Joyce Russell

Email: abp4a2@r.postjobfree.com

Address: **** ****** **** *****

City: Waldorf

State: MD

Zip: 20602

Country: USA

Phone: 202-***-****

Skill Level: Experienced

Salary Range: $60,000

Willing to Relocate

Primary Skills/Experience:

See Resume

Educational Background:

See Resume

Job History / Details:

JOYCE YVETTE RUSSELL

Email: abp4a2@r.postjobfree.com

Objective

To obtain a career position that further enhances my current legal and administrative skills.

Education

Strayer University

Paralegal Studies, Business Administration (2008-2009)

Work Experience

November 2011 to August 2012: Ward Damon Posner Pheterson & Bleau, P.L. West Palm Beach, FL

Litigation Paralegal Practice: Corporate Litigation, Foreclosure, Family, Employment

Provided litigation support for all attorneys within various departments to ensure all cases were prepared for trial in state, federal and appellate courts

Drafted correspondence and settlement agreements for clients' review and attorneys approval/signature

Drafted notices, motions, pre-trial stipulations, and witness/exhibits lists

Prepared cases for trial, mediation and coordinated experts/clients' attendance

Reviewed and prepared responses to in-coming discovery

Prepared out-going discovery and supplemented, as needed

Reviewed and prepared responses to A558 Notices

Monitored trial deadlines and supported legal staff to achieve compliance with court orders

December 2010 to September 2011: Fann & Petruccelli, P.A. Fort Lauderdale, FL

Litigation Paralegal/Legal Assistant Practice: Medical Malpractice/Insurance Defense

Promoted to Litigation Paralegal in February 2011

Prepared attorneys for hearings, depositions, mediations and trials

Provided paralegal support to the litigation team of attorneys and nurses

Reviewed hospital charts and administrative policies

Prepared treater lists, chronology and non-party subpoenas

Prepared deposition summaries and status reports

Researched and investigated personal/criminal background of plaintiffs

Assisted with daily e-filing of pleadings and electronic document maintenance of all new and on-going cases

April 2010 to October 2010: Becker & Poliakoff, P.A. West Palm Beach, FL

Legal Assistant Practice: Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury-Plaintiff

Assisted with initial preparations for pre-suit and complex litigation cases which involved multiple parties

Prepared attorneys for upcoming trials, mediations, depositions, hearings an settlement conferences

Drafted correspondence, deposition summaries, motions, notices, and agreed orders

Prepared and/or responded to A558 Notices on behalf of homeowners association

Reviewed discovery and monitored deadlines periodically for status of documents due from opposing counsel

Conducted conflict checks, initiated new matters, updated case lists, closed files and prepared cases for retention

Assisted HOA in foreclosures actions, collections and landlord-tenant compliance

Coordinated tenant evictions with courts and county sheriffs office on behalf of HOAs Board of Directors

Coordinated meetings between attorneys and board members

Interfaced with clients, experts, judges, judicial assistants, doctors, vendors, insurers, adjustors, board members, homeowners and opposing counsel

December 2009 to April 2010: Mase Lara Eversole, P.A. Miami, FL

Litigation Legal Assistant Practice: Medical Malpractice/Personal Injury-Plaintiff

Prepared cases for litigation and monitored statute of limitations deadlines

Drafted correspondences, motions, and agreed orders

Reviewed files periodically for status update

Attended to the needs of all clients, coordinated meetings with medical staff, doctors, key witnesses

Prepared closing statements and confidential settlement agreements

Scheduled meetings, set up pre-mediation conferences, coordinated travel and confirmed all events

October 2008 to March 2009: Kutak Rock, LLP Washington, D.C.

Litigation Legal Assistant Practice: Commercial Litigation-Defense

Assisted several senior partners in Litigation Department

Provided litigation support with regard to federal and appellate cases

Prepared legal documents and e-filed pleadings for bankruptcy, federal, circuit and government agencies

Organized exhibits and prepared voluminous filings for attorneys review and approval

Drafted and finalized correspondence and pleadings

Initiated new client matters, entered attorneys' time and reconciled monthly expense reports

Updated litigation calendar and monitored all time sensitive deadlines

Organized complex litigation files and coding documents for retention

November 2006 to October 2007: McDermott, Will & Emery, LLP Washington, D.C.

Litigation Legal Assistant Practice: Corporate Tax - Defense

Provided assistance to three new partners in Tax Litigation Department

Prepared electronic filing system for all new clients

Prepared and implemented electronic billing procedures for all new clients to facilitate timesaving measures

Drafted and finalized pleadings, memorandum, opinion letters, audit response letters and document indexes

Arranged meetings with clients, coordinated travel (nationally and internationally)

Prepared expense reports and check requests

Initiated new client information in order to set up billable numbers and provided electronic billing assistance

Entered attorneys time entries and reviewed pre-bills for attorneys clients on a monthly basis

August 2006 to November 2006: Odin Feldman Pittleman, P.C. Fairfax, VA

Litigation Legal Assistant Practice: Corporate Law, Trust & Estate Planning

Assisted corporate partner and his paralegal with corporate business and estate planning department

Organized corporate records, filed articles of incorporation for companies and non-profit organizations

Coordinated board meetings and maintained minutes from Board of Directors meetings

Scheduled conference calls and confirmed client meetings

Entered attorneys time and prepared monthly bills

ADDITIONAL FLORIDA EXPERIENCE:

Litigation Assistant/Paralegal (2004-2006) Deverrere & Hawkes, West Palm Beach, FL

Litigation Legal Assistant (2003-2004) Akerman Senterfitt, West Palm Beach, FL

Litigation Legal Secretary (2001-2002) Broad and Cassel, West Palm Beach, FL

Litigation Legal Secretary (1999-2000) Proskauer Rose, LLP, Boca Raton, FL

Litigation Legal Secretary (1997-1999) Jones, Foster, Johnston & Stubbs, West Palm Beach, FL

Word Processor part-time (1997-1998) Gunster Yoakley & Stewart, West Palm Beach, FL

March 1994 to June 1996: Jackson & Campbell, P.C., Washington, D.C.

Litigation Legal Assistant Practice: Medical Malpractice/Insurance Defense

Prepared cases for litigation and/or mediation and monitored deadlines

Drafted correspondence, memoranda, and retainer agreements

Reviewed client files and indexed pleadings

Attended to the needs of all clients, coordinated meetings with medical staff, doctors, and key witnesses

Prepared attorneys' time entry and expense reports

Drafted confidential settlement agreements and releases

Scheduled meetings, set up hearings, pre-mediation conferences, coordinated travel and confirmed all events

January 1993 to April 1994: Shapiro, Lifschitz & Schram, Washington, D.C. (client)

freelance Legal Assistant Practice: Contracts, Corporate Acquisitions & Mergers

Prepared documents for corporate client meetings and attended to the needs of all clients

Updated calendars, files and monitored deadlines

Drafted correspondence, press releases and contracts

Prepared meeting agenda and finalized relevant notes and presentation slides

Prepared attorneys' time entries, monthly bills and cover letters

Coordinated travel and reconciled monthly expense reports

Managed firm's 2nd shift from 6 pm to 2 am

January 1991 to April 1994: Executive Secretarial Partnership (ESP), Washington, D.C.

Owner/Freelance secretary Practice: Energy, IP, Contracts, Corporate Litigation

Provided secretarial assistance to clients

Determined staffing needs for all upcoming litigation cases

Drafted contracts, offer letters and employment agreements

Reviewed resumes and periodically interviewed candidates

Attended to the needs of all clients, coordinated meetings with attorneys and potential staff

Prepared invoices and projected contractual needs based on hourly rates

Prepared letters of intent and confidentiality agreements

Scheduled meetings, set up employee testing, coordinated travel and confirmed all contractual needs

August 1988 to December 1990: Kilpatrick & Cody, Washington, D.C.

Litigation Legal Assistant Practice: Employment, Contracts, Corporate Litigation

Prepared corporate contracts, revised union proposals and employment settlement contracts

Drafted correspondence, memoranda and releases

Attended to the needs of all clients, coordinated meetings with medical staff and key witnesses

Prepared closing statements and confidential settlement agreements

February 1983 to February 1989: United States Army, Fort Ord, CA

Administrative specialist Practice: Military, Department of Defense

Prepared training schedules and after action reports ; attended military maneuvers

Drafted correspondences, memoranda, and command orders

Reviewed confidential files for security status and update

Skills/Training

Software: Worshare Deltaview, MacPac, PCDocs, Interwoven Desksite, E-Copy Desktop, Lotus Notes, GroupWise, I-Manage, Microsoft Office, Open Office, PowerPoint, Excel, Adobe XPro

Accounting Software: PC Law, DTE, Elite, Time matters, Javelan, Rainmaker, Timeslips, Juris

Records Software: Summation iBlaze, Case Aware, Amicus, Client Profiles, Citrix, LegalTrax, Legal Files

Research Software: Westlaw, Lexis, Accuriant

Electronic Research Software: RealTrans, AltiSource, PACER/ECF

Honors/Milestones

Florida Notary (2014)

Deans List, Strayer University (2009)

U.S. Army Honorable Discharge (1989)

references available upon request

Page 1

Contact this candidate