As most of us get ready to celebrate Thanksgiving with our families, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your mentoring and for taking the time to read this blog and posting your thoughts. I have learned so much from all of you and I hope you have also been able to take and use some of my insights into the paralegal world.
Ana Pierro, The Paralegal
Sometimes, after a really busy day at work we can all use a bit of laughter. I had one of those days where it seemed like I was never going to stop running around. It was 3 O’Clock by the time I remember that I hadn’t had lunch.
I hope your day was not as crazy as mine. Whatever kind of day you had I’m sure you will enjoy the jokes from Gavel2Gavel.
Thank you for reading this blog and have fun.
The Paralegal
I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the winners of the Paralegal Gateway 2010 Paralegal Superstars.
Amy Shillingburg – San Diego, CA
Jeannie Cartabiano – Redlands, CA
Catherine McKenzie – Vero Beach, FL
Viola Ange – Cedar Hill, TX
Laura Ahtes – Wilmington, DE
Patty Dietz-Selke – Atlanta, GA
Madelaine Vines – Colorado Springs, CO
Kathleen Miller – Irvine, CA
Ruth Conley – Houston, TX
Brian Haberly – Seattle, WA
De Dishman – Portland, OR
Carolyn Yellis – Orange County, CA
This is a great honor. These paralegals were chosen for their “outstanding commitment to the Paralegal profession and/or their communities.” The winners will be featured in the Annual Superstar Calendar.
Thank you all for your commitment to the profession and keep up the great work.
I have to sincerely apologize. I have been neglecting you all for a year. My life took a few twists and turns and I have to admit that some were a bit scary.
I want to thank you all for being patient and I promise you I am back and better than ever.
I am planning on a weekly article and in addition I am also working on some new add-ons which I hope will be coming soon.
Thank you, The Paralegal
As a paralegal, the decision to go from a law firm to a corporate setting is one that should not be taken lightly.
Up until a year ago I had been a paralegal in various law firms. They were all different but in a way my work was always the same. I was expected to know how to handle the files from the beginning of the case to the end and know when the attorney needed to handle certain things. In July of 2007, I decided to try my luck at a corporate setting. Not that I was unhappy where I was but it was time to try something different. My experience has been exactly what I expected. It is very different from being a law firm.
When you work in the legal department of a corporation your client is no longer the person that comes in from the outside. Your clients are the people within the corporation. The legal department becomes a “guard” to the various departments of the corporation.
As the guard, our responsibility to the client is to advise when it is ok to start a new endeavor, develop a new business, develop the business in a new country. We are there to make sure that whatever the various business units or various departments are attempting to accomplish is not going to get the corporation “in trouble.” The work is very varied but not always of a legal nature. I spend most of my days looking through lots of regulations regarding various issues. So that the attorneys I work with can better counsel the “client.”
I no longer have the luxury of being an expert in one field. When I worked in law firms I was the expert in personal injury, insurance defense, pharmaceutical regulations regarding distribution of gifts to physicians and sampling to healthcare practitioners. All of these I learned at different times of my life. When I did personal injury (defense or plaintiff) I was expected to do just that.
Today my responsibilities vary. Today I’m more of a business consultant, better yet, I assist the business consultant. My job is to know enough about each business unit or department and what they do. Then figure out what regulations they are covered by and try to work with to keep the “in line.”
Although, it took me a while to get used to corporate culture I am now enjoying it more. It has been a year and a few months and I can say that I feel like I am “home.”
I hope this has helped you make the decision you need to make. If not, please feel free to email me and I will certainly try to give you as much help as I can. Although, ultimately, it is you decision to make. I know money is important. However, do not let that be the deciding factor. It is true what “they” say.
“DO WHAT YOU LOVE AND MONEY WILL COME”
Thank you for your support.
This was a busy summer for me. I started working at a different company. After many years or working at law firms, this summer I began working for the legal department of a financial corporation.
It has taken me a while to get used to it and therefore I have not had the time to dedicate to my blog. Now that I think I am more acclimated I will begin writing more and hopefully I will give you some new insight as to what it is like to work for a corporation vs. working for a law firm. As if that wasn’t enough, my old computer decided to go into retirement. I had to buy a new computer and get used to it. I decided to get a MAC. At first I wasn’t sure I liked it but now I’m loving it. It’s actually really easy to use and I hope to spend lots of time on it letting you know how things are working out for me. Please send me a note and let me know what it is you want to talk about or know more about. I will try my best to get the information to you as soon as possible.
I am back and this time I plan to update the blog at least once a week. Thank you for your patience and I hope to hear from you soon.
