Civil Litigation
Receptionist Fired for Working through Lunch Wins Unemployment Appeal
Looks harmless, but this could get you fired. I know, I didn’t think anyone who volunteered to work through lunch to catch up on some extra assignments would be fired for it, but not only did Chicago receptionist Sharon Smiley get fired – after 10 years of working for the same realty company – she…
Read MoreAvoid Epic Tech Fails in Court
Guantanamo Court Room (Public Domain) Hard drive crashes, software failure, and user errors strike fear into the heart of any legal professional who’s ever been responsible for trial technology. Law Technology News recently published an excellent feature article about how to prevent – and handle – courtroom snafus. I recommend that paralegals and paralegal…
Read MoreParalegal Practice Tip: Get the Story Right in Your Medical Summary
When I’m summarizing medical records, I do more than only review the patient’s medical history. I try to get a sense of the patient’s personality, perspective, and life, using all of the documents available to me, not just the medical records. I also include the dates and a brief description of key non-medical events in…
Read MorePhoto of a Legal Assistant’s Key Role at Trial Is Worth a 1,000 Words
I love this picture from The Palm Beach Post, showing plaintiff and mother Ana Mejia hugging attorney Robert Bergin’s legal assistant, Kellie Aquino, after a jury returned a $4.5 million verdict in a medical malpractice trial in Palm Beach County Circuit Court in West Palm Beach, Florida. The feature story itself makes interesting reading, discussing…
Read MoreSomeone Needs a Spanking
So sue me, I’m old school. Wait, kiddos, don’t sue me. I’ve never spanked you, although I did make you pay that huge cell phone bill you racked up for excess text messages. That would be grounds for a lawsuit for some kiddos. Seriously, have you guys seen the one about the punks plaintiffs that…
Read MoreLitigation Support Today’s 2nd Annual Salary Survey – Win an iPod Nano!
Have you subscribed to Litigation Support Today yet? Click here to get your free one-year subscription. The publication is currently gathering information from subscribers to both Litigation Support Today and Paralegal Today (formerly Legal Assistant Today) for its 2nd Annual Salary Survey. Participants will be entered into a raffle for a chance to win an…
Read MoreOnline CLE: 10 Ways to Prepare Top Civil Injury Settlement Demands
If you think you missed this new webinar offered through The Paralegal Mentor, you’re in luck. The course was postponed due to scheduling issues. The new date is Wednesday, March 30, 2011, at 1:00 p.m. EST, and you can register at http://settlementdemands.com/. When the course was announced, Vicki Voisin received an email from a paralegal who…
Read MoreFired Paralegal Sued by Former Boss for Citysearch Review
The Ultimate Bellaire is reporting that a Texas paralegal and (I’m assuming) her husband are being sued in Harris County District Court by her former supervising attorney, Michael Weston of Weston & Associates, PLLC, a bankruptcy firm, for allegedly posting a highly negative review of Weston on Citysearch.com. The plaintiffs say that after they fired…
Read MoreWednesday Whine, Or Stuff to Try Saying Instead of Spectacularly Burning Your Bridges
Thank God you don’t need a prescription for these. Yes, you read that right. I’m formally whining. I admit it, I’ve got nothin’ left at the end of this day. We’ve had a series of both fortunate and unfortunate events at work, resulting in our little law firm being over-litigated and under-staffed. It happens, and…
Read MoreNew CLE: 10 Ways to Prepare Top Civil Injury Settlement Demands
The Paralegal Mentor On Tuesday, March 1, 2011, at 1:00 p.m. EST, my Paralegal Voice co-host, as well as the one and only Paralegal Mentor, Vicki Voisin, and I are teaming up to present a new online CLE course, “10 Ways to Prepare Top Civil Injury Settlement Demands”. You can earn 1.5 hours of CLE…
Read More