegals as the #1 Most Underrated Job in the U.S.

2011-09-29T16:03:04-07:00

When have you ever heard the paralegal career called "low-stress"? According to Forbes magazine, CareerCast.com has published a list of the 10 most underrated jobs in the U.S. and the paralegal career is #1. The publication goes on to say that the job involves little contact with the public and doesn’t require employees to breathe in toxic fumes or lift loads of 50 lbs. or more. The average salary is $47,000 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That and the relatively low unemployment rate (approximately 4%), land paralegals in the number one spot on CareerCast.com’s list of Underrated Jobs...

Paralegal Knowledge Institute Makes Its Debut

2011-09-14T00:03:15-07:00

Attention experienced paralegals! There's a new outfit in town, the Paralegal Knowledge Institute (www.paralegalknowledge.com) that launches this week. Designed specifically for the paralegal assignment, the Institute is offering gold-standard courses, webinars and publications. The purpose of the Institute is to bring to the paralegal community a new concept: an organization dedicated strictly to the career advancement of the experienced paralegal. The difference between the Institute and other training companies is that the Institute is strictly dedicated to paralegal continuing legal education while in other organizations, paralegal training is a division of a larger company, generally dedicated to attorney training. "We...

There's no such thing as an ABA Certified Paralegal.....

2011-08-27T15:54:23-07:00

I'm on my soapbox today with a pet peeve. I noticed that some paralegals are putting "ABA Certified Paralegal" on their resumes, social media or announcing it to friends and employers. Here's a suggestion: Stop now while you still can! Save yourself some embarrassment or even keep yourself from getting rejected from a job! The ABA does not offer certification. Certification is a process of taking a very rigorous exam that is based upon work experience and knowledge. It is not your final exam in paralegal school. Generally, you need to meet certain educational and work experience requirements, submit an...

2011-08-27T15:21:56-07:00

To anyone who is experiencing Hurricane Irene: We are thinking of all of you and keeping our fingers crossed for you. Stay safe.

Stressed out and going nowhere

2011-08-22T23:38:00-07:00

Being a tad stressed out lately, I decided to research the topic and unfortunately, came up with the same old boring routine run-of-the-mill suggestions. There's nothing worse than for stressed out paralegals and legal professionals to read another article on stress that tells you to: a. Take a break. (Right. With that pile of work on my desk, my boss breathing down my neck, I'm gonna take a break.) b. Take a walk outside. (It's 115 degrees here. You take the walk.) b. Meditate. (That brings me right back to obsessing on what's stressing me.) c. Take a bubble bath....

The Entitled Opinion - A New Blog Column for Paralegals

2011-08-16T17:19:13-07:00

Over here at The Estrin Report, we love new ideas. That's why we are launching The Entitled Opinion - a new sporadic column featuring guest bloggers with definite opinions. We encourage you to write in. Tell us what's on your mind; what peeves you have; what success stories you've witnessed; changes you'd like to see and observations you'd like known. To kick things off, we introduce you to Sydney Muray, paralegal, today's guest blogger: Wal-Mart v. Dukes was an important Supreme Court case that dealt with class action lawsuits, appealing to lawyers and paralegals alike. The original plaintiff, Betty Dukes,...

What Happens When a Legal Publication tries for Sensationalism? Sorry, Couldn't hear you over that loud thud.

2011-08-15T02:55:54-07:00

On occasion, a publication will go to print with an article that had Murphy's law written all over it from the beginning. Such is the case of LTN's article last week on certification exams. Trying to create (and I quote) "a huge controversy" where there was really nothing more than a bit of wheezing, LTN decided to go for the August sweeps by sensationalizing and creating controversy where basically, there was none. Sure, some differences of opinions but not to the magnitude they thought they could push it. I am the Chairperson of the Organization of Legal Professionals (OLP) and...

UNITIZATION: The Process of Separating Logical Boundaries from Physical Boundaries

2011-08-11T02:17:52-07:00

Bob Sweat, a talented writer and eDiscovery expert is back today with another guest blog. Bob, as most of you know, hails from the Great State of Texas where everything there is bigger - even the cases. In the previous issue, I wrote about scanning as most cases still include a paper component; lots of it in some cases. As these two subjects (scanning and unitization) intertwine so closely it would be a good idea to tuck these guidelines on unitization away for future use with last issue’s article on scanning. The purpose of unitization (logical document determination or LDD)...

SCANNING - Low Tech Highly Misunderstood

2011-08-10T11:03:42-07:00

Our guest blogger today is Bob Sweat who has quite an impressive background in the litigation wars. Today, Bob writes about scanning..... In paper collections you usually find documents in folders and some loose in between folders. The pages are bound by various elements, such as staples, paper clips, binder clips and rubber bands. In the normal course of business it is not uncommon to find “logical” documents bound together. These are known as “physical” documents. It is standard practice for a service bureau, your in-house copy department or facility management vendor to scan the pages using the smallest binding...

Are you doing all you can taking a witness statement?

2011-08-08T15:05:03-07:00

One of our favorite guest bloggers is back! Barbara Haubrich-Hass, ACP/CAS on: WITNESS STATEMENTS It is important to memorialize the sequence of events in any given incident. One way to accomplish this is to obtain statements from the percipient witnesses. Nailing down a witness’ version of how an incident occurred early in a case can be one of the most important components of a thorough investigation. A paralegal should not determine which witness to statementize; that is a decision for the attorney to make. It is also up to the attorney to decide who conducts the interview with the witness....

Fear of Public Speaking is Really Fear of Humiliation: How to Cope

2011-08-04T20:00:56-07:00

The other day, I wrote the big reveal about public speaking. Essentially, I wrote that fear of public speaking is not about public speaking. It’s a fear of being humiliated. I offered up 5 reasons why fear manifests itself. Today, I’d like to take those 5 “why we’re afraid” reasons and offer up 5 ways to cope. 1. In the past, you’ve been publically humiliated. Welcome to life. We have a primordial reaction to being shunned publicly—perhaps because throughout our lives, it often meant being ostracized from our circle of friends and family. When it happens as a child, before...

Is Your Fear of Public Speaking Really About Public Speaking? Maybe Not.

2011-07-29T20:28:26-07:00

According to public polls, the number of people suffering from a fear of public speaking trumps fear of death. This has always been hard for me to understand as I have always enjoyed the experience – public speaking that is, not death. In this day and age when getting heard is so important, public speaking has become a critical tool in moving your paralegal or legal career forward. So, what is this fear, exactly, and why is it so paralyzing? The truth is, we’re not really afraid of speaking in public. We’re terrified of being humiliated. It’s a subtle distinction,...

Going On's.....This 'n Thats.....

2011-07-27T21:30:44-07:00

Tough week? Take a few moments to enjoy our guest blogger, Celia Elwell, RP and senior paralegal, who sends us interesting links and articles. Enjoy! Judge Throws Out RICO Claims Against Johnson & Johnson, by Shannon P. Duffy, The Legal Intelligencer http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202504306265 Federal Judge Dismisses BP Oil Spill Fraud Lawsuit, by Maureen Cosgrove, JURIST http://bit.ly/odVde4 Jury Awards $900 Thousand In Age Discrimination Case, by Ellen Simon, Employee’s Rights Post Blog http://bit.ly/r7kUkO Third Circuit Okays Collection of DNA from Criminal Suspects, by Nathan Koppel, Wall Street Journal Law Blog http://on.wsj.com/mQC5sq Preparing Americans for Death Lets Hospices Neglect End of Life, by...

2011-07-27T06:57:12-07:00

Here's the correct link for the new blog, Legal Market Today, providing job leads, career trends, success stories and more! http://estrinlegaled.typepad.com/legal_market_today/ Our new recruiting service gives candidates personalized service. We only accept 10 top candidates per month.