Paralegal by Day, Roller Girl by Night

Jamie Taylor, 29, a paralegal by day in Everett, Washington, is a Jet City Rollergirl - and not the type that curl your hair literally.

Taylor skates in roller derby, that high-contact, slamming sport. To be sure, there's a show aspect -- how else do you earn the nickname "Ivana Hurtya"? -- but when they're competing, it's pure sport. Taylor is known as Precious N Metal, and she has sustained injuries as a part of roller derby: she has a plate and six screws in her ankle.

But she loves it:

"I work in an office," said Taylor, the paralegal, "and derby is an opportunity for me to express that part of myself that I don't get to do in my everyday life. It's an outlet for this part of my personality to come out."

There is also a bond of friendship, even among players from rival teams.

"There's nothing like a group of women getting together and sweating and bleeding and beating the crap out of each other, and then hugging afterward," Taylor said. "When you go through pain together … a different kind of thing happens than when you're just playing softball.

"There's a camaraderie," she said. "And a big part of derby is sisterhood. It's by women, for women."

(Source: HeraldNet)

Law Day

Today, May 1, is the 50th Anniversary of Law Day.

Here is a note from the American Bar Association:

Fifty years ago President Eisenhower proclaimed the first Law Day a "day of national dedication to the principle of government under law." The ABA invites you to celebrate this enduring principle during the 50th anniversary of Law Day. Law Day 2008 will explore the meaning of the rule of law, fostering public understanding of the rule of law through discussion of its role in a free society.

Paralegal Appointed New Poughkeepsie Chamberlain

A Poughkeepsie paralegal has been selected to replace the Acting Chamberlain by Mayor John Tkazyik. Karen Burke, a resident of Poughkeepsie, has been appointed as Chamberlain, which is similar to a city clerk. Burke would handle council meeting minutes and oversee applications for various parmits and licenses.

Burke has worked as a paralegal for several area law firms, and Tkazyik cited Burke's background as a reason for choosing her.

"Karen will be an asset to the chamberlain’s office as she has great organizational skills," Tkazyik said. "Her background will make her a perfect fit for the duties this important position demands."

Source:Poughkeepsie Journal

D.A. Should Reduce Attorneys, Hire Paralegals

As we know, using paralegals can save law firms, corporations, and municipalities plenty of money.

The first-ever management audit of the Santa Clara County District Attorney's office recommended the office replace a dozen attorney positions with more than twice as many less expensive paralegals.

The audit, performed by the county's contracted independent auditor, found attorneys were spending multiple hours a week on tasks that could be performed by a paralegal.

"The department therefore spends at least an additional $3.34 million per year to have attorneys rather than paralegals carry out many paralegal tasks,'' according to the audit.

The audit recommended reducing the number of attorneys in the office by 12 positions through attrition and using the funds budgeted for those positions to hire as many as 25 paralegals.

Needless to say, the recommendation was met with resistance from District Attorney Dolores Carr, who objected to the auditor's suggestion about reducing attorney positions.

"We disagree, however, that the additional paralegals can be provided simply by eliminating attorney codes. The audit failed to conduct any meaningful analysis of how the elimination of 12 attorneys would impact our ability to provide mandated legal services in courts as well as in the office," according to Carr's response. "The statistical calculation by the auditors to justify the reduction in attorney codes is too simplistic and an insufficient measure of the work that needs to be done."

She did, however, admit that the office needs more paralegals.

The office does need additional paralegals; Carr listed nine positions that would "significantly help," but she said they should not come at the expense of attorney positions.

My question is, has she looked at what the attorneys are doing? Can paralegals do it instead? Most likely, I'd bet.


(Source: cbs5.com - Local Wire)

Paralegals on the Move

CORSICA, Texas -- Lynn Gatlin is now associated with Keller Williams Realty Harper Smith Team. Gatlin brings with her six and one-half years of experience as a sales associate with Re/Max of Corsicana. She began her career in real estate by working for real estate attorney David Wilson Jr., and then later as a real estate paralegal for Strasburger & Price, L.L.P. in Dallas.

"After being able to see how a real estate transaction works from the legal side and working in the field, I really enjoy working with buyers and sellers the most," Gatlin said. "I just enjoy a more hands-on experience."

Source: Corsica Daily Sun

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Thomas Thomas & Hafer hired Cindy Janicko, paralegal.

Rothman Gordon hired Charles J. Vrscak Jr. as a paralegal.

Source: Dateline Pittsburgh

From Paralegal to Priest?

NYT: Facing Decline, an Effort to Market the Priesthood: "At 39, Ronald Perez is the oldest candidate for ordination next month. A former paralegal at a Midtown law firm, he moved to New York from Los Angeles 10 years ago to change his life. By the time he decided to become a priest, he had worked at a failed manufacturing company and a dot-com that missed the boom.
His decision to become a priest was gradual, he said, coming after years of involvement in activities at his home parish, St. Patrick's Cathedral. He credited the talks he had with visiting seminarians for nudging him closer to the religious life. Like many other contemporary candidates for the seminary, he started studying philosophy with other prospective priests.
'The door was open, so if it was for you, go on, but if not, leave, no questions asked,' he said. 'That first year was crucial. It gave me a chance to look back at my life and the world around me. Nothing I could have done as an engineer or a paralegal would give me contentment and happiness. Something was missing. I realized what it was: becoming a priest.'"

Wisconsin Supreme Court Denies Paralegal Regulation

In a blow to paralegal regulation, on April 7 and April 8 the Wisconsin Supreme Court denied the State Bar paralegal petition, which would have established licensure and regulation for paralegals.

The court will encourage the Bar to work with other interested groups to consider creating a voluntary certification program using programs currently used in other states as models. Even though the court denied the petition, the justices emphasized that they recognize the valuable service provided by paralegals.

Acknowledging the State Bar’s efforts Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson said, “This has been a long labor, the State Bar task force was made up of many members and worked for about seven years.” Abrahamson noted the objectives of the paralegal petition were to recognize the important role paralegals can and do play in the daily practice of law and to set standards that would include requirements for continuing education credits and maintain ethical standards.

RP Salaries Surpass Averages

The March/April issue of Legal Assistant Today reports that, on average, paralegals with NFPA's Registered Paralegal designation earn $67,489 per year -- over $11,000 more than NALA's CLAS-holders.

The new version of PACE, the Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam, has been released, and NFPA is selling the new study guide on its Web site. Now is a good time to become an RP, if the numbers mean anything.

Filipino Troops to Train as Paralegals

MANILA, Philippines -- The military will train soldiers on desk duty as paralegals to help fellow troopers facing charges of human rights abuse and other cases. Scheduled to start this month, at least one soldier per battalion will be trained. The paralegals will give the soldiers advice and assist with answering basic petitions. It is often difficult to draft lawyers into the military service, and having soldiers as paralegals would help cut costs.

Beware of Clown College

The moral of the story in Out & About - Opinion: Beware of Clown College is to choose your school wisely: "It took me six-months and over $10,000 but I finally realized that, at least for my purposes, Kaplan Career Institute was a complete rip-off. I imagine most other for-profit ‘career colleges’ are too. I know some people have graduated and done well for themselves but I can’t help but think most people never reach the land of milk-and-honey promised by the admissions reps."

Supreme Court to Hear Arguments Over Reimbursement of Paralegal Costs

Wednesday, the United States Supreme Court will hear arguments over reimbursement for paralegal costs in Richlin Security Service v. Chertoff, and I, for one, am holding my breath until July, when a decision will be made.

Surely other paralegals are anxious, too. In one fell swoop, the Supreme Court could validate the existence and use of paralegals -- or relegate them to unreimburseable and therefore unusuable status. If the Court decides in favor of Richlin, which is claiming $52,000 in paralegal fees, paralegal utilization will be seen as efficient and cost-effective. If the Court decides in favor of Chertoff, who will want to use paralegals in litigation against the Federal government?

Under the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA), litigants against the Federal government, if they prevail, can be reimbursed for attorneys' fees and costs, but no provision is made for paralegal services. According to Brian Wolfman of Public Citizen Litigation Group, high court counsel to Richlin Security Service, paralegals are used heavily by smaller firms in the hundreds of Social Security, veterans and contract cases filed predominantly in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, as well as other circuits. The Federal Circuit ruled that paralegal services should be reimbursed at the actual cost to the firm, not the prevailing market rate.

Wolfman relies on the Supreme Court's decision in Missouri v. Jenkins, 491 U.S. 285 (1995), which interpreted another fee-shifting statute, 42 U.S.C. 1988. Jenkins, Wolfman argues, held that paralegal services are "attorney's fees" under Section 1988 because that term logically includes charges not only for the work of members of the bar, but also for other law firm personnel whose services contribute to the lawyer's work product. Jenkins also said, he argues, that paralegal services are compensable at market rates if they are billed separately in the relevant legal community, and that separate paralegal billing encourages efficient delivery of legal services.

From Ashworth University: Paralegal in Guantamo Bay Video

Paralegals can be found in places other than the traditional law office, and in some cases, can be in the center of one of the most hotly-debated legal issues. Directly from Ashworth University's Criminal Justice Blog, Paralegal In Guantanamo Bay Video… highlights a paralegal in the center of the Guatanamo Bay controversy:

[W]hen it comes to dramatic appeal and TV-ready storylines, the paralegal profession may have found a star in the form of Susan Hu, a paralegal working for the Center For Constitutional Rights (CCR), a non-profit legal organization that has played a sometimes controversial role in the legal proceedings of detainees being held at Guantanamo Bay.

Irrespective of your political views, the story that Susan Hu has to tell provides us with a rare glimpse into one of the most intensely debated legal issues this country has ever seen; the rights of prisoners (detainees) classified as enemy combatants. I hope all our paralegal students realize that this profession can take you anywhere in life, including environments you could never have imagined yourself working in, i.e. Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Here is the video profile of Susan Hu.

ALM to Present Managing Today's Discovery Process: The Evolving Role of the Paralegal & Litigation Support Professional

ALM Events will present "Managing Today's Discovery Process: The Evolving Role of the Paralegal & Litigation Support Professional." On April 24th, discovery experts from the private sector and the Federal Trade Commission will convene at the Harvard Club, New York for this day long program. Led by Chair Sherry Harris from Hunton & Williams, the faculty will lead interactive discussions on the greatest challenges facing the paralegal and litigation support professional during the discovery phase of litigation.

The program includes discussions on:

* Effectively Managing the E-Discovery Process

* Facilitating Communication Among the Parties

* Engaging in Vendor Selection and Negotiation

* New Strategies to Contain Cost

* IT Dialogue Issues and Data Mapping

* Detecting E-Discovery Misconduct

Paralegal Sued for UPL

LINDENHURST, N.Y. -- Arthur Chisholm, Jr. is being sued by the state attorney general's office for allegedlypracticing law without a license. The 61 year old paralegal prepared wills, divorce papers, and eviction papers and ran Landlord Help Center and NY Protective Services Inc.

An undercover investigation revealed that Chisholm would sometimes refer to himself as an "attorney-in-fact" and charged for services without the proper credentials. Chisholm maintains that he had been told by the attorney general's office that he could prepare legal documents and wills as long as he didn't list himself as the agent. He asserted that he prepared documents and did not represent himself as an attorney.

Here's the kicker, though:

But a spokesman for the attorney general's office said that Chisolm "exceeded the normal tasks that a paralegal would perform."

The paralegal profession is not regulated at all. There is no set of "normal tasks that a paralegal would perform." If Chisholm was giving legal advice, that is a different set of circumstances. But if the attorney general's office told him that he could prepare documents, he was doing nothing wrong.

There is a very fine line between working as a paralegal and engaging in UPL. Perhaps it's time to put regulations in place so that paralegals like Chisholm aren't pushed over that line. With those regulations in place, and with ethics CLEs attached to those regulations, it becomes less likely that paralegals like Chisholm and his clients would find themselves in this position.

From Inter-Alia: Getting Text Out of PDFs the Easy Way

From Inter-Alia:

An easy way to get the text out of PDF documents

Cutting and pasting out of PDF documents can be a royal pain. If you're got a copy of Adobe Acrobat, you can export a PDF file to a Word document or even a plain text file, to make extraction of text less of a hassle. But if you don't have Acrobat, check out PDFTextOnline. This site will nearly instantly convert your PDF to plain text, which you can then copy and paste into other applications. A nifty, free way to work with the text in your PDF files.