In 2014 Oregon Governor Kate Brown declared Friday, June 18, 2021, “Paralegal Day”. Kudos to Governor Brown for recognizing paralegals as the invisible, unsung heroes of legal offices. Smart lawyers realize that the right paralegal efficiently works behind the scenes, so lawyer look good, and clients smile more often.
Paralegals are like glue—easy to overlook, but necessary to a cohesive and effective team. A paralegal’s specific duties vary widely depending on a specific law office’s need. Common tasks paralegals perform include:
- Fact checking
- Drafting correspondence
- Analyzing and summarizing documents
- Drafting pleadings, document responses and discoveries
- Communicating with clients
- Coordinating case action items
- Using computer programs to streamline claim management; and,
- Whatever else the supervising lawyer needs done in a particular case.
Three Rizk Law staffers graduated from Portland Community College’s Paralegal Program.
Jill Rizk completed her Paralegal Certificate in 2004 and has worked as a litigation paralegal for over twenty years. Mrs. Rizk providers litigation support for the associate attorneys at Rizk Law along with managing the day-to-day operations of the firm.
Paula Ruth completed her Paralegal Certificate in 2019. Ms. Ruth presents and provides customer support for non-litigated claims. She also performs investigative tasks. Ms. Ruth is the point person for insurance adjusters, medical providers, and clients.
Daniel Sanderson completed his Paralegal Certificate in 2020 and is pursuing an undergraduate degree at Portland State University. Mr. Sanderson intends to attend law school upon graduation. At Rizk Law, Mr. Sanderson specializes in handling client intake calls and assists with claims management.
Effective paralegals free up lawyers so lawyers have more time to focus on practicing law. Paralegals concentrate on factual research while attorneys focus on legal research. By working together, the Rizk Law attorneys and paralegals “Help everyday people, every day”!
