C
O L U M N S
PRESIDENT'S
MESSAGE
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“Do what you love and you
will love what you become.” — Craig C. Weschke
Paralegals are assisting in the
enhancement of the professional status of the legal profession. We
are making a difference. Working with attorneys is crucial for a
successful working relationship, and promotes efficiency in the
attorney’s practice. Our profession requires us to deal with people constantly.
Gaining the respect and loyalty of not only your supervising
attorney, but opposing counsel, other legal professionals and the
public is paramount to success—and will enhance our overall
professionalism. It is often said that the most precious thing a
person has is his or her reputation. This is certainly true
professionally. Cultivating a reputation for competence and skill
through your work with attorneys can only increase your professional
status. Dedication to your career and your support of the principles
of the Division will help to solidifyyour professional reputation.
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S.
Kristine Farmer
President, 2001-2002
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A year has passed since I took office as
president of the Division, and in that year, we have accomplished a
great deal, and are making a difference in our profession.
For the first time, the Division is able to
offer a Review Course for the TBLS voluntary specialty exams, and
will be holding it in conjunction with the Annual Meeting in Dallas,
Texas, as well as hosting a CLA Review Course and a PACE Overview.
The Division is working with the State Bar
College to offer Associate Membership in the College, and we are
currently assisting with the final formalities and procedures to
implement this membership.
We hosted our third annual Legal Assistant
University in Dallas, with 75 speakers, and 15 hours of CLE; we are
meeting the needs of our membership with affordable, advanced,
quality continuing legal education. LAU 2002 is fast approaching and
we are excited to be in Houston this year. The LAU Planning
Committee is working diligently to present a top-notch event, and we
hope you will make plans now to attend.
One of the goals of the Division this year was
to increase membership and to increase our marketing efforts. We are
currently working with a professional advertising agency to develop
an advertisement to be placed in many venues across the State to
market to legal assistants and attorneys. It is my sincere hope that
by this time next year, our membership numbers will have increased
dramatically.
As I look back over the past months, it is with
pride and excitement. Being involved in my profession and with the
Division has opened my eyes to the importance of continuing to
advance our involvement in the legal profession and with the
attorneys for whom we work.
I am
thankful for all of these things, and so much more. It is my highest
honor to have been elected president of the Division. It is for that
honor that I give thanks, and for the opportunity to have served
with amazing paralegals who give so much and expect so little in
return. To the Board of Directors, I salute you. To our Division
Coordinator, Norma Hackler, your loyalty and dedication could never
go unnoticed or unappreciated. To each member of our Standing
Committees, who are the workhorses of this Division, you have my
unwavering gratitude. To our sustaining members and vendors who
support us all year round, and to you—the members of LAD—who
make all of our jobs possible, my most sincere thanks. To our
employers, those men and women who honor our profession day in and
day out, it is on behalf of the entire Division that I applaud your
support and generosity. May the blessings of life and liberty be
yours.
Editor’s
Note
by Debra Crosby
I am pleased that this issue of
the TPJ offers a variety of articles which I think will be of interest
to most of our readers; it truly has something for everyone! The issue
of retirement is becoming all too urgent for me, as well as for all
those other Baby Boomers out there, and I found the elder law updates by
H. Clyde Farrell very interesting (and a little frightening!). We
published related articles by Mr. Farrell in a previous edition, and he
was gracious enough to update that information and send it to me for
publication. In addition, we have the second in the continuing series of
enlightening articles by the National Notary Association, an excellent
article on preparing your client for deposition, a fascinating article
by a forensic document examiner about how to avoid having your signature
forged, as well as an up-close look at the governor’s paralegal, an
overview of local government law, and some interesting insights on the
subject of e-mail and internet monitoring in the workplace. If variety
is the spice of life, then this issue should be spicy enough for all of
you.
We
work hard to make this magazine the best that it can be for our readers.
Please let me hear from you with your suggestions and comments. I am
ready to serve you, as always. I hope that you enjoy this issue and your
summer. Stay cool and remember to allow some fun and laughter into your
life every day. It makes the tough times easier to bear.
SCRUPLES
The Ethics of Organization
by Ellen Lockwood, CLA—Ethics
Chair
Some of you probably have a
small plaque at home or in your office with the phrase “Bless This
Mess.” Unfortunately that sentiment has no place in a legal office.
Most of us probably suffer from
a lack of space, whether mild or severe. This and not enough hours in
the day may lead to stacks of documents all over your office and perhaps
into the hallway. Some of you may be able to magically pull the exact
document you need from the bottom of the piles on your desk. Others of
you may spend quite a bit of time each day trying to find what you need.
Despite these challenges and
talents for finding paper, a messy office and messy files are a disaster
waiting to happen. Paper that is buried is forgotten, which means
deadlines aren’t calendared and no one can find the document when it
is needed. This reflects on your professionalism, increases the risk of
a malpractice claim, and may cause others to question your competency.
Although
you may be someone who is truly not able to work in a neat office, you
should take steps to ensure that you are organized. Listed below are
some organizational requirements as well as some suggestions.
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No matter how disorganized
you are with paper, ALWAYS calendar all deadlines as soon as
possible. Put them in an electronic calendar as well as a paper
calendar (or print out your electronic calendar).
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Check your calendar first
thing each morning and last thing before you leave. No exceptions!
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Choose a tickler system and
use it.
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Consider writing all your
notes on one notepad, such as a steno pad. You can then cross
through them when an item is completed or when the information is
put into the correct file.
-
Use some sort of stackable
sorter. Label each divider or shelf with the name of the case and
put all documents regarding that case there until they can be filed.
-
If you are working on an
exceptionally large case, use a stackable sorter for each case and
label each divider or shelf with labels such as Discovery,
Correspondence, Pleadings, etc.
-
If documents (such as those
produced in discovery) are too voluminous to be reviewed quickly, be
sure to clearly label the box or file folder containing the
documents.
-
Develop a method of file
organization and file indexing. Make the index the first folder in
the file. Use the basic file organization and index for all matters,
no matter how small. It’s easier to use this system for each new
matter than to discover later the file has grown and now it will
take days to get it organized and indexed.
-
Before you leave each day
straighten the stacks of paper on your desk and put away extra pens,
stapler, tape dispenser, loose paperclips, and rubber bands.
The idea behind all these
suggestions is to keep you from missing deadlines and to enable you (or
someone else) to find documents in a matter. Having at least some
standards of organization provides a comfort level for you, your
co-workers, and the clients. If everyone views you as an organized
person, small, infrequent mistakes are more likely to be forgiven.
Although some of us appear to have an innate ability to be organized,
the rest of us can be trained. Like any other skill it takes practice
and persistence. Get suggestions from co-workers and peers who are
organized and experiment until you find what works for you.
Lack of organization is a
reflection of your professionalism, respect for clients and your
attorneys, and even your competency. So, GET ORGANIZED!
Ellen Lockwood, CLAS, is the
Chair of the Professional Ethics Committee of the Legal Assistants
Division, a position she has held since 1997. She is Treasurer of LAD
and a past president of the Alamo Area Professional Legal Assistants in
San Antonio. You may contact her at 210/832-3382 or ellenlockwood@clearchannel.com.
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