The Paralegal Voice

Are you looking for answers when it comes to billable hour practices? Paralegal Voice co-hosts Lynne DeVenny and Vicki Voisin join Jennifer Karns, Legal Professional Training Manager for Snell & Wilmer L.L.P., as they discuss billable hour practices. Jennifer emphasizes the importance of meeting billable hour goals and adding value to time entries. She also shares essential tips for improving your billing descriptions and capabilities.

Is the paralegal profession a woman’s world? Or is the number of male paralegals on the rise in this female-dominated profession? Paralegal Voice co-hosts Lynne DeVenny and Vicki Voisin get the male perspective and some interesting insight from special guests, Carl H. Morrison, II, PP, AACP, a Certified Paralegal at Rhodes Hieronymus and Zachary W. Brewer, CP, a Litigation Paralegal at Hall Estill.

Paralegals need to know the latest trends in law practice and productivity technology to contribute to a successful law practice. For the hottest tech trends, Paralegal Voice co-hosts Lynne DeVenny and Vicki Voisin turn to Jared D. Correia, Esq., the Senior Practice Advisor for Massachusetts’ Law Office Management Assistance Program (MASSLOMAP). Jared shares his thoughts on everything from law practice management software, to cloud-based solutions and document management, to remote access and the benefits of social media. A big fan of legal support staffers, he explains why they are a key part of the legal team. This podcast is a must-listen for both paralegals and attorneys!

Edward De Bono’s, Six Thinking Hats, also known as parallel thinking, is a fun method used in NALA’s year-long leadership webinars for those involved in state and local affiliated associations. On The Paralegal Voice, co-host Vicki Voisin welcomes Karen G. McGee, ACP, President of NALA, as they spotlight De Bono’s method of thinking and share some important tools paralegals can use to facilitate open discussions in a meeting or work situation.

Are you ready to search for a paralegal job? On The Paralegal Voice Kim Wierzel, Esq., a reformed litigator and Placement Director with Special Counsel, joins co-hosts Lynne DeVenny and Vicki Voisin to talk about everything you need to know regarding the paralegal job market. Their discussion includes current paralegal hiring trends, educational and certification requirements, tips for paralegals just entering the job market, and the top three areas paralegal job seekers most need to improve to be more marketable. Kim also addresses a current “hot button” issue for the paralegal profession, i.e. whether employers are seeking inexperienced new attorneys instead of experienced paralegals.

Find out what’s new in court technology on The Paralegal Voice. Co-hosts Lynne DeVenny and Vicki Voisin join Ted Brooks, the Founder & CEO of Litigation-Tech LLC for his insight on the latest in court technology for paralegals. Ted provides tips for paralegals getting ready for a big trial using extensive technology in the courtroom and explains how paralegals can learn the basics of commonly used trial software. Ted also gives his picks for blogs and online resources for paralegals interested in learning more about courtroom technology.

Can paralegal ethics be fun? On The Paralegal Voice, co-hosts Lynne DeVenny and Vicki Voisin join lawyer/humorist Sean Carter, founder of Lawpsided Seminars, to share his comedic approach to legal education, the biggest challenges for legal staffers today and his thoughts on his popular talk, Thou Shalt Not Lie, Cheat and Steal: The 10 Commandments of Legal Ethics.

Usually a law firm will hand off documents to a process server who will then take care of service. Locating a process server who will do this promptly and ethically is very important. On this edition of The Paralegal Voice, co-host Vicki Voisin joins Adam Camras, co-founder and CEO of LAWgical which operates ServeNow.com. Adam provides tips for locating a reputable process server, red flags paralegals should look for, and the questions they should ask of a process server before making a hiring decision.

Want some tips from the experts about how to get ahead in the paralegal profession? On this edition of The Paralegal Voice, co-hosts Lynne DeVenny and Vicki Voisin join NALA President, Karen McGee, ACP and Charlsye Smith Diaz, Ph.D., as they take a look at career development and how to advance in the paralegal profession. They cover key topics including creating professional resumes, obtaining professional certification, and networking at CLE programs.

When it comes to redaction and the process of removing confidential information from legal documents, some paralegals still rely on the traditional yet cumbersome method of using a black marker and the copier machine. A new option is growing in popularity: the use of specialized electronic tools like Redact-It, which is specifically built for redaction. On this edition of The Paralegal Voice, co-hosts Lynne DeVenny and Vicki Voisin join Christine Musil, Director of Marketing for Informative Graphics Corporation, to discuss the benefits of this modern face of redaction and how paralegals can get current and step away from their redaction methods of yesterday.

Is your resume up to par? Will it rise to the top in a stack of other paralegals’ applications? On this edition of The Paralegal Voice, co-hosts Lynne DeVenny and Vicki Voisin present a 101 course about paralegal resumes. They share their own experiences on preparing and reviewing resumes, offer suggestions for handling the “no experience” issue for newcomers to the field, discuss the recommended formats for paralegal resumes, and provide tips on how to separate yourself from the pack of competitors for every job.

How do you keep up with constantly evolving trends in the paralegal field and stay ahead of the pack? The Paralegal Voice, co-host Lynne DeVenny joins very special guest Jeannie S. Johnston, Founder and CEO of ParalegalGateway.com, to discuss the latest trends in the industry, how to use social media, their favorite publications and blogs, why they use RSS feed readers, and how to make the most of paralegal association membership. Listen in as Jeannie starts off the show by taking a look at Paralegal Gateway and what it offers.

Are you thinking about becoming a paralegal, or are you already working toward a paralegal degree? On this edition of The Paralegal Voice, co-hosts Lynne DeVenny and Vicki Voisin address the most frequently asked questions from people interested in becoming paralegals. They talk about the realities of the profession, including assessing the traits paralegals need to succeed, working in a legal environment, and preparing for and finding that first job. Lynne and Vicki talk about the importance of networking, education and training, and share their personal experiences and their paths to becoming paralegals.

What exactly is this 'Cloud' that everyone is talking about? On this edition of The Paralegal Voice, co-hosts Lynne DeVenny and Vicki Voisin welcome Tom Mighell, legal technology expert and senior consultant with Contoural Inc., author of the new book, iPad in One Hour for Lawyers, and Chair-Elect of the ABA Law Practice Management Section, to discuss what every paralegal needs to know about "The Cloud." Tom talks about how cloud-based services can improve the efficiency of a law practice, what paralegals should consider when evaluating cloud-based services for their firms, and how legal staffers can use the iPad to assist lawyers.

Ethics and professionalism are essential to becoming a successful paralegal. On this edition of The Paralegal Voice, co-hosts Lynne DeVenny and Vicki Voisin welcome paralegal, Camille Stell, Director of Client Services for Lawyers Mutual, who provides ethics tips for paralegals, talks about how paralegals can assist attorneys in the area of client communications and what paralegals can do every day to maintain the highest level of professionalism.