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News Flash: Legal Assistants Read Bathroom Walls

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By: Laura McDonald

I was one of the younger kids in my class, and graduated at 17. Upon graduation, I was hired immediately by a city attorney. First full-time job - it was definitely my baptism by fire. I enjoyed it, really enjoyed it...well, except for having to deal with that older woman across the hall. She was the real estate paralegal and worked directly for my boss. Best description I can share is that she was a very handsome woman. Know the type? Not beautiful, but very attractive. Her regal style literally commanded respect.

My personality is outgoing and I don't fear many things in life, but that woman intimidated me. Apparently the intimidation I felt fed my desire to please and impress her. I was rarely successful. Whew, tough nut to crack.

One day I was typing a Last Will and Testament for a waiting client. As the paralegal wandered by, she noticed me using correcting tape. "Is that a will?" "Yes." "Do I see what I think I see, you're using correcting tape?" "...yes? Almost finished..." "Take it out and start all over again, you must never make a mistake on a will, even if corrected."

Now this was a few years ago. It was in the days before word processing. All right, it was several years ago. When we used tiny strips of correcting tape and had to line it up just right to rehit the incorrect stroke and hope it adequately covered the typo. Okay, it was several years ago. Okay, many. Fine.

I got so flustered I wound up wasting several sheets of heavier gauge special will paper before I finished a perfect document. Obviously, the incident impressed me to still easily recall it today. But she was right. Overkill, perhaps, but shouldn't all documents prepared by law firms be typo-free? Clients pay for professional advice and the preparation of official documents. Shouldn't those documents be perfect?

Excellent proofreading is a great skill for a paralegal to develop. A paralegal should check and recheck her work product, and not only her own but also the work done by others around her. Proofread work done by your boss. Proofread work done by your secretary. Proofread the work done by other paralegals down the hall. Proofread advertising on busses. Read the bathroom walls at dance clubs, no doubt some editing could be done there! Overkill?

That particular story ends well. Over time, I felt less intimidated and ultimately gained that woman's respect. And friendship. I learned a valuable lesson - backspace and delete keys are pretty darn handy for invisible corrections.

Laura McDonald is a paralegal. She has many years of experience in the areas of personal injury (accident related and medical malpractice), workers’ compensation, civil litigation, family, environmental, and corporate law, estate planning, and bankruptcy. She is employed by Michael L. Hawkins & Associates, P.L.L.C. in Frankfort, Kentucky. Her website is: http://www.paralegalsecretary.bravehost.com. Laura is available to encourage anyone interested in entering the paralegal field or seeking to improve related skills.

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