M:DataPACO Citator Newsletter - Paralegal … _2003.pdf · The Citator welcomes comments and...

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In This Issue:

PACO Board Members ...... 2

PACO Committees ............ 3

Board Reports .................. 4

NFPA News .................. 5

Statewide News ................ 7

Paralegal Practice ........... 10

Career Coach ................. 12

Announcements .............. 14

General MembershipMeeting Notice ............... 17

Upcoming Events:

July 14Executive Board Meeting(5:45 p.m., Hahn Loeser)

July 21General Membership Meeting

(12:00 noon,Hyatt on Capitol Square)

July 26Adopt-A-Highway Clean-up

(8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.)

Have a great month!

JULY 2003

The CitatorThe official newsletter of the Paralegal Association of Central Ohio

PACO • PO Box 15182 • Columbus OH 43215-0182 • (614) 224-9700

THE DECLARATIONOF INDEPENDENCE

We hold these truths to be self-evident,that all men are created equal,

that they are endowed by their Creatorwith certain unalienable Rights,

that among these are Life, Liberty,and the pursuit of Happiness.

That to secure these rights,Governments are instituted among Men,

deriving their just powers from theconsent of the governed.

That whenever any Form of Governmentbecomes destructive of these ends,

it is the Right of the People to alter orto abolish it, and to institute new Government,laying its foundation on such principles and

organizing its powers in such form, as to themshall seem most likely to effect their

Safety and Happiness.

The Declaration of Independence of theThirteen Colonies In CONGRESS, July 4, 1776

THE 13 COLONIES

ConnecticutDelawareGeorgia

MarylandMassachusetts Bay

New HampshireNew JerseyNew York

North CarolinaPennsylvaniaRhode Island

South CarolinaVirginia

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PresidentKatharine “Katie” [email protected]

First Vice President/Committee CoordinatorDeAnna [email protected]

Second Vice President/Membership DirectorBridgett [email protected]

NFPA Primary [email protected]

Statewide Representative/NFPA Secondary RepresentativeKathy [email protected]

SecretaryBarry [email protected]

TreasurerRebekah [email protected]

ParliamentarianRuth [email protected]

Public Relations DirectorMichelle [email protected]

EditorAmjed [email protected]

TALK TO THE EDITOR . . .Send your comments, suggestions or announcements to theEditor of The Citator at:

e-mail: [email protected] • P.O. Box 15182 • Columbus, OH 43215-0182

DisclaimerThe Citator welcomes comments and expressions of views of PACO members and other readers.Such submissions should be marked “Letter to the Editor” and sent to the Editor [email protected]. Also note that any written and electronic materials, documents,letters, e-mails, notes and memos submitted to the Editor of The Citator become the property ofThe Citator and are subject to publication. Names and contact information may be publishedunless the submitter specifically requests anonymity at the time of submission. Articles expressthe authors’ views and are not necessarily those of the Board of Directors or Association.Articles may not be reprinted without the expression permission of the author. Paid advertisementsappearing in The Citator are not an endorsement of products or services.

E-mail Your Citator News to:[email protected]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The Deadline for the August issue of The Citator is

July 21

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30 31

July 14 — Executive Board Meeting, 5:45 p.m., Hahn Loeser and Parks

July 21 — General Membership Meeting, 12:00 p.m., Hyatt on Capitol Square

July 26 — Adopt-A-Highway Clean-up, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

JULY 2003

PACOBOARD MEMBERS

2003

Desktop publishing, design, and layout provided by Tram Connors at Vorys, Sater, Seymour andPease LLP.

IndependenceDay

ExecutiveBoard Meeting

GeneralMembership

Meeting

Adopt-A-HighwayClean-up

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BylawsRuth [email protected]

Continuing Legal EducationJennie [email protected]

Job BankSonia [email protected]

MembershipBridgett [email protected]

Newsletter/PublicationsAmjed [email protected]

Pro BonoRobin [email protected]

Professional [email protected]

ProgramColleen [email protected]

Public RelationsMichelle [email protected]

Web SiteRebekah [email protected]

PACOCOMMITTEES

UPCOMING ISSUES….

If you would like to contribute to any of the upcoming issues, pleasecontact us.

Advertising Rates for The CitatorThe Citator is distributed to a monthly subscriber base, comprised ofparalegals, legal assistants and other legal professionals.

Rates are for One Issue:1/8 Page (up to 200 words) $35.001/4 Page (up to 350 words) $50.001/2 Page (up to 600 words) $75.00

Full Page (up to 1,200 words) $150.00To submit your ad for The Citator, type your ad copy on a sheet ofpaper (or provide a typeset original for paste-up), include with yourpayment and send to:

PACO • P.O. Box 15182, Columbus OH 43215

Betsy Ross sewed it, but who designed the first U.S. flag? The answer, ac-cording to the experts at the Betsy Ross house, is that it was possibly de-signed by Francis Hopkinson, a New Jersey delegate to the ContinentalCongress and a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

The stars on the flag were in a circle so that no one colony would be viewedabove another. It is reported that George Washington said, “Let the 13 starsin a circle stand as a new constellation in the heavens.”

Betsy Ross prayed in the pew next to George Washington and was a niece ofGeorge Ross, so it’s not hard to believe that the members of the Flag Com-mittee formed by the Continental Congress would call upon Betsy Ross tomake the flag.

Did you know that the words “Under God” weren’t added until 1954 to thePledge of Allegiance?

One lucky Philadelphian purchased a $4.00 picture at a flea market. Whatthey found behind the picture was an original 1776 printing of the Declara-tion of Independence. It was sold to TV producer Norman Lear for 8.1 mil-lion.

Every 4th of July the Liberty Bell is tapped — not actually rung.

JULY FUN FACTS

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BOARD REPORTSBOARD MEETING REPORTby Barry R. Kiser, Board Secretary

Below are some highlights from the June 9, 2003 ExecutiveBoard meeting and the June 16, 2003 General Membershipmeeting, in addition to routine business discussed.

June 9, 2003 Executive Board Meeting

DeAnna Barnett announced that Lisa Samblanet was rec-ognized for her years of service to PACO, both on the Ex-ecutive Board and on various committees.

Kathy McGranahan announced that NFPA has received aRequest for Proposal for its management contract and thatnegotiations are proceeding.

The July Executive Board meeting will be the joint meetingbetween the old and new executive boards to be held July14, 2003 at 5:45 at Hahn Loeser and Parks.

June 16, 2003 General Membership Meeting

DeAnna Barnett announced that CASA (Court AppointedSpecial Advocates) is looking for volunteers to help witha booth at Easton on July 26 and 27 from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00p.m. Please see DeAnna if you are interested in helping out.

Michelle Schaefer announced that the Adopt-A-Highwayclean-up will be Saturday, July 26 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00p.m. Please see Michelle if you are interested in helpingout.

The July meeting was PACO’s annual meeting. Following isa list of those elected to the offices:

President – Katie Essex

1st Vice President/Committees – OPEN

2nd Vice President/Membership – OPEN

NFPA Primary Representative – Robin Hartman

Statewide Representative/NFPA Secondary – OPEN

Secretary – Barry Kiser

Treasurer – Rebekah Smith

Editor – Amjed Qamar

Public Relations – Michelle Schaefer

Parliamentarian – OPEN

The PACO Bylaws were also amended with the amendmentsprinted in the March and May editions of The Citator.

The next meeting will be at 12:00 p.m. on July 21, 2003 atThe Hyatt on Capitol Square for the new officer installation.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERSby Bridgett Klingbeil, 2nd VP/Membership Director

PACO is excited to introduce 4 new members:

Mary T. Dysert is a paralegal at Bricker & Eckler LLPpracticing in the litigation group. She joins PACO thismonth as a new active member.

Eric G. Carpenter joins PACO as an active member.He works as a paralegal at Chapin Law Offices where hedoes work in the health care, elder care and social security/public benefits areas.

Michael K. Welther is a student at Capital and joins PACOas a student member.

Jennifer Ricci joins PACO as a student member. She is astudent at Capital.

WELCOME TO ALL NEW MEMBERS!

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NATIONAL NEWSby Kathy McGranahan, Statewide Representative/NFPA Secondary Representative

The newest NFPA survey, “Working with Bar Associa-tions”, is now available: http://paralegals.org/sweepstakes/.This survey focuses attention on city, county, specialty, &state bar associations, and will support us in compiling in-formation on bar associations for our members. It will alsoassist us in determining where & how to direct our effortstowards the various bar associations, whether or not NFPAshould be more proactive in its efforts, & better allow ushelp you with your local efforts. Remember, each time youcomplete a new survey, your name will be entered in thesweepstakes! Please pass this link to your members & co-workers, too. Non-NFPA members are also encouraged totake surveys, & are eligible to be entered in the sweepstakes.Thank you! Helen M. Federline NFPA Bar Association Co-ordinator, [email protected].

The Vermont Legislature in House Bill 464, Section 49b,creates a Study Committee on Standards for Municipal LandRecords in developing guidance for the maintenance of mu-nicipal land records. The Committee is to consist of oneparalegal selected by the Vermont Paralegal Association. Theentire bill text is available through the Vermont state pagesat http://www.leg.state.vt.us/docs/legdoc.cfm?URL=/docs/2004/bills/passed/H-464.HTM

PACE Ambassadors conference is planned for Septem-ber 27-28, 2003, in Indianapolis. The conference itself isfree and is held from 8:30 a.m. until approximately 5:00p.m. on Saturday and from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Sun-day.

From the NFPA Board of Directors:

As most of you know, the NFPA Board has been in theprocess of re-negotiating a contract with Hangley Manage-ment Services, Inc. HMS had previously given us notice thateffective June 30, 2003, the current contract was terminated.

For the past three months members of the NFPA Board,along with other previous board members have been negoti-ating a contract with HMS. The NFPA Board was required tosend out RFP’s pursuant to our procedures. We have, how-ever, continued to negotiate in good faith with HMS to reachan agreement for continued services. As of June 25, 2003,HMS and the NFPA Board have terminated any further nego-tiations based on the most recent contract presented by HMSand based on the advice of NFPA counsel.

NFPA NEWSThe NFPA Board is saddened that we were unable to

reach an agreement with HMS. However, we will immedi-ately contact those Management companies who submittedRFP’s to interview, negotiate and secure a new managementcompany. We hope to avoid any delay in the delivery of ser-vices to our members while we are securing a new manage-ment company. We will advise you of the transition plan assoon as possible. The Board knows that we have a monu-mental task ahead of us, but are committed to make this tran-sition as smooth as possible. Your patience will greatly ap-preciated during the transition period.

As this is a contract issue, no discussions should takeplace on any NFPA list serve(s). Please address any ques-tions or concerns you may have to your Region Director orsupervising Board member directly.

HMS UPDATE: Dear Presidents, Primaries, Second-aries and Coordinators:

I want to update you on the status of NFPA’s transitionand what will be happening while we are interviewing andnegotiating with a new management company:

Yvonne Olsson will take over the administrative func-tions for NFPA starting on July 1, 2003. The NFPA tele-phone number will be forwarded to her. She will answer thetelephones and return calls as necessary. Or the informationwill be forwarded to an NFPA Board member to address.

Yvonne has received, from HMS, the passcodes, etc.necessary to access the NFPA website. We are unsure atwhat point she will be able to post any information, such asconsents, etc. on the website. We will let you know as soon.Yvonne will be able to access all information as will our Presi-dent, Primaries, Secondaries, Coordinators and Boardmembers for the information they need. The general publicshould not notice any changes when they enter the web site.

Colette will be getting the mail, sorting and giving thingsto Yvonne to handle. Some of the things, the Board may haveto handle. All boxes of NFPA materials and informationare being shipped to her.

Financial information is being sent to John.

The Board meeting will continue as scheduled in Kan-sas City. Holly Manlove and Karen Belcher are working onthe details of the location. We will continue with the stra-tegic planning portion of the meeting as well.

-- continued on page 6 --

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NFPA NEWS (continued)

The National Reporter will continue to be publishedon schedule, as will other NFPA publications. Reidel andO’Leary Innovations (ROI) have been assisting with the pro-duction of The Reporter for a number of years. ROI willcontinue to manage The Reporter for the remaining 2003issues.

The interviewing committee for management companiesconsists of John Kastan, Colette Lemke, Elva Gonzales andBeth King. The Board is putting together a list of questionsfor to be asked of the companies being interviewed and ref-erences will be contacted.

Various Board members are assisting in other capaci-ties during this transition.

Dianna Smiley, RPNFPA President

-- National News, continued from page 5 --

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STATEWIDE ASSOCIATION NEWSGDPA TO HOST2003 STATEWIDE FORUM

Every two years, one of the six Ohio Paralegal Associa-tions hosts a Statewide Forum for the purpose of bringingpracticing paralegals together from all over the State of Ohio.The Forum is an all-day legal educational seminar for para-legals and legal professionals, and provides six hours ofContinuing Legal Education credits. In addition to the edu-cational seminars, exhibitors are also present throughout theday with exciting new products and technology.

On Friday, September 26, 2003, the Greater DaytonParalegal Association (“GDPA”) will host the Statewide Fo-rum at the DoubleTree Hotel & Suites in downtown Dayton.The Forum, entitled “Paralegals Taking Flight”, will beginwith Registration at 8:00 a.m. A continental breakfast buffetwill be available at that time, and an array of exhibitors willbe set up and ready to visit during Registration, as well asduring the breaks between the various seminars. There willbe four sessions of seminars, beginning at 9:00 a.m. and end-ing at 4:30 p.m. Attendees will have a choice of topics fromwhich to choose: “Sanction”, an innovative courtroom tech-nology program; Pro Bono; Ethics; Arbitration/ Mediation;Lexis Nexis Advanced Research; Current and Future CareerTrends in the Paralegal Profession, as well as a panel discus-sion, “Paralegal Educational Trends”.

A Luncheon will be held from 12:00 until 1:30 p.m.,with Stephen E. Chappelear, Esq., current President of theOhio State Bar Association, as our speaker.

The Registration fee will be $125.00 for the entire day,which includes a full day of seminars, Breakfast Buffet, Lun-cheon, and afternoon refreshments. A reduced fee of $75.00will be offered to students. Brochures and more detailedinformation will be mailed to members of the various State-wide associations during the summer. Attendance is not lim-ited to local association members; if you are not a memberof a local association, you are encouraged to join us for thisexciting educational event. Come and enjoy the opportunityto network with paralegals from all over Ohio!

The Board and Statewide Representatives of GDPA hopeyou will take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to gettogether with other paralegals from our State and spend Fri-day, September 26th at the Statewide Forum. We look for agreat turnout of local paralegals and members of GDPA towelcome our colleagues from the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Co-lumbus, Toledo, and Akron areas, as well as paralegals fromall over Ohio.

STATEWIDE NEWSby Kathy McGranahan, Statewide Representative/NFPA Secondary Representative

As summer begins and my responsibilities as your State-wide representative soon end, I look forward to seeing PACOparticipate in shaping the future of the paralegal profession.PACO volunteers are and continue to be the foundation. TheBoard transition is a time of excitement and opportunity.While the new Board members learn their responsibilitiesand the re-elected members handle the operations of PACOkeep in mind their time is voluntarily. I encourage the mem-bership to participate on committees and communicate. Yourvoice is vital to this organization to continue the traditionsso strongly began 30 years ago with the tenacity and idealsthat PACO be the voice of our profession in Central Ohio.

Remember that any time commitments are invaluableto PACO. With our students membership we have the ben-efit of mentoring them about this career and our organiza-tion. Part of that involves building teamwork and reflects inthe benefits and programs we can offer the membership. Partof that teamwork is exemplified in the OSBA Paralegal Le-gal Assistant News. The next edition includes probate is-sues with an article from our member, Eugenia Maish, andformat ideas from our editor, Amjed Qamar. Additionallywith the efforts of the Ohio Statewide representatives, andtheir association membership the newsletter content reachesto teach and inform not only paralegals but also the legalcommunity. As the growth of our profession proceedschanges are inevitable and part of our responsibilities in-cludes how paralegals are reflected in Ohio rules, or legis-lation. Currently Ohio House Bill 80 includes the term para-legal, however that term is not defined. The participation weprovide in this organization is key to the development ofyour profession.

The Statewide Forum is this fall, September 25, so pleasereview the information and registration form. The Statewidemeeting is Saturday from 9 a.m. until noon so mark yourcalendars for September 26. This is your opportunity to meetOhio paralegals and participate in shaping the future of ourprofession.


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-- GDPA to Host 2003 Statewide Forum, continued from page 7 --

STATEWIDE ASSOCIATION NEWS (continued)If you have any questions, or are not on the GDPA mail-

ing list, please feel free to contact GDPA Statewide Repre-sentatives, Theresa Gallagher at [email protected] or

Karen Bucci, RP at [email protected]. Or, if you prefer,please contact any one of the GDPA Board members for ad-ditional information.

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PARALEGALS TAKING FLIGHT:EXPANDING THE ROLE OF THE PARALEGAL

REGISTRATION FORM

2003 OHIO STATEWIDE FORUMFriday, September 26, 2003

Name: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________Firm/School: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________Address: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________City: ______________________________________________________ State: _________________________________ Zip: _______________Telephone: _________________________________________________ Facsimile: _________________________________________________If member of Ohio paralegal association, indicate which one: ____________________________________________________________________If student, indicate paralegal school: _______________________________________________________________________________________Note: Please present student I.D. at time of registration to ensure student discount

Registration Fee: $125Student Fee: $75

Please check concurrent educational sessions you plan to attend:

9:00-10:15 a.m.______ “Sanction” Courtroom Technology______ Pro Bono

10:30-11:45 a.m.______ Current and Future Career Trends of the Paralegal Profession______ Arbitration, Mediation and Dispute Resolution

1:45-3:00 p.m.______ Lexis Advanced Research______ Ethics

3:15-4:30 p.m.______ Paralegal Education Panel Discussion

Please complete the following information:

______ I will be arriving Thursday evening and would be interested in participating in a Happy Hour that evening (this will be an informal,pay on your own gathering at the DoubleTree and is intended solely as an opportunity to mingle and relax).

______ I will be staying Friday evening attending the Statewide Meeting on Saturday (Participation in Saturday’s Statewide Meeting willrequire an additional $15 fee due at the start of the meeting).

CHECKS SHOULD BE MADE PAYABLE TO:GREATER DAYTON PARALEGAL ASSOCIATION, INC.

Final registration deadline is Friday, September 12, 2003. No refunds will be made after this date. All fees must be paid at the time ofregistration. Registration will be accepted at the door if space permits.

Questions regarding the Forum can be answered by calling either Theresa Gallagher or Karen Bucci, RP at 937/222-2500.

Registration and payment should be mailed to:

Theresa Gallagher or Karen Bucci, RPSebaly, Shillito + Dyer1900 Kettering TowerDayton, OH 45423

STATEWIDE ASSOCIATION NEWS (continued)

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Christine L. Lowe

Grange Insurance

1986 – BA in Combined Social Sciences/Speech & Communications from the Young-stown State University1988 – BA in Paralegal Studies from the Mississippi University for Women

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Corporate – I am currently in the insurance field but have worked in banking and financeover the past 14 years.

Legal research, corporate compliance – The General Counsel’s office is looked to fornot only legal advice but proactive protection of the companies interest. Insurance bank-ing and finance are all highly regulated industries in which I have worked. Compliancehas taken on an even greater importance as board governance has risen to the top of analready crowded list of things for the general counsel’s office to do. I tell people that weare here to serve and protect. Licensing and regulatory reporting which means I deal witha number of federal and state regulatory agencies. We have state and federal PoliticalAction Committees for which I am the administrator and the treasurer. Campaign Fi-nance Law is another beast unto itself. I spend a lot of time on projects that involve whatwe can and cannot do or how to do what we want to do in all of the states in which thecompany and its affiliates operate….to date that is 10 states. Human Resources relatedissues and all of the regulation from workers compensation to privacy and employeereporting requirements. The General Counsel’s office oversees and coordinates all fac-ets of the companies compliance.

Where I am currently, I like the people that I work for. For a large part of my career I haveworked for the General Counsel or in corporate legal departments and this is a betterposition than being in a law firm as everyone works for the corporation no billable hours,no one is jocking for position like working for someone who is trying to make partner ina law firm. This creates a much better working environment in my personal opinion.

I feel overwhelmed, which does not happen too often in my current position. We workwell as a team and you are not frowned upon for asking for help….and I am always willingto help.

I like drafting policies and procedures. You can see a direct impact of what you do andhow you contribute to the companies day-to-day operations.

David T. Roark, my current boss. He cares about his staff as people.

Be very professional and polished in every aspect from the way that you dress and presentyour self. Do a complete job as it is the details that make the difference in this profes-sion.

PARALEGAL PROFILE: CORPORATE LAW

Name:

Employer:

Education:

Years as a paralegal:

Practice area or specialty:

Description of dailytasks and duties and

how they are specificto my practice area:

I love my job because . . .

I don’t like my job when . . .

Most favorite or un-favoritecase or project (if there is

one) and why:

Most favorite attorney(if there is one) and why:

Useful or helpful paralegaltip I have learned . . .

PARALEGAL PRACTICE

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Linda T. Brown

Ohio Secretary of State

BS Education – Calif. Univ. of Pa.AAS Legal Assisting – Cols. State Comm. College

1.5 – I worked 17+ years in the electrical industry before switching gears and becominga paralegal.

Corporation Law, Intellectual Property, Labor, Elections and Campaign Finance

Track legislation as it pertains to corporate or UCC filings, resolve trade name conflicts,participate in labor issues as they pertain to collective bargaining and unfair labor prac-tices, perform legal research on various HR issues, corporate filing issues and trademarkissues

I work with 4 attorneys who each specialize in a different area. As a result, the projectsand research I am involved in vary from day to day. There is always something new tolearn. Nothing is routine and I am given the opportunity to be very flexible with mycontributions.

There is nothing about my job that I don’t like.

I enjoy legal research of any kind. Between corporate filings, name conflicts, trademarkissues, labor relations, and election issues there is always some kind of treasure hunt toexplore for a legal finding.

I can honestly say that I haven’t worked with an attorney that I could not adjust to. Evenattorneys that are personality challenged have something to offer and I try to focus onwhat I can learn from each one.

The paralegals at the Secretary of State’s office work as a team and try to resolve differ-ences with each other. We brainstorm on complex situations. We also support eachother. I believe that it is important in our profession to celebrate the triumphs of ourassociates and look for ways to ease the transition into this field for new paralegals.

PARALEGAL PROFILE: GOVERNMENT LAW

Name:

Employer:

Education:

Years as a paralegal:

Practice area or specialty:

Description of dailytasks and duties and

how they are specificto my practice area:

I love my job because . . .

I don’t like my job when . . .

Most favorite or un-favoritecase or project (if there is

one) and why:

Most favorite attorney(if there is one) and why:

Useful or helpful paralegaltip I have learned . . .

PARALEGAL PRACTICE (continued)

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CAREER COACHIN PURSUIT OF SUCCESS©

by Chere B. Estrin, Ph.D.©by C.B. Estrin, June 1, 2003

Success. The elusive, incredible, saleable syndrome.It’s tough measuring success, particularly in a field that haslittle designated upward mobility and no visible titles ofexcellence at a level of work other than manager or senior“anything”. Despite its rumored high job satisfaction theparalegal field has yet to develop an achievement hierarchy.Career moves tend to be more lateral than vertical.

How can you get the recognition that communicatessuccess? You can, I suppose, make a lateral move to a posi-tion outside of paralegal, such as marketing or recruitingcoordinator, or move into an office management position.But that doesn’t denote success so much as it does “lateralmove.” You can also move out of the traditional paralegalrole and into one that is strategically aligned, such as litiga-tion support department head, or into one of the newly de-veloped practice management positions commonplace intoday’s legal industry. (In fact, some former paralegals acrossthe nation are earning upwards of $125,000 in those cov-eted jobs.)

But the hazard of aspiring to an alternative or strategi-cally aligned career is that there is usually only one of thosepositions within a firm or corporation. If your desire is toremain a paralegal yet move upward, you might have to lookoutside the law firm environment.

Other positions, such as legal analyst, designate statusand tenure in the field. On the other hand, in some firms andcorporations, the term legal assistant, previously synony-mous with paralegal, is now used to designate a secretary.That little goodie, of course, confuses everyone. But otherthan a few positions, no real climb up a career ladder in a lawfirm actually exists. Of course, there are more upward op-portunities in a corporation. You’ve just got be savvy aboutworking for the company store. Woe be unto those who lackthe foresight to figure out that the organization in which theyhave just withstood 5 days a week, 9 hours a day, 12 monthsa year considers the legal department a stepchild from whicha VP will never rise.

For most paralegals in law firms, there are career desig-nations by years of experience rather than performance orachievement. These rewards can bear the title senior parale-gal complete with a window office or parking on the swell-kids level. Access to the sacred senior paralegal status isoften no more than hard-earned years in the field. All youhave to do, in some cases, is suit up and show up and eventu-

ally you are wearing the title. And while the buzz throughoutthe firm is important, it is sometimes the only way parale-gals fully enjoy star status. These career achievers garnerbetter assignments or opportunities to team with highly rec-ognized lawyers.

The good news is there is always the silent recognitionof success, the unspoken yet real acknowledgment betweenyou and the firm: more money. But as far as I can tell, it isstill in poor taste to brag to your colleagues just how muchthat increase in salary you received or how large a bonuspopped up in that envelope. Public or peer recognition be-comes difficult to achieve.

Rest easy, though. The outlook for those seeking suc-cess isn’t really so gloomy nor is cynicism necessarily theright avenue. Those who seek outward recognition and re-wards in this field can achieve their dreams. It’s a matter ofdefining your individual success, recognizing your goals,visualizing where you want to go and designing the steps toget there. The first important step is to know where you’reheaded. How do you get there if you don’t know where thereis?

A couple of years ago, I met up with Jay Pooler, Ph.D., aLos Angeles-based clinical psychologist who coaches cli-ents in the process of achieving success. Having gone intocareer coaching myself, I was personally mentored in thisyouthful 49 year-old’s process for identifying and achievingvictory in the pursuit of success. OK, I’ll admit it — per-haps it was the twinkle in those baby-blues that caught myattention at first. <blush blush> Well, shoot — a gal’s gottalive, if even in her fantasies, doesn’t she?

What qualifies as success for one individual does notnecessarily work for another, believes Dr. Pooler. I believethat too. No one can tell me that my success equally equatesto someone else’s vision. You have to stay true to your ownneeds when determining what’s really important. Let meassist you through five levels of consciousness so that eventhe highest mountain feels easy to climb. It’s a simple tech-nique, turning corporate contenders into winners and cut-ting through the trials and tribulations of achieving successin the paralegal world.

The Pooler Five-Step Guide to Achieving Success

Step 1: Create and list your options and satisfac-tions. Diving deep into your inner world and thoroughlyunderstanding your chosen field, you must first realisticallyassess your current situation. List options and define yourversion of job satisfaction. Buttressed with money and job


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CAREER COACH (continued)

satisfaction quotient, you have to be satisfied with levels youcan achieve within your given field and be able to convey asense of urgency when negotiating your goals. So manypeople know what they don’t want. It’s sometimes harder topinpoint what you do want.

Step 2: Hammer out a job description of how youwant your job to look. Visualize the components impor-tant in your restructure. Presenting your redesigned job toyour supervisors isn’t as important as claiming the job inyour inner world. Such as restructuring of your job can beessential to your career success. You may want to use thisredesign of your present position to transition to a moremeaningful job, one where success is easier to attain. Let’slook at what components apply in the career of a successfulparalegal:

• Paid to your satisfaction

• Title based upon skill, abilities, and past performance

• Sophistication of workload

• Confidence of attorneys in your ability and capa-bility

• Recognition by peers, supervisors, and the firm ingeneral

Don’t be afraid to create a new title for your positionand present it. You may find your value and status elevatedsimply by structuring a new title for yourself. Internet Spe-cialist, Trial Consultant, Research Administrator, Mergersand Acquisitions Specialist are just a few of the titles thatmight exemplify your achievement level. The firm shouldimmediately recognize that with a specialist title, the bill-able rate might just have gone up substantially.

Step 3: Ability to communicate. In order to be suc-cessful, you must have a strong ability to communicate whatyou want. Convey the importance of structuring your nicheinto the organization by emphasizing its importance to eachdepartment. Communicate how the change benefits the firmeither through profitability, cost or time savings, or evenreduced people power. How would your redesigned posi-tion give you a level of satisfaction that maximizes the abil-ity to perform well and meet the needs of both the firm andyourself? Start negotiations for an understanding of tasks.The organization chart or job description may have to be re-organized along with questions of tile and monies. Go deepinto your soul and ask yourself:

• Will renegotiating afford you the kind of personalflow so you feel fulfilled? Will you be able to in-terpersonally relate on the job front, in the com-

munity, or in your social life? Are you financiallyand physically able to sustain such a lifestyle?

• Can you communicate the content of the assign-ment and workload?

• What is your ability to structure your success? Howcan you communicate those desires?

• Do you seek out the person with power who canimplement those changes? Is it better to go to theconduit to the power: those who have theadministrator’s or the attorney’s ear?

Step 4: Execute, implement, and reiterate your ex-pertise. Imparting knowledge to others establishes you asan expert. Be careful, though! You really do need to havesuperior knowledge and expertise before you can be consid-ered an authority! Don’t make the mistake of having justenough information to make you dangerous. Your goal is tobecome someone who can be relied upon for the answers.People want information that facilitates their work or de-partment needs. One good way to impart knowledge isthrough the written word: articles by or about you or theability to write for others. Another excellent method forestablishing credibility is teaching. It’s a simple correlationbetween “expert” and “teacher or writer” in the minds of mostpeople.

Step 5: Establish solid relationships. Success is re-lationships within one’s field. Women, in particular, are greatat establishing relationships. And although the term “net-working” is overused, it is a highly effective technique forleveraging and communicating success. Consider establish-ing a networking support group – one that shares new devel-opments in the field. You can also join a career coachingteleclass and meet paralegals from all over the country on aregular basis. Share information about job responsibilitiesand get fresh ideas as to direction and possibilities in thefield. Meet monthly via telephone or brunch in a roundtableatmosphere. Share the experiences of in-service that mighthelp others perform tasks more successfully.

Success affects home life, significant others, and yourability to maintain those relationships in the community with-out becoming overwhelmed. Don’t expect instant gratifica-tion. It takes hard work, vision, and commitment to changeto bring about success. While no one can predict every road-block that you will run into, you sure can decide how to re-act. Prepare, prepare, prepare. Success is not an accident:It is the result of a carefully thought-out program. As forme, hey, I’m headed back for a refresher briefing with Dr.Pooler. Like success itself, sometimes you just can’t getenough of a good thing.

-- In Pursuit of Success, continued from page 12 --


14

Chere Estrin, Ph.D. is the CEO of Career Coaches In-ternational, a Los Angeles-based company specializing incareer coaching and seminars for legal professionals. Sheis the author of 8 books on legal careers including TheParalegal Career Guide Third Edition and The SuccessfulParalegal’s Job Search Guide and previously wrote the Ca-reer Advice column for Legal Assistant Today magazine. Shehas been an executive in the legal staffing industry forover 15 years; is a former paralegal administrator; win-ner of the Century City/Los Angeles Woman of Achieve-ment award and Inc. magazine “Entrepreneur of the Year”finalist. She has been interviewed by Newsweek, The LosAngeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, Working Woman, En-trepreneur, Latina, Maxim, BusinessWeekOnline and more.

Chere can be reached at [email protected];www.CareerCoachesInternational.com. Reprints by per-mission from C.B. Estrin.

CAREER COACH (continued) ANNOUNCEMENTS(continued)

-- In Pursuit of Success, continued from page 13 --

ADOPT-A-HIGHWAY

PACO will be cleaning its portion of Rt 70 on July 26that 8:30 am.

Please consider participating! We need a large groupof volunteers for this activity to be successful. It is an easyand rewarding project. And it only takes a few hours ofyour time. If you would like to participate, please [email protected]!!

NOTE: All PACO participants must be trained and sign aparticipation waiver. Please let us know prior to the event ifyou are in need of the training so that we can arrange forthis.

PACO’s highway is a 2 mile section of Rt 70 west ofdowntown. It is between miles 93 and 95 heading EAST (or95 to 93 traveling WEST). PACO’s section is a hard one.There are the “on” and “off” ramps for Hague Ave., WilsonRd., and 270. Because of this we have to be extra careful.See map below.

Specifically, when heading WEST, PACO’s area startsjust before the exit from Rt.70 to Hague Rd and ends nearthe 270 exit. When traveling EAST PACO’s area starts justafter the 270 North exit ramp from 70 and ends just after theHague Rd. entrance ramp to 70. There is a sign saying “Para-legal Association of Central Ohio” at the beginning of thearea. There is no ending sign when heading west, so refer tothe mile markers. (Note: There are blue and green signs inthe median that mark miles in tenths or two/tenths of a mile.)When heading east you will see the marker for the next adopt-a-highway group (Clerk of Courts) at mile 95.

Thank you to all who sign up to help. We willgive you further details when you contact us [email protected]. We will most-likely meet atthe Pilot station and Wendy’s at the Wilson Rd. Exit onthe South side of Rt. 70 around 8:15 on the 26th.

15

ANNOUNCEMENTS (continued)

NEW FUTURE LAW OFFICE REPORTISSUED BY THE AFFILIATES

White Paper Examines ForcesReshaping the Legal Profession

COLUMBUS, OH — The Affiliates, a legal staffing ser-vice specializing in attorneys, paralegals and other highlyskilled legal professionals, announced the availability of ajust-released white paper titled “Dynamic Forces Reshapethe Legal Field Today and the Practice of Law Tomorrow,”as part of its continuing Future Law Office project. Thereport’s key findings emphasize the impact of technologyon the legal profession from increased use of web-basedtools for attorney-client interaction to consumer-orientedlegal self-help. The research also highlights new manage-ment trends, including a move by corporations to consoli-date the number of law firms they retain and the implemen-tation of business development strategies such as cross-sell-ing and relationship marketing to gain market share.

For its Future Law Office project, The Affiliatesperiodically commissions surveys of attorneys and legaladministrators, interviews leading experts and conductsextensive research to determine how law offices will oper-ate in the future. The results are available atwww.futurelawoffice.com.

“Change is occurring on many fronts in the legal pro-fession,” said Kathleen Call, executive director of The Af-filiates. “Economic pressures, increased client expectationsand recent corporate governance legislation are just a fewevents currently impacting the industry. Attorneys in everytype of law office — from major firms to corporate legaldepartments and solo practitioners — must develop creativestrategies to meet these challenges.”

Legal Field Embraces New Technologies

Sixty-six percent of attorneys surveyed for the studyindicated their law firms or corporate legal departmentsplanned to increase spending on technology over the nextfive years. In fact, emerging web-based tools are significantlychanging the way attorneys conduct business, access infor-mation and research, promote their services, manage casesand interact with clients and colleagues.

Extranets and portals are moving the field toward “e-lawyering,” wherein communication between attorneys, cli-ents and courts is conducted almost entirely online. In casesof “cybermediation,” even hearings are conducted on theWeb. Legal self-help websites, meanwhile, are providing ameans for cost-conscious consumers to access free re-sources on divorce, trusts, estate planning and similar is-sues. Internally, at law firms and in legal departments, ad-

vanced knowledge management systems are being imple-mented to facilitate the storage, handling and retrieval ofcritical information.

“To stay competitive, law firms and corporate legal de-partments must know how to best deploy and use web-en-abled services,” said Call. She added that investments in hard-ware, software and technical support should be carefullyevaluated so they enhance, rather than hinder, employee per-formance. “It’s up to individual law offices to make the bestuse of technology to create persuasive cases, save time anddeliver sufficient return on investment.”

Firms Respond to Corporate Belt-Tightening and In-creased Competition

“Convergence,” which refers to the consolidation of lawfirms hired by corporations, is the watchword among legaldepartments intent on trimming legal fees. As organizationsdecrease the number of law firms with which they work, theirexpectations of retained firms increase. Legal departmentslook to partner with outside firms who will provide themwith a higher level of attention, collaboration and feedbackthan in the past. They seek strategic business advice as wellas legal guidance, and the options of alternative fee arrange-ments.

With competition intensifying, law firms are implement-ing marketing and sales campaigns to capitalize on businessopportunities. In a survey conducted for the Future Law Of-fice, 69 percent of law firms reported that they use printadvertising to attract clients; 57 percent of firms surveyedcited public relations campaigns. Many firms rely on brand-ing and relationship marketing, cross-selling, mergers andlateral acquisitions to grow their business.

“In response to external forces, including changing eco-nomic conditions, law firms are developing new ways to buildrevenue,” said Call. “This trend likely will continue as lawfirms strive to differentiate themselves in a crowded mar-ketplace.”

The Affiliates provides law firms and corporate legaldepartments with project and full-time professionals includ-ing attorneys, paralegals and legal support personnel.The Affiliates offers online job search services atwww.affiliates.com. For more information on the FutureLaw Office project, or to order a complete copy of the whitepaper, please visit www.futurelawoffice.com.

# # #

EDITOR’S NOTE: To schedule an interview forlocal commentary, please contact Merry Meyer at (614) 221-3619.

From: THE AFFILIATES2884 Sand Hill Road • Menlo Park, CA 94025

Lisa Hamilton • (650) 234-6234 • [email protected]

16

ANNOUNCEMENTS (continued)

PRO BONO VOLUNTEEROPPORTUNITY

Paralegals and/or the attorneys they work for are neededby the Ohio State Legal Services Association to provide as-sistance through their Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC).

The LITC gives low income wage earners free legal as-sistance on federal tax matters year round. The Clinic is notin any set location and cases can be handled via telephoneand fax. Southeastern Ohio Legal Services’ LITC serves lowincome taxpayers in a 29 county service area who have dis-putes with the IRS. The LITC assists taxpayers who do notalready have representation in their case and who cannot af-ford to pay for legal representation or tax assistance. Theywill not handle cases with more than $50,000 in dispute.Clients must also meet certain financial eligibility criteria.OSLSA evaluates each taxpayer’s situation individually anddetermines eligibility and merit.

If you and/or the attorney(s) that you work for chooseto volunteer your time, you decide the amount of time youare able to give, how many clients you are willing to provideassistance to, and to what extent you are able to provide as-sistance on each given case.

If you would like more information about the Low In-come Taxpayer Clinic visit the OSLSA’s website at http://www.oslsa.org/seols.

Contact Laura S. Mann, Esq., Pro Bono Coordinator/LITC Director, Ohio State Legal Services Association/South-eastern Ohio Legal Services at 740-345-7130 ext. 110, 1-888-831-9412, or via email at [email protected], if you areinterested in this Pro Bono opportunity. You may also con-tact our Pro Bono Committee Chair at [email protected].

OHIO CASA/GAL ASSOCIATIONNEEDS YOUR VOLUNTEER TIME

CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) will be therecipient of Easton’s “Change for Charity” program duringthe months of July and August. The Ohio CASA/GAL Asso-ciation will receive a portion of the parking meter proceedsand parking ticket revenues generated at Easton for thesemonths. As a recipient of “Change for Charity”, the OhioCASA/GAL Association has the opportunity to set up acommunity booth at Easton on Saturday, July 26, 2003, andSunday July 27, 2003, from 11:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.

Volunteers are needed to man the booth and distributeinformational pamphlets about Ohio CASA/GAL Associa-tion. This can be a short time commitment (one or two hours)or for the whole day on Saturday or Sunday, July 26th orJuly 27th. Anyone interested in volunteering his or her timefor this worthy cause, please contact DeAnna Barnett [email protected] or at (614)221-4400. For more in-formation about Ohio CASA/GAL Association visit theirwebsite at www.ohiocasa.org.

17

Installation of 2003-2004Executive Board Members

Noon, July 21, 2003

Kim Shumate, President Electof the Columbus Bar Association,

will attend and swear in the new officers.

Price for attending the meeting is: $20.00The meeting will be held at: Hyatt on Capitol Square

75 East State Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215Please Forward Registration To:

Marcie Wademan c/o Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP52 East Gay Street, Columbus Ohio 43215

or phone (614) 464-8205 or fax (614) 719-4728or email [email protected]

Responses must be received by: Monday, July 14th, 2003Employer/School________________________________________________________

1. __________________________________________ 6. __________________________________________

2. __________________________________________ 7. __________________________________________

3. __________________________________________ 8. __________________________________________

4. __________________________________________ 9. __________________________________________

5. __________________________________________ 10. __________________________________________

Name

Employer

Mailing Address

City State Zip

Telephone with Area Code

Fax Number with Area Code

Email Address

Is Mailing Address a [ ] Business or [ ] Home (check one)

Clip and Mail to:

PACOc/o Membership Directory

PO Box 15182Columbus, Ohio

43215-0182or e-mail the information to:

[email protected] you for keeping the

membership directorycurrent and up-to-date.

Have You Changed Jobs or Moved?To make sure you receive your newsletter each month, including special announcements from PACO, you must let usknow when your contact information changes. So, if you have changed jobs, moved, have a new phone number oremail address, please take a minute and fill out the coupon below so we can update our records as well as theMembership Directory. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

Please deliver to:PARALEGALASSOCIATION OFCENTRAL OHIOPO Box 15182Columbus, Ohio 43215-0182www.pacoparalegals.orgCopyright © 1997, Paralegal Associa-tion of Central Ohio. All rights reserved.Reproduction in any form whatsoeveris forbidden without express permissionfrom the Editor. Subscription ratesavailable for $25 per year for non-members. Free for members.

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