Experienced Paralegal
Experienced paralegal with a strong command of Missouri Civil Litigation, Criminal Defense, and Family Law. Knowledge of rules of civil procedure, mandatory disclosure requirements, preparation of pleadings, discovery responses, confidential correspondence, and e-filing. Excellent organizational and multi-tasking skills with extensive experience in coordinating projects and cases with multiple deadlines.
Diligent and resourceful in conducting legal research and case investigations; upholds the ethical standards of the legal profession while maintaining a high level of confidentiality, professional courtesy, and dependability. Competent in all administrative duties including supervising and training of other staff members. Accomplished in analyzing court rules, drafting pleadings, editing documents, handling invoices and billing discrepancies, legal research, and professional communication with clients and court staff.
Technically skilled: Adobe ProDoc, Westlaw, LexisNexis, SAP-ERP, Missouri CaseNet, PACER, Quickbooks, Verdict, TimeSlips, and MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint); typing 70 WPM.
Legal Skills
Civil Law Proceedings - Family Law Proceedings - Legal Research - Discovery Packages - E-filing / Records Management - Legal Document Preparation -
Case Management - Trial Preparation - Court Calendaring - Pleadings & Motions -
Client Interviews - Billing & Collections (AR/AP) - Office & Court Procedures
Professional Experience
ROBERT HALF LEGAL Staffing Firm (Clayton, MO) | Paralegal, July 2018-February 2019
Temporary assignment; extended beyond the original scope of job duties due to previous experience, education, and training.
Provided legal and administrative support for 5 associate attorneys and 2 senior partners within the Litigation department and Trust & Estates department.
Assisted attorneys in the timely drafting and filing of legal documents and correspondence, supporting case preparation for court appearances, hearings, depositions, trials and meetings.
JURISTEMPS Staffing Firm (St. Louis, MO) | Front Office / Legal Assistant, June 2018-July 2018
Temporary assignment for medical leave coverage.
Cheerfully & professionally greeted walk-in clients and staff including beverage service to clientele; maintained a tidy and inviting environment in front lobby; answered all incoming calls and forwarded to appropriate administrative staff and/or sent call details via internal system and MS Outlook to appropriate individual(s). High volume calls requiring strict attention to detail and strong multitasking.
Ensured all conference rooms properly supplied for all calendared meetings; assisted paralegals with document preparation; maintained and ordered all firm office supplies.
CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY TRANSIT AUTHORITY (Cape Girardeau, MO) | Administrative Assistant & Compliance Coordinator, July 2017-May 2018
Temporary assignment through KELLY SERVICES Temp Staffing Firm, 3 months.
Assisted Accounting Manager with AR/AP and invoice filing. Investigated billing discrepancies and followed-up with managers to update on expected payment amount.
Assisted with FTA and Government compliance by filing quarterly reports and creating internal Policy documents.
Maintained front office paperwork; ordered office supplies. Answered customer questions in person and on phone; answered all incoming calls on multi-line phone system and transferred to appropriate office staff as needed.
Cash handling using the Square system. Data entry of daily trips for Medicaid recipients requiring strict confidentiality. Distribution of various recurring billing reports to appropriate management personnelle.
LAYTON & SOUTHARD Law Firm (Cape Girardeau, MO) | Paralegal, August 2015-June 2016
Provided legal and administrative support to a senior partner specializing in Domestic Relations / Family Law at a busy Cape Girardeau firm by preparing, editing, and e-filing pleadings, exhibits, motions, judgments, court orders, inventories and discovery.
Maintained attorney calendars for court appearances, hearings, depositions, discovery and pleadings response deadlines, trials and meetings.
Interfaced with clients, other administrative and legal personnel, opposing counsel, law enforcement officers and staff, and court officers.
Billing & Invoicing: produced monthly billing reports by client for attorney review and edit, printed appropriate invoices for mailing and updated Verdict time entry system, and tracked cumulative hours for specific corporate clients.
MONDI JACKSON INC (Cape Girardeau, MO) | Purchasing Specialist, Feb 2014-July 2015
Temporary assignment through KELLY SERVICES Temp Staffing Firm, 3 months.
Processed purchase requisitions via SAP program onto Purchase Orders and sent to Vendors.
Communicated updated with multiple vendors via email and telephone correspondence.
Managed min/max reorder point for all MRO spare parts (7,000+) within SAP program.
Coordinated service requests (repair and preventative maintenance) for all machines (20+) including filing required ISO documents and legal documentation (Certificate of Liability Insurance, Confidentiality Agreements).
Negotiated best pricing and payment/INCO terms for cost savings and capital expenditure tracking; created Excel spreadsheet Cost Analysis Reports utilizing pivot tables.
Drafted ISO Document Instructions for Purchasing Specialist Standard Daily Work.
Provided customer service for MRO vendors and "internal customer"/Mondi Department Managers and Supervisors (100+ people) via telephone, email and in person.
Ensured appropriate contractual documentation was entered into the SAP system for million-dollar purchases, including payment terms; monitored shipment and delivery of equipment, and coordinated with Accounting for prompt payment in accordance with negotiated terms.
LOWES & DRUSCH Law Firm (Cape Girardeau, MO) | Paralegal, June 2010-February 2014
Provided legal and administrative support to several attorneys by preparing and e-filing pleadings, exhibits, motions, judgments, court orders, inventories and discovery for a well-known law firm in Cape Girardeau. Experience in Criminal Defense, Civil Litigation, Domestic Relations, and Trust & Estate.
Interfaced with clients, other administrative and legal personnel, opposing counsel, law enforcement officers and staff, and court officers.
Maintained attorney calendars for court appearances, hearings, depositions, discovery and pleadings response deadlines, trials and meetings.
Billing: completed all billable time entry into TimeSlips system, edited entries per attorney instruction, and produced monthly billable time reports.
EARLY CAREER:
Express Employment Group (Temp Firm), Cape Girardeau, MO -- Temporary Secretarial and Administrative assignments (July 2016-July 2017)
CAW, Inc. (501c3 NonProfit), Redwood Valley, CA -- Legal Aide, Membership Coordinator, Board Treasurer & Secretary (May 2007 - February 2010)
US Navy Reserves (USNR), San Diego, CA -- Aviation Electrician (AE), Airman (June 2002-September 2005)
Education
Associate of Arts (AA) in General Studies, Paralegal Studies Emphasis | City College of San Francisco (San Francisco, CA) - May 2008
Paralegals Studies Certification | San Francisco State University -- College of Extended Learning (San Francisco, CA) - December 2009
Experienced paralegal with a strong command of Missouri Civil Litigation, Criminal Defense, and Family Law. Knowledge of rules of civil procedure, mandatory disclosure requirements, preparation of pleadings, discovery responses, confidential correspondence, and e-filing. Excellent organizational and multi-tasking skills with extensive experience in coordinating projects and cases with multiple deadlines.
Diligent and resourceful in conducting legal research and case investigations; upholds the ethical standards of the legal profession while maintaining a high level of confidentiality, professional courtesy, and dependability. Competent in all administrative duties including supervising and training of other staff members. Accomplished in analyzing court rules, drafting pleadings, editing documents, handling invoices and billing discrepancies, legal research, and professional communication with clients and court staff.
Technically skilled: Adobe ProDoc, Westlaw, LexisNexis, SAP-ERP, Missouri CaseNet, PACER, Quickbooks, Verdict, TimeSlips, and MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint); typing 70 WPM.
Legal Skills
Civil Law Proceedings - Family Law Proceedings - Legal Research - Discovery Packages - E-filing / Records Management - Legal Document Preparation -
Case Management - Trial Preparation - Court Calendaring - Pleadings & Motions -
Client Interviews - Billing & Collections (AR/AP) - Office & Court Procedures
Professional Experience
ROBERT HALF LEGAL Staffing Firm (Clayton, MO) | Paralegal, July 2018-February 2019
Temporary assignment; extended beyond the original scope of job duties due to previous experience, education, and training.
Provided legal and administrative support for 5 associate attorneys and 2 senior partners within the Litigation department and Trust & Estates department.
Assisted attorneys in the timely drafting and filing of legal documents and correspondence, supporting case preparation for court appearances, hearings, depositions, trials and meetings.
JURISTEMPS Staffing Firm (St. Louis, MO) | Front Office / Legal Assistant, June 2018-July 2018
Temporary assignment for medical leave coverage.
Cheerfully & professionally greeted walk-in clients and staff including beverage service to clientele; maintained a tidy and inviting environment in front lobby; answered all incoming calls and forwarded to appropriate administrative staff and/or sent call details via internal system and MS Outlook to appropriate individual(s). High volume calls requiring strict attention to detail and strong multitasking.
Ensured all conference rooms properly supplied for all calendared meetings; assisted paralegals with document preparation; maintained and ordered all firm office supplies.
CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY TRANSIT AUTHORITY (Cape Girardeau, MO) | Administrative Assistant & Compliance Coordinator, July 2017-May 2018
Temporary assignment through KELLY SERVICES Temp Staffing Firm, 3 months.
Assisted Accounting Manager with AR/AP and invoice filing. Investigated billing discrepancies and followed-up with managers to update on expected payment amount.
Assisted with FTA and Government compliance by filing quarterly reports and creating internal Policy documents.
Maintained front office paperwork; ordered office supplies. Answered customer questions in person and on phone; answered all incoming calls on multi-line phone system and transferred to appropriate office staff as needed.
Cash handling using the Square system. Data entry of daily trips for Medicaid recipients requiring strict confidentiality. Distribution of various recurring billing reports to appropriate management personnelle.
LAYTON & SOUTHARD Law Firm (Cape Girardeau, MO) | Paralegal, August 2015-June 2016
Provided legal and administrative support to a senior partner specializing in Domestic Relations / Family Law at a busy Cape Girardeau firm by preparing, editing, and e-filing pleadings, exhibits, motions, judgments, court orders, inventories and discovery.
Maintained attorney calendars for court appearances, hearings, depositions, discovery and pleadings response deadlines, trials and meetings.
Interfaced with clients, other administrative and legal personnel, opposing counsel, law enforcement officers and staff, and court officers.
Billing & Invoicing: produced monthly billing reports by client for attorney review and edit, printed appropriate invoices for mailing and updated Verdict time entry system, and tracked cumulative hours for specific corporate clients.
MONDI JACKSON INC (Cape Girardeau, MO) | Purchasing Specialist, Feb 2014-July 2015
Temporary assignment through KELLY SERVICES Temp Staffing Firm, 3 months.
Processed purchase requisitions via SAP program onto Purchase Orders and sent to Vendors.
Communicated updated with multiple vendors via email and telephone correspondence.
Managed min/max reorder point for all MRO spare parts (7,000+) within SAP program.
Coordinated service requests (repair and preventative maintenance) for all machines (20+) including filing required ISO documents and legal documentation (Certificate of Liability Insurance, Confidentiality Agreements).
Negotiated best pricing and payment/INCO terms for cost savings and capital expenditure tracking; created Excel spreadsheet Cost Analysis Reports utilizing pivot tables.
Drafted ISO Document Instructions for Purchasing Specialist Standard Daily Work.
Provided customer service for MRO vendors and "internal customer"/Mondi Department Managers and Supervisors (100+ people) via telephone, email and in person.
Ensured appropriate contractual documentation was entered into the SAP system for million-dollar purchases, including payment terms; monitored shipment and delivery of equipment, and coordinated with Accounting for prompt payment in accordance with negotiated terms.
LOWES & DRUSCH Law Firm (Cape Girardeau, MO) | Paralegal, June 2010-February 2014
Provided legal and administrative support to several attorneys by preparing and e-filing pleadings, exhibits, motions, judgments, court orders, inventories and discovery for a well-known law firm in Cape Girardeau. Experience in Criminal Defense, Civil Litigation, Domestic Relations, and Trust & Estate.
Interfaced with clients, other administrative and legal personnel, opposing counsel, law enforcement officers and staff, and court officers.
Maintained attorney calendars for court appearances, hearings, depositions, discovery and pleadings response deadlines, trials and meetings.
Billing: completed all billable time entry into TimeSlips system, edited entries per attorney instruction, and produced monthly billable time reports.
EARLY CAREER:
Express Employment Group (Temp Firm), Cape Girardeau, MO -- Temporary Secretarial and Administrative assignments (July 2016-July 2017)
CAW, Inc. (501c3 NonProfit), Redwood Valley, CA -- Legal Aide, Membership Coordinator, Board Treasurer & Secretary (May 2007 - February 2010)
US Navy Reserves (USNR), San Diego, CA -- Aviation Electrician (AE), Airman (June 2002-September 2005)
Education
Associate of Arts (AA) in General Studies, Paralegal Studies Emphasis | City College of San Francisco (San Francisco, CA) - May 2008
Paralegals Studies Certification | San Francisco State University -- College of Extended Learning (San Francisco, CA) - December 2009