What Every Paralegal Ought to Know About Ethics and Law Office Management

Agenda / Content Covered

1. Tips for Effective Time Management, Calendaring, and Office Organization
   10:00 - 10:45, Jenna M. Prosceno
   1. Calendar and Docket Control
   2. Time Management 101
   3. Automating Tasks and Processes
   4. Stress Management Pointers
   5. Successful Delegation and Supervision of Other Non-Lawyer Staff
   6. Troubleshooting Common Law Office Problems: Gossip, Politics, Absenteeism, etc.
2. Identifying and Resolving Conflicts: Ensuring Legal Best Practice
   10:45 - 11:45, Marie Yves N. Jean-Baptiste Esq.
   1. Conflicts of Interest: What Are They?
   2. Conflict-Tracking Systems: What You Need to Know
   3. What Do You Do If You Have a Conflict?
   4. Who Decides How to Handle a Conflict?
   5. Can Conflicts Be Waived?
3. Useful Tech Tips for Paralegals
   12:00 - 12:30, June Hunter
4. Law Firm Communications and Client Relations: Ethical Best Practices
   12:30 - 1:30, Linda A. Ouellette
   1. Practical Insights on Contact Management and Frequency
   2. Making (and Answering) Phone Calls
   3. Email Etiquette Rules You Must Know
   4. Handling Mail and Faxes
   5. Avoiding Legal Advice and Other UPL Landmines
      1. Defining "Practice of Law"
      2. Identifying Yourself and Clearly Stating Your Title: Why It Matters
      3. When Family, Friends, or Clients Ask for Legal Advice
      4. When Your Lawyer Is Busy and Asks You to "Just Handle It"
      5. Exploring Other Potential UPL Scenarios
   6. Dealing With Difficult People and Confrontation
5. Safeguarding Client Confidentiality
   2:00 - 3:00, Linda A. Ouellette
   1. Defining Client Confidences
   2. Confidentiality in Communication With Clients and Third Parties
   3. Safeguarding Confidentiality in Electronic Communications: Essential Guidelines
   4. Avoiding (and Remedying) Inadvertent Disclosures
   5. Privilege Waivers 101
6. Branding, Networking, and Social Media: Current Issues and Best Practices for Paralegals
   3:00 - 3:30, R. Lee Robertson Jr.
7. File Management: Organizing Records for Easy Search and Retrieval
   3:45 - 4:15, William J. Delaney
   1. Filing System - Paper or Electronic?
   2. Storing, Managing, and Disposing of Client Files: Legal Essentials
   3. Safeguarding Client Property: Ethical Considerations
   4. Handling Discovery and Evidence
   5. Special Considerations for Law Firm Administrative Documents
8. Primer on Law Firm Accounting, Timekeeping, and Billing
   4:15 - 5:00, William J. Delaney
   1. Tracking Billable Time
   2. Billing and Invoicing Practices and Business Rules
   3. Ethical Issues Related to Billing
   4. The Essentials of Law Office Accounting
   5. Handling Client Funds
   6. QuickBooks for Accounting and Billing

Accreditation Details:

William J. Delaney is a member of Lonard Forte & Trudeau LLP. He is a lifetime fellow of the Rhode Island Bar Foundation, as well as a fellow of the American Bar Association. Mr. Delaney is a member of the Rhode Island Supreme Court's MCLE Committee and the Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York State, Pennsylvania and Connecticut bar associations. He earned his A.B. degree from the University of Notre Dame, his M.B.A. degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, his J.D. degree from Albany Law School of Union University and his L.L.M. degree from the Morin Center, Boston University School of Law

June Hunter is the technical enablement senior specialist at DISCO. She has worked in many different capacities during her career, which have included legal secretary, firm-wide trainer/IT help desk, litigation support and paralegal. Ms. Hunter's experience has required her to perform on multiple levels, including as an eDiscovery analyst and technological trainer, as well as providing customer support through manning of the IT helpdesk and in the litigation support role during trial. In her role as a paralegal, she has assisted in the preparation of documents for commercial real estate transactions, litigation documents, government RFP's, multiple environmental actions, and assisted with HR and employee-related legal issues. Ms. Hunter is instrumental in the implementation of discovery plans for litigation, including assisting with data analysis and setting up the database or other review systems for other legal personnel. She is an adjunct teacher at UCSD Extension in their ABA-approved Paralegal Studies program, teaching computer essentials for the legal professional. Ms. Hunter is currently a board member for the San Diego Paralegal Association and volunteers her time to the education of other legal professions, including teaching computer classes through the San Diego Legal Secretaries Association. She is graduate of the ABA-approved Paralegal Studies program at the University of California San Diego.

Marie Yves N. Jean-Baptiste Esq. is the managing owner of The Saint Yves Law Firm, where she focuses her practice on the areas of estates and trusts, and taxation. Ms. Jean-Baptiste earned her J.D. degree, her Masters of Law in taxation (LL.M.) and an Estate Planning Certificate from the University of Baltimore School of Law. She has extensive experience in the areas of litigation, family law, estate planning, estate administration and probate, income tax preparation, and tax controversy matters. Ms. Jean-Baptiste makes it a part of her practice to assist individuals of the LGBTQIA+ community in the areas of family law, and estates and trusts when confronted with unique challenges, considerations, and issues when exercising legal rights. She is licensed to practice law in Maryland state and federal courts, United States Tax Court and United States Supreme Court. Ms. Jean-Baptiste prioritizes pro bono activities, lending her services to organizations and individuals across Maryland that are in need. She is the former chairperson for the Baltimore County Bar Association Estates & Trusts Committee, where she coordinated meetings, events and educational programs for her estates and trusts peers. Ms. Jean-Baptiste is a member of the Executive Board for the Harford County Bar Foundation, an organization dedicated to serving members of Harford and Cecil counties.

Linda A. Ouellette is an attorney with Kates & Barlow, PC in Boston, Massachusetts. Her practice is devoted exclusively to family law and probate litigation, including divorce, paternity, modification, contempt and guardianship cases, as well as will contests and other probate actions. Ms. Ouellette has tried multiple family law cases involving complex financial issues, including valuation of closely held corporations, as well as highly contested custody cases. She is a member of the Boston and Massachusetts bar associations. Ms. Ouellette earned her B.A. degree from St. Anselm College and her J.D. degree from Boston College Law School.

Jenna M. Prosceno is a civil litigation paralegal at Baird Mandalas Brockstedt & Federico, LLC. With nearly 20 years of experience in personal injury litigation, she now concentrates on contract and construction law on a litigation team with a general practice firm. Ms. Prosceno has a background in law firm start-up organization and in law firm administration. She has also handled all aspects of personal injury cases from the initial client contract, through and including trial preparation and participation. Ms. Prosceno's case management experience includes client and witness interviews, medical research, legal and factual research, as well as coordinating document production for trial. She is a graduate of Delaware Technical and Community College and the University of Delaware.

R. Lee Robertson Jr. is the managing partner of Robertson & Associates, a boutique commercial, construction and real estate litigation law firm located in Charlotte, North Carolina. He manages the firm's robust litigation practice, successfully and aggressively representing businesses and individuals throughout the Charlotte metropolitan area and across North Carolina. Mr. Robertson has tried numerous jury and bench trials to verdict, and since 2012 has recovered more than $75,000,000 for his clients. He primarily represents contractors, subcontractors and owners in construction disputes over workmanship and payment. Mr. Robertson also represents and defends hundreds of businesses and nonprofit organizations in all manner of transactions and disputes related to formation and governance, employment, policy development, contracts, and real estate; as well as licensed professionals, including real estate agents, plumbers, electricians, physicians, attorneys and other licensed professionals before their respective licensing boards. His firm handles a variety of non-litigation matters for its clients, including commercial real estate transactions, entity formation, estate planning, and estate administration. Mr. Robertson earned his B.A. degree at North Carolina State University and his J.D. degree at the Charlotte School of Law. He was admitted to the North Carolina State Bar in 2012, and is licensed to practice before all North Carolina courts and the United States District Courts for the Western, Middle and Eastern districts of North Carolina, as well as the United States Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. Professionally, Mr. Robertson is very engaged with the Mecklenburg County Bar, Mecklenburg Bar Foundation and North Carolina Bar Association.