Traveling the Road of Death and Taxes as a Probate Paralegal

By Tina M. Johnson The days, weeks, months and years have passed for this probate and tax paralegal who has over 24 years of experience helping clients craft sophisticated legacy plans and assist with death and taxes as part of administering an Estate and/or Trust. Dealing with death and taxes is often a heavy burden for countless clients. Follow me on a trip down memory lane… and learn why...

Negotiating Change

 I'm sure you're familiar with the Benjamin Franklin quote: “…in this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” However, there's another certainty we all must eventually face: “change”. Change means "to make (someone or something) different; or to replace (something) with something else, especially something of the same kind that is newer or better; substitute...

IPLegalEd – The IP Paralegal Certificate Program: Don’t pass this up!

Interview with Adam Bell, Esq., Founder 1.    Tell me about the course, how it got started and what it entails.  I started IPlegalED back in 2002 and we have now trained thousands of paralegals in hundreds of firms, corporations and government departments. More than any other comprehensive training program, I believe. It all started when I was working as a patent attorney at a...

Breaking The Chains Of Hierarchy: Why ‘Nonlawyer’ Must Go

The term is more than just a label; it reflects outdated hierarchies and is a barrier to a more inclusive and collaborative legal environment. Originally Published by ABOVE THE LAW by Olga V. Mack  on June 24, 2024 at 2:48 PM In the ever-evolving landscape of the legal profession, certain terminologies and labels can shape perceptions and the dynamics within legal teams. One such term,...

The Underpaid Paralegal

by Veronica Paulino Are you feeling like an underpaid paralegal? As paralegals, it’s our job to provide support to attorneys and clients, dedicating countless hours to research, investigation, drafting, and client engagement. You serve as the point of contact when the attorney is not available. You also put in just as much dedication and effort into every case as the attorney. How often have...

5 Steps for Creating a Culture That Attracts and Welcomes Employees with Disabilities

by Bruce Anderson With competition for skilled workers at a high and an increased focus on diversity, companies have started to recruit in often overlooked talent pools, including veterans, women returning to the workplace, older workers, and individuals without college degrees. And companies are beginning to embrace one of the largest untapped talent markets of all — people with disabilities,...

 The 10 Things I Have Learned in My First Year as a Freelance Paralegal 

. At the beginning of August 2022, I made one of the boldest moves of my career: I quit my well-paying full-time job as an in-house litigation paralegal at a health and wellness company and put out my shingle as a freelance paralegal. It was simultaneously thrilling and terrifying. Luckily I had a few things in the "Pros" column when I made my decision. One was that I had been freelancing on the...

To All First Generation Professionals, You Are a Gift 

by Kim Barrett, MBA, MPS As is the case with many first-generation professionals, I grew up with only the bare necessities and attended public school. Neither of my parents attended college. In fact, neither of them even graduated high school. It wasn’t until they were well into adulthood that they each (separately) earned a GED. They worked, but didn’t make a lot of...

2023 Communication Essentials 

By Joseph Lavelle, Esq. and Maureen C. Washington, ACP, CAS  What is one word with thirteen characters that can lead to loss or victory?  COMMUNICATION. Thousands, maybe millions, of articles have been written that describe, define, characterize, explain, or expound on this essential durable skill. But what does this combination of five syllables, four vowels, and four consonants...

Your Law Firm’s Employees Cost Too Much to Lose

by Blake Lively with Comments From Chere Estrin Blake Lively nailed this concept about the value of your team in her article, "Your Law Firm’s Employees Cost Too Much to Lose.  If you are in law firm management, you simply MUST read this article Chere Estrin What does it cost to replace an attorney in your law firm? In the end, more time than you realize. Let’s look at...