The Estrin Report

District attorney recognizes paralegal for law enforcement assistance

Sure like it when everyday citizens find & help solve crimes! Read all about it in this article from California's Auburn Journal:

"The message from the Placer County District Attorney's Office was that law enforcement can't go it alone.

"'Many ignore the call,' District Attorney Brad Fenocchio said, during a ceremony honoring several who stepped up to assist an investigation or put a suspect behind bars.

"Area residents who went above and beyond that call stepped up Tuesday before the Board of Supervisors to receive praise and certificates from the District Attorney's Office.

[snip]

"Paralegal Gayle McMorow noticed some inconsistencies in an 87-year-old woman's checking account, reported what turned out to be theft by a former caregiver, and assisted with a felony elder abuse case that took three years to prosecute."

Congrats to Gayle!!

Fort Worth paralegal named Legal Professional of the Year

Hearty congratulations to Leslie Stokes for receiving this award reported by Pegasus News:

"Leslie G. Stokes, Certified PP, PLS, TSC-CL, at the Law Offices of Steven C. Laird, P.C., in Fort Worth, has been named Legal Professional of the Year for 2007-2008 by the Texas Association of Legal Professionals.

"Ms. Stokes, a native of Fort Worth, was presented with the award at the Texas ALP's recent annual meeting in Arlington. She has worked as a paralegal at the Laird firm for the past six years.

"Ms. Stokes works under the supervision of two attorneys on complex medical malpractice and personal injury cases. She is involved in every aspect of trial preparation, including handling upkeep of case files, meeting with clients, monitoring deadlines, coordinating and scheduling depositions, hearings, mediations, and expert interviews. In addition, she researches legal issues, drafts pleadings and discovery and does background research on witnesses.

"'Leslie is an invaluable member of our legal team,' says firm founder Steven C. Laird. 'Without her and our other paralegals, we lawyers wouldn't be prepared to set foot in a courtroom. She is very deserving of this honor.'"

Such welcome praise from a lawyer!

Helen Raschke Pro Bono Award

Must read this very inspiring article from the The Black Hills Pioneer (SD)

"If you were to talk to Helen Raschke of Lead, she would tell you that the best years of her life were spent doing pro bono work because she was helping people in trouble.

"In April of this year, Raschke was honored as an award was given in her name for the work she did for 16 years as a Private Attorney Coordinator -- a job that didn't exist before she started at West Texas Legal Services in Wichita Falls, Texas. The Helen Raschke Pro Bono Award will be awarded annually to the most helpful legal assistant/secretary for a pro bono attorney. In her speech before announcing the first recipient of the award, Raschke said, 'They all need to be valued and appreciated for enabling more legal services to be provided to the poor [PDF]. This new award will be a token of our admiration, respect and appreciation.' She also added, 'The secretary could make or break your day.'"

Helen's sure got that right!

"Law-firm employees receive pro bono awards"

Good news for these individuals & for their firm's pro bono program!

"Six lawyers and one paralegal are the first recipients of Charles L. Whistler Pro Bono Awards at Baker & Daniel law firm.

[snip]

"Rhonda Jackson is a paralegal who helped coordinate the Indianapolis Legal Aid Society's annual holiday fund-raising campaign during the last three years."

Noted on Baker & Daniels' press release:

"The firm's pro bono award is named in memory of Charles L. Whistler, a former Baker & Daniels lawyer whose vision, talent and energy helped shape Indianapolis. He represented diverse interests and an array of projects, including Uni-Gov, beautification of downtown, creation of the City Center on the Monument Circle, opening of the Indiana Theater and planning of White River State Park. Whistler died in 1981 at age 55."

"Law Technology News Names Catalyst CR Finalist for Best EDD System"

So, how does the EDD software that your firm or company uses stack up?

"Catalyst Repository Systems, a leading provider of web-based repository software for case, deal and electronic document management, announced today that Catalyst CR has been selected as a finalist for the top Electronic Data Discovery Systems by the readers of Law Technology News.

"'We are especially honored to be a finalist for this award because it reflects the views of our partners and customers who use Catalyst CR,' said John Tredennick, CEO of Catalyst Repository Systems. 'This vote is a testament that CR's functionality, speed and scalability are delivering compelling value to law firms, corporations and insurance companies.'"

The American Lawyer's 'Fab Fifty'

This is a fascinating (alphabetical) list: "The 50 most-promising young litigators ages 45 & under." 

"We talked to hundreds of lawyers to find the rising stars whose careers are described below and in the pages that follow. Beginning with a wide and informal canvass that generated more than 200 suggestions, we identified practice areas that seemed rich in opportunity for young litigators and homed in on those for our reporting. That's why the list contains a concentration of appellate, intellectual property, public interest, and products liability lawyers. Others have made a mark as criminal defenders or labor lawyers or securities specialists. All of them have worked relentlessly to get where they are. What follows are the biographies of 50 litigators we expect to see leading the field for years to come."

Be sure to check out "The Life of a Young Litigator" -- it details stories from some of the 'Fab Fifty.'

"Kennedy Covington Paralegal Wins National Rookie of the Year Award"

Well, isn't this great news?

"Kennedy Covington paralegal Julianne Fink, NCCP, has been awarded the Rookie of the Year by Legal Assistant Today magazine. 

"Fink was selected by the magazine's editorial advisory board for her leadership and dedication to the legal assistant profession, to her local association, to her employer and to her community, in just two years of performing paralegal duties.

“'Julianne is an amazing asset to our team and she has certainly worked hard to earn this recognition within our firm and with the paralegal community at large,' said Kent Christison, partner-in-charge of the Raleigh and RTP [Research Triangle Park] offices of Kennedy Covington.  'Paralegals are essential to the success of a firm, assisting to meet clients’ needs on a daily basis.  A strong team is composed of a strong support staff and ours is literally award-winning.'"

Too bad the firm doesn't include profiles or bios of its paralegals....

"National Award to Paralegal For Work with Native American Community"

Congratulations! Love to hear this kind of news:

"The National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA) is pleased to announce that Raylene Frazier, a paralegal with Dakota Plains Legal Services (DPLS) in South Dakota,  is the 2006 recipient of the Pierce-Hickerson Award.  Frazier will be honored during the NLADA 2006 Annual Conference Awards Luncheon on Friday, November 10 at the Westin Charlotte Hotel in Charlotte, NC.

[snip]

"Frazier, who is a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, handles cases in all areas of Indian Law. She has prevailed in many Tribal Court appellate cases and administrative hearings. Her vast experience and the training she received through the years from the American Indian Lawyer Training Program, the National Justice Center, the Legal Services Corporation and the National Institute for Trial Advocacy qualified her to head up a DPLS Department of Justice grant to provide basic trial skills training to attorneys and lay advocates practicing in Tribal Courts in South Dakota."

"Sergeant places first in paralegal contest"

Congratulations to Rosemary Hernandez!

"A sergeant bested 22 other Army paralegals from XVIII Airborne Corps and Army Special Operations Command in competition Thursday at Fort Bragg, N.C.

"Sgt. Rosemary Hernandez placed first in the Command Sgt. Maj. Cornell Gilmore paralegal challenge, according to results released by Master Sgt. Joseph Lister, one of the event’s organizers.

[snip]

"The event is named for Gilmore who was the top enlisted legal adviser in the Judge Advocate General Corps when he died in Iraq in late 2003. He had held the position since June 2002. He was one of six aboard a Black Hawk helicopter on Nov. 7 when it was struck by enemy fire. The helicopter crashed near Tikrit and none of the occupants survived."

Army paralegals compete

Interesting components of this competition!

"Twenty-three paralegals will compete today to be named the best in the XVIII Airborne Corps and Army Special Operations Command.

"It is the first competition to be organized for Army paralegals, according to Master Sgt. Joseph Lister, chief paralegal noncommissioned officer for Army Special Operations Command.

"The contest includes a six-mile rucksack march, a modified physical fitness test, a combat swim test, land navigation and a written paralegal test."