Host Jill Francisco is joined by NEW Paralegal Voice cohost (and a longtime friend of the podcast) Tony Sipp. Together, they kick off the new year with a rundown of upcoming events and news in the paralegal profession. NALA Conference and Expo, July 12, in Boston. New continuing education requirements are coming. Are you ready? NALA’s six-part series on real estate education, coming soon (and why you need this) Black History Month and how diversity and inclusion makes you better and helps you su...
Feb 14, 2023•41 min•Season 1Ep. 153
In 2022, so many things changed. If you don’t love your job, this is your year. Find out if your pay, and job, measure up. Is your work arrangement still fair? Get out, join associations, network, and learn new skills. The pandemic showed us we can work from home if that’s what we want. Firms requiring workers to come back to the office risk losing valuable paralegals. It’s a job seeker’s market. If your firm is looking for paralegal help, you can poach from employers who aren’t adapting to the ...
Jan 20, 2023•47 min•Season 1Ep. 152
A year-end farewell as co-host Carl Morrison steps away from the mic. It’s been a great ride for the past five years, and Carl closes with a look back at 2022. Have no fear, co-host Jill Francisco stays with the podcast and will continue to deliver important insights in 2023. We’re watching so many changes to the role of paralegal professionals: more responsibilities, better tools, improved processes, and more options than ever. How can we make the legal profession more efficient and deliver mor...
Dec 23, 2022•33 min•Season 1Ep. 151
No matter if you’re new to the profession or a seasoned vet, paralegal professionals can never know too much. Guest Cathy L. Davis is an assistant professor and department chair of the criminal justice and legal studies programs at Alabama’s Faulkner University. She’s a champion of continuing education and the lifelong pursuit of new skills. Make your job your passion, and make learning your passion. Lexus, Clio, Mycase, Microsoft Office, local paralegal associations, and others all offer opport...
Oct 07, 2022•43 min•Season 1Ep. 150
In a very special, and very personal, episode host Jill Francisco is joined by her good friend, NFL star and Super Bowl champion Vinny Curry of the New York Jets. The power of positive thinking. Paralegal work is stressful and at times emotional. There are deadlines, complicated problems, and even difficult people and situations. It’s OK to feel frustrated, sad, even angry. But as Curry explains, the key is to acknowledge those feelings and work through them with the help of the positive, suppor...
Aug 31, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 149
Guest Memme Onwudiwe was a speaker at July’s NALA 2022 Conference & Expo delivering a presentation titled “Corporate Paralegals in the Age of Contract AI.” It’s an exciting topic as the role of corporate paralegals shifts from generating contracts to overseeing, managing, and validating contract data. This doesn’t mean corporate paralegals will lose their jobs, instead Onwudiwe expects they’ll be more valuable than ever, applying their expertise more productively. Imagine, no more "fire dril...
Jul 28, 2022•38 min•Season 1Ep. 148
Guest Debbie L. Overstreet, the incoming NALA president, gives an overview of the upcoming NALA conference – a return to the in-person gathering after two years of virtual, but with a remote option as well. Plus, the state of the job market for paralegal professionals and the role of the paralegal in government organizations. Now is a great time to be in the paralegal field. Jobs abound, and the field is transforming with new options for flexibility, including working from home. But every new st...
Jun 16, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 147
When it comes to DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), our guests believe legal organizations want to do what’s best. But they don’t know where to start, or even have the data tools to point out shortcomings. The issue can seem so overwhelming the process falls into analysis paralysis. But as host Carl Morrison hears, even beating a problem so overwhelming can be done with the right tool, one bite at a time, like eating the proverbial elephant. Where can firms get the data they need? Where to ...
May 27, 2022•39 min•Season 1Ep. 146
In an inspiring edition of The Paralegal Voice, guest Bobby T. Rimas shares his experiences as a paralegal professional, lifelong learner, author, and adjunct professor. Rimas shares his views on networking and staying current. Stand still and risk being left behind. Rimas follows the latest trends in legal tech and procedure and leans on his ever-growing network of paralegal professional colleagues to boost his team with resources that span state lines and jurisdictions. Even the most introvert...
Apr 28, 2022•47 min•Season 1Ep. 145
Host Carl Morrison is joined by guest Ben Hengels of Ligl.io for a deep dive into the Evidence Lifecycle Management (ELM), e-discovery, and data flow management that law practices run on. With so many moving parts, taking proper stock of every component – from email and cloud systems to legacy on-site servers – is crucial. So is working with providers who understand how each piece works with the other. Recognize early warning signs of common problems, mistakes that find their way into the proces...
Mar 31, 2022•45 min•Season 1Ep. 144
By default, many paralegal professionals serve as project managers, keeping cases on track and knowing when the next filing is due. But is traditional, linear project management best for all cases? Agile project management has been around in other business sectors for 20 years, but the legal field has been cautious and slow to adopt. Guest Alicia Mitchell-Mercer is an expert in applying the modern Agile project management philosophy to legal cases and how the Scrum processes fit. Scrum team? Pro...
Feb 24, 2022•40 min•Season 1Ep. 143
New year, new trends. Our field never slows down. Keep up or risk being passed by. Host Carl Morrison looks at a dozen developing trends for the coming year and beyond. Everything from the evolution of the Limited Licensed Practitioner field (looking at you Arizona and Utah) to the breakneck acceleration in legal tech, artificial intelligence, workflow automation, and process improvements. The post-pandemic “Great Resignation” is creating more opportunities than ever for paralegal professionals....
Jan 31, 2022•45 min•Season 1Ep. 142
New year, new … job? The legal field is struggling to find paralegals and fill vacancies during the “Great Resignation.” For paralegals, that creates opportunities to break into the field or to advance your career. Guest Tony Sipp, a paralegal manager for a national law firm, says it’s more important now than ever for paralegal professionals to know their worth, highlight their skills, and pursue their dreams. Firms are hiring now. Hear what hiring managers are looking for today – from soft skil...
Dec 23, 2021•36 min•Season 1Ep. 141
Carl is joined by Ki Hwang and Bob Roberts of Bright Line Counsel, an Alternative Legal Service Provider (ALSP). Learn how the field is not only streamlining legal ops and more efficiently serving clients, but also creating exciting opportunities for paralegal professionals. Hear how today’s paralegals can leverage their project management and technology skills to advance their careers and focus on meaningful, rewarding work. It’s a whole new world, and paralegal professionals are at the center ...
Nov 25, 2021•40 min•Season 1Ep. 140
Host Jill Francisco talks with veteran paralegal (and BFF) Nancy Jordahl about opportunities for paralegals outside the office. Jordahl regularly writes for paralegal and legal professional journals and is a regular speaker at paralegal conferences. Learn how to get started, find opportunities, and create the content professionals want (and need). Hear how to spot opportunities to serve on paralegal education advisory boards and even teach the next generation of paralegals. Not only are you givi...
Nov 01, 2021•47 min•Season 1Ep. 139
It’s not just the poor. Even the middle class struggles with a complex and costly American legal system. Our guest, Toni Marsh, JD, is a professor and director at the George Washington University School of Law Paralegal Studies program and a fierce advocate for the role of paralegals. The paralegal profession is in flux. As Americans struggle to access their legal system, constitutional rights are becoming out of reach. Marsh believes paralegals can fill that gap as states explore expanding thei...
Sep 30, 2021•37 min•Season 1Ep. 138
The legal profession was already going online and high-tech. But COVID disruptions, working from home, and remote legal processes have supercharged those changes. Are you up to speed? Host Jill Francisco – a veteran paralegal and classroom instructor – interviews attorney and longtime professor Todd Richardson about today’s classroom experience. It’s more than lectures and books. Today’s learning includes new technology, working collaboratively online and in person, and leveraging digital tools ...
Aug 30, 2021•40 min•Season 1Ep. 137
Carl Morrison and Tom Stephenson detail the myriad ways paralegals can leverage their skills in the growing field of legal operations. Special thanks to our sponsors, NALA, ServeNow, and CourtFiling.net. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 15, 2021•36 min•Season 1Ep. 136
Given how fast the paralegal field is growing, it’s no wonder NALA expects record meeting attendance. CEO Vanessa Finley offers a preview. Special thanks to our sponsors, NALA, ServeNow, CourtFiling.net and Legalinc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 30, 2021•44 min•Season 1Ep. 135
There’s a right way to create a culture of diversity and inclusion and there are countless wrong ways companies and law firms continue to develop failing programs and policies. St. John’s University’s William Murphy tells host Carl Morrison the range from worst reasons to implement (reactionary) to best (making the business case). Special thanks to our sponsors, NALA, ServeNow, CourtFiling.net and Legalinc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Jun 04, 2021•47 min•Season 1Ep. 134
Educator and trainer Amy Johnson shows how simple changes in work habits can save time, increase productivity, and add value to a legal team. Special thanks to our sponsors, NALA, ServeNow, CourtFiling.net and Legalinc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apr 23, 2021•49 min•Season 1Ep. 133
Carl Morrison reviews the changing paralegal certification landscape as states weigh and test limited licenses to expand access to justice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mar 31, 2021•44 min•Season 1Ep. 132
Partner Marc Williams recaps the rapid litigation transition from in-person to virtual and what he expects will be the new normal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 11, 2021•52 min•Season 1Ep. 131
Lawyer Drew Downing explains how those injured by vaccines can file claims with the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 28, 2021•42 min•Season 1Ep. 130
Lawyer Brian Moore details evolving regulatory changes that impact employers and workers as the pandemic rages and vaccines hit the market. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 17, 2020•33 min•Season 1Ep. 129
Master Sgt. Albert Perez Oyola details career paths and, for some, intense assignment twists for those trained as military paralegals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 30, 2020•39 min•Season 1Ep. 128
Creating a diverse and inclusive culture requires action. Jill Francisco explores big and small ways to support diversity in the workplace. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 12, 2020•46 min•Season 1Ep. 127
Host Carl Morrison shows how paralegals can integrate process improvement techniques in their day-to-day work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 30, 2020•38 min•Season 1Ep. 126
When it comes to social media, legal professionals should tread carefully, but actively engage friends, clients and peers in these new spaces. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 30, 2020•52 min•Season 1Ep. 126
Anne Geraghty-Rathert discusses the mission of the WILLOW Project and prevalent issues in women’s wrongful convictions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 10, 2020•33 min•Season 1Ep. 125
