Leaving the upside to be... We’ve changed significantly as a profession in the last 10 years. The good news is, there are still more changes and more opportunities that will come for us and it’s an exciting time to be a paralegal.
You describe yourself on LinkedIn as a "subject matter expert in electronic discovery, information management, litigation support and litigation readiness and a consultant on best practices related to E-Discovery, Informa- tion Management and Corporate Compliance.” How does someone gain the skills to go from being a very competent paralegal in a law firm to being a very successful expert in a relatively new legal technology field? Let me answer it this way: Both of my parents are hard working people. They came here from Italy - my
mom as a child - and my father as a young adult looking to make a career out of his trade. They both built a life for themselves, but they didn’t do so by sitting pretty and waiting for things to come. My parents are both an example of working hard to get what you want. My father started out on peace work and built his career. It took him a long time to get to where he could call himself successful. The result: he is literally THE BEST at what he does.
Both of my parents have taught me about success. They instilled the importance of education in my
sister and I. Particularly as woman. We were lucky enough to be able to live at home for as long as we wanted, but under two rules: 1. You will work part-time when you are of age (for me it was 15); and 2. You will receive a higher education. Our parents taught us to be proud of our accomplishments, but never stop striving for more.
Of course, we have to ask you to name one of your significant professional experiences. I was one of fifteen featured in the book, Lessons from the Top Paralegal Experts: The 15 Most Success- ful Paralegals in America and What You Can Learn From Them (released - January 2008) by Carole Bruno.
What is the importance of continuing legal education? Why should someone pursue it? Continuing legal education is incredibly important. Regardless of going to be a
or paralegals to ize in various ogies, have a -Discovery, Technology is of our profes-
whether or not you “need” CLE credit to maintain a certain certification, everyone should take a minimum number of hours every year. I strongly believe firms should not only support this effort but enforce it for their paralegal staff. Keeping abreast of changes in the law, significant events, changes in trends and ethical considerations will arm you with cutting-edge information and make you a better professional.
Do you have a favorite paralegal story? It honestly has nothing to do with where I have worked. Rather, it has
to do with when I truly discovered I had the potential to institute change. It was the first time I was elected to the Board of Directors of the National Federation of Paralegal Associations. I knew at that moment I had a great opportunity to have a significant impact on the advancement of the Parale- gal profession. I believe I succeeded in that during all my years (and dif- ferent roles) on the NFPA Board.
How has the recent economy affected paralegal field? I think this is up for debate depending upon where you live. In my
opinion, the field has been affected in a very positive way. Paralegal bill- able hours are traditionally less expensive than attorney time. Given the 37
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