With the advancing age of technology, paralegals can’t help but wonder if hard copies of legal documents will vanish in the near future. If so, will the need for wet ink signatures disappear as well? Not yet. Some legal practices…
Paralegal Corner: Compassion & Communication – Keys to Dealing with Challenging Clients
Clients in the throes of divorce generally do not project the best version of themselves. Some behave like overwrought toddlers who missed their naptime: They whine, lash out, reverse course, and demand constant attention. Some behave like this because it…
Grow Your Contact List While Keeping Robocallers and Spammers at Bay
We yoke the law to ethical standards because ethics serve both the cause of justice and the efficacy of the work. However, ethical standards—such as the ABA’s Model Rules of Professional Conduct—present a variety of challenges, especially when it comes…
Mindfulness Practice: Managing Everyday Stress by Cultivating Presence of Mind
Paralegal work can be extremely stressful. Beyond your regular assignments, you frequently deal with impossible deadlines and angry clients, all while performing secretarial, administrative and/or clerical work. Your mind is constantly pulled from one project to another, between work and…
Utilizing the UIDDA to Navigate Out-of-State Business Records Subpoenas
Preparing and serving out-of-state business records subpoenas can seem like a daunting task to the most experienced California paralegal. Fortunately, the Uniform Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act (UIDDA), enacted in 2007, can help demystify this task. Use the following steps…
David Goldstein Memorial Scholarship Fund Honors SF State’s Pat Medina
The sudden loss of San Francisco State’s Paralegal Studies’ (PLS) beloved Program Director Pat Medina was felt by the paralegal and legal community around the world. Palmira “Pat” Medina began her career as a high school English teacher but loved…
Get Certified: The California Certified Paralegal Exam
In February of this year, 30 paralegals from across the state – myself included – took the first California Certified Paralegal (CCP) exam sponsored by the California Alliance of Paralegal Associations (CAPA) This exam tests a paralegal’s knowledge in the…
Use Screenshot Technology for Efficiency and Clarity
Communication in the legal field—as seemingly everywhere in our interconnected world—continues to grow at a breathtaking pace. But communicating more quickly does not necessarily mean communicating efficiently. In a field where every minute is precious, it’s understandable for attorneys to…
Don’t be a “Blue Dot” Paralegal
Several years ago, I was visiting my friend who is a veterinarian. At the end of a patient visit, as the pet owner left the clinic, she told her receptionist in a low voice, “Blue dot.” “What’s a blue dot?”…
Building Homes & Jobs Act Requires New Document Recording Fees
Last September, the California legislature approved Senate Bill No. 2 (SB2), the Building Homes and Jobs Act 1. Effective January 1, 2018, new Government Code Section 27388.1 requires county recorders throughout California to charge an additional $75 fee at the…
Navigating the Complex World of Medical Liens
After months of hard work, you find out your client’s injury case has settled. You feel a huge sense of relief. Finally, the work is done and it will be smooth sailing from here on out. That is, until you…
Paralegal Corner: How Legal Nurse Consultants Benefit Your Practice
Last September, The Bar Association of San Francisco’s Paralegal Section hosted an engaging CLE workshop titled, “Utilizing Legal Nurse Consultant Expertise to Benefit Your Legal Practice”, presented by Mitzi Wortman, RN-BC, CCM, LNCC and Rita Kae Restrepo, RN, BS,…