The Estrin Report

Top DOJ Paralegal Fired for Whistleblowing

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 prosecutors to target Democrats nationally.

Few details have emerged about Rove's questioning on such topics as the 2006 dismissal of nine U.S. attorneys for political reasons.

By remarkable coincidence, however, the Justice Department separately confirmed Tuesday that it has fired Alabama whistleblower Tamarah Grimes. She was the top in-house paralegal for the prosecution team that won corruption convictions in 2006 against former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman, a Democrat, and HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy.

Grimes later provided her Justice Department superiors and Congress with evidence that the rights of the defendants were violated. Siegelman and Scrushy cited her revelations heavily in their motions since June 26 for a new trial based on new evidence.

In an interview today for this article, Grimes alleged a bone-chilling conspiracy to frame the defendants for political gain. She says her experiences opened her eyes to parallels outside Alabama and to the ruinous consequences for federal government employees of protesting injustice.

"No one helps you," says Grimes, who adds that she was browbeaten with threats of false criminal charges by her superiors and investigators alike. She says Congress needs to enhance protections for whistleblowers to prevent wrongdoing by government officials.

Justice Department spokesman Tracy Schmaler responded, "The Department takes seriously its obligation under the whistleblower law, and did not violate it with regards to the termination of this employee. For privacy reasons, it would be inappropriate to comment any further on this personnel matter at this time."

In related news Tuesday, Alabama's senior Democratic Congressman Artur Davis denied reports that he seeks to extend the term of Republican U.S. Attorney Leura Canary, Grimes's boss in the state's Middle District, in order to win Republican and business support for his 2010 campaign for governor.

Addie Whisenant, the congressman's press secretary, said any suggestion that Davis wants a Republican is "absolutely absurd." She said that the state's two Republican Senators, Richard Shelby and Jeff Sessions, have blocked the congressman's nominations of Democrats. Whisenant declined to say why Republicans can block Presidential appointments that are typically generated through the state leadership of the President's party. Alabama journalist Roger Shuler has written back-to-back stories on his Legal Schnauzer blog summarizing reports of the congressman's goals, and breaking news of the Grimes firing.

Alabama attorney Dana Jill Simpson - herself a prominent whistleblower after her sworn testimony in 2007 that fellow Republicans framed Siegelman to prevent his re-election as governor - on Tuesday urged voters on a widely disseminated Alabama email list to pressure Davis until he publicly asks the Obama administration to fire Canary. Canary remains in office as one of many Bush holdovers helping run to the nation's federal justice system despite the tradition that political appointees resign upon a change in administration.

Only seven of the nation's 93 U.S. attorney posts have Democratic nominees, with none of them confirmed, according to the latest statistics from the Justice Department. This means that approximately 50% of the U.S. attorney offices - which have vast power over civil and criminal litigation in their districts - are still controlled by Bush appointees who survived its reputed internal political purge in 2006, and last November's landslide Democratic election victory based on the theme of "change."

Canary's husband William is president of the politically powerful Business Council of Alabama, and is one of Rove's closest friends after many years working together on Republican strategies. And it was Canary whom Simpson identified as leading a conference call in 2002 suggesting that Siegelman would no longer be an election threat to Republicans in Alabama because federal officials would prosecute him. Siegelman was prosecuted in successive indictments in 2004 and 2005. Canary has denied Simpson's allegations against him.

Simpson said her testimony about political prosecutions in Alabama encouraged defendant families around the country to contact her with similar tales of abusive prosecutions destroying defendant political careers and family finances for no legally valid reason. She said she passed along victim information for the past two years to the relatively few journalists willing to pursue investigative leads, with law professor Scott Horton of Harper's providing the most numerous and comprehensive follow-ups.

Horton and I were among 13 speakers speaking June 26 at an unprecedented conference at the National Press Club on selective prosecutions by the Bush Justice Department. Legal experts and defendants said that hundreds of defendants may have been targeted unfairly on corruption charges. University of Missouri at St. Louis researcher Dr. Donald Shields has published a study finding that the department investigated elected Democrats by a 7:1 ratio compared to Republicans.

Citing short notice and a need for confidentiality, the Justice Department declined to send a speaker.

But former Reagan Administration Associate Deputy Attorney Gen. Bruce Fein and retired Chief U.S. District Judge U.W. Clemon of Birmingham described widespread abuses of power. Clemon said the 2004 prosecution of Siegelman was the most unfounded criminal case he observed in nearly 30 years on the federal bench. C-SPAN cablecast the forum seven times, with excerpts available on its website:

In today's interview, Grimes said she tried her best to use legally protected channels to assure justice. "I am a Republican. I believe in the U.S. Constitution, and that what happened in Montgomery, Alabama with the Siegelman/Scrushy prosecution is a travesty of justice."

She said the prosecution's misconduct included contact with jurors during their deliberations without advising the defense, and pressuring two key witnesses to change their testimony. She said Canary continued supervision of the prosecution while publicly claiming that she was recused because of her husband's longtime political opposition to Siegelman.

"In July 2007, I filed whistleblower disclosures with several agencies," she said. "My thought was to get the word out to as many oversight agencies as possible.

"When Leura Canary found out which I had done, she was livid. She called me into her office to threaten and intimidate me. It went downhill from there." Grimes said that she was repeatedly threatened with criminal prosecution on bogus charges of denying that she had made secret tape recordings, and then was placed on administrative leave. She was fired after writing a nine-page letter June 1 to Attorney General Eric Holder outlining prosecution misconduct against Siegelman.

"Selective prosecution is a tool that Leura Canary uses at will," said Grimes of Canary. "She has enjoyed a great deal of success thus far. No one has been able to overcome what she calls 'powerful friends' in Washington. My question is: What is still pulling the strings almost six months into a new administration?"

Simpson says of Grimes, whom she's never met or tried to contact, "I think that woman's a hero. She came forward knowing she was going to get fired in all likelihood. Isn't it amazing that the big-shots who sent innocent people to prison around the country are still on the government payroll?"

Simpson was the original whistleblower bringing national attention to the Siegelman case. In February 2007, she reached out to Scrushy and his legal team as they prepared for sentencing.

Scrushy had been convicted on corruption charges for arranging donations to an education non-profit at Siegelman's request in 1999 and then being reappointed by Siegelman to a state regulatory board on which Scrushy had served under three previous governors. The defendants have claimed that such appointments are routine in politics and not illegal, but heavily Republican courts have rejected their arguments.

Simpson went public with an affidavit in May 2007 outlining a conspiracy to frame Siegelman by Republicans, for whom she had performed volunteer opposition research for years against such Democratic targets as Siegelman. Rove and each of those that she has named have denied Simpson's allegations, as previously reported on The Huffington Post.

Despite Simpson's affidavit in 2007, Chief U.S. District Judge Mark E. Fuller of Montgomery sentenced the defendants to prison terms of about seven years apiece. The judge ordered the defendants to be taken immediately from the courtroom in shackles to begin serving their terms, with Siegelman put in solitary confinement that limited his contact with the media and supporters.

Siegelman, 63, was released on bond pending appeal, and is now facing a sentence of 20 years in prison following denial of his appeals. Scrushy, 56, remains in prison.

15 Warning Signs Your Firm May Be Laying Off Staff

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.  Here is part of the DLA statement to the firm:

"During the last year, we have experienced the worst economic period in generations. We have carefully gauged its impact on our business and responded by closely scrutinizing and reducing all of our material expenses across the board. We also reduced our workforce in February, attempting to preserve as many jobs as possible while avoiding any further reductions later in the year. Unfortunately economic weakness has continued, demand across the legal sector remains soft, and it is increasingly clear that major improvements in the US and global economy will not occur before 2010. We have therefore regretfully concluded that we must reduce our ranks now by 21 associates and 100 staff. While the firm’s financial position remains strong, a tightly-managed cost structure is essential to compete effectively during these uncertain times. We value all of our people and are very grateful for their contributions to the firm, and we have worked hard to consider and employ every reasonable measure to avoid lawyer and staff reductions."

Even though the media has concentrated on the number of attorney layoffs in major firms, it appears that the hardest hit are actually the staffers including paralegals.  According to Law Shucks, the BigFirm layoff tracker, the number of layoffs since the initial Cadwalader move early last year stands at 5,026 lawyers and 8,001 staffers.

Law.com weighed in with consultant Peter Zeughauser.  "It's nothing special about DLA, it's just an indication of what's to come," said Zeughauser, of the Zeughauser Group. "I think you'll see other firms turning to similar measures." "They are so accustomed to a talent shortage. The idea that they will be able to hire people back when they need them, they are not as comfortable with that as other businesses," Zeughauser said.

A managing partner of a national firm who declined to be named said late summer and fall will be the next layoff season. "I think the recovery will stall," the managing partner said. "Firms will act decisively to protect from a huge hit to profitability. They'll trim in late summer or fall so they can prepare for a rebound next year. The smarter firms will cut associate compensation, because it's a better long-term solution."

We understand that mid-size and small firms basically are doing well.  More business has filtered through to smaller firms due to the cost-effectiveness, lower fees, ability to manuever quickly, and frankly, better client service overall. 

If you are a paralegal in a firm unaware whether layoffs are coming down the pike, here are a few signs that may sound the warning bell:

1.    Budget cuts in otherwise normal expenses such as office supplies, printing, coffee, soda, etc.
2.    Budget cuts in areas normally considered a perk such as paid parking, low co-pay insurance, days off, vacation, seminars, association dues, subscriptions, gym, free lunches and definitely bonuses.
3.     Lack of raises throughout the firm.
4.     Travel budgets severely cut.
5.     Salary cuts. Overtime restrictions.
6.     Hiring freeze or recruiting fees cut.
7.     Partners leave.
8.     Office space in the firm is available for sublease.
9.     Staff attrition:  Employees who leave on their own are not replaced.
10.   Paralegals are doing more associate work.
11.   Firm is looking to merge or be acquired immediately.
12.   There are suddenly lots of "closed door" partner meetings.
13.    Associates are doing more paralegal work.
14.    Unbelievable pressure is put on associates and partners for new client development.
15.    Entry-level paralegals are hired while senior paralegals are squeezed out.

While it may seem that your firm is "just fine" because management tells you so, at least be aware of your surroundings and what the signs are telling you.  It is never a good thing to be broadsided or taken by surprise by a round of layoffs that, had you been watching, you might have known was coming.  Put yourself in a position to at least be in the process of taking care of yourself and have already started your job hunt.  These days, it's better to take precaution than to be one of the unsuspecting shown to the door on Friday at 4:00 p.m.

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

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 Companies, Inc., explains how computers operate and store data in a way that is designed for attorneys and paralegals with little, if any, technical background. The book offers strategies and practical suggestions to make discovery reasonable and cost-efficient.

eDiscovery Plain & Simple explains - through the most basic terminology and visuals - how computers, servers, and peripherals operate and store data. In order to make this book as user-friendly as possible, technical concepts are explained in a basic fashion and photographs, screenshots, tips, and checklists are interspersed throughout the book.

The team approaches eDiscovery from a fresh, new perspective that has been called "two parts law and one part technology". Readers can purchase eDiscovery Plain & Simple by visiting www.brecherchildress.com.  The book is now available in bookstores and amazon.com. A portion of the proceeds will be used to buy technology for schools for visually impaired and physically challenged children.

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

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 background includes a degree in Agriculture in 1992 from the University of Illinois.  He also studied at the University of Minnesota between 2008 and 2009 in National Security Policy, Leadership for the Common Good, Strategic Human Resource Management and Global Commons Seminar.

While undergoing his Humphrey International Fellowship Program provided by the University of Minnesota, Amblard enjoyed a training affiliation with the Brooklyn, Minnesota Park Police Department (BPPD) where he studied processes and methods of policing and law enforcement, thus "imbibing a holistic understanding of working in a Liberia type environment since Liberians in this part of Minnesota are approximately 22,000".

In response to the criticism, research conducted by a staff writer at The Analyst regarding Amblard's background emphasized Amblard's paralegal experience as a perfect qualification for the position.  "The Analyst show that before the Police Director-Designate returned to Liberia in 1998, he worked for three years as paralegal at one of USA 's leading law firms, Jackson & Campbell Law Firm, situated in Washington, DC.  Amblard's service at the law firm provided him ample experience in legal research and investigations and preparing legal briefs for lead lawyers for the firm. Earlier media publications glossed over substantive information on the professional and academic standing of the new police director now pending confirmation before the Liberian Senate."

And you thought that paralegal skills and abilities weren't transferable to other industries..........

 

New 2009 Paralegal Survey Released from IPMA and Incisive Media

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, tracking compensation, billing rates and billable hours for paralegals. More than 250 organizations participated in the survey (180 law firms and 72 law departments), representing a total of 10,613 paralegal positions. The survey has been conducted since 2002. For further information, or to purchase a copy of the survey, visit incisivesurveys.com.

The results of this year’s survey included the following:

• Overall, the survey indicated decreases in paralegal billable hours and overtime, but small increases in base salary for the survey period.
• The overall compensation of paralegals in U.S. law firms and corporate law departments decreased slightly when compared to last year’s survey data.
• Paralegals working in law firms received somewhat higher base compensation increases than their law department peers.
• Within law firms, the highest paid paralegals continued to be litigation support/technology managers at a median annual base compensation of $121,012 nationally.
• The average billing rate for most paralegals positions exceeded $175 per hour.

Incisive Legal Intelligence (formerly ALM Research and Altman Weil Publications) offers the legal industry’s most extensive online database of legal market intelligence, as well as syndicated survey reports, including the annual Survey of Law Firm Economics and Law Firm Business Development Survey. ILI is a division of Incisive Media.

Stealth But Powerful Paralegal Organization Celebrates 25th Birthday

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 keeps a comparatively low profile.

Yet, the organization is comprised of over 600 paralegal managers in the U.S. and Canada.  I was fortunate enough to be one of the co-founding members, yes, 25 years ago when I was but a mere puppy.

Originally called the Legal Assistant Management Association (LAMA), the group changed its name as the profession took on members from outside the U.S. and the term legal assistant began to mean a legal secretary, who was not often trained as a paralegal.  Requirements for membership include the duties of supervising at least one paralegal.  There are also five categories of memberships:  regular, associate (paralegal with some management responsibilities), academic, emeritus and sustaining (available for vendors).

Paralegal managers can hold a variety of positions such as a working supervisor (must bill time) to a full-time administrative or director position.  The managers are from law firms, in-house legal departments and government agencies. 

IPMA offers a fantastic yearly conference, usually held in the fall of each year.  This 3 day event attracts paralegal managers, attorneys, administrators and educators who come together to concentrate on the latest trends in paralegal management.  It's probably one of the best networking events in the paralegal field today.

Additionally, Altman Weil underwrites a comprehensive utilization and salary survey with IPMA.  This is probably one of the more detailed paralegal surveys today.  While it concentrates on major and mid-size law firms in metropolitan areas, it gives you a very good picture of the current paralegal marketplace.

I remember when we first started the organization.  I was a brand new paralegal manager.  Eight of us from around the country got together and decided to start the organization.  We each put in $400.00, totaling $3200 and with that money, we started the organization and held our first conference.  I've watched this organization grow over the years and influence many important career changes in the profession. 

Things are different today with the Internet, social media, webcasts and other types of technology that can bring you together faster and with more ease.  However, if you are looking for something that will stretch your career, increase your visibility and give you a lifetime of wonderful memories, you might think about starting an association.  In all of the organizations I've belonged to, the awards that were so thoughtfully given to me, the international network I am fortunate enough to be a part, nothing really stands out or means as much to me as the relationships that I was able to create and that lasted throughout my career all these years later as those with the members of IPMA.

Congratulations, IPMA.  It's been one heck of a wild ride.

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

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 the web functions we use everyday;  email, instant messaging, blogs, wiki's, and more.  Watching the UTube video, even I understood it and I think it might actually succeed.  Wave is the brainchild of two brothers, Lars and Jens Rasmussen, that previously brought us what we know today as Google Maps. 

Everyone uses email and instant messaging on the web now, but imagine if you could tie those two forms of communication together and add a load of functionality on top of it. At its most fundamental form, that’s essentially what Wave is.  While you are e-mailing, you can invite someone in to response, close it and come back to it.  You can invite a third person it.  A lot of it is click and drag.

Wave features a left-hand sidebar “Navigation” and a list of your contacts, from Google Contacts, below that. But the main part of the screen is your Wave inbox. This looks similar to what your Gmail inbox looks like except it feature the faces of your friends who are involved in each thread. There are also number indicators signifying if there is new content in that thread. This is an important distinction from Gmail — it isn’t just about new messages, there can be any kind of new content in these waves.

Clicking on any of the wave threads will open another pane to the right of the inbox that shows that wave in its entirety. Let’s say one wave is a message from a friend and you want to reply to it. If they’re not currently online, you can do it below their message just as you may in Gmail. Except there’s no bulky new message creator to pop open, you simply start typing below your friend’s message. But perhaps you want to respond to a particular part of their message — well you can do that too simply by starting to type below the part you’re replying to.

Are you following me here, camera guy? 

It’s a really interesting concept, one that you really do need to see in action. It’s ambitious as hell — which we love — but that also leaves it open to the possibility of it falling on its face. But that’s how great products are born. And the potential reward is huge if Google has its way as the ringleader of the complete transition to our digital lives on the web.

For more information and a demo, go to U Tube:GoogleWave UTube link: http://wave.google.com/ 

Paralegal Buys Law Practice from Elderly Lawyer for $20.00

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 lawyer for $20.00.

The lawyer, suffering from dementia, sold his practice to 42 year-old Mario David Abernathy of Garden Grove, CA. 

Abernathy was sentenced to two years in state prison for felony grand theft from an elderly person. He was also ordered to pay $15,300 in restitution to the victim. In addition, the grant deed and documents transferring the victim's law practice, estate and finances to the defendant and his family were ordered to be declared null and void.

The Orange County Public Guardian obtained temporary conservatorship to protect the financial holdings of the attorney, whose wife of more than 50 years had recently died in July 2008, according to a statement released Friday by the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

Abernathy, who is informally trained as a paralegal, met the attorney in August, 2008 and befriended the victim. Abernathy then started to take advantage of the victim's deteriorating medical condition, according to District Attorney spokeswoman Farrah Emami.

The Orange County Public Guardian noticed an unauthorized withdrawal from the victim's bank account and alerted Anaheim Police after they were unable to locate the attorney.

Anaheim police arrested Abernathy on Sept. 26, 2008, when they found him with the victim in a fast-food parking lot. Prosecutors did not make public the name of the victim because of his medical condition and out of concern for his privacy.

Paralegal Salaries Slashed by 20% at Prestigious Firm

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 its paralegals in three offices and presented them with a 20% pay cut. 

In previous years, Allen Matkins was known for paying its paralegals the higher end of the pay scale.  Although the post indicates that this has not been the case for the past few years, if memory serves me, Allen Matkins was one of THE firms to be at.  Now, however, according to the post:

"Associates and paralegals all met individually with two partners who notified us of the pay cut and told us that if we could manage to get our billable hours up to goal before the end of the year we would get the full 20% back. And if we could get to a slightly smaller goal, they would return 10%. There were no explanations about how they arrived at these various figures and at that time we didn't know that first years' salaries were only being cut 10%. We were told this measure was needed to avoid further layoffs although there were also a number of people let go that day."

Above the Law states that they haven't heard of paralegals getting pay cuts.  I don't know where they've been but our office has been flooded with calls from paralegals who have not only lost their jobs (some after 20+ years at the same firm), but from those whose salaries have been cut and duties doubled.  Some have had their responsibilities downgraded to more clerical responsibilities and some have stepped in on what was formerly associate level duties.

The paralegals at Allen Matkins are mystified as to how partners could give associates a 10% pay cut and hand paralegals a 20% decrease in salary.  It's really not too much of a mystery. Historically, paralegals are much more profitable than associates.  Cutting a paralegal's salary will make them even more profitable and, should the firm lose them as a result, the firm is not out as much money as they would be should they turn over an associate.  It costs a firm much more to recruit and invest in an associate than a paralegal.  It has nothing to do with how much money a paralegal or an associate is making.  It has to do with percentages of profit.

Further, the partners laid a tough one on the paralegals by giving them an "incentive" to get back the 20% of cut dollars if they met billable goals. It's not clear from the article whether the paralegals could have reached the goals previously set by the firm but chose not to or failed to meet the goals because of lack of work.  At any rate, partners need to be aware that setting goals not previously attained becomes dicey when paralegals are not accountable for work coming in.  This type of practice can lead to inflated hours, low morale and employee desperation.

It's a very tough time out there.  Let's hear from paralegals who have been merged, purged or otherwise scourged.  Let's also hear those success stories - those who have been downsized, rightsized and out-sized who have now found good jobs or at least transitional ones to get them through whatever is left of this economic hurricane.

Paralegal Arrested for Robbing Peter to Pay Paul

 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 Legal Intelligencer, the paralegal was found guilty for stealing from that firm, she  was ordered by the court to make restitution.

Are you following this yet?  According to the Montgomery County DA's office, an internal audit, done after paralegal Kathy Foer-Morse was fired by High Swartz for attitude and work performance, revealed the alleged theft.

Kathy Foer-Morse has been arrested for allegedly writing 12 unauthorized checks to herself totaling $100,937.32, which were then deposited into her personal bank account. The press release said Foer-Morse was fired from High Swartz May 1 because of issues with her attitude and work performance.

A subsequent internal audit of the estate accounts she handled at the firm revealed the alleged theft, which was then reported to the Montgomery County district attorney's office and the Montgomery County Detective Bureau.

According to the press release, county detectives discovered Foer-Morse was free on bail and awaiting sentencing in New York City for the theft of $285,000 from Satterlee Stephens Burke & Burke. A search warrant of Foer-Morse's bank accounts revealed that the money she allegedly stole from High Swartz was being used to pay restitution to Satterlee Stephens. Paul Baker Bartle, managing partner of High Swartz, said he let Foer-Morse go on a Friday, and the firm began routine audits of her estate accounts the following week.

It was discovered that a check for almost $60,000 was deposited in Foer-Morse's account using the forged signature of the estate executor. According to Bartle, the discovery of the rest of the stolen money was made shortly thereafter and he immediately notified county authorities.

Bartle said it was soon discovered that the amount of money stolen from his firm "dovetailed exactly" with the payments Foer-Morse was making to Satterlee Stephens. Bartle vowed that all of the missing money would be repaid to his firm's clients.

Bartle said the firm found Foer-Morse through a recruiter but that he blames only himself for ultimately hiring her. "We misjudged this person," he said, but admitted that he did not have all the facts when he hired her.  Bartle said he thinks the firm may end up filing some lawsuits as a result of the ordeal but declined to say who the targets might be. [Our guess is the recruiting agency may get sued, as is typical in these types of cases.]

Bartle said the firm "will make some internal changes" to prevent something like this from happening again. "It might not stop it in the future but it's going to make it a lot tougher to steal money from us," he said, but conceded that "to try to outwit the criminal mind is a difficult practice."

Bartle said Foer-Morse would have been caught eventually anyway when she submitted her accounting summaries for the estates she was handling. The sad thing, he said, was that the firm didn't catch her before she allegedly took the money.

Bartle said that short of asking for a new hire's Social Security number before hiring them, it would be difficult to sniff out a criminal before they struck. "Foer-Morse" was one of several aliases, he said.

On Friday, according to the press release, Magisterial District Judge Margaret Hunsicker arraigned Foer-Morse and set her bail at $99,000 straight bail, with a preliminary hearing currently scheduled for 11 a.m. May 26.

Paralegal Denied Permission to Speak at Conference - New Trend?

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 a very, very experienced, high level litigation paralegal who has written many, many articles, books; taught at several paralegal schools; and has a very stable work background.  Frankly, Leslie is an ultimate authority of paralegal work.

Leslie was not granted permission to speak at the conference.  The firm told Leslie that they did not want be put in a position of advocating any particular methodology in case management that could be held against the firm at a later time, if the methodology was not followed. Additionally, the ALS (Litigation Support) department is also denied the same privilege. Apparently, the firm has been burned by this before.

When I asked if attorneys were denied permission to speak on the very same topic, the answer was no. This brings up a couple of questions: 

1)  Does the firm not trust a very senior level paralegal with over 20+ years of experience at major firms, high profile cases and adjunct professor status?  Does the firm not trust members of the Lit. Support department to know what not to talk about or,

2)  Is it better just to ban anyone who has anything to do with the actual designing of case methodology or,

3)  Is it that attorneys just don't know enough about how the job is actually done to let any cats out of the bag?

Other questions are: If this is a trend, how can paralegals and litigation support professionals gain the visibility of the legal community to move upward if they cannot get the exposure that inevitably assists their career?  And, are continuing legal education seminars going to suffer from lack of good teachers as a result of risk management?

Has anyone else seen this risk management solution taking place?  If so, we'd like to know what the thinking is and whether this is an up and coming trend.

 

 

In Pursuit of Freedom: The Peter Kirchikov Story

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 heart and open your eyes. There are plenty of stories of paralegals who have had arduous experiences and the Peter Kirchikov story is no exception.

Now a paralegal in Birmingham, Alabama, Peter immigrated from what was then the USSR.  A guide and interpreter, he and his family were blacklisted, an ominous signal for people who had different beliefs than the mainstream.

Added to serious hardships including death threats, the KGB and Chernobyl, Peter struggled for years to immigrate to the U.S. with his wife and 20 month-old toddler. After enduring a life without freedom of speech or religion, few luxuries (including enough water to just shower), he managed to get to the U.S. where he found a new career, an entire new life and freedom unlike anything he ever experienced.  Kudos to him and his sponsors for taking a huge risk to reach our country.  Kudos also to him for choosing the paralegal profession as his new career!  Please read more about this amazing story in the next issue of KNOW. It's important to know the people who make up this terrific career. I'm sure you will be as truly moved as I was.

Associate Job Losses May Mean Paralegal Job Gains

  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 agree that most of the U.S. is running pretty lean and mean.

Law360 reported yesterday that while associates are fighting to keep their wits about them as the blood flows down to the first floor, paralegals may be gaining jobs and added responsibilities.  With clients screaming about high fees, law firms are letting associates go but paralegals may be an unexpected beneficiary of this recession.

According to Alan Miles, founder of California-based Alan Miles & Associates , paralegals are going to descimate the junior associate ranks.  Where there used to be 3-4 associates per partner, clients do not want to pay for extra bodies any longer. The work still has to be done but law firms are finally getting the message, giving what was considered lower level associate work to more senior level paralegals. I also believe that clients finally wised-up to the fact that first and second-year associates were training on their dime.  No longer.

The expense of the paralegal is much lower than an associate earning $170-$180k per year.  The learning curve is shorter and - no surprise here - you are not going to make a paralegal partner.  (My apologies to those paralegals who are learning that here for the first time.) 

Hot skills are still e-discovery, technology, transactional corporate and IP.  Paralegals are not trained in the practice of law or theory.  However, resistence still exists in many firms to paralegals performing associate level work.  In many of those firms, the type of work the paralegal can take on is not clearly defined.  Rather, a generalization is made that paralegals should not be doing "first or second-year" work. Have these firms defined what part of the associate work should they not be doing?  Granted, there is a significant amount. But, it's really the other way around - first and second year associates should not be doing paralegal work (much less billing the client associate rates for paralegal designated assignments).

Clear definitions and job descriptions need to be established.  Many firms would be surprised that, given a well-trained, savvy paralegal, a law firm can have its chocolate cake and eat it too.  The client gets the work done at a reasonable rate, the firm makes money and most importantly, the paralegal gets a nice push up that "invisible" ladder.

PS:  Please help support the paralegal community and subscribe to KNOW,The Magazine for Paralegals.   Thanks!

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

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 year for a full-time position.

Let me get this straight.  I can wake up in the morning, watch a little Good Morning America, put the coffee on, check my e-mail, browse the morning paper, walk Ruffy, and decide whether I want to take my laptop out on the deck in my jammies or stay in the family room while the kids play and be at work all at the same time.  Holy, moly.

No parking hassles, no high gasoline prices, travel time, 3 x 6 foot modular, felt-covered walls called an "office".....no Screaming Mimi's looking over my shoulder, no punching a clock, no lunches with co-workers I don't particularly like, and most of all, no fire drills that force me to run down 22 flights of stairs in an effort to make my fire warden look good.  And no one cares if I'm wearing the latest fashion, have gained a few unslightly pounds, am over 50 or even 60, or have that don't-say-anything-but-she-has-an-unremovable-mole-on-the-end-of-her-nose. Yeah, I'll take that.

And, I can make $100,000 a year for my trouble.  Did I say I would take that? 

It seems that Legal Solutions Group, a company that provides e-billing, case and litigation management software is in need of a paralegal/legal assistant. They service the general insurance, third party claims, loss adjustment of the financial services industry and corporate legal departments.  The website states that the CEO of the company is located in New York; the V.P. is in the U.K., the other V.P. of Account Management is in Philadelphia and the account manager is somewhere in Australia.  Now, that's my kind of company.  Weekly meetings must be a gas.

For those of you who belong to the part of the workforce that first said the fax machine would never catch on, cell phones were just a fad and Facebook was for teens - take a look at what's happening around the globe.  Just as we interview paralegals around the world for KNOW, The Magazine for Paralegals in our efforts to bring the global community together, it is apparent that legal services vendors are now providing virtual services from cities around the world. The virtual world is rapidly approaching the paralegal field.  The question is, is the paralegal world ready to handle these kind of changes?

Anyone out there looking for a total work/lifestyle change?  It sure sounds appealing.

Survey Points to Increased Use of Paralegals in In-House Legal Depts.

There's good news out there in LegalLand.  According to The Pittsburgh Business Times, the Association for Corporate Counsel conducted its ninth annual survey of in-house legal departments and found that more than half surveyed are feeling the pinch from tough economic times.  (Well, that's not the good news, obviously.)

The survey polled 5,300+ members with 619 responses.  More than half of the companies polled work at companies with 1,000 or less employees and have revenues of under $500 million.

ACC President Frederick Krebs stated that the legal landscape had changed and that CLOs must change the way they manage their legal departments.  Almost 80% of the respondents have implemented practices to implement time and cost savings.  Nearly half said they increased the utilization of paralegals.

Transactional work is the area that respondents expect to spend the most time in the coming months.

I hope that law firms are utilizing the same practice of increasing the utilization of paralegals.  We have heard from some paralegals that increased duties also include more secretarial work, more office management work and technology.  What have you heard?

Do Something Good During These Tough Times and Pay It Forward

By Loni Morganelli
American Paralegal in London

While the loss of a job can leave us feeling down and out, volunteer work in the legal industry can offer us a bit of positive relief. 

One of the most well-known pro bono volunteer organizations in the world is Reprieve.  Founded in the UK, Reprieve also offers volunteer opportunities in the U.S. out of New Orleans.  Reprieve uses the law to enforce the human rights of prisoners, from death row to Guantanamo Bay.  Working on the frontlines, they provide legal support to prisoners unable to pay for legal support.  As its mission statement boasts, Reprieve "promotes the rule of law around the world to secure each person's right to a fair trial." Their work ultimately saves lives.

Because Reprieve provides legal assistance services, they require support from all walks of the legal profession - and that includes paralegals and legal assistants.  Volunteers are often entrenched in the legal investigatory work which requires valuable skills well-known to paralegals.  In the UK, Reprieve's lawyers currently represent over 30 prisoners in Guantanamo Bay.  The Group also continues to assist British nationals facing the death penalty around the world, and are conducting investigations into secret prisons.

In the U.S., Reprieve places volunteers in law offices across the U.S., though usually in the deep south, where they will assist on death penalty cases where the capital defense system is critically underfunded.  Those of us who work in criminal law know how life-changing and valuable this type of work can be.  While volunteer positions with Reprieve are often unpaid, the work that you do during your placement can be some of the most rewarding work you'll ever do in your life.  If you can spare the time and lack of money, this might be the start of an amazing journey.  You never know where your work might take you and what doors might subsequently open up as a result.

For more information on Reprieve, please visit: http://www.reprieve.org in the U.S. or www.reprieve.org.uk in the U.K.

Smart Battles

In these tough times, the subject of when to go to battle with your employer has come up several times.  People are simply afraid that if they speak up, they will lose their job, lose a client or suffer a loss or reputation.

 

A couple of years ago, I had a beef with an organization whose management took advantage of a situation.  They simply refused to pay for one of their employees who attended one of our seminars. Why? Ultimately, the then management team had some kind of entitlement attitude. I could not allow blatant disregard for fellow vendors to spread to other vendors by this one company. As my frustration with the company's management grew, the management team handed the short end of the deal to their sales person whom I admired, Leslie Lumpkins.

 

Here is a young man who is an assertive and aggressive Legal Technology & Electronic Evidence Specialist.  Lumpkins' excellent background as a paralegal in prestigious firms such as Hunton & Williams led him to an alternative and exciting career in litigation support sales.  Winning several awards and exceeding the sales goals set down by previous employers, Lumpkins used his litigation paralegal background to help law firms cut costs and deliver excellent e-discovery services to their clients.

 

When management interferes with someone's ability to do a job, the employee suffers.  In fact, in the case of Lumpkins, you have a smart, polished and knowledgable litigation support specialist hindered by stubborn employers who, at that time, wanted to be right at all costs, including Lumpkins otherwise excellent reputation,  even though they were wrong. 

 

What do you do when management is so focused on the almighty dollar that they interfere with your ability to do the job right?  Who do you go to help you fight your cause and what chance do you have?

 

In these tough times, the more critical analysis is not the battles you fight but what battles you pick to fight.  Not everyone is as skillful as Leslie Lumpkins, who maintained his dignity while his management team floundered. How do you stand your ground with fear looming over you that you may lose your job in an economy  that has gone down some deep black hole?

 

Pick your battles carefully.  Management, just as non-mangement, turns over.  If your morals are compromised, if ethics are involved, if others are adversely affected, it is probably a battle worth fighting.  If it's a disagreement that could blow over in a few days, think wisely.

 

In the end, the top CFO at Lumpkins' organization did the right thing and paid us.  My beef was never with Lumpkins.  My beef was with management.  I'm glad I picked that fight because had I not, companies such as that one would have set a precedent for other vendors, law firms and CLEs - one that surely would have had damaging future consequences. 

Paralegal Tech Institute at LegalTech Offers Free Job Class, Keynote and More

If you have been merged, purged, fired, laid-off, delayed, sabbaticaled, held off, rescinded, pink slipped, downsized, rightsized or just plain broadsided and lost your job, you may want to hear about a generous offer from the folks at Law Technology News, Legal Tech and the Paralegal Technology Institute at LegalTech West.

Monica Bay, Editor-in-Chief at LTN sent us this e-mail this morning:

GREEN YOUR CAREER: A NETWORKING BREAKFAST

Fired? This erratic economy has been tough on everybody, but none more so than the members of our legal technology community who have lost their jobs. It's difficult, scary, and challenging for even the most self-confident professionals.

Our Incisive gang wants to help -- so we decided to team up at LegalTech West Coast and offer a simple, heartfelt gesture: On day 2 (Thursday June 25) we will host a very informal, free "Green Your Career" networking breakfast, from 8-9 a.m. at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

It will be co-hosted by Law Technology News and law.jobs, with the support of the LegalTech crew, and has a simple format:  We're inviting jobseekers -- as well as vendors and law firm leaders (even if you do not currently have an available opening).

For the first half-hour, we'll just schmooze together, and enjoy coffee, tea, danish, etc. A chance to "work the room."  Then we'll gather at round tables, where at each table a leader of our community will talk about how he or she survived/thrived thru a career transition. Among the scheduled speakers are:

* John Tredennick, who was a litigator partner at Holland & Hart when he spun off Catalyst Respository Systems.
• Tom Collins, former owner of Juris Inc., who survived cancer and now is a murder mystery novelist!
• J. Craig Williams, who shuttered his small firm and joined Sedgwick, Detert, Moran & Arnold.
• Mary Mack, renowned counsel at Fios Inc.

We'll have news of more speakers shortly.

The event is FREE -- and all attendees will be invited to stick around and visit our exhibit hall and the Day 2 Keynote Address (immediately following the breakfast) on us.

Jobseekers will be encouraged to post their resumes on lawjobs.com, and all firms/vendors who attend will get free access to lawjobs.com (for a limited period, of course).

Our concept is simple: let's provide an hour of inspiration, nurturing, contacts, and networking.

Please come, whether you need a job, or just want to offer encouragement. And if you are coming to show support, please bring along a gift card (you can pick them up at most supermarkets or drug stores), so we can give a day brightener "party favor" to each jobseeker.

 It can be just a few dollars (or more if you can tithe a bit more generously) -- to a national "chain" such as Starbucks, Target, Macy's, Chevron, Von's, movies, SuperCuts -- you get the picture. Something practical and upbeat that will lift the spirits of the job seekers!
(If you can't attend and want to send a gift card, you can send them to us c/o Law Technology News, 120 Broadway, 5th floor, NYC 10271.)

Sooooo... please help spread the word!  Twitter this! Blog this! Reprint this post freely! Let's get viral!

Jobseekers, come for warmth, support and new contacts! Firms/vendors: If you do have a spot open, what a better place to find great talent. And even if you don't, you might tomorrow -- so bring lots of business cards.

And as an added incentive for technology vendors: We will raffle off a wonderful lunch or dinner with moi (you can even use the word "solution" and I won't cringe) where you can tell me about your company's plans, products and services and get a great meal on LTN!

As we used to say: BE THERE OR BE SQUARE!  Visit www.legaltechshow for details, or e-mail LTN at lawtech@incisivemedia.com.

Thanks, Monica.  
(The Paralegal Technology Institute at Legal Tech West is co-sponsored by KNOW, The Magazine for Paralegals - www.knowparalegal.com)
  

"My Mommy is a Paralegal" - New Book for the Kids

The question of what is a paralegal has been around since the career started.  Explaining it to an adult is one thing, but try explaining it to a child who has never seen a court room, judge or even an office building.  What does mommy do all day long, anyway?  The concept can be hard to grasp for a small child.

Loni Morganelli and I came up with a concept for a book for the 3-8 year old children of paralegals.  "My Mommy is a Paralegal" has delightful illustrations by Jessica Maturo.  Written by Loni Morganelli, the book explains in charming pictures and words, a day-in-the-life of a paralegal from the child's point of view.  We had a fun time putting it together and hope that kids and their parents love it as well.

For those who are dads, hang on....we're coming up with one for you too.  And, we've also published "My Mommy is a Lawyer" because we didn't want anyone to feel left out.

The softcover book is 24 pages long.  It's available at www.knowparalegal.com. 

Our Paralegal in London Faces Riots as Protestors Swarm Law Offices

Loni Morganelli
American Paralegal in London

As most of our readers know, Loni Morganelli writes for The Estrin Report and contributes international posts.  Working at a major firm in London, she gives us a global view of the legal world.  Yesterday, she experienced angry, masked protestors aiming their wrath at financial and law office employees.  Here is what she has to say from London:

London's Falling.....A Call for Mercy

As many of you have seen on the news in the last 24 hours, huge, violent protests are taking place in the City of London.  Thousands of protestors took to the streets yesterday and again today ahead of the G20 Summit.  This meeting of the minds is a conference where the top 20 wealthiest countries in the world gather to combat large-scale global issues.  At today's meeting, the primary focus is on the global economic crisis.

Yesterday, angry, masked protestors hoping to make a statement put up effigies of bankers and lawyers who work in London's financial district and burned them while below, hundreds chanted and cheered.  Many firms and businesses in the area sent out security warnings to their staff urging them to "dress down" for the next couple of days in order to "blend in" with the demonstrators.  Sadly, all of us who work in this area are targets for the protestors' wrath.  My office is located in the heart of London's financial district.  On Tuesday, we began receiving security warnings from the London Police and from our own in-house Emergency Broadcast System urging us to heed warnings and be vigilant.

After watching the mayhem disperse across the city yesterday, and fighting my way into the office, I opted to work from home today.  I did not want to experience the kind of terror as I did yesterday, ever again. We literally took our lives into our hands to get through the violence.

As you read this, I've just been informed that my building is currently surrounded by protestors - the police just barely able to hold them back.  Their motive is to get us - all who work in finance and law.  They believe we are responsible, we are the targets.  But I plead for mercy to these anarchists - we are all not responsible.  Many of us are just support staff - the dedicated, honest paralegals and legal assistants who go to work every day to make and earn a living, certainly not to be greedy and take away from other hard-working individulas.

So my message is this - please be informed about this global crisis.  Learn who is truly responsible and do not stoop to the level of protestors who go out and try to attack, both verbally and/or physically, innnocent workers who have done nothing to create this disaster.  There are greater powers at hand who are responsible for this devastating mess.

Copyright C.B.Estrin. All rights reserved. Reprints with permission only.

Enough Doom and Gloom- Show me the jobs!

  By Loni Morganelli
American Paralegal in London

After months of dismal news and gloomy job forecasts, I don't know about you, but I'm ready for some good news!  So to help lift our spirits and in light of our "pay it forward" job theme (see www.knowparalegal.com), I've dug up some positive pointers.  The biggest piece of information I have for you, fellow paralegals, is that jobs are out there! Calendar into your appointment books one day each week to check out individual firm websites for new job postings.  New opportunities are popping up every week, but you have to be quick or you might miss them.

Loni Morganelli

This week, for example, a great opportunity for a "Trial Support Analyst" has arisen in Reed Smith's Los Angeles office.  As we all know, Reed Smith is one of the world's most prestigious law firms.  The analyst position is an excellent opportunity for a highly-skilled paralegal with extensive trial and technology experience.  I know there are many former and current litigation paralegals out there with this experience.  You can bet this job will go fast!   You have to keep your eyes open and check firm sites on a weekly basis, if not daily basis and if you don't think you have the time, get up an hour earlier.

In addition to checking firm websites, set up job alerts with temp agencies, Monster.com, Careerbuilder.com and your local city website.  Your local and national paralegal associations will also post job opportunities, so calendar days in your appointment book to check each of these sites as well.  Don't overlook jobs with vendors, either!  They pay well and offer an exciting alternative to the same old, same old routine. 

Worldwide Legal Directories - HG.org, for example, posts both paralegal and legal assistant positions, as well as other legal positions, on their website for jobs all across the US.  And if you are craving a cultural change and have the flexibility to go abroad, the directories also list international posts in several other countries including China and the UK (where I am).  You are bound to find many American expats just like me.  A quick search of the site for paralegal jobs in New York, for example, brings up 17 different jobs.  While not in the hundreds, it is better than zero as many sites have shown in the past few months.  The paralegal positions found include: litigation, immigration, real estate, bankruptcy, trademarks, and trust and estates.

There is also an advanced Paralegal Coordinator role listed for those of you ready to take the next step in your career.  If you're in need of a job or think that you might be in the near future, try your state today to see what's out there.  Remember, during recessions, corporations and individuals are more likely to face problems that require legal assistance, such as bankruptcies, foreclosures, and divorces.  Also, hot right now is healthcare, going green, class action suits, employment law and more. Coming up is litigation involving Chinese drywall, global warming and Wall Street litigation. Paralegals providing many of the same legal services as lawyers at a lower cost, tend to fare relatively better in difficult economic conditions (as stated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics).  There are jobs out there, folks - keep your eyes open and stay positive!

PS:  Don't forget: Pay it forward! If you know of a position you don't want, send the news to info@knowparalegal.com and we'll post it on our website at www.knowparalegal.com.  Help a fellow paralegal out! It will pay off in the future.

Paid Not to Work - Fighting the Recession Takes Interesting Turn

By Loni Morganelli
American Paralegal in London

Last week, according to Bloomberg News, Latham & Watkins LLP, the fourth-largest U.S. law firm, made an announcement that they would be offering incoming lawyers $75,000 to take the year off.

Latham, which fired 190 lawyers and 250 staff last week, said it is pushing back the start date for all incoming lawyers by two months, and offering the compensation to those who wait a year to start work.  To put this into perspective, lawyers at this firm traditionally earn $160,000 a year, so $75,000 is a nice lump sum. 

 

I find this "paid not to work" scheme quite interesting.  Does it exist for paralegals as well?  Surely, there are many qualified paralegals out there that could also benefit from the paid year-off due to the recession.  After all, paralegals are as necessary as lawyers for the smooth and efficient operation of a law office practice.   I would be very interested in hearing feedback from anyone reading this blog whether they have been offered such compensation packages and in turn told to seek community or volunteer work.  I'd also like to know if you have been laid off, if you were offered a severance package.  Latham & Watkins is offering its fired lawyers six months in severance pay.  Does anyone smell something brewing?  I hope that's not another round of double-standard out there! 

Finally, in what just might be a chance for America to really pursue a proper work/life balance, some work sectors are now considering a switch to a four day work week.  Here, across the pond, this idea generally exists but an actual example has been set for others to follow in the UK and back in the US during the economic downturn. 

According to Law.com, a major Yorkshire law firm here in the United Kingdom has instituted a four-day work week for more than 100 of its attorney and staff members as an alternative to making layoffs to deal with the poor economy.  The new scheme will allow the firm to remain open throughout the standard work week by having individuals work reduced schedules on alternating days.  It's a sure fire way to keep businesses up and running but in a more cost-effective manner that will only promote preservation. 

 

 

New Investigative Techniques for Paralegals Include Social Networks

Paralegals investigating witnesses, plaintiffs or defendants for trial often review medical records, financial documents, school records and employment history.  Now, add to those avenues, social networking.

According to an article in this morning's Legal Intelligencer, it is now standard operating procedure for paralegals to include checking a person's page on MySpace, FaceBook, Twitter and other social sites to investigate personal injury claims.  Written by Christine Flynn, a Philadelphia paralegal with more than 20 years experience, the article addresses the usefulness of information posted to these social networking sites.  These postings often include personal background information, photographs, videos, blogs, hobbies and e-mails. The screening of profiles by paralegals opens various doors with respect to the locations or day-to-day activities of plaintiffs, defendants or witnesses.For example, perhaps a plaintiff in a litigation claim is alleging ongoing injuries resulting in pain and restriction of daily activities. A paralegal, following review of the appropriate guidelines and laws with respect to obtaining records from social networking sites, issues a request for information. This discovery request reveals that although the plaintiff is alleging the inability to complete certain activities, he is, in fact, playing baseball and working for a moving company. This information is confirmed by various photographs the plaintiff has posted on his Web page.

 "For example, perhaps a plaintiff in a litigation claim is alleging ongoing injuries resulting in pain and restriction of daily activities," writes Flynn.  "A paralegal, following review of the appropriate guidelines and laws with respect to obtaining records from social networking sites, issues a request for information. This discovery request reveals that although the plaintiff is alleging the inability to complete certain activities, he is, in fact, playing baseball and working for a moving company. This information is confirmed by various photographs the plaintiff has posted on his Web page."

It's no surprise that this information can change the course of the litigation.

Because of privacy policies, requests for information concerning user profiles must be submitted with proper legal service.  Flynn suggests that when issuing a request for information contained on a social networking page, a paralegal should include the following information:

• complete contact information of requesting party;

• full name, birth date and address for the individual from whom you are seeking the profile;

• e-mail address of the user;

• user ID or Group ID number;

• period of activity.

Generally, with a valid subpoena, the agency will provide basic subscriber information and IP logs for a user account. Any additional information will require the consent of the account owner. For more information regarding privacy and subpoenas, please click on the link above.

As Flynn points out, "The role of social and professional networking sites has opened up yet another door in the field of electronic discovery. As courts continue to wrestle with cases involving social networking discovery issues, it is expected that this largely uncharted area will continue to grow.

It is also expected that expert testimony will be required in the future with respect to issues including management of social networking sites and a user's right to privacy, as well as authentication of Web pages. In the meantime, however, paralegals need to be mindful of the existence of this discovery tool with respect to the evaluation of a case.

That said, paralegals should not lose sight of the laws, rules and regulations with respect to the proper subpoena and use of this information during the course of discovery and trial of a case."

He's Still Stupid, According to Obama

We all get those annoying e-mails.  You know, the ones that purport to know our name, recognize that we're "friends" with the sender when in fact, we haven't a clue who they are.  Well, Ken Magill is proud to report that he is the first private citizen to have been officially called stupid in an e-mail from America's first African-American president.  Heck, he may be the first private citizen to have been officially called stupid in an e-mail from an American president ever!

Magill, who writes for a magazine called "Direct", says in a recent article that his history-making moment came when Barack Obama sent his first message as president of the United States to his 13 million name e-mail list urging recipients to "spread the word" and build support for his economic plan.

    "Stupid," Magill's began. "The economic crisis is growing more serious every day, and the time for action has come."

    Why did Obama call him Stupid?

    Well, last February - holy, moly, it's been a year.....Magill registered his e-mail address with the name Stupid Poopyhead on Obama's campaign Web site to test a reported flaw that allowed people to enter any e-mail address and sign up any name, even a ridiculous one.

    "How many people can claim that such a major political figure calls them Stupid on a regular basis?  None, I bet."

    It worked.  As a result, Obama addressed Magill in e-mails as Stupid throughout his campaign. Using the last name "Poopyhead" apparently was considered too much of a formality.

    Moreover, when Obama selected Biden, Magill began receiving e-mails also addressed to Stupid.  They were all one big, happy, campaign-trail family. But after Obama was sworn in, his campaign manager, David Plouffee - who had called Magill Stupid in the past- sent a message addressing him as "Friend." Magill was crushed.

    Now his campaign manager was addressing Magill as the political equivalent of "occupant."  Was Obama trying to distance himself from Magill?  Could the relationship be cooling off a little? Was he lowering his expections? Or now that the campaign was over, had his tone necessarily become more formal? He is in the Oval Office, after all.

    But when Magill read Obama's first presidential e-mail to him, his heart soared.  "YAY!  He was still Stupid!" "And not only that, he just made U.S. - no, wait - world...yes, world history!"

    Magill writes that he is honored that President Obama will be calling him Stupid for the next four, possibly 8 years.

    And he is considering printing that e-mail out and framing it.  Hey, you only get to be the first private citizen to be called Stupid in an e-mail by the first African-American U.S. president once, you know.

    Imagine if you were the paralegal assigned to gather the e-mails and assign search terms if this ever were to happen. We thought you should read about it here first.

    

From the National Law Journal: 'Domino effect' hits law-related business

The National Law Journal

carried this story and generously mentioned us in the piece.  It comes out Monday.  It is much more accurate and fair reporting than the throwaway, cheaply done publication, Litigation Support Today who last month openly and blatantly attempted to dissuade advertisers and subscribers from KNOW, The Magazine for Paralegals with inaccurate and sleazy reporting about Estrin. (LitSupport Today recently purchased the ailing Legal Assistant Today magazine.) They even went as far as canceling our daughter's subscription so we wouldn't catch the blurb.......geez, fellas, get a life. [Ed]

 

'Domino effect' hits law-related business

Businesses catering to firms feel strain.                

Karen Sloan / Staff reporter

March 16, 2009

Before the economy hit the skids last fall, Legal Insight Media Inc. would shoot two or three high-end recruiting videos a month for law firms and legal departments hoping to lure top-notch law students and laterals.

But layoffs are pummeling the law firm market, and law school recruiting is the least of partners' worries right now — which is bad news for the small Boston-based business. It's been months since the company shot a recruiting video, and Chief Executive Officer Peter Marx is now trying to figure out how to modify its services in order to appeal to law firms in the current economic climate.

"It's not just a trickle-down we're seeing," Marx said of cost-cutting at law firms. "It's more of a full slowdown."

Legal Insight Media is just one of hundreds of businesses that cater to law firms, and many of them are suffering as firms rein in their spending. Personnel layoffs are the fastest way for firms to cut a significant portion of spending, but nearly all firms are also looking at their many other expenses for potential savings.

Firms are cutting down on everything from technology and outside marketing assistance to recruiters and consultants, experts say.

When not outright eliminating those costs, firms are looking to renegotiate contracts to get better deals — which translates into less money coming into law-centric businesses.

A 'ripple effect'

"It's hard to imagine that there's a firm out there that hasn't been hit in some way and isn't looking to cut costs," said Bennett Gross, president of Callydus Group, a New York-based company that helps law firms increase efficiency. "There will be a ripple effect throughout the economy. Food service and car services, they're all getting hit."

Indeed, McDermott Will & Emery grabbed some unwanted attention last month when its decision to suspend coffee and evening food service in the firm's Chicago office landed in newspapers.

Some businesses that target law firms are responding to spending cuts by tightening their own belts and riding out the downturn. But for others, there will be no recovery from this economic blow. Ed Wesemann, a consultant with Kerma Partners, said that "without question" some law-oriented businesses will close up shop.

Wesemann isn't telling Chere Estrin anything she doesn't already know. Estrin founded Estrin LegalEd in 2004, which held paralegal education sessions across the country several times a month.

But attendance dropped off dramatically at the training sessions last year, and Estrin pulled the plug on the business in December. Nearly the entire cost of her seminars were paid for by employers, but employers increasingly stopped funding paralegal travel and continuing education throughout 2008, she said.

"We did so well for five years, and then the faucet just turned off," Estrin said.

"Before firms started cutting attorney jobs, they cut back around the fringes for support staff, and that was the major factor," Estrin added.

Legal recruiters may well be bearing the brunt of the fallout from the weak economy.

With thousands of job losses in the legal sector during the past year, there's a glut of people looking for work and very few places looking to hire — a very difficult climate for recruiters.

"It's really forced us to refocus on the kinds of placements we're making," said Steve Nelson, managing principal for the law and government affairs practice of executive search firm The McCormick Group. "We've largely gotten out of the associate market."

Traditionally, about 40% of The McCormick Group's law firm placements are associates.

With that market all but gone, recruiters who used to place associates are now working with partners, Nelson said.

In a bright spot, the partner market remains strong as attorneys who are concerned about the their current firms seek out more stable options, he said.

Still, Nelson doesn't anticipate any quick return to the recruiting climate before the financial meltdown last fall.

"It's a concern, in terms of the marketplace. We think there will be more layoffs, and layoffs of nonequity partners," Nelson said.

Wesemann, the legal consultant, has felt the impact of law firms' new-found thriftiness. In a typical March and April, his calendar would be packed with jobs from law firm clients launching new initiatives or mergers or making strategic moves. But his calendar is noticeably more open this month.

"I've got enough work to keep busy, but it's not the usual high period," Wesemann said. "The spring is usually overwhelming, and there aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done."

He said other legal consultants are seeing the same slowdown trend, especially those who specialize in law firm retreats. Several firms have canceled retreats this year in order to save money, which eliminated some opportunity for consultants on the retreat circuit.

Alternate billing

Thanks to the weak economy, Donald Aronson is discovering that the alternative billing arrangement phenomenon goes beyond law firms.

He is a principal at Aronson/Heintz Associates in New York, which conducts client interviews for professional services businesses such as law firms and accounting firms.

Law firms hire Aronson to meet with their clients and find out how those clients feel about their law firm service and what their needs are, among other things. Aronson said he faces more pressure than ever to be sensitive to his clients' budget constraints.

"There have been cutbacks throughout the industry," he said. "There are clients who say, 'It's too expensive of an initiative to take on right now.' Some firms are also deferring client interviews."

Aronson had numerous discussions with the chief marketing officer at a major law firm recently before the firm decided it just couldn't spend the money on client interviews right now — a move he sees as shortsighted.

"It seems like a good time to do client interviews, and a good investment on the part of the firm," he said. "You may find areas where you can offer more services, and in this very difficult economic period it shows clients that you care about their needs."

Business has also slowed down at legal staffing services companies, which provide contract attorneys to law firms on a project basis. For one thing, law firms are moving associates from slow practice areas to busy ones to perform tasks such as document review — a job that may have been done by contract attorneys in a better economy.

"I think we have seen that it's somewhat slower right now," said Richard Osman, co-owner of legal staffing agency Lexolution. "You'd have to be crazy not to be bracing for a tough year."

At the same time, Osman said temporary attorney hiring is historically quick to rebound after an economic slump. Not only that, but savvy and cost-conscious law firm clients aren't likely to stand by and allow firms to bill them for document-review work by associates instead of by cheaper contract attorneys.

Not all gloom and doom

It isn't all doom and gloom for companies that target law firms, however. A handful of companies seem to be bucking the slowdown trend. In particular, those that develop Web sites and Internet marketing campaigns for law firms say they are doing well. The reason for their success may be tied to the fact that they are less expensive than traditional marketing campaigns.

Consultwebs.com, a Raleigh, N.C.-based firm that develops Web sites for small and midsize law firms, recently added two employees and opened a second office to handle growing demand, said Chief Executive Officer Dale Ticher.

The company targets small and midsize law firms, not the large firms that have been taking big financial hits in recent months, he said. Joshua Fruchter, founder of eLaw Marketing in New York, said it can be difficult to get past frozen law firm budgets, but opportunities are out there. His business has been able to capitalize on clients moving away from traditional and expensive marketing campaign to lower-cost e-mail marketing.

"If the firm is struggling, the vendors will struggle, too. It all depends on if your service adds value," Fruchter said.

As for Legal Insight Media, the business that films legal recruiting videos, Marx said the small company will manage through the bad economy. Instead of focusing just on recruiting, the company will promote client testimonial videos for law firms. It will also push its podcast consulting services.

"We're not going to do as much business this year as we did last year," Marx said. "Recruiting will come back, but not in 2009. We're hunkering down right now

Help a Colleague Out - Pass Your Job Leads Forward

Last week, we wrote about how we can help our colleagues who have recently been downsized, merged, purged, laid-off or, god forbid, "rightsized" into oblivion. As you may have heard, yesterday was another Black Monday.  The National Law Journal reported that the law firm layoffs haven't let up. Four major firms announced job cuts on Monday, totaling more than 300 attorneys and 522 support staff. White & Case plans to cut 200 associates and 200 administrative staff. Morgan, Lewis & Bockius cut 55 attorneys and 161 staffers.King & Spalding cut 37 associate spots and 85 support staff, while K&L Gates eliminated 36 associates and 76 staffers in its U.S. offices. Legal consultants said they don't see the job cuts slowing down any time soon.

The Estrin Report picks Gibson Dunn & Crutcher as possibly joining the next wave of layoffs.  Anonymous reports from paralegals indicate that staff is reading murder mysteries in an effort to kill time.  When knocking on doors for work - any kind of work, they are told from partners and associates alike, that they have no cases lined up.  Keep your fingers crossed for the folks over there that something will come in over the transom.

In the meantime, our HACO project is working!  Help a Colleague Out by passing your job leads forward has prompted some good samaritans to send us some job leads that we are posting to www.knowparalegal.com.  If you know of a job lead, don't want it, didn't get it, don't qualify for it or just heard about it, pass it forward!  Let us know about it.  We'll post it to our job bank so that others can find out about it and apply.  Not all openings are listed on websites, Craig's list, the local paper or association job bank.  Keep those listings coming so that we can give those who have recently lost their jobs a chance to learn of leads they might not otherwise find.  If you have some inside information that might help, let us know.

We might not be able to stem the bleeding but by banding together, we can help others help themselves.  Send your leads to info@knowparalegal.com. Let us know if you want us to acknowledge the donor. Thanks.  Let's be careful out there.

It's a bloodbath out there. Here's a way we can help each other.

By Loni Morganelli
American Paralegal in London

and Chere Estrin

A couple of months ago, I was talking with a paralegal in Florida.  I asked her how the recession was affecting her firm and inquired whether she felt there might be lay-offs coming down the pike.  She was unaware that thousands of paralegals were being laid-off across the country.  Last week, she e-mailed me that she had been given a pink slip.

I was on the phone with a very good friend in Atlanta last week who was telling me about the terrific position she had landed a few months back at a major firm.  We were discussing how she might leverage her position.  Two hours later, she e-mailed me to tell me that she had just been laid-off.

A paralegal at an in-house legal department in the mid-west e-mailed me with the question, "Why are all these vendors giving me the same excuse over and over.  I don't believe the reasons why they are late with their payments.  They just are lazy and no good."

Today, O'Melveny & Myers laid off 90 attorneys and 110 staff; Dewey LeBoeuf and Shearman & Sterling together laid off 160 staffers and a few days ago Orrick Herrington laid off 200 support staffers, the second round of layoffs in 4 months.  Last week, Latham & Watkins laid off 440 combined lawyers and paralegals.  Lowenstein Sandler dismissed 53 attorneys and staff and delayed bringing on 3Ls. And the list continues.

The Law Shucks layoff tracker lists more than 25 law firms in the US and UK announcing layoffs last month, tallying the total number of jobs lost at nearly 2,200 for February. I don't believe this includes small or mid-size firms. The buzz from legal blogs and law.com indicates that Orrick's decision to lay off may point to second and even third rounds of job losses coming soon.  Layoff rumors continue with fervor.   As a recent Fox News Channel Analyst commented, the unemployed should start focusing on the positive benefits of the situation, hard as that may be to imagine.  Albeit hard for some, try to see this time as an opportunity to do something professionally that you've always wanted to do.  Finding a job in today's economy is tough, but the right attitude and approach can help you outshine the compeition. 

One critical step:  develop a plan for how you will go about finding employment - utilizing staffing and temp agencies for these jobs can often lead to valuable contacts and long-term positions, and research all of the law firms and companies you've always wanted to work at.  Inquire about potential opportunities.  Most importantly, network at every opportunity, exploring every job source available and be persistent.  Use social networking - LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter. Looking for a job is an 8 hour a day job.  Go to your paralegal association meetings.  No one runs down to HR to say, "You know, I'm thinking about leaving.  What do you think?"  Instead, they seek advice from their colleagues on the job.  The first people to know about a potential opening are other paralegals.

Maybe now is the time to join the Peace Corps; Teach America; or Habitat for Humanity.  Maybe you want to go to law school.  Become a Virtual Assistant; look to healthcare in their legal departments; teach in a paralegal school; go to work for a smaller litigation support vendor (who are rumored to be doing well in this down economy).  As a paralegal, one of your best skills is supposed to be fact finding and investigation.  Start investigating what areas are doing well.  There are positions out there.  Not as many, to be sure which is why you must be better prepared than anyone else and have a more positive attitude than the next guy.

Re-invent yourself.  Personally, both Loni and I are going through re-inventions.  I can tell you that the support of the community has been awesome.  People are willing to help each other.  But, folks, you've got to reach out and you have to have an action plan. Above all, don't live in a Pollyanna world.  Wake up.  Be prepared for the great unknown and embrace it. 

I am starting a networking bank.  Send me your tips for the jobs that you didn't get, don't qualify for or hear about. We'll post those jobs on our KNOW website (www.knowparalegal.com) as a service to the community. If you interviewed there or worked there previously, give us some tips on what another candidate might need to know. It's kind of a pay it forward.  Let's help each other out.  There's no stronger and lasting career bond than the one made in helping your colleagues.  Chere@knowparalega.com.

Slum Dog Millionaires: Paralegal Program Director Wins $16k

In the aftermath of today''s depressing news  (over 2,000 attorneys and paralegals have lost their jobs in the past few weeks and today Latham & Watkins announced it is laying off over 250 paralegals and staff and 190 attorneys), we sure could use some good news.

Enter Mary Flaherty, Paralegal Program Studies Director for Suffolk University in Boston gave us all a smile.  According to Robert Ambrogi on legalblogwatch.com: "Did she win a big verdict? No. Did she earn acquittal for a notorious criminal defendant? No. Did she close a major corporate transaction? No.

Instead, what made Flaherty the talk of the Boston-area media was her appearance this week on the television game show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire". In a week in which the movie Slumberg Millionaire made off with eight Oscars, Flaherty took her shot at becoming the Jamal Malik of the Massachusetts bar. Flaherty, an associate professor, at Suffolk University and director of its Paralegal Studies Program, told The Boston Globe that this was not her first turn at a TV trivia show; she was on "Jeopardy!" 10 years ago. And appropriately so. In her hometown newspaper, the Gloucester Daily Times she described herself as someone whose brain is full of "useless trivia."

So did this trivia-full Massachusetts attorney make it to millionaire status? She cruised through her first four questions, without using a single lifeline, easily racking up $16,000. Then came this question: "The fortune-telling die inside a standard Magic 8 Ball is an icosahedron, meaning it has how many triangular faces?" The Gloucester Daily Times recounts what happened next:

Flaherty first called her brother Christopher Flaherty, of Silver Spring, Md., who at first told his sister he didn't know the answer, but in the last second before the call was disconnected, suggested the answer to be "20."

Flaherty wasn't confident of Christopher's answer (which in the end was the correct choice) and opted to ask the audience, but when the studio audience's vote was evenly spread among the four answers, Flaherty was not convinced and decided not to answer the question and walk away with the guaranteed $16,000 despite having two more lifelines left.

Alas, Flaherty's was not the fairy tale rags-to-riches story of "Slumdog Millionaire." Had she won $1 million, she said, she would have bought an accessible home for her fiance, who is confined to a wheelchair. Instead, she'll use her winnings to take her family on a trip to Finland."

Of course, had they asked a paralegal, they would have known immediately where to find icsashhedron, icosehron, icosahedron.

The Hidden Job Market - It's In the Vendors

I had a terrific opportunity to run into two upbeat, interesting women who have the perfect jobs for paralegals seeking alternative careers.  Now, hold your horses here because the first thing I'm going to tell you is that they are located in, well, Fargo, North Dakota.  Yep.  Unless you've seen the movie Fargo, you probably don't realize that it's a happening kind of place albeit very, very cold.

Meet Megan Heltemes and Rachael Runick of Integreon.  The company does outsourcing work of document review, legal translations, word processing and more.  They cater to all size firms including BigFirms and in-house legal departments all over the world.  Megan has been with the company over 7 years and Rachael 3 1/2.  Both have experienced something that paralegals might not have a shot at, depending upon where you work - upward mobility and a defined career path.

Megan's position is Director of Professional Document Services America.  Her responsibilities include oversight for Fargo delivery operation; account client accounts day to day; manage group of other delivery managers; account implementation; account management; RFP process with new clients.  She is in charge of scheduling, hiring and acting as a client liaison, setting up new law firms and training protocols and procedures.  She manages teams of lawyers, paralegals and proof readers on cases from all over the world and she worked her way up to this prestigious management position.

 

Rachaell, on the other hand, is the Delivery Center Manager.  Nope, not delivery of pizzas by any means.  This hotshot young executive manages a group of associate managers with large teams that focus on production.  She serves as escalation point; concerned with production; and has some oversight with being account liason; and has some functional responsibilities such as scheduling, ensuring the individuals in the building are assigned properly. Her focus is on document production; legal word processing and transcription.  

 

These were two happy campers I spoke with.  Legal outsourcing is a huge business right now and a viable alternative for those paralegals (and lawyers) seeking to make a change utilizing their paralegal skills but not quite knowing in which direction to go.  If you are seeking a vertical climb up a ladder, you might want to consider a career with a vendor such as Integreon.

 

What do you do in Fargo, North Dakota?  Well, on the right days you can find Megan ice fishing.  Really.  That's where you sit in a shack in the middle of a frozen lake with a tub filled with beer and wait for a nibble on your fishing pool freezing your patooti off.  I know stuff.  I've been to Minnesota in 60 degrees below.  Rachael, on the other hand, has a card engraving hobby and makes beautiful cards.  The point here is, they have a life.  If your idea of having of life is coming from the rat-race, getting take-out from the downstairs Chinese restaurant and plopping yourself on your couch in front of your flat screen after 10 1/2 hours of billable time watching a mindless survival show of people stranded on a deserted island, you might want to find out why other folks are living life to the fullest.  At least these two, anyway.

 

Get off the couch and check out other, ancillary careers.  Oh, and Megan, when she is not ice fishing this winter is off to India for the company's global conference where she will meet people from all over the world and participate in their international training program.  And, they seemed to be untouched by the havoc and horrendous massive layoffs going on with thousands and thousands of lawyers and paralegals just in the last two months. I think it sounds great. I've already packed my snow shoes.  I'd ski but to get them, you have to tell them what you weigh and that just ain't gonna happen.  Does anyone out there speak Fargo?

 

 

Finally! New TV Series Recognizes Paralegals

I may be just a little overexcited about what might otherwise be mundane news.  But, hey, I live in Hollywood, I'm attached to the paralegal field and well, I've been curious as to why just about every TV series revolving around lawyers and law firms leaves out paralegals.

Years ago, I attended a Los Angeles Paralegal Association seminar where the technical advisor to a hit lawyer TV show was speaking.  During the Q&A, he was asked why there were no paralegals on his show - on any show, for that matter.  "Because they have no love life," he claimed.  Hmmm....as a single woman over 35, that didn't do much for my confidence.

But the TV gods must have been listening.  The Hollywood Reporter (an industry icon), and TVGuide.com announced today that Showtime's Brotherhood star, Jason Clarke, is going from the mob to the courtroom: The actor has landed a starring role on CBS's new legal series about the U.S. Attorney's office in Manhattan.

Clarke will play a section chief who manages four lawyers and a group of paralegals in their overlapping cases. No word yet on a show title. Earlier this week, Jericho's Lennie James was cast in the series as a former assistant district attorney who finds work as a paralegal after being disbarred.

Aussie Clarke is best known as Tommy Caffee on Showtime's Irish gang series, Brotherhood, and can next be seen in this summer's Public Enemies with Johnny Depp and Christian Bale.

Why is this good news?  Look what the CSI franchise did for crime scene investigators.  Who knew anything about CSI folks prior to the series?  I understand that the field was then flooded with CSI wannabees. And, statistics show that every time a lawyer TV series becomes a hit, admissions to law schools go up.  With the onset of TV lawyer shows, the average Joe and Joyce suddenly understood what lawyers did, even in a generic sense.  It stands to reason that the same kind of media attention can do the same thing for paralegals.

Actually, I'm not sure about the disbarred attorney-turned-paralegal role as being such a good PR thing.  Nor, in real life, do law firms generally like to hire disbarred attorneys for anything - but hey, it's a start.  Uh, isn't it?

Distance Learning - The Way of the Future for Busy Paralegals

By Loni Morganelli
American Paralegal in London

In today's busy world with our hectic work schedules, family commitments, and endless pressures, it's hard to find the time to stop and go to school.  But whether you're a fully qualified paralegal or working towards your certificate, continuing education is a vital part of our profession.  Fortunately today, there are many options out there that allow you the possibility to keep working, care for your family and receive a quality education without having to go out of your way or take time off.  With the help of the vast Internet, distance learning degrees have continued to increase in popularity over the years.

Despite all of the negative press going around about distance learning degrees and online education in general, there are still plenty of legitimate universities and colleges offering well-prganized, exciting online programs. In an effort to change the negative perception, the U.S. National Education Board has established 6 accreditation agencies to evaluate and provide accreditation to high learning institutions.  One such agency is the Distance Education and Training Council which provides accreditation for those institutes solely dedicated to online degree programs.  The agency is recognized the by the US Dept. of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

Well known schools such as The George Washington University, University of California at Irvine, South University, and the American Institute for Paralegals Studies (AIPS) all offer outstanding online paralegal programs to fit your distance learning needs.  AIPS, for example, offers intensive one-month courses from Litigation, Corporate, and Immigration law to Bankruptcy, Foreclosure, and IP.  This school has seen numerous, proud graduates enter the paralegal workforce through welcoming employers.  The old adage that online education is not accepted by employers is fast becoming old news! Today, many employers recognize and appreciate the demands on employees and are becoming well-tuned to the work/life balance.

If you've taken a number of paralegal courses in the past with your undergraduate university, for example, I would recommend looking into one of the above schools to finish your certificate.  In this demanding, yet job suffocating economy, it is vital for you to prevent yourself from being made redundant [the UK term for layed-off, say goodbye or mere memory]. A paralegal certificate from an accredited university or a specialist certificate from tuition-friendly AIPS will surely put the pizzazz in your professional profile to help keep your position secure.

PS:  Don't forget to read, read, read! We've launched our first issue of SUE, For Women in Litigation (www.suemagazine) and the reviews are terrific! And don't forget to sign-up for KNOW, The Magazine for Paralegals (www.knowparalegal.com) that is receiving excellent reviews.  We appreciate your continued support.  The e-mails and phone calls supporting us have been overwhelming!