The World is Temporarily Closed: Communication, Onsite Work and Pandemic Productivity

The following is one attorney's view of how the pandemic has affected his work. Not everyone is having the same experience. There are some very scary stories out there, lots of successes, too many halls of shame and finally, acceptance. Here is Ted Wells, litigation attorney in Los Angeles. Communication with Colleagues and Support Staff I miss popping into my colleagues’ offices to chat or to...

National Staffing Organization Opens MediSums, Medical Records Summarizing

PRESS RELEASE National Legal Staffing Organization Announces Formation of MediSums, Medical Records Summarizing, Amidst Coronavirus Pandemic Estrin Legal Staffing Expands to Include Medicolegal Services in New Division   LOS ANGELES, CA – Tuesday, May 19, 2020 – Newly-formed MediSums, a division of Estrin Legal Staffing, adds chronologies and medical record summaries prepared by licensed...

Is it time for an alternative career? Lots of options, lots of choices.

It’s that time of the year. You have received your raise and have politely waited a month or so after receiving your bonus. You have looked grateful and appreciative (all the while thinking, you’re giving me this after I worked that?) and now, frankly, you’ve been circling Indeed and quietly checking out job listings. But this time, you are thinking, “You know, am I going to find another...

“Girls” Just Wanna Have Funds……

"What’s your salary?” becomes a no-no in job interviews. By Chere B. Estrin   There’s a hot trend sweeping equal-pay legislation right now and some legal field industry leaders are not too happy about it.  New York, Massachusetts and Philadelphia have passed the country’s first law that prohibits employers from asking candidates for their current salaries or salary...

How to Change Specialties: Getting It Right the Second Time

Many paralegals who want to switch practice specialties write their resume with exactly what it is they are doing now, send out a cover letter stating they have lots of experience in their current practice area and are “detail oriented, a team player and a quick learner”.  In other words, “here I am, take me as I am and, oh, please train me”. And expect that will get them a new job...

Quit Kidding Yourself with Boring Cover Letters. Get One That Works.

Cover letters are usually boring, unimaginative or just not taken seriously because there is nothing new in the letter that makes the writer stand out. Typical responses from employers? “Same letter, different sender.”  Not exactly the let’s-jump-right-for-the-phone reaction you are seeking. In fact, with all due respect, I'll bet your letter goes something like: “I noticed...

Law Firms Increasingly Using Alternative Legal Service Providers

By Tami Kamin Meyers for Progressive Law Practice I was fortunate to be quoted in an article by Tami Kamin-Myers for Progressive Law Practice about ALSPs - Alternative Legal Service Providers. Here is a portion of the article. Please check it out. Thanks! If it seems that ads from businesses offering services supporting the practice of law are popping up on your LinkedIn or Facebook feed more...

Meet Joseph Spada: Controversial, Trendsetting Leader, Educator, and Paralegal Career Change Agent

Meet a leader: Joseph Spada, Director of Paralegal Certificate Studies, Boston University. Joe plays a significant role in leading and teaching paralegals who are entering the field. If you think back on significant people who influenced your career path as you entered this field, who might that be? Over the years, hundreds and hundreds of paralegals can point to Joe as a definite contributor to...

Where Do I Go From Here? Alternative Careers for Paralegals

When I ask a paralegal “What's the next step in your career”, they inevitably tell me what they don’t want. “I don’t want a major firm.” “I don’t want litigation.” “I don’t want….” Rarely, can they tell me what they do want other than “a whole lot of money” or “I want to go in-house.” Sometimes, however, they tell me, “I want an alternative career.” Ok,...

The Newest, Latest Trends in the Paralegal World – Are You Riding the Horse in the Direction It’s Going?

It’s a whole new world out there for paralegals. If you are not riding the horse in the direction it’s going, you are going to be left behind. Why? Because whether you are seeking a new position, looking to expand in your role at your present job or merely suiting up and showing up (let’s be honest here), staying complacent and ignoring the trends is, well, death to your career. Here are...