Staying Organized and in Control: A Paralegal's Guide

Agenda / Content Covered

All times are shown in Eastern time.

1. Self-Care, Stress Management and Your Well-Being
   10:00 - 11:00, Dennis F. O'Brien
   1. The Impact of Stress on Productivity
   2. Shining a Light on Common Issues in the Legal Profession
      1. Burnout, Secondary Trauma and Compassion Fatigue
      2. Anxiety and Depression
   3. Top 10 Strategies for Reducing Stress and Improving Mindfulness
2. Maximizing Productivity in Your Daily Work
   11:15 - 12:15, Devany Whipple
   1. Re-Thinking the To-Do List
   2. Goal Setting and Prioritization Best Practices
   3. Batching Tasks and Time Blocking
   4. Communication and Email Management
   5. Overcoming the Top 5 Time Wasters for Paralegals
   6. Worthwhile Productivity Tools and Technology
3. Bullet-Proof Calendaring and Deadline Management
   12:15 - 1:15, Devany Whipple
   1. Determining Court Deadlines, Deciphering Unclear Court Notices
   2. Case Studies: How to Calendar . . .
      1. Hard Deadlines, Conferences and Discovery
      2. Soft Deadlines, Case Milestones and Information Gathering
   3. Getting the Most Out of Outlook and Other Calendaring Tools
   4. Maintaining Master and Personal Calendars
   5. Time Saving Tips and Optimizations
4. Maintaining Physical and Electronic Case Files
   1:45 - 2:45, Robert D. Bohm
   1. Anatomy of a Well-Organized Case File
   2. Best Practices for Labeling and Organization
   3. Transitioning Labeling Systems to Electronic Files
      1. Folder Structure and File Naming
      2. Search and Retrieval
      3. Managing Files and Folders in the Cloud
   4. Document Retention and Destruction
5. Applying Project Management Principles to Streamline Legal Work
   3:00 - 4:00, Dennis F. O'Brien
   1. The What, When and Why of Legal Project Management
   2. Understanding the Lifecycle of a Case
   3. Mapping Matter Workflows in Law - Case Studies
   4. Managing the Project, Tracking Progress and Measuring Outcomes
6. Everyday Ethics for Paralegals
   4:00 - 5:00, Robert D. Bohm
   1. Unauthorized Practice of Law
   2. Handling Privileged and Confidential Information
   3. Inadvertent Disclosures - Obligations of Both Sides
   4. How to Escalate Ethical Issues in the Law Firm Setting
   5. Spoliation and Preservation Do's and Don'ts

ROBERT D. BOHM is a trial lawyer at Robert D. Bohm, PLLC, who, from his offices in Arizona and Washington State, represents injured people and their families in cases involving wrongful death and catastrophic personal injury. He is certified by the State Bar of Arizona as a specialist in injury and wrongful death litigation. He handles cases throughout the states of Arizona and Washington involving wrongful death and catastrophic personal injury including, but not limited to, premises liability, including resort and hotel injuries, falls, sexual assault and failure to provide adequate security, and insurance bad faith claims. Mr. Bohm earned his B.S. degree from Northern Illinois University and his J.D. degree from the University of Arizona.

DENNIS F. O'BRIEN is a sole proprietor at the law office of Dennis F. O'Brien, P.A., where his full-time civil litigation practice focuses on serious personal injury; product liability, including drug and medical devices; medical malpractice; nursing home negligence; appellate work; and general civil litigation. Mr. O'Brien is a member of the Maryland State, Harford County, Baltimore County and Baltimore City bar associations; and the American Association for Justice. He is admitted to the U.S. District Court, District of Maryland; U.S. Court of Appeals (Fourth Cir.); and the U.S. Supreme Court. Mr. O’Brien is the co-author and author of a variety of articles and is currently working on a book, Accident Reconstruction for Lawyers, to be nationally published by the National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA). He earned his B.S. degree from the University of Maryland Baltimore County and his J.D. degree, cum laude, from the Baltimore School of Law.

DEVANY WHIPPLE is a certified paralegal with the Law Firm of Jill V. Johnson Vigil in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Ms. Whipple is a member of the New Mexico State Bar (Paralegal Division). She received her national certification through the National Association of Legal Assistance. Ms. Whipple earned her certification in business fundamentals from New Mexico State University, her associate's degree in paralegal studies from New Mexico State University and her associate's degree in accounting technology from New Mexico State University - Dona Ana.