Albert Said:

Would a paralegal answer a few questions for me for a paper I'm writing?

We Answered:

1. I work in a 3 attorney law firm that specializes in construction litigation.
2. I have an Associates in Paralegal Studies from an ABA approved program.
3. My Associate's was from a community college. It took two years.
4. The program was ABA approved when I enrolled, but was no longer ABA approved when I graduated. I made sure my program tailored to the ABA requirements and received the distinction. I believe it is very important to attend a program that is accredited. It means there are standards and with standards, it ensures that you are receiving what you paid for.
5. Absolutely. I 100% feel that the classes I took prepared me for the duties I would be responsible for.
6. I will celebrate my 2nd anniversary as a paralegal on December 1st.
7. My employer trusts me with more than the average paralegal. On my first day, he told me that he would give me as much as I was willing to learn and handle.
8. Yes, I have my own office with a window.
9. I work with very three very eloquent, educated and polite attorneys. The secretary is like a Mother to me. All four of my co-workers treat me as an equal and tell me how valued I am on a daily basis.
10. We are a small firm and all share one secretary.
11. I am very computer literate and use those skills daily. I use all the advanced editing and reviewing tools in Microsoft Word. I would say that I am expert level on Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint. I am often consulted by the entire firm when they cannot figure out something. I've taken advanced classes in all of Microsoft Office and my boss even had a sign made for my bulletin board that says, "Microsoft Office Guru."
12. No. We usually mediate or settle before going to trial. Our firm has only participated in one trial in the 1.5 years I have worked for them. If we do go to trial, I would be very confident that I would play a very important role. In the one trial, I was responsible for the trial presentation software, electronic scanning and OCR'ing of trial exhibits.
13. 100% ethical. All three attorneys do everything as they should and have never put me in an ethical dilemma.
14. My employer pays for my PPO insurance. It has low co-pays and an excellent prescription plan. I receive a month of paid vacation per calendar. Two weeks in the winter, two in the summer. I also have life insurance through the firm. Our firm is truly like a family. I am given time off whenever it is requested and I am paid. They do not track time and it is understood that if I abuse the privilege, it will be taken away.
15. I am on salary, so no overtime.
16. I am salary, I don't expect overtime. They pay me well and reward me well.
17. I work in a small city. The average starting salary would be $12-13/hr. I make more than that, but again. This is all dependent on experience and capability. We all make different wages. With bonus, I am currently making around $36k a year. I would honestly say I am higher paid than more experienced paralegals in this area. Again, this would be dependent on the size of city you work in. I work in a fairly small city.
18. Yes, I do. I do not have to be babysat. Out of respect, I report to my supervising attorney anyhow. If I need to leave the office, I let him know why and when I will be back. Communication is crucial in a law office. While they do not require me to do it, I do it anyhow.
19. Yes, construction litigation. We specialize in government contracts, joint ventures, teaming agreements, large scale construction disputes (by large scale, I mean millions at stake), and we throw a lot of rocks at the construction related state government departments. This includes equitable adjustment claims to city and state entities for reimbursement for time delays.
20. I am a member of my local and state bar associations. I am currently studying for my Certified Paralegal designation through NALA. My plan is to test for all designations.
21. I love it. There are too many individuals out there that are not fit for this line of work. They were enticed by poor programs with promises of jobs and that their pieces of paper were worth something. I 100% feel that paralegals should be responsible for their actions and conform the profession to a higher standard of professionalism. I run into too many "paralegals' that should have no business calling themselves such. Higher education standards and professionalism is needed to weed out those that don't truly respect and/or understand the profession. I feel a license will set a nationwide standard and give true paralegals the credit they deserve. I think that paralegals should be able to be "disbarred" for lack of ethical integrity and incompetence.
22. We take very little pro-bono work.
23. Yes. I am responsible for 20 hours of CLE for the State Bar of Texas, and 6 hours for my local paralegal association. My supervising attorneys also send me to attorney level CLE as they feel I am 10

Ana Said:

Question about 2nd hand smoke? My husband is a smoker......?

We Answered:

If second hand smoke was as dangerous as you believe it is, there would be nobody alive in their 50s and 60s.

Crystal Said:

Where can I find people with strong leadership skills to train to work from home?

We Answered:

Maybe you should contact Joy B. I hear she is a great motivated individual!!!

Renee Said:

What are the management consulting opportunities in St. Mary's or the surrounding area?

We Answered:

check monster.com

Loretta Said:

Is Obama's "green" jobs focus really a handout to the unions?

We Answered:

Thats exactly what it is as Unions put the democrats in office so now they are being paid for their services on union scale of course