The Paralegal Voice

Volunteering can be an uplifting experience for all involved. On this edition of The Paralegal Voice, co-hosts Lynne DeVenny and Vicki Voisin spotlight two paralegals who are 'giving back' to the community and volunteering their time to help others in need. Vicki and Lynne welcome Cindy J. Geib, ACP, PaCP, a Certified Coordinator for Wills for Heroes and Lee A. Paige, CLA, Senior Paralegal at Parker, Milliken, Clark, O’Hara & Samuelian, who volunteers at the Los Angeles Food Bank, to discuss their individual experiences, time management and the impact volunteering has had on their lives.

A spotlight report on four successful paralegals from across the country who LOVE their jobs. The Paralegal Voice, co-hosts Lynne DeVenny and Vicki Voisin welcome Brian Haberly, Corporate and Securities Paralegal with Clearwire Corporation; Patricia F. Clapper ACP, NCCP, a paralegal from the firm, Levine & Stewart; Ruth Conley, a litigation paralegal at Andrews Kurth LLP; and Carl H. Morrison, II, AACP, a paralegal at Rhodes, Hieronymus, Jones, Tucker & Gable, PLLC. They share their diverse backgrounds, discuss career highlights, and offer ways to stay relevant and enjoy long careers in the paralegal profession.

Looking for new opportunities in the paralegal world? On The Paralegal Voice, co-host Vicki Voisin welcomes Karen G. McGee, ACP, President of NALA and Christine E. Porter, ACP, Chair of NALA’s Continuing Education Council, to talk about opportunities through NALA and how you can revitalize your career with continuing education. They discuss Advanced Certification and all of the options available in specific practice areas, as well as NALA’s new "blended learning" approach and how to use these tools for career growth.

Want to hear ideas about how to advance your paralegal career? On this edition of The Paralegal Voice, co-host Lynne DeVenny welcomes Karen Tuschak, President of the International Paralegal Management Association, Stacie McLean, IPMA President-Elect, and Sylvia Naim, IPMA Secretary-Treasurer, to take an in-depth look at IPMA, and discuss IPMA’s mission, the job market for paralegals, what they look for when hiring, and key traits needed to make a successful paralegal.

On this edition of The Paralegal Voice, co-hosts Lynne DeVenny and Vicki Voisin welcome Kim Walker, a senior litigation paralegal with the firm of Berger & Montague, P.C. in Philadelphia, to talk about her recent Law.com article, "What Do Attorneys Wish Their Paralegals Knew" Lynne, Vicki and Kim discuss how paralegals can improve their legal technology skills, maintain the highest level of professionalism in the office, and communicate more effectively with their supervising attorneys. They also share what they wish attorneys knew, emphasizing how attorneys can better utilize paralegals in the practice of law.

On this edition of The Paralegal Voice, co-hosts Lynne DeVenny and Vicki Voisin welcome Sue Ann Jaffarian, a paralegal for Hooper, Lundy & Bookman in Los Angeles, and author of the best-selling Odelia Grey mysteries. Sue Ann talks about balancing dual careers as a very busy corporate paralegal and successful fiction writer; her "large and in charge" fictional paralegal, Odelia Patience Grey; and what’s next for both Sue Ann and Odelia. Throw in vampires, writing advice, and dealing with weight prejudice - and you have a lively discussion not to be missed!

On this edition of The Paralegal Voice, co-hosts Lynne DeVenny and Vicki Voisin welcome Kim Plonsky, a paralegal at Gainsburgh, Benjamin, David, Meunier & Warshauer, L.L.C., in New Orleans, Louisiana, who knows her technology inside and out! Kim looks at the kinds of technology to use on the job, the minimum technology and software skills that today’s paralegals should have and shares her favorite online resources for keeping up with today’s legal technology.

On this edition of The Paralegal Voice, co-hosts Lynne DeVenny and Vicki Voisin welcome William P. Statsky, one of the foremost experts on paralegals in the country and the author of numerous paralegal and legal writing textbooks. Bill talks about the importance of a paralegal’s writing skills, legal research, technology today, blogging and the future of the paralegal profession.

One of the fastest growing areas of law is intellectual property and so the demand for paralegals with that expertise is great. On this edition of The Paralegal Voice, co-hosts Lynne DeVenny and Vicki Voisin welcome Colleen Sarenpa, Director of Trademarks for Polaroid Corporation at PLR Brand Services, LLC and Gwen Spurrier, a paralegal at the Minneapolis law firm of Gray Plant Mooty to discuss IP at a law firm and a major corporation.

On this edition of The Paralegal Voice, co-hosts Lynne DeVenny and Vicki Voisin welcome attorney, mediator and management consultant, Nancy Byerly Jones, as she draws from her extensive legal experience to share career advice for paralegals. A passionate advocate for the paralegal profession, Nancy talks about the biggest challenges facing paralegals today, how the profession has changed over the years, handling conflict at work and how paralegals can enhance their individual value, as well as the value of the profession.

On this edition of The Paralegal Voice, co-hosts Lynne DeVenny and Vicki Voisin welcome National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA) leaders, Georgette Lovelace, RP and Tracey L. Young, RP. They talk about the benefits NFPA provides to its members, NFPA's position on regulation of the paralegal profession and its upcoming convention. These experienced paralegals also offer advice to listeners considering a paralegal career.

On this edition of The Paralegal Voice, co-hosts Lynne DeVenny and Vicki Voisin welcome Giovanni Masucci, a Sr. Digital Forensic Examiner and the CEO/President of National Digital Forensics, Inc., to explore digital forensics and evidence. They discuss the latest technology, including surprising sources of digital evidence, how paralegals can help identify digital evidence in cases and how to prepare for digital forensics careers in litigation.

On this edition of The Paralegal Voice, co-hosts Lynne DeVenny and Vicki Voisin welcome Patricia E. Infanti, PP, PLS, President of NALS, the Association for Legal Professionals, and Kathleen R. Amirante, PP, PLS, the association’s President Elect, who discuss the opportunities provided by membership in a professional association. They look at the history and mission of NALS, what NALS is doing to attract a diverse membership and how they are informing attorneys and the general public about the qualifications for using the title ‘paralegal’.

The ability to write well is critical for successful paralegals. On this edition of The Paralegal Voice, co-hosts Lynne DeVenny and Vicki Voisin welcome Sally Kane, Esq., Editor-In-Chief of Paralegal Today, to talk about the importance of a paralegal’s writing skills. They will discuss why it's important for paralegals to write and publish, how to get published, common writing problems and how paralegals can improve their writing skills.

http://legaltalkmedia.com/LTN/PLV/PLV_020410_Education.mp3