I love to be productive, and sometimes that leads me to simply take on too much. My personal inclination is to work (on something, anything) until I absolutely fall over. Staying home for the evening and doing nothing seems like a total waste to me, but you know what, sometimes that’s exactly what I have to do. Continue reading
This post will have nothing to do with advice. I simply want to talk about something that helps me work harder and longer.
Indexing, cite checking, and formatting are not the most exciting things in the world, but I look at those tasks as a time in my day to relax. Continue reading
I could try to articulate to you the number of times I’ve gotten in trouble for asking the question “Why?” but it’s not necessary. It was a lot. A lot. I never intend my questions to be rude or disrespectful, but I can see how it could come off that way. The question “why” can seem like a criticism of a person, a procedure, or a policy. Continue reading
Like most people, I would imagine, I really hate going to the doctor. I wait until the pain is so bad or the problem is so disruptive that I simply have no choice than to make an appointment (and inevitably be annoyed by the fact that I have to wait a day or two: “I’m sick! Can’t you tell?!?!”), sit in a waiting room for who knows how long, have a nurse poke at me and ask personal questions, and then have a doctor do the exact same thing. That’s not even the end! Then I have to mosey down to the pharmacy in the middle of my day and wait for what has been prescribed to me to fix that pain/illness/whatever that I’ve let get too bad. Continue reading
Someone who wished to stay anonymous stated that my blog presented the not-so-pretty side of being a paralegal. As I look back through my posts, I suppose that’s true to some extent. Perhaps it’s about time for me to talk about why I love my job so much. Continue reading
Warning: Shameless Self-Promotion
I’m teaching a webinar on November 29, 2011: The Paralegal’s Guide to Effectively Using Technology in the Law Firm.
What I’ll be talking about:
Option 1:
| Atty: | Acknowledged technical problem; fumbled with technology to try to correct error; became frustrated and yelled at computer screen; gave up. | 0.5 | $300.00 | $150.00 |
| Atty: | Called paralegal and explained issue | 0.3 | $300.00 | $90.00 |
| Para: | Listened to attorney’s problem | 0.3 | $100.00 | $30.00 |
| Para: | Researched problem | 0.4 | $100.00 | $40.00 |
| Para: | Drafted email with step-by-step instructions and included pictures for easy reference | 0.5 | $100.00 | $50.00 |
| Atty: | Reviewed and followed step-by-step instructions | 0.3 | $300.00 | $90.00 |
| Para: | Checked in with attorney to confirm that problem was solved; discussed the cause of the initial problem | 0.4 | $100.00 | $40.00 |
| Atty: | Discussed with paralegal the cause of the initial problem; asked paralegal to look into an easier way to solve the problem | 0.4 | $300.00 | $120.00 |
| Para: | Contacted software vendor regarding cause of initial problem; no real resolution; drafted report to attorney | 0.5 | $100.00 | $50.00 |
| 3.6 | $660.00 |
Option 2:
| Atty: | Attended 1-hour training on new software program and listened | 1 | $300.00 | $300.00 |
| Para: | Attended 1-hour training on new software program and listened | 1 | $100.00 | $100.00 |
| 2 | $400.00 |
You decide.
Growing up the child of a peace officer is a unique experience. When your dad’s job is to determine when people are lying and to serve them up a dose of justice, you don’t get away with a lot. (As a very young child, I learned the difference between saying “I lied” and “I’m just pickin’.” Semantics are important, people.)
Having a law enforcement officer as a dad can also give you a fantastic gift: the love of justice. Continue reading
At the beginning of every week I do what most people probably do, I make a “to do” list. Because I’m a nerd, and I love Excel (see previous post professing my love), I make four lists on the same spreadsheet: Home, Work, Volunteering, and Miscellaneous. Continue reading
Several weeks ago, I sat in a CLE where a judge made a joke about bloggers being journalists, and about 200 attorneys snickered. Yes, how could bloggers possibly think that they are journalists!? Perhaps the attorneys simply laughed because it was a judge making the joke, but I doubt it.
Journalists can blog, and not all bloggers are journalists. Continue reading
Odom Ackerman Consulting 