Carolina Paralegal News

Q&A: Kirsten Carlos

Kirsten Carlos received her bachelor’s degree in journalism from Indiana University in 1993. She completed the Meredith College Paralegal Program in 2004 and became a NALA certified paralegal in 2006 and a North Carolina State Bar Certified Paralegal in 2006. Kirsten has been working in the intellectual property law field since 2007 with Myers Bigel Sibley & Sajovec.

Kirsten is a member of the Paralegal Division of the North Carolina Bar Association and is president of the Research Triangle Paralegal Association, which she joined in 2007. She served as chair of the Media/Public Relations Committee in 2010.

CPN: How long have you been a paralegal?

KC: Seven years

CPN: What drew you into the career?

KC: I wanted a profession where I could use my journalism undergraduate degree. The paralegal profession fit perfectly!

CPN: What paralegal organizations — national, state or local — are you member of and what positions do you hold in them?

KC: Member of the Paralegal Division of the N.C. Bar Association and president of the Research Triangle Paralegal Association

CPN: When you talk with other paralegals, what are the main concerns or issues they face on a daily basis?

KC: I think the main concerns they have have to do with the day to day operation of being a paralegal, for example, how to prepare a certain
document.

CPN: If you could name one thing that would most benefit the paralegal profession, what would it be?

KC: Networking!

CPN: If you could snap your fingers and create the perfect CLE, what would it be and why?

KC: The perfect CLE would be one that would teach paralegals about life skills such as preparing a will, how to manage your finances, etc.

CPN: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

KC: A reporter

CPN: Knowing what you know now, if you weren’t a paralegal, what else would you want to do?

KC: Be a reporter

CPN: What do you wish you knew when you were getting started in the profession that you know now?

KC: The importance of networking!

CPN: What is the best thing about your job?

KC: I like how I can work independently, but then also have time where I work with my attorneys as a team.

CPN: And what part of your job could you do without?

KC: Hmm, I don’t know.

CPN: What one thing, either personally or professionally, are you most proud of?

KC: I am most proud of my twin daughters! They have developed into beautiful, responsible young women.

CPN: Where would we find you on the weekends?

KC: At home with my family or at the soccer fields watching my girls play.

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Q&A: Carolyn Timmons

Carolyn Timmons is a paralegal at Jones, Key, Melvin, & Patton, in Franklin, N.C., concentrating on litigation and estate work.

She recently served three years on the North Carolina Bar Association Paralegal Division Council and currently serves as treasurer and on the nomination committee for the annual Outstanding Paralegal Award. She also is chairman of the scholarship committee for the Asheville Area Paralegal Association.

For the past five years, Timmons has served on the Curriculum Advisory Committee for the Paralegal Technology Associate Degree program at Southwestern Community College in Sylva, her alma mater.

Timmons has a bachelor’s degree from the University of West Georgia and taught high school English before joining Delta Air Lines as a flight attendant. She retired in 2002 after 29 years of service, during which she participated in lobbying efforts and community outreach programs.

CPN: How long have you been a paralegal?

CT: Six years

CPN: What drew you into the career?

CT: I have always been interested in the law and when I retired from Delta Air Lines, I decided to pursue that interest.

CPN: What paralegal organizations — national, state or local — are you member of and what positions do you hold in them?

CT: I am a member of the Asheville Area Paralegal Association and the North Carolina Bar Association Paralegal Division.

CPN: When you talk with other paralegals, what are the main concerns or issues they face on a daily basis?

CT: The paralegals I speak with are concerned that those individuals currently engaged in our profession and those hoping to enter our profession exhibit the skills, knowledge, and professional and personal conduct that serve the perception of the paralegal professional well.

CPN: If you could name one thing that would most benefit the paralegal profession, what would it be?

CT: The requirement that all paralegals become certified.

CPN: If you could snap your fingers and create the perfect CLE, what would it be and why?

CT: As so many of us work in very diverse areas of law, I think the perfect CLE would be one that addresses the common areas we all share, including written and verbal communication, self-motivation and completion of tasks, and professional conduct, to name a few.

CPN: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

CT: An aircraft fighter pilot

CPN: Knowing what you know now, if you weren’t a paralegal, what else would you want to do?

CT: I would enjoy working as an advocate for children or the elderly in some capacity.

CPN: What do you wish you knew when you were getting started in the profession that you know now?

CT: I am a planner, so the hardest thing for me to learn was that in the work I do, the situation can change in an instant. Sometimes, being too far ahead of yourself might not serve you or the client well.

CPN: What is the best thing about your job?

CT: Working for and under the tutelage of R.S. Jones, Jr. He has been the best mentor anyone could ask for in learning the law and the practice of law.

CPN: And what part of your job could you do without?

CT: Not having come from an office environment in my previous career, the “office politics” are something I have difficulty with.

CPN: What one thing, either personally or professionally, are you most proud of?

CT: I am most proud of my marriage and my family.

CPN: Where would we find you on the weekends?

CT: Living in the western part of North Carolina, nature abounds. In the warmer weather, you might find me kayaking and in all weather doing some hiking. My husband and I also enjoy getting together with friends to cook and enjoy good wines.

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Stephanie Elliott-Park is a paralegal with Gray, Layton, Kersh, Solomon, Furr & Smith in Gastonia, N.C. She has been working in the field for 14 years and is a member of NALA, the Paralegal Division of the N.C. Bar Association and the Metrolina Paralegal Association. Elliott-Park is also first vice president of the N.C. Paralegal Association.

CPN: What drew you into the career?

Elliott-Park: I was actually in the nursing program at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte when I answered a job ad for part-time work in an intellectual property law firm. I realized pretty quickly that I liked the atmosphere of the law firm and I enjoyed the work. 

 CPN: When you talk with other paralegals, what are the main concerns or issues they face on a daily basis?

Elliott-Park: In the current economy, I think we are all worried about the financial health of our attorneys/firms and how that trickles down to provide us with job security. You can be the best, most hardworking and efficient paralegal, but if there isn’t work or well-paying clients, you aren’t going to last long no matter where you are. We’re in a crucial time in the legal community, where change now is going to affect us for many years to come. Change is the only constant in life and that applies to us, too.

We also face the challenge of certification and having what we do recognized fully as a legitimate profession. Paralegals have been around for a long time, but certification has brought the desire by many to be recognized as legal professionals, not just secretaries or assistants. The legal community has done a great job of this, and many judges, lawyers and other legal professionals have long understood our contributions, but the “outside world” has a ways to go. 

 

CPN: If you could name one thing that would most benefit the paralegal profession, what would it be?

Elliott-Park: I think the most important thing to individual paralegals is participation in paralegal organizations, and this in turn helps the entire profession. A meeting of the minds can be a powerful asset to any group, and our strength as a profession comes with involvement, activism and a commitment to excellence. These are all goals of any paralegal organization, national, state or local. 

  

CPN: If you could snap your fingers and create the perfect CLE, what would it be and why?

Elliott-Park: I have experience planning CLE for paralegals, since that is my job as first vice president of NCPA. Paralegals want to feel like they (or their firms) got their money’s worth out of CLE. Who wants to sit in a hotel ballroom all day and listen to a dry speaker and eat crummy food? The perfect CLE engages you, gives you knowledge you didn’t already have and maybe wouldn’t have found elsewhere, and gives you a chance to meet new and interesting people.

In a perfect world where money is not an issue, a full day or two worth of CLE outside of the office is a nice break from an otherwise stressful (at times) and busy work environment.  Unfortunately because most firms have had to tighten the purse strings, many paralegals aren’t able to attend those types of CLE opportunities. 

 

CPN: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Elliott-Park: I wanted to be a nurse and I was in my second year of a nursing program. When clinicals started, I was faced with starting my rotation at the hospital where my father had died just a little over a year earlier. I wasn’t able to do it, but I got some valuable advice from the dean of nursing. She said, “You have this need to take care of people, and it’s admirable, but you don’t have to be a nurse to do it. Take your passion for order, love and justice and do something else with it.” I did and I have never looked back.

 

CPN: Knowing what you know now, if you weren’t a paralegal, what else would you want to do?

Elliott-Park: I would like to be a writer. I have stories going in my mind at all times, and pages and pages of ones started but not finished saved on my computer. I enjoy having my life full of work, family and friends. However, I daydream about being alone somewhere comfortable and putting my life story to paper.  I may get there one day.

 

CPN: What do you wish you knew when you were getting started in the profession that you know now?

Elliott-Park: I wish I had understood earlier about the importance of networking. There are people I worked with very early in my career that could benefit me to still be in touch with, but at the time I was young and still in school and I wasn’t looking too far down the road. It didn’t take me long to understand how important networking would be for me. It led to my first “big” paralegal job, and I use it professionally and personally every day.

 

CPN: What is the best thing about your job?

Elliott-Park: The best part of my job is the satisfaction that it brings. I truly enjoy what I do. There are days that are stressful, but I really thrive on the stress and high adrenaline. There is no greater natural high than to meet a deadline at the final hour and win for your client. It is not always easy, and it’s not always fun and exciting. They come to us because something traumatic has happened to them and they need someone to guide them through.

The biggest part of my job is to be the middle person between the client and my attorney. I listen, I counsel at times (sometimes to both the client and attorney) and I move things along. I feel fulfilled when I know we have done everything humanly possible to better their circumstances, and I can go home and take care of business because I know I put 100 percent of myself into my work.

 

CPN: And what part of your job could you do without?

Elliott-Park: I could do without difficult clients. They make the process much harder than it needs to be, and most of the time, they came to us to help them. Nothing frustrates me more than someone who doesn’t want to answer discovery requests or attend necessary meetings, hearings, depositions, or – even worse – who can afford to pay their costs, but won’t. I have to bite my tongue many times to keep from saying “This is voluntary and you came to us; we didn’t come looking for you!”

 

CPN: What one thing, either personally or professionally, are you most proud of?

Elliott-Park: I am most proud of being a mother. There is no greater job for me than raising my son to be a productive and engaged member of society. He loves me unconditionally, is my most favorite companion and the person whom I work hard for. I want him to be proud of my accomplishments one day and understand that I did it all for him.

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Lee Weiland is a paralegal in the litigation practice group at McAngus Goudelock & Courie in Columbia, S.C. In 2003, Weiland received her bachelor’s degree in media communications from College of Charleston and later earned her paralegal certificate from Midlands Technical College.

CPN: How long have you been a paralegal?

Weiland: I received a paralegal certificate from Midlands Tech in 2007 and began working as a paralegal the same year.

CPN: What drew you into the career?

Weiland: It’s a typical scenario. I graduated college in 2003 and didn’t know what path I wanted to take my career. I traveled and worked in retail for a couple of years until I decided to take a serious step into a solid profession.

Deana Swearingen of Career Connections suggested that I look into the legal field since I had such a strong background in writing and researching. Shortly after being placed within a law firm as legal secretary, I knew that the legal field was a right fit so I decided to attain a paralegal certificate.    

CPN: What paralegal organizations – national, state or local- are you member of and what positions do you hold in them?

Weiland: I was a member of the Palmetto Paralegal Association between 2007 and 2009 and served the last year as the editor of the PPA newsletter. I didn’t continue my membership in 2010 due to billable time that I needed to make up while planning my wedding and moving into a new home with my husband.     

CPN: When you talk with other paralegals, what are the main concerns or issues they face on a daily basis?

Weiland: The total lack of understanding about the abilities and the responsibilities of a paralegal.

 

CPN: If you could name one thing that would most benefit the paralegal profession, what would it be?

Weiland: As a local issue, I would suggest that our local paralegal association limit the amount of terms a paralegal can serve on the board.

CPN: If you could snap your fingers and create the perfect CLE, what would it be and why?

Weiland: Since many firms are going “green,” a lecture on ethical retention and disposal of documents after a case has closed would be beneficial.

 

CPN: Should registration or certification through the S.C. Bar be approved?

Weiland: Obviously I am new to the paralegal field, but I think the S.C. Bar should officially recognize paralegals in some fashion. On the other hand, imposing guidelines could limit law firms’ hiring requirements and paralegal salaries and responsibilities. Maybe in a few years I will have a different answer, but right now I understand both sides of the fence regarding certification.

 

CPN: What is the best thing about your job?

Weiland: I couldn’t ask for a better working environment. Even though billable hours can create competition, I work with professional paralegals that support each other as a team.

 

CPN: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Weiland: Honestly, I wanted to be a journalist because I loved reading and writing.

 

CPN: Knowing what you know now, if you weren’t a paralegal, what else would you want to do?

Weiland: I would love to earn a master’s degree and instruct paralegal classes.  

 

CPN: What do you wish you knew when you were getting started in the profession that you know now?

Weiland:  Mistakes happen and will happen a lot. Learn from the mistake and move on.   

CPN: And what part of your job could you do without?

Weiland: Domesticating subpoenas!

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Donna Parker Meadows is a paralegal for attorney Ernest L. Conner Jr. at Graham Nuckolls & Brown in Greenville, N.C. For her first 15 years of employment at the firm, Meadows focused on criminal law and family law. Now, her work concentrates almost solely in death penalty litigation, currently handling a caseload of eight capital murder cases across the state. She also works in personal injury, wrongful death and general civil litigation. 

CPN: How long have you been a paralegal?

Meadows: 23 years.

 

CPN: What drew you into the career?

Meadows: The intrigue of the legal profession. That’s not to mention that I found Perry Mason and Della Street to be interesting and entertaining!

CPN: What paralegal organizations – national, state or local- are you member of and what positions do you hold in them?

Meadows: I am certified through the North Carolina State Bar. I am no longer involved in any professional organizations.

 

CPN: When you talk with other paralegals, what are the main concerns or issues they face on a daily basis?

Meadows: I find the top issue is that most paralegals believe they deserve better pay and/or benefits in their jobs. Secondly, I find that many paralegals are concerned with inter-office issues which can include many things, but is often inclusive of caseload sharing and the blending of office personalities, etc. 

 

CPN: If you could name one thing that would most benefit the paralegal profession, what would it be?

Meadows: A required course in paralegal school on personal development. I took one years ago in legal secretarial school, and it was excellent.

 

CPN: If you could snap your fingers and create the perfect CLE, what would it be and why?

Meadows: One inclusive of personal development, law office management and time management.

 

CPN: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Meadows: A nurse or teacher.

 

CPN: What do you wish you knew when you were getting started in the profession that you know now?

Meadows: I wish I knew that everything does not have to be done in a day, as I spent many long days (and nights) with self-inflicted deadlines in an attempt to be efficient, knowing that tomorrow would bring a new set of deadlines. I wish I knew that every office will have its politics and issues, but as long as you remain loyal to your job and yourself, “this too shall pass.” The latter comes with age, wisdom and experience.

 

CPN: What is the best thing about your job?

Meadows: The autonomy to be assigned a project and knowing that my boss trusts that it will be done in a timely manner to suit his criteria.

 

CPN: And what part of your job could you do without?

Meadows: Interruptions, which we all know are the nature of the beast, right?

 

CPN: What one thing, either personally or professionally, are you most proud of?

Meadows: Personally, my two children and five grandchildren. Professionally, my paralegal degree, which I earned after seven years of night classes as I simultaneously worked as a legal assistant 45-50 hours a week and raised a family.

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Karen McGee is the president of the National Association of Legal Assistants. She is also the first deputy clerk with the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeal in Shreveport, La.  A frequent speaker on paralegal procedures, McGee also is a member of the Northwest Louisiana Paralegal Association, the Louisiana State Paralegal Association and the National Conference of Appellate Court Clerks. She received her certified paralegal credential from NALA in May 1990 and her advanced credential in civil litigation in May 1994. In 1996, McGee was named Louisiana’s Outstanding Paralegal of the Year.

Here, McGee tells Carolina Paralegal News why mandatory certification carries both risks and benefits for paralegals.

 

CPN: How long have you been a paralegal?

McGee: I first began doing paralegal work in 1987 and attained my certified paralegal credential in 1990.

 

CPN: What drew you into the career?

McGee: I was approaching my 29th birthday and the nonprofit agency that I worked for was about to lose its funding. I was at a crossroads and had to decide what I wanted to do “when I grew up.” I needed a career.

I happened to read an article about the paralegal profession and since I’d always been interested in the law, it seemed like the perfect career choice for me. I was right! Working as a paralegal has allowed me to be part of a profession that serves others and my professional association work has allowed me to give back to a profession that has given me so much.

 

CPN: What are the challenges of being president of the National Association of Legal Assistants? 

McGee: So far, the biggest challenge has been balancing the demands of the association with the demands of my regular job. I work a lot of nights and weekends. However, I am so fortunate to have the type of job that allows me to be available during most days, and my employer has been very supportive of my involvement in NALA. I love being able to talk to paralegals all over the country about the issues that are important to them. 

 

CPN: When you talk with other paralegals, what are the main concerns or issues they face on a daily basis?

McGee: No matter what they do – whether they work in small or large firms, a corporate environment, doing plaintiff’s work or defense – most paralegals just want to know what they can do to be the best at their jobs. Successful paralegals, as a “species,” are detail-oriented individuals, who can be quite competitive and usually are driven to perfection. They are constantly seeking new tools and techniques to help them excel at what they do and to improve the service rendered to their clients. They have found those professional development tools in NALA’s certification and CLE programs, as well as the leadership training and volunteer opportunities offered by NALA. 

 

CPN: Are there issues that paralegals face in one part of the country, but not others? What are they?

McGee: Well, obviously the economic downturn has impacted some areas of the country harder than other areas and that may have resulted in lost employment opportunities in those areas. We also know there are some areas that are so remote it is difficult for paralegals to develop a network of support. These two problems are somewhat related, in that the result is that there are paralegals who feel disconnected.

The best way to reconnect is through the networking tools offered through NALA’s website and its annual convention, or by retraining through NALA’s online educational programs. Online education serves anyone with access to a computer, and the networking opportunities through NALA’s Conference Center connect NALA members, making them aware of career opportunities across the country.

 

CPN: In your opinion, should certification be a mandatory requirement for paralegals? Why or why not?

McGee: I believe whether a paralegal seeks certification should be a matter of personal choice. Over the last three decades, this profession has seen great growth, and this growth will be sustained as long as there continue to be plenty of opportunities for us to apply our paralegal skills in a variety of ways.

A mandatory certification is more precisely a licensing scheme. This defines for the employers who they can and cannot hire for a job, increases the cost of hiring a paralegal and puts governmentally imposed limits on the work paralegals may be able to do. It is very possible much of what we can do now would be limited. I don’t see a lot of positive benefits in government regulation of paralegals.

To me, the key is working in an environment that provides for ultimate supervision by an attorney. If that is achieved, we will always find paralegals working in many different positions, both traditional and nontraditional. Those who want to go that extra step in order to show commitment to the profession and stand out from the crowd will continue to see NALA’s voluntary certification as the best means to accomplish those goals.

 

CPN: If you could name one thing that would most benefit the paralegal profession, what would it be?

McGee: My wish is that all attorneys were trained to fully appreciate the very real benefits of employing paralegals, understand how best to utilize the unique skills paralegals bring to the job and the benefits of supporting them in their professional development.

  

CPN: If you could snap your fingers and create the perfect CLE, what would it be and why?

McGee: No need – it’s already been done! NALA has created a wonderful combination of CLE options designed to meet the many learning styles and needs of paralegals. You can learn in a classroom setting where the education builds from one day to the next. You can learn through a traditional book or in one of 90 interactive online courses, or through a NALA Campus course on a Saturday morning in your slippers. It doesn’t get any better than that!

 

CPN: What do you wish you knew when you were getting started in the profession that you know now?

McGee: I was lucky that there was a local paralegal association in which I could network and meet like-minded professionals who mentored me as I was learning the job. I only wish I had discovered them sooner. 

 

CPN: What is the best thing about your job?

McGee: I have the pleasure of working in a challenging job where I am surrounded by professionals and have the opportunity to learn something new every day. I couldn’t ask for anything more. 

 

CPN: And what part of your job could you do without?

McGee: I could do without attorneys who wait until the last minute to make their filings, and then it’s an emergency! 

 

CPN: What one thing, either personally or professionally, are you most proud of?

McGee: While I am incredibly proud of my professional accomplishments, I would have to say I am most proud of my two daughters. They are wonderful, talented young women who make such a difference in the lives of those they touch. They constantly inspire me.

Diana Smith, Staff Writer Features, NEWS & FEATURES mandatory or voluntary certification, National Association of Legal Assistants, Q&A

Laura Champlin is a paralegal in the commercial litigation practice group at Van Winkle, Buck, Wall, Starnes and Davis in Asheville, N.C. Champlin is certified through the North Carolina State Bar and holds an advanced certification in contracts administration/management through the National Association of Legal Assistants. In 1990, she received her bachelor’s degree in administration of justice and associate’s degree in paralegal studies from Wichita State University in Kansas. 

 

CPN: How long have you been a paralegal?

Champlin: Since 1990. 

 

CPN: What drew you into the career?

Champlin: While studying criminology and forensic science in college, I learned of the legal assistant program and took a few courses. I enjoyed them so much I decided to pursue two degrees – criminal justice and paralegal studies. Post graduation, I entered the legal profession as a legal assistant (now known as a paralegal), and I can honestly say I have never regretted my career choice. 

 

CPN: What paralegal organizations – national, state or local- are you member of and what positions do you hold in them?

Champlin: I am a member of the National As-sociation of Legal Assistants and a member of the Organization of Legal Profes-sionals’ education committee. I also belong to the e-Discovery Paralegal Network and am publicity committee chair for the Asheville Area Paralegal Association.

 

CPN: When you talk with other paralegals, what are the main concerns or issues they face on a daily basis?

Champlin: Those interested in becoming paralegals are concerned about the high cost of obtaining a paralegal degree. Those already employed express concern about the lack of career path/career opportunities and the desire for more challenging work. Another issue that affects the entire profession is the general lack of understanding by attorneys about what tasks a paralegal can and should do.

 

CPN: If you could name one thing that would most benefit the paralegal profession, what would it be?

Champlin: To clear up the identity crisis and settle on one name for our profession – either legal assistant or paralegal. To that end, I would suggest NALA and the National Federation of Paralegal Associations merge. One strong, united paralegal voice and one certification standard would be of great benefit to the nation’s paralegals. With increased pressure by clients for quality, cost-efficient legal services performed at the right level, this is a wonderful time to be a paralegal. 

  

CPN: If you could snap your fingers and create the perfect CLE, what would it be and why?

Champlin: I’m a bit of a geek, so I’d say a day focused on emerging technology for the legal profession, particularly in litigation.

 

CPN: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Champlin: I wanted to be a veterinarian.  I also wanted to be a flight attendant.

 

CPN: Knowing what you know now, if you weren’t a paralegal, what else would you want to do?

Champlin: Lurking beneath my interest in law is a passion for science and animals. If I had not followed the legal path, I most likely would have pursued a career in marine biology.  I spent my childhood in Hawaii and the beauty and wonder of the ocean and its creatures inspired me at an early age.

 

CPN: What do you wish you knew when you were getting started in the profession that you know now?

Champlin: How long and difficult it would be to define our profession.

 

CPN: What is the best thing about your job?

Champlin: It is the perfect combination of people and paper (information).

 

CPN: And what part of your job could you do without?

Champlin: Keeping track of time for billing purposes.

 

CPN: What one thing, either personally or professionally, are you most proud of?

Champlin: I am proud to be a member of the paralegal profession and look forward to the exciting changes that are coming in the next few years.

 

CPN: Where would we find you on the weekends?

Champlin: In South Carolina, on Lake Keowee, soaking up sun and water skiing.

Diana Smith, Staff Writer Features, NEWS & FEATURES Asheville, Laura Champlin, Q&A