Thinking back on my twenty year plus career as a Florida Registered Paralegal (“FRP”), I can’t help but to first think of the many people I have worked with. Hundreds of attorneys and legal support staff, each of whom helped to shape and mold me into the legal professional I am today. I can vividly remember each time I met a new assigned attorney. The nerves are similar to a blind date, but in actuality, it is more like an arranged marriage of sorts. Knowing that this person will depend on your professionalism, legal acumen, and work ethic, for their career and reputation can be overwhelming. Understanding the weight of that responsibility and expectations, and wondering if you can meet them, and perhaps more importantly, if you will get along
with each other while working together. The real fun begins once the butterflies are gone, and you “roll up your sleeves” and get to work. I have had the privilege of working with some of the best legal minds of our community. Men and women with strong critical thinking and persuasive communication skills, combined with a strategic mindset and a commitment to ethical conduct. I have always been a good observer of these skills and tried my best to mimic them in my work. Even while working on my Pre-Law and A.S. Degree in Paralegal Studies, I observed and absorbed all that I could from those not only giving the class, but my peers alongside me. I remember being in the courtroom observing a trial for an essay assignment at school, and seeing Roy Black, a renowned American Trial Attorney, famous for his work in high-profile criminal defense cases, deliver a real-time master class on direct and cross-examination techniques. But even then, sitting in the courtroom watching the maestro do his thing, I could not help but notice the two rows of legal professionals, including paralegals, sitting right behind him, with dozens of boxes of photographs, transcripts, and memos, perfectly categorized and tabbed at their feet, ready to be called upon if needed. It was then that I was reminded yet again that Roy Black could only do what he did so well, because he had a strong team alongside him preparing him for such a day. During my early tenure at Kubicki Draper, P.A., Steven W. Rich hired me to assist him on his work on complex and multi-party civil litigation cases. I remember the first big case he had me work on. Back before the digital world we live in now, our legal documents were filed physically in “pressboard classification folders with fasteners,” and as the case grew, those folders were put into boxes. Well, this particular case had over 20 boxes worth of documents. I remember hunting down each box, and every piece of paper on the case, and reviewing it from beginning to end on my own time. In doing so, I was able to identify some key documents which were overlooked by a prior law firm, and I learned about that case as if it were my own. I remember Steve peeking into my office out of curiosity (and sometimes amusement) as I went through the folders, but then I recall earning his respect and confidence, which led to more challenging assignments. I fondly recall working for Elsa M. Ojeda-Fernandez in my early years, and how often I would make mistakes!!! And how her response was always the same – “okay, what happened? – and how can we fix it?” Then she would roll out her white board stand, undo the top of her Expo erasable marker, and break it all down visually.