Congrats if you're one of those lucky paralegals with an office! But this article will definitely interest those of you stuck in cubicle-land: "Even the designer of the cubicle thinks they were maybe a bad idea, as millions of 'Dilberts' would agree. "Robert Oppenheimer agonized over building the A-bomb. Alfred Nobel got queasy about creating dynamite. Robert Propst invented nothing so...
Usually don't point to articles like this one from the Scotsman that require payment, but this free blurb was too timely to pass up: "PARALEGALS are often the unsung heroes of the legal profession. They work with lawyers to offer services to clients and are qualified in at least one area of the law. Although paralegals have worked in the law in England and Wales and the US since the 1950s,...
Here's a key point from the article: "Failure to utilize paralegals effectively results in a host of problems for a law firm or a law department -- and for the paralegals themselves. The results of a recent survey (August 2005) by the Committee on Paralegals of the Business Law Section of the American Bar Association is consistent with the experience the author has had training and...
According to a recent article, one national major firm is marketing their paralegals as professionals who are more up-to-date & better educated than other firms. They are requiring paralegals to be certified. Estrin LegalEd workshops are specifically designed with paralegal assignments in mind. Just a few include: New e-Discovery Rules The Sarbanes-Oxley Act How to Handle 140 Billion E-Mails...
Big change! "Lee Ann Bellon, who started Atlanta's first legal recruitment service 23 years ago, has a new boss. She has sold her company to Ajilon Professional Services, a subsidiary of staffing giant Adecco. "The sale of Bellon & Associates, for a price Bellon would not disclose, is another milestone in legal recruiting's evolution from a business lawyers once knew little about...
Goodness gracious -- read what's going on in Texas! "'Thanks for the business; now here's a little "Rock Lobster.'" "It's an adventurous dish for any big Texas firm to serve its clients to show its appreciation. But the Dallas office of Houston-based Baker Botts presented that and more at its annual client appreciation party Feb. 25. "Lest anyone be confused, the...
More bad news, also potentially bad for other people associated with the firm: "Last month, 110-lawyer Christensen, Miller, Fink, Jacobs, Glaser, Weil & Shapiro saw its managing partner, Terry Christensen, indicted on conspiracy and wiretap charges. "Christensen has pleaded not guilty. But the firm is in for a rough patch. And recruiters across Los Angeles say the charges hanging...
Not good news at all: "The University of West Los Angeles School of Law lost a key accreditation, which will take away students' eligibility for federal financial aid. "The termination is effective June 30 to allow current students to complete the spring term. "We will be working with UWLA to arrange for a review of each student's case and to work out the best possible...
New positions for general counsel within law firms due to Sarbanes-Oxley requirements. Interesting unintended consequence, hmm?! "Dan Carroll receives nearly a dozen phone calls and e-mails every week from one of his biggest clients. Raising complicated questions about everything from liability matters to ethics issues, the client can be demanding. Fortunately, however, Carroll is highly...
Alexander H. Lubarsky, LL.M., Esq., is a practicing litigator & legal technology enthusiast. In 2003, Alex was elected to the California State Bar Law Technology Executive Committee. He is a certified trainer/consultant in the four major litigation support applications: Introspect, Summation, Concordance, & CaseMap. Alex has taught litigation support courses to students at various law...