http://www.abajournal.com/news/ en Copyright 2013 2013-05-19T02:12:54-06:00 http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/law_grad_paralegal_says_partner_asked_her_to_be_his_third_wife_made_her_fee/ A recent law graduate working as a paralegal says a New York attorney talked to her about pornography, repeatedly pitched her on the benefits of polygamy, asked her to become his "third wife" and insisted that she feed him with chopsticks at a restaurant. Sarbrina Rafi makes the allegations against… Labor & Employment, Law Firms, Paralegals, Partners, Solos/Small Firms, Tort Law, Trials & Litigation, 2nd Circuit Court, States, New York Fri, 12 Apr 2013 12:52:42 -0500 43706.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/7th_circuit/ A "destitute" paralegal who has made reasonable efforts to repay her student loan debt is entitled to a bankruptcy discharge of the remaining $25,000 or so despite the fact that she never enrolled in a federal income-contingent repayment plan, a federal appeals court has ruled. Reinstating a bankruptcy court's determination… Appellate Practice, Bankruptcy Law, Careers, Law Firms, Paralegals, Trials & Litigation, Verdicts & Settlements, 7th Circuit Court Wed, 10 Apr 2013 13:20:26 -0500 43672.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/paralegal_jobs_being_overtaken_by_technology_analysis_reports/ It was just two years ago that the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted an 18 percent growth rate in paralegal jobs through 2020, but now, according to an Associated Press analysis, a lot of that work is being taken over by technology… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Legal Technology, Careers, Law Firms, Paralegals Thu, 07 Feb 2013 16:10:44 -0600 42746.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/bad_coffee_leads_to_embezzlement_case_against_law_firm_worker/ A really bad cup of coffee that burned the lips of a Wisconsin law firm worker resulted in a criminal case against a co-worker who is now accused not only of tainting the beverage with a foreign substance but embezzling from her employer. Kay Lee Gysbers was released on a… Criminal Justice, Law Firms, Paralegals, States, Missouri, New Jersey, Wisconsin Thu, 07 Feb 2013 10:36:36 -0600 42728.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/bar_probes_3_lawyers_accused_of_setting_up_opposing_counsel_for_mid-trial/ The Florida Bar is investigating three lawyers accused of playing a role in the mid-trial drunken-driving arrest of their opposing counsel in a hard-fought radio shock jock defamation case. C. Philip Campbell faces a driving-under-the-influence charge after he was arrested Jan. 23 at the wheel of a paralegal's car as… Bar Associations, Law Firms, Midsize Firm, Paralegals, Partners, Legal Ethics, Tort Law, Trials & Litigation, Evidence, Verdicts & Settlements, States, Florida Tue, 05 Feb 2013 16:08:49 -0600 42708.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/man_who_tricked_judge_into_awarding_3m_default_judgment_against_sex-crime/ Already convicted more than a decade ago in an Ohio sex-crime case involving two 14-year-old victims, a Washington, D.C., man is now facing another five-year term for schemes involving deception. One targeted a victim in the 2000 sex-crime case, and resulted in a $3 million default judgment in favor of… Criminal Justice, Sentencing/Post Conviction, White Collar Crime, Law Firms, Paralegals, Trials & Litigation, Evidence, Verdicts & Settlements, D.C. Circuit Court, States, District of Columbia Tue, 29 Jan 2013 16:43:02 -0600 42605.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/paralegal_celebrates_50_years_with_law_firm/ A wrong turn en route to lunch with her sister led to a 50-year career at an Oklahoma City law firm for Jo Balding. Stepping off the wrong elevator, she found herself at the firm then known as Crowe, Boxley, Dunlevy, Thweatt, Swinford & Johnson, reports the Oklahoman.… Careers, Law Firms, Midsize Firm, Paralegals, States, Oklahoma Mon, 05 Nov 2012 14:34:48 -0600 41469.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/judge_orders_paralegal_and_his_legal_nonprofit_to_pay_2.2m_bars_further_wor/ A New Jersey judge has ordered a paralegal and his nonprofit legal assistance organization to pay $2.2 million and stop doing work for inmates in the state. The order last week in the Essex County Superior Court case came after Bruce Buccolo and the Project Freedom Fund failed to respond… Consumer Law, Criminal Justice, Government Law, Law Firms, Paralegals, Tort Law, Trials & Litigation, Verdicts & Settlements, States, New Jersey Tue, 16 Oct 2012 11:45:04 -0500 41171.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/paralegal_makes_discipline_complaint_against_ex-boss_lawyer_is_suspended_fo/ A paralegal who once worked for Iowa attorney Sara Anna Kersenbrock blew the whistle on her former boss, filing a 2010 disciplinary complaint that resulted in a one-month license suspension. In a Friday opinion (PDF), the state supreme court imposed the sanction, rejecting a public reprimand proposed by… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Law Firms, Paralegals, Partners, Solos/Small Firms, Legal Ethics, Trials & Litigation, Verdicts & Settlements, States, Iowa Mon, 24 Sep 2012 13:00:00 -0500 40845.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/law_firm_sues_regions_bank_over_alleged_paralegal_pilfering/ A Nashville law firm has sued Regions Bank in an effort to recover law firm money deposited by a paralegal accused of embezzling $126,000. The Fisher Law Group alleges paralegal Timothy Sharpe deposited checks written to the law firm into his personal account at the bank over the course of… Banking Law, Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Criminal Justice, Law Firms, Paralegals Thu, 23 Aug 2012 07:09:05 -0500 40380.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/fish_richardson_lets_14_staff_members_go/ A Boston-based intellectual property boutique is laying off 14 paralegals and litigation support staff throughout its offices. Fish & Richardson attributed the cuts, which took place Tuesday, to a "smaller budgets for outside legal services," Reuters reports. "While our caseload continues to grow, client demands for more cost… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Careers, Layoffs, Law Firms, Midsize Firm, Paralegals, States, Massachusetts Fri, 03 Aug 2012 06:30:22 -0500 39999.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/major_law_firm_launches_low-cost_paralegal_team/ A well-known commercial law firm headquartered in Scotland has launched a new "firm within a firm" paralegal initiative intended to provide clients with a cost-efficient alternative to using attorneys for work such as basic due diligence, document review, filings, registrations and searches. The new Dundas &… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, International Law, Law Firms, Midsize Firm, Paralegals, International, Europe, United Kingdom Thu, 19 Jul 2012 11:18:40 -0500 39796.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/paralegal_peeks_at_part-time_lawyers_check_takes_pay_peeve_to_advice_column/ A paralegal handed the wrong paycheck by mistake wrote to the "Ask Amy" advice column to complain about pay inequity. The paralegal, who works for a small law firm, writes: “I've made a lot of money for the firm. Because of all my hard work, the firm has hired two… Careers, Lawyer Pay, Law Firms, Paralegals Tue, 10 Jul 2012 07:12:26 -0500 39598.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/fired_law_firm_worker_is_charged_with_hacking_into_server/ A fired worker at a Pittsburgh law firm is facing federal charges based on allegations she joined with two others to hack into the firm’s servers. The fired worker is 24-year-old Alyson Cunningham, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and a press release. She is… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Legal Technology, Criminal Justice, Law Firms, Paralegals Wed, 27 Jun 2012 06:43:49 -0500 39456.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/in_washington_state_legal_technicians_will_be_allowed_to_help_civil_litigan/ Washington State's top court has approved a new rule allowing licensed legal technicians to help civil litigants navigate the court system. The rule takes effect Sept. 1, according to a Washington courts press release. The rule allows persons who are trained and authorized by a new Limited… Business of Law, Careers, Civil Procedure, Judiciary, Law Firms, Paralegals, States, Washington Tue, 19 Jun 2012 07:36:53 -0500 39323.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/staffers_at_florida_mortgage_law_firm_say_they_were_fired_for_wearing_orang/ Staffers at a Florida law firm who wear orange shirts on payday say they were fired because of their color choice. Four staffers told the Sun Sentinel that 14 employees lost their jobs at the firm of Elizabeth R. Wellborn after management concluded the orange shirts were… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Labor & Employment, Law Firms, Paralegals, States, Florida Mon, 19 Mar 2012 07:16:17 -0500 37847.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/tennessee_legal_assistant_accused_of_using_embezzled_cash_to_fund_gastric_b/ A legal assistant accused of funding gastric bypass surgery with money stolen from her Tennessee law firm has reportedly reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors. Melisa Rebecca Thacker is accused of spending $3,000 on the surgery out of $180,000 she allegedly embezzled, the Knoxville News… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Criminal Justice, Law Firms, Paralegals Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:50:41 -0600 37082.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/paralegal_who_faked_kidnapping_and_law_degree_is_sentenced_for_embezzlement/ A Pennsylvania paralegal who faked her kidnapping has been sentenced to eight years in prison for stealing more than $1 million, including $640,000 from the law firm where she worked. Bonnie Sweeten was also charged with stealing $280,000 from an elderly relative with dementia, withdrawing $20,000 from a child’s escrow… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Criminal Justice, Law Firms, Paralegals, States, Pennsylvania Fri, 27 Jan 2012 07:47:33 -0600 37054.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/federal_judge_oks_paralegals_class_action_seeking_overtime_pay_from_texas_l/ A federal judge in Houston has given a green light to a group of current and former paralegals seeking approval to pursue a class against a Texas law firm. The plaintiffs contend that Mostyn Law Firm treated them as salaried workers and did not pay legally required time-and-a-half overtime for… Labor & Employment, Law Firms, Paralegals, Trials & Litigation, States, Texas Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:08:59 -0600 36985.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/paralegal_allegedly_funded_nyc_spending_spree_with_285k_check_stolen_from/ A paralegal at a Newport Beach, Calif., law firm allegedly stole a check for $19,500 written to her employer, had the amount altered to over $285,000 and then made the check payable to her roommate. After the check was deposited into a joint account for paralegal Alexa Johzen Polar, 34,… Criminal Justice, Law Firms, Paralegals, Solos/Small Firms, States, California Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:52:55 -0600 36488.abajournal.com