Experience

WORK EXPERIENCE

 

FREELANCE OF TAMPA, LLC, TELEPHONE:  813-363-6986

September 2020—Present

Owner/Florida Registered Paralegal offering freelance paralegal services to lawyers and law firms at an hourly rate.  Duties include: preparing various pleadings, correspondence, equitable distribution worksheets, pleadings indexes, demands, etc.; reviewing and redacting discovery documents; efiling and esevice; and various other duties associated with this type of position.

 

MEDINA LAW FIRM, TAMPA, FLORIDA, TELEPHONE:  813-258-5838

February 2020-May 2022; September 2010-February 2012; March 2003-February 2006; July 2000-April 2002

Products Liability/Wrongful Death/Personal Injury Florida Registered Paralegal to sole proprietor.  Duties include: prepare pleadings, organize thousands of documents for pending/similar cases; contact process servers and investigators; input and/or revise forms in Client Profiles n/k/a Aderant Total Office as administrator; contact potential/current clients; conduct witness interviews; prepare correspondence, medical summaries, indexes, etc.; coordinate preparation of oversized exhibits; schedule depositions, hearings, settlement conferences, mediation sessions, etc.; maintain contact with countrywide-firms to exchange, share, discuss methodology and/or documents, etc.; resolve lower-level computer problems; prepare for hearings and trials; contact various agencies to collect data; attended countrywide-meetings regarding products liability cases; made travel arrangements; contacted investigators to collect information from out-of-state witnesses; conduct a variety of Internet research; contact with media personnel to discuss pending cases and/or obtain information about similar cases reported; schedule court reporters and videographers; secure space for outside conferences, mediations, depositions, etc.; summarize documents and/or deposition transcripts, etc.; make copies; scan documents; answer telephones; efile documents; and various other duties associated with this type of position.

 

GIVENS, GIVENS, SPARKS, PLLC, TAMPA, FLORIDA, TELEPHONE:  813-251-6700 (firm split)

f/k/a GIVENS LAW GROUP, PLLC, TAMPA, FLORIDA (firm split);

f/k/a KNOX & GIVENS, P.A., TAMPA, FLORIDA (firm split);

March 1997-March 2000; February 2006-September 2010; February 2012-October 2019

Family Law and Personal Injury Florida Registered Paralegal.  Duties included: prepared various pleadings, correspondence, equitable distribution worksheets, pleadings indexes, demands, etc.; scheduled depositions, mediations, hearings, meetings, court reporters, etc.; made travel arrangements; reserved space; reviewed, redacted and summarized discovery documents; handled client contact; prepared, input and/or revised forms in Client Profiles n/k/a Aderant Total Office as an administrator; reviewed and discussed interrogatory answers, requests for production and responses to requests with clients and with attorneys; contacted process servers for issuance and/or service of various documents; resolved lower-level computer problems; prepared for hearings and trials; contact with other firms; photocopied, faxed and scanned documents; attended meetings with clients at nursing homes for spousal support cases; prepared and input time-slips; corrected typographical errors on monthly client invoices; handled client requests and/or issues; ran errands; filed documents with the court; reviewed documents for consistency among those documents; summarized documents and/or deposition transcripts, etc.; answered telephones; and various other duties associated with this type of position.

 

PETOSA & FERNANDEZ, P.L., TAMPA, FLORIDA, TELEPHONE: 813-228-6313

May 2002-March 2003

Nursing Home/Medical Malpractice/Products Liability/Personal Injury Legal Assistant to one partner and two associates.  Duties included: organized thousands of documents; contact with clients, counsel, court personnel, experts, investigators, nursing homes, hospitals, law enforcement officials, etc.; prepared various pleadings, correspondence, medical records, billing indexes, etc.; scheduled depositions, hearings, mediation conferences, etc.; requested and maintained client documents; made travel arrangements; answered five telephone lines; supervised one part-time student; ran errands; coordinated photocopy of and dissemination of voluminous documents; requested checks for payment of invoices; prepared invoices; ordered supplies, postage; summarized transcripts and discovery responses; and various other duties associated with this type of position.

 

FOWLER, WHITE, GILLEN, BOGGS, VILLAREAL & BANKER, P.A., TAMPA, FLORIDA, TELEPHONE: 813-228-7411

March 2000-July 2000

Labor and Employment Law Paralegal to three partners and three associates.  Duties included: summarized depositions; reviewed and updated client employee policy and procedure manuals; scheduled court reporters; prepared fact chronologies, bills of costs, exhibits for depositions, key player lists, etc.; reviewed personnel, medical and workers compensation records; researched Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Marion an other counties in Florida and prepared background reports on parties and non-parties of cases; researched Middle District of Florida, Autotrack, Westlaw, newspaper articles, etc., for information for background reports; contacted clients; and various other duties associated with this type of position.

 

JAMES, HOYER & NEWCOMER, P.A., TAMPA, FLORIDA, TELEPHONE:  813-286-4100

Paralegal: November 1995 – March 1997; Secretary: May 1995 – November 1995

Civil Litigation Paralegal to five partners and two associates.  Duties included: scheduled depositions, mediations, conferences, court reporters, hearing dates; reserved space for depositions; tickled due dates; made travel arrangements; reviewed and summarized incoming discovery; handled client contact, requests and problems on assigned and unassigned; discussed discovery procedures, statutes, and rules with clients; requested documents from clients, insurance companies, etc.; prepared and reviewed discovery, state and federal complaints, replies, summonses, correspondence, Chapter 119 requests, etc.; calendared; contact with firms, clients, various agencies; photocopied, scanned and faxed; tracked Bates numbers of discovery documents; prepared and input time-slips; input new cases into Custom Micro Systems software; reviewed court rules for time limits, etc.; tracked cases filed with the court; reviewed draft complaints with clients; ran errands; reviewed documents for consistency; handled majority of contact with Department of Insurance Special Agents; provided updates to case hotline number; traveled to various locations throughout the United States to review, track and log documents; and various other duties associated with this type of position.

 

Civil Litigation Secretary to two partners.  Duties included: Organized and maintained cases; prepared pleading logs; filed; screened telephone calls; began tracking system for all cases filed; input cases into new Custom Micro Systems software; prepared various legal documents, correspondence, research files, Grievance Committee Meeting documents; scheduled depositions and hearings; handled outside activity matters for attorneys; proofread; photocopied, scanned and faxed documents; coordinated photocopy service; scheduled appointments and conference rooms; transcribed documents; made travel arrangements; forwarded invoices; and various other duties associated with this type of position.

 

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, UNITED STATES ATTORNEY’S OFFICE, APPELLATE DIVISION, TAMPA, FLORIDA, TELEPHONE:  813-274-6000

August 1990 – May 1995

Supervisory, Executive Legal Secretary to Chief, Appellate Division, one or more Assistant United States Attorneys and one Paralegal Specialists.  Supervised five secretaries and at least two part-time, student employees throughout the Middle District of Florida (Tampa, Ft. Myers, Orlando and Jacksonville).  Duties included:  First-line reviewer of appellate briefs, motions, etc.; familiarity with law library; drafted legal documents/correspondence; court preparation; filed documents with the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit/United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida; maintained calendars; established and maintained administrative files for attorneys within the district for use in evaluation of performance; maintained time and attendance records; established and maintained working and correspondence files; followed-up on commitments made at meetings and conferences by staff; supervised and evaluated secretaries and paid students; prepared statistical reports; scheduled moot courts and oral arguments; updated briefing schedules; received, screened calls and visitors; made travel arrangements; updated criminal and appellate case files; liaison on procedures/application of appellate rules as outlined by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, the United States District Court, The Bluebook, and a variety of other sources for Assistant United States Attorneys and staff; as well as other duties associated with this type of position.

 

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, UNITED STATES ATTORNEY’S OFFICE, ORGANIZED CRIME DRUG ENFORCEMENT TASK FORCE (OCDETF), TAMPA, FLORIDA, TELEPHONE: 813-274-6000

March 1989 – August 1990

Legal secretary.  Served as personal secretary to two or more Assistant United States Attorneys, while maintaining availability to other attorneys within the office.  Duties included:  Prepared and filed legal documents and correspondence; screened calls and visitors; ran errands; prepared exhibits for evidence; maintained calendars; updated OCDETF files and reports; prepared case initiation and declination sheets; updated case files; prepared witness vouchers; made travel arrangements; as well as other duties associated with this type of position.

 

INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION DIVISION, TAMPA, FLORIDA, TELEPHONE: 813-348-1850

Tampa, Florida: February 1988 – March 1989; Cincinnati, Ohio:  September 1986 – January 1988

Lead secretary and supervisor of one receptionist/clerk.  Served as a personal and group secretary to one group manager and 11 special agents.  Duties included:  word processing; maintained case and undercover files, screened calls and visitors; ran errands; ordered tax returns; prepared monthly and statistical reports; made travel arrangements; transcribed undercover and memoranda tapes; contact with public, state, local and federal agencies; trained clerical personnel; maintained time and attendance records; prepared prosecution reports; ordered supplies; coordinated luncheons; and other duties associated with this type of position.

 

UNIVERSAL TV AND APPLIANCE RENTAL, INC., NEWPORT, KENTUCKY

July 1983 – September 1986

Secretary/Clerk.  Served as a general office secretary to one manager and three collection/delivery agents.  Duties included:  Direct public contact; accepted cash and check payments on accounts; made nightly deposits; prepared contracts; established and maintained contract files; answered telephone; made promotional calls; rented and sold merchandise; prepared surveys for headquarters’ use; made account collection calls; and other duties associated with this type of position.

 

COVINGTON BOARD OF EDUCATION, COVINGTON, KENTUCKY

June 1982 – July 1983

Clerk/typist.  Served as a personal secretary.  Duties included:  typed; filed; answered telephone; signed checks; ran errands; provided purchase order numbers to vendors; and other duties associated with this type of position.

 

PROFICIENT WITH

Hewlett Packard, Sony, Dell, AT&T and Packard Bell computers; WordPerfect 6.1, 7.1, 7.2, 8, 9, Windows 95, 98, 2000, 2003, 2007; Windows Vista; Word; Zoom; Excel; Time Management; Custom Micro Systems; TSRemote; Client Profiles n/k/a Aderant Total Office; Paradox; D-Base; Email; WestCheck; LexisNexis; America On-Line World-Wide Web; Netscape; Time Matters; WinTime; AutoTrack Plus; Pasco County Dial-up; Pinellas County Dial-up; Hillsborough County Public Access; HOVER; PACER; GroupWise, JAWS, epotal; Papercuts; Stamps.com; Orion, and various other programs; IBM word processor Model 5520, NBI word processor, Zilog word processor; Regional Crime Information Computer (RCIC); Sperry IDRS computer terminal; PROMIS case management system; dictation equipment; facsimile machines; Kodak reader printer; photocopy machines; typewriters; collator; various multi-line telephone systems; check signer; stamp meters; adding machines; as well as a variety of other office equipment.