ParalegalGateway's Weblog

THE FIRST STEP
By Patty Dietz-Selke

QUOTE: “Take that first step in faith……..you may not see the whole staircase, but take that first step.” - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I love quotations. They inspire me, motivate me, fascinate me and even perplex me. In short, they make me think and ponder on their deeper meaning and, more specifically, how their wisdom may apply to my personal and work life.

For the last year or more, I have found myself cutting out and saving quotations that I have run across in my emails, on weblogs, in newsletters, in magazines, on websites and in sundry other materials. At first, this was purely a personal effort to preserve these kernels of truth and their astute perceptions and common sense for my reading pleasure and special benefit. However, somewhere along the way, my strictly personal effort crystallized into an idea and then a mission to share these quotations and their broader meaning and significance with others. As weblogs are becoming an easy and quick method of everyday communication, I have been contemplating on using a blog as the means to connect with others.

Let me step back a minute and explain that I am a Paralegal by profession. I have had the distinct pleasure and privilege of being a part of this wonderful business for the last 16 years. So let me confess right off that I LOVE being a Paralegal. This is truly a calling for me…a vocation…and one of my biggest joys has been to teach and mentor Paralegal students wishing to enter/transition into this worthwhile and significant career. I have been lucky enough to have been an Instructor for several Paralegal Certification programs over the past 13 years. I have taught hundreds of Paralegal students and assisted many of them in their hard-won efforts to land that first entry-level job. I am proud to be able to call them my fellow Paralegals and co-workers today.

The current turbulent economic situation has seriously affected the legal industry at an unprecedented level with massive layoffs, pay reductions and vanishing job opportunities. Today, many experienced Paralegals are unemployed and looking for guidance and aid in navigating the uncertain job market and in making career transitions. There is a great need in our profession. As such, it has become obvious to me that now is the time to act……to participate……to contribute. The little voice inside of my head has become a roar urging me to connect with other Paralegals of all levels and to lend a hand.

Providence was on my side. As luck would have it, a chance encounter with the esteemed and renowned Jeannie Johnston of Paralegal Gateway led to a meeting that led to her offer to be a part of her weblog. I truly believe in fate, in things happening for a reason and that one attracts what one projects. Jeannie’s wonderful and fortuitous opportunity is truly a great example of Karma and so is my finding the above-listed quote from Dr. King, which I came across recently as I was listening to “The Secret” audio book.

Dr. King’s quote is so very applicable to the place in which I now find myself for this is my “first step” on my mission to act……to participate……to contribute. I am resolute in my desire to be of service to my fellow Paralegals, be they novices wishing to enter the field or fully seasoned professionals looking for a sounding board or a guide. I wish to be a friendly voice and provide some ruminations, observations and inspirations on and for the Paralegal Profession. I hope you will join me each week to take that “first step” together.

Patty Dietz-Selke is an immigration Paralegal at Troutman Sanders in Atlanta, GA as well as a Lecturer/Speaker and Instructor for Paralegal Certificate Programs.  She may be reached via email at Patty@ParalegalGateway.org.

4 Ways That Paralegals Can Get Involved In Marketing The Law Firm

We are very honored to have Guest Blogger, Jay Fleischman prepare the following article focusing on how Paralegals can assist in marketing their law firm.  Not only will this promote your willingness to be a team player, it can also make you an invaluable member of your firm.

Paralegals and other non-lawyer staffers are a great untapped resource when it comes to marketing a law firm.  After all, these are the people on the front lines every day, dealing with clients and doing most of the heavy lifting when it comes to the office.

Here are 4 ways non-lawyers can get involved in marketing the law firm:

1.  Business Cards: The lawyer isn't the only one who meets people who might be interested in learning more about the firm.  Give every staffer business cards with their name, title and area of law in which they work.  Add in the law firm website URL.  As an added benefit, giving staffers their own business cards tells them that their contributions are valued and they are a part of the team.

2.  Social Media: Encourage non-lawyers to get on Twitter and Facebook for their professional as well as personal needs.  Given the tools to communicate about the firm and the work they do in an unfiltered way, they will begin to show the world exactly how your firm can help.

3.  Blogging: Who says the law firm blog should be reserved for the lawyers?  After all, the paralegals and other staffers have a finger on the pulse of the client's needs and concerns.  Train your staffers on how to blog, and the limits on what they can and cannot say in public.  Exposing them to the world will give them a chance to help build their own personalities online, enabling clients and prospects to bond more fully with them.

4.  Education and Industry Events:  Don't keep your staffers holed up in the office, staring longingly out the window as you go from event to event.  When your staffers are given the chance to learn more about the area of law in which you practice, they'll be better prepared to handle the issues that arise in the office.

I encourage every paralegal and non-lawyer staffer to print this article and hand it to the boss.  Get involved in your firm's marketing efforts and see your value to the boss skyrocket!

Jay S. Fleischman is a New York bankruptcy lawyer as well as a legal marketing consultant.  Visit Legal Practice Pro for tips and insights on how to market, manage and grow a profitable law firm.

ParalegalGateway Announces 2010 Paralegal Superstars

ParalegalGateway is proud to announce the selection of our 2010 Paralegal Superstars.  After receiving well over one-hundred nominations these final twelve individuals were chosen for their outstanding commitment to the Paralegal profession and/or their communities. 

This year was by far the most competitive year ever with regard to coming up with a top twelve and we sincerely thank everyone who submitted a nomination - all are very worthy of being a Superstar - however we could only pick 12. 

Amy Shillingburg - San Diego, CA
Jeannie Cartabiano - Redlands, CA
Catherine McKenzie - Vero Beach, FL
Viola Ange - Cedar Hill, TX
Laura Ahtes - Wilmington, DE
Patty Dietz-Selke - Atlanta, GA
Madelaine Vines - Colorado Springs, CO
Kathleen Miller - Irvine, CA
Ruth Conley - Houston, TX
Brian Haberly - Seattle, WA
De Dishman - Portland, OR
Carolyn Yellis - Orange County, CA

In addition to being featured on ParalegalGateway.com, the 2010 Paralegal Superstars will also appear in the annual Superstar calendar.  Please join us in congratulating these outstanding individuals who are true Superstars of our profession.

Laugh A Little: A Bit of Paralegal Humor

First Paralegal Election Will Mark Milestone for Profession

We've been keeping an eye on our Paralegal colleagues in Canada for some time.  They are truly leading the way for our Profession and it would be great to see the same take shape in some form in the US.

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Nov. 18, 2009) - Licensed paralegals in Ontario will mark a major milestone in March 2010 when they take part in the first ever vote to elect five of their colleagues to join the Paralegal Standing Committee of the Law Society of Upper Canada. The first five paralegal members of the current committee were appointed by the Ontario government in November 2006 to develop the paralegal regulatory framework.

Licensed paralegals are eligible to stand for election and vote in the province-wide election. Online voting will take place throughout March 2010, ending at 5 p.m. on March 31.

"Ontario became the first jurisdiction in North America to regulate paralegals in 2007," says Law Society Treasurer W. A. Derry Millar. "Today, we have more than 2,500 licensed paralegals in the province, and we encourage them to nominate their colleagues and to make sure they vote in this important election. Through the Paralegal Standing Committee, paralegals have a prominent role in the governance of their profession."

The mandate of the Paralegal Standing Committee is to develop and recommend policies related to the governance and regulation of licensed paralegals in the public interest.

The 13-member committee comprises five paralegal members, five lawyer bencher members and three lay bencher members. Paralegal committee members attend monthly meetings to discuss policy and regulatory issues. They also sit on hearing and appeal panels to consider cases related to licensing, competence, conduct and capacity of paralegals.

Two of the elected paralegals will be chosen by the committee to serve as benchers, and will take part and vote at Convocation, the Law Society's governing body.

A package of information, including nomination forms, is available on the Paralegal pages of the Law Society website.

The Law Society regulates lawyers and paralegals in Ontario in the public interest. The Law Society has a duty to protect the public interest, to maintain and advance the cause of justice and the rule of law, to facilitate access to justice for the people of Ontario and act in a timely, open and efficient manner.

For more information, please contact

Law Society of Upper Canada
Roy Thomas
416-947-7619
rthomas@lsuc.on.ca
or
Law Society of Upper Canada
Susan Tonkin
416-947-7605
stonkin@lsuc.on.ca

Source: marketwire

Meet Paralegal Dave Moyer

We recently had the honor of meeting long-time friend and freelance Paralegal Dave Moyer.  Dave owns and operates Moyer Paralegal Services in Ohio (www.MoyerParalegal.com) and runs the largest freelance Paralegal forum on Yahoo! Groups.  We have learned so much from Dave over the years and are thrilled to be able to introduce him virtually to our readers.

Paralegals and Attorneys Help Victims of Domestic Abuse

It’s called “The Missing Link” and not everybody is supposed to know too much about it since there are people who could use this information for bad intentions.

The Missing Link is not a secret society. It’s simply a group of legal professionals who saw a need to help people who are suffering physical abuse at the hands of the very people who are supposed to love them.

Once a month, since 2005, this group of attorneys and paralegals gather at a somewhat secretive and secure location to meet with the victims of domestic abuse in order to help them clear one of the biggest hurdles they face on the road to recovery: Divorce.

“The location is kept confidential to protect our clients,” says Missing Link co-founder Marla Buchanan, an attorney with Rogers Towers who specializes in difficult divorce cases.

Because of the violent and dangerous nature of the clients’ problems, security and some secrecy only makes sense, she explains. A person who is dangerous enough to beat his or her spouse might not have much inhibition against going out and trying to find that spouse after they have left the home.

“Meetings such as these can be the most dangerous time for an abused spouse,” says Kathy Pannell, Missing Link co-founder and Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Victims Counselor. But it’s a meeting that is necessary if the abused spouse is going to get on with her or his life. Because, next to actually physically separating and finding a safe place to live away from the abuser, dealing with the bureaucracy and paperwork of filing for a divorce can be the next most-daunting challenge an abuse victim can face.

“It can get complicated, and a lot of our clients don’t have many resources,” Buchanan says. “If there are a lot of assets or children involved, it can be too much for one person to handle — especially when that person is living an uprooted life and in constant fear of renewed violence. In addition, in such relationships it is usually the abuser, not the victim, who is in control of the finances, so many of the victims escape their situations with little more than the clothes on their backs.”

The Missing Link is currently working to incorporate as a non-profit group so that it can begin collecting donations to try to help offset the financial burdens faced by many of its clients. In Duval County, it costs $409 just to file for dissolution of marriage. Even the payment option the county offers is often too much for many of these victims.

The name Missing Link refers to this one aspect — a possible stumbling block — on the path to freedom for these abused persons. There are agencies designed to house and protect domestic violence victims, but, up until 2005 in Jacksonville, there was no one there to help these desperate people through the legal maze of divorce. Without this official severing of their relationships, the victims remained legally and financially bound to their abusers and unable to move on with their lives.

“It’s an incredibly daunting time for these individuals,” says Cindy Huston, President of the Northeast Florida Paralegal Association (NEFPA). “If you don’t work in the legal field, this process can be very tough.”

The Missing Link was created in July 2005 after a close relative of Co-founder Carol Ann Benjamin died as a result of domestic violence. The paralegal eventually partnered with Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Victim Services Counselor Kathy Pannell and Buchanan to get The Missing Link off the ground. Along the way, attorneys Jaime Ibrahim and Marcellina Spigner of Jacksonville Area Legal Aid have joined the cause, as well as dozens of paralegals from NEFPA.

“We usually meet with about 8-10 clients per month,” Pannell says, estimating that the group has helped approximately 400 victims through the divorce process since its inception.

In 2007, The Missing Link was awarded the City of Jacksonville’s Victims’ Rights Week Outstanding Judicial Victim Advocate Award for its efforts.

The majority of the abused victims are women, and paralegal volunteer and NEFPA member Allison Smith said she is grateful this group is there for them.

“So many women get trapped in these abusive relationships,” she says. “It’s great that they have a place to go to get help and that we have an opportunity to come in here and help them.”

One Client. One Attorney. One Promise.

(Italics) Requests for civil legal assistance from the Fourth Circuit’s low-income families have never been greater. Attorneys are needed in all areas of civil law for pro bono representation. Contact Kathy Para, Chairperson, JBA Pro Bono Committee, for information on areas of greatest need, volunteer opportunities in Fourth Circuit legal services organizations including Missing Links, and support for pro bono attorneys at kathy.para@jaxlegalaid.org or 356-8371, ext. 363.

Source: Jacksonville Daily Record

ParalegalGateway's Paralegal Superstar November 2009: Debra Hindin-King

Debra “Debbie” Hindin-King is a graduate of Colorado Women’s College with a bachelor’s degree in music education in 1974.  She obtained her paralegal certificate from the University of Colorado of Denver in 1988.  She has been a paralegal for the past 20 years and currently is employed as a litigation paralegal at the law firm of Holland & Hart LLP in Denver.  Her areas of specialty include oil and gas royalty litigation, natural resources, general complex litigation and securities law.  Prior to earning her paralegal certificate she was employed as a courtroom deputy for the U.S. Bankruptcy for the District of Colorado.

Debbie is a member of the Rocky Mountain Paralegal Association and National Federation of Paralegal Associations. She has served as RMPA’s president in 1999 and primary representative to the NFPA during 1999 – 2003.  She served as the NFPA Technology Coordinator from 1999 – 2001 and as Region II Director and member of the NFPA Board from 2004 – 2007.  She has been an associate member of the Colorado Bar Association including serving on the Paralegal Committee since 2002.  She has participated for the past 3 years in planning of the CBA’s Paralegal Day, Pro Bono Paralegal of the Year Award and Student Reception.  She currently is a member of the Colorado Association of Legal Support Managers. 

Debbie is also a frequent speaker at national seminars and events.  She has submitted numerous articles related to technology and the law to national legal trade magazines for publication. 

Debbie is also involved in her community with several non-profit organizations.  She has served in various leadership roles on the Board and as a volunteer supervisor for the Central Visitation Program 1987 - 2008.  She also has served on the fundraising committee for SafeHouse Denver for 1996-2000 and received the Volunteer of the Year award. 

She received the Rocky Mountain Paralegal of the Year Pro Bono Award in 2004 for her volunteer service with CVP and she received from the City and County of Denver’s Minoru Yausi Award for community service in 2006.  She currently volunteers weekly for the Broadway Assistance Center and serves on the fundraising committee for Warren Village.

Besides her career as a paralegal and volunteer service, she enjoys spending time with her husband Raymond and their Australian cattle dog, Hannah.  She enjoys traveling the world, photography, gardening and her membership in the Butterfly Pavilion and Denver Botanic Gardens in Denver.

Legal Vendors Meet Your "Unknown" Clients: Paralegals

It's been an interesting past eight years.  During that time, ParalegalGateway has grown to well over 20K plus members into a strong and close-knit community.  We are actually probably closer than most given the unique challenges we face as Paralegals. I've actually often joked that we are the "red-headed-step-children" of the legal industry...we're not attorneys and we're not legal secretaries.  We're stuck somewhere in between the two and it can be tricky - to say the least - learning to balance yourself between them. 

Like most enduring organizations, we enjoy sharing information among ourselves and we absolutely discuss legal services.  If someone has experienced good or bad service, rest assured the word gets around.  What has been interesting for me to personally observe as the owner of a Paralegal portal that keeps the lights turned on via the support of legal service providers, is the odd dance that seems to take place when approaching these vendors about advertising.   It seems the very people who contact Paralegals to sell their services suddenly become anti-social when it comes to Paralegals seeking support from them. Let me give a couple of quick scenarios we have encountered over the years.

But, I'm Part of the Group

ParalegalGateway has been online since 2001, well-before the days of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.  Back then we were communicating via the tried and true message boards.  As a result, we now have the largest Yahoo! Group on Yahoo! for Paralegals.  We also have a sister-site, MyParalegalSpace that has been online for over 2 years and enjoys over 3K members. Our more recent group on LinkedIn already has over 2K members and typically sees about 100 new members per week.  Although we allow vendors into these groups, we ask them not to spam the members with their services.  This includes harvesting email addresses as well as posting messages.  The obvious reason we ask this is secondary to our policy that only our advertisers (or Partner Sponsors) are allowed to contact our members about their services. This is a "value-added" service to them (to use their own terminology).  If we allowed every service provider to post their information, not only would it not be fair to those who pay to advertise but it would not be fair to those who pay to advertise!  I know this seems simple however when we ask those who have posted to the group or sent emails to our members to respect those who do pay for this benefit, you wouldn't believe some of the entitlement attitudes that pop up. 

Paralegals Aren't Our Target Market

Really?  Very interesting.  Let me back up here.  We once had to contact a vendor after they had harvested emails from our Yahoo! Group and then sent well over 200 emails to our members about their service.  When we contacted them, we invited them to become an advertising Partner thinking certainly since they were sending out so many emails to our members that they wanted to market to them.  Their response? "Paralegals really aren't our target audience."  (Insert stunned silence here).

We're Providing a Free Informational Seminar

We've had several national legal service companies attempt to post information about their free seminars to our group in an attempt to increase attendance.  When we deleted the post, it was immediately posted again by the vendor.  When we had to remove the vendor from the group for failing to follow protocol, he responded by saying they weren't attempting to advertise, the seminar was free and they were only trying to help Paralegals.  Isn't that very altruistic of them?  They weren't marketing their service at all!  They were just trying to help Paralegals with their free and very branded seminar.  When we asked them if they would review our pricing for advertising, we were told they would be sure it got to the proper person.  (Insert cricket noises here).  Never heard back and subsequent calls were never returned.

Paralegals Are Holding the Purse Strings

ParalegalGateway recently commissioned a survey (prepared for us by Alexander Babbage) of our site visitors which enjoyed excellent participation and results.  When asked "How much impact do you have on purchases made within your firm or company?" we were pleasantly surprised to learn that 62% of Paralegal influence decision making, 89% participate in decision making and 29% are the sole decision makers.  May want to rethink that target market. (Insert wink here).

The reality is that the attorneys we work for would rather be billing their time than having to research legal software or legal services.  They delegate this work to us and trust our opinions when it comes to making the final decisions.  We understand the importance of the aforementioned statistics and our role in the very lucrative legal service industry.  We are also very aware of the companies that are willing to support our community by means of sponsoring our local and national associations and sites like ParalegalGateway that provide us with a free platform to virtually network, increase our marketability, continue our education and assist each other via mentoring, sharing forms or simply being able to vent about a bad day at work.  Not only are we aware of it, we talk about it and with the economy slowly picking up, we're going to remember those who have stepped up. 

So where am I going with all of this?  Absolutely we would love to see more vendors stop trying to get something for nothing and help support a virtual network via advertising.  However, it goes deeper than that.  It's almost as if these companies are devaluing our worth via their allegations that our credibility as professionals just isn't the same as an attorney.  All they have to do is ask an attorney and he/she would tell them how valuable we actually are.  Perhaps that's a bit paranoid on my part or maybe I just can't quite put my finger on it yet.  Whatever "it" is I guess I've been unwilling to learn the proper steps to join in the dance.  

I realize this isn't an unbiased post and other opinions are certainly welcome.  Maybe they can help to shed light on this topic.

Paralegal Honored for Convicting Ex-Leader

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder honored six federal prosecutors and a paralegal for their work convicting Pavel Lazarenko, the former Ukrainian prime minister who moved to Marin County.

The seven received the Attorney General's Award for distinguished service during a ceremony Wednesday in Washington, D.C. The award, in its 57th year, was given to 286 honorees this year.

The recipients for the Lazarenko case, which was prosecuted in San Francisco, were prosecutors Peter Axelrod, Patricia Kenney, Stephanie Hinds, Hartley West, Jonathan Howden and Martha Boersch, and paralegal Christine Ying Tian.

Lazarenko, who moved to a $6.75 million Novato mansion after leaving the Ukraine, was sentenced to nine years in prison and fined $10 million in 2006 for money laundering, wire fraud and extortion. Authorities said it was the first prosecution of a foreign political leader for laundering the proceeds of foreign crimes through American financial institutions.

Source: Contra Costa Times