The Legal Assistant - A Valuable Right Arm For The Client & Attorney
26 Jul 2007
Next to the experienced injury law attorney, the Legal Assistant is the most important member of the legal team necessary to achieve full and fair compensation for an injury or death. The Legal Assistant normally executes the plans and instructions of the attorney and is responsible for the organization of the information, documentation, and other materials gathered to properly present a claim for damages. He or she becomes, essentially, the "Chief of Staff" who serves both the attorney and the client on almost a daily basis.
At Perenich Carroll, where we have sought to create the most effective office environment for injury or death claims since our founding in 1955, Legal Assistants play a critical role in our representation of victims.
They are skilled in certain paralegal tasks and in the investigation of the underlying facts of a case, including the medical aspects. For example, they know how to retrieve information from the Office of the Secretary of State in Tallahassee, Florida, or from the numerous prior doctors who have treated the victim. They have been trained to gather tax returns, to order photographs, to verify insurance coverages, and to use the Freedom of Information Act.
It is the Legal Assistant who is often on the phone nailing down an important fact, record, or address. It is the Legal Assistant who assures that significant events are calendared and, if necessary, are attended by the client or the attorney. With the use of a computer the Legal Assistant tracks the multiple tasks necessary for the accomplishment of the ultimate goal... maximum physical, emotional, and financial recovery for the victim.
While the attorney is out of state taking a deposition or meeting with an expert, the Legal Assistant remains at his or her desk providing the communications link that drives the claim process forward. And, all the while, it is the Legal Assistant who is most readily available to receive new information or provide facts and records.
It would be virtually impossible for a victim to receive the fullest compensation without the aid of a well-trained and competent Legal Assistant working under the immediate direction of an experienced attorney.
Perenich Carroll selects and trains Legal Assistants who put the interests of the client first and who are prepared to devote the effort necessary to excel at their positions. Toward the end, we provide extensive in-house instruction and mentoring and encourage attendance at programs and seminars to improve their skills.
We are proud of the accomplishments of the fine Legal Assistants of Perenich Carroll, both in their direct efforts to assist our clients and in their personal efforts to be the best they can be.
