Why Paralegals Are Quietly Becoming More Valuable Than Associates ft. Michelle Pendleton

Quotes:

• "The biggest thing for me was to always ask one more question. I think in litigation, that's a big, big thing to think about because even if you get something that looks pretty simple and obvious on its face, it's not always that way when you start to dig in and look at the actual information and the documentation, especially, the evidence."
• "We are kind of a jack of all trades. I do something different almost every day, at least a little bit that I haven't done before. You know, whether it's today I'm using Google Earth to map a demonstrative for a hearing, but I think just being willing to make those adjustments because it's a constant movement in terms of what the case requires, what the judge requires, what a witness might require to take their deposition properly."
• "I learned that even though people say use common language, use natural language, you also have to be cognizant that you're talking to a machine or someone who may not know anything about the legal profession. I learned that I have to take a few steps backwards when I'm starting those prompts because I tend to just jump in and I'm used to using the jargon and legal tools that know exactly what those parameters are."
• "I think it's the case management - that's the key. Because I find when I see a case that hasn't had a paralegal on it, it's not structured. There's no management and no tracking of all of those things that we've been talking about. The ability to know where you're going and what you're gonna need to get there - it's invaluable."