HEIDI M. MUICA

**** ******** ****** **, *********, Ohio 44646

Phone: 330-***-**** E-Mail: acwbga@r.postjobfree.com

EDUCATION:

Marlington High School, Alliance, Ohio. GPA: 3.6 (out of a possible 4.0). Graduated 1985.

Orlando College (n/k/a Florida Metropolitan University), Orlando, Florida. Paralegal Diploma.

GPA: 3.95 (out of a possible 4.0 all “A’s” except for one “B Graduated 1988.

Stark State School of Technology, Canton, Ohio. 2002-2004. GPA: 4.0 (out of a possible 4.0).

2002-2003: Classes in court reporting. Got credit for the following classes by testing out of them since I knew them well enough to pass the final test and not take the course: grammar, legal terminology, keyboarding/ formatting, Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint. Decided to discontinue the pursuit of court reporting after a medical complication (which has subsequently been surgically corrected).

Review of Systems School of Medical Transcription. 2003. Participated in distance education training course using the SUM System dictation and textbooks. GPA: 4.0 (out of a possible 4.0).

SKILLS:

Typing: 110 wpm (110 wpm per test at Akron Bar Association in 1994 I’m probably a lot faster than that now!)

Wordprocessing: Microsoft Word (many versions); WordPerfect (many versions for DOS and Windows); Word Star

Spreadsheets: Excel (many versions); Lotus

Databases: Access; DataEase

Misc.: PowerPoint; Harvard Graphics; Lotus Organizer; Lotus cc:Mail; LEXIS research; Westlaw research; Amicus; Livenote deposition software (for use with juries); various document management systems; various time and billing programs; PINS personal injury software. Some experience in troubleshooting network and stand-alone computer and printer problems (in small offices everyone would come to me for computer problems).

WORK EXPERIENCE: (24 years of legal experience)

Altercare of Ohio, Inc., North Canton Ohio.

01/08-Present Paralegal

Hired as a paralegal for one attorney at Altercare of Ohio, which operates 21 nursing homes throughout Ohio and Michigan. A second attorney was subsequently hired. I’m the only support staff (there is no secretary) for the two attorneys, so I’m involved in a wide variety of matters.

Prepare and handle all aspects of collections lawsuits. Open new estates as a creditor and handle them through conclusion. File claims against estates. File claims with bankruptcy courts. In-depth research of defendants. Prepare bank and wage garnishments. Obtain and review TransUnion credit reports on all defendants. Assist with workers’ comp cases and their defense litigation. Handle scheduling and calendars. Track and record payments made on hundreds of files. Handle petty cash and requesting of checks. File at courts when needed. Draft a wide variety of pleadings. I created many office charts, forms and spreadsheets to assist in handling the huge volume of cases since there were few forms in place when I began. We currently have 286 active files.

Alpha & Omega Transcription, Massillon Ohio.

07/04-01/08 Self-Employed Transcriptionist

Sole proprietor of home transcription business (medical, legal, and insurance transcription) for a variety of clients. First I worked for MedQuist, a national medical transcription company. Then I found my own clients, including a local internal medicine doctor, an insurance adjusting firm, a fire investigating firm, private investigators, and an investment advisor. The insurance reports consisted of most of my work (I was a subcontractor for a California contractor). In 2007 and 2008, I was also in charge of proofreading other transcriptionists’ work for PC Transcription, the contractor, whenever she needed help or was unable to do so. I was the only subcontractor who did this. I was told that it was because she was impressed with my grammar knowledge and speed and trusted my proofreading skills. I did this while pregnant with my youngest (and final) child until she was old enough for preschool.

Davis & Young, Akron Ohio.

08/13/01-06/04 Legal Secretary / later promoted to Paralegal

Paralegal position: Paralegal to two insurance defense partners (one was managing attorney). Summarized and indexed depositions; research on LEXIS; prepared legal documents (motions, orders, jury instructions, pretrial statements, subpoenas, etc.); compiled and organized medical records and bills; met with clients; scheduled depositions; prepared responses to discovery (interrogatories and requests for production and admissions); investigation to locate witnesses and defendants; trial preparation; made travel arrangements; medical research on Internet; used online investigation services, such as OPEN Online; learned to operate Livenote software for jury in trial; billed my time; prepared pleadings indexes; scheduled IMEs.

Legal Secretary position: Transcribed dictation; prepared and drafted legal documents; scheduled depositions; trial preparation; opened and closed files; inputted billing; miscellaneous office work. Promoted to Paralegal after one year.

Amer Cunningham Co. L.P.A., Akron, Ohio.

01/03/00-08/10/01 Legal Secretary / later promoted to Paralegal

Paralegal position: Paralegal to two plaintiff personal injury associates. Compiled and organized medical records and bills; prepared settlement brochures; attended IMEs with plaintiffs to monitor exam and give impression of physician; prepared subpoenas; scheduled depositions; prepared Complaints; prepared responses to discovery; served subpoenas; trial preparation; drafted legal documents, including motions, orders, pretrial statements, and a variety of other legal documents; made travel arrangements; medical research on Internet; billed time; and kept clients advised of status of their claims.

Legal secretary position: Worked as legal secretary for three attorneys (two plaintiff personal injury associates and one business partner). Promoted to Paralegal after three months.

Daycare Management, Akron, Ohio.

(The daycares were sold to KinderCare, which had its own management, so I was laid off. The daycares were each called “The Learning Enrichment Center.”)

07/98-01/00 Office Manager

Managed chain of 12 daycare centers. Handled the following for all 12 daycare centers: accounts payable; payroll reports; payroll problems; kept track of 250+ employees’ vacation time, sick time, and benefits; reconciled banking deposits; created office forms, contracts, charts, and procedures; prepared contracts, correspondence, and memoranda; coordinated daycare procedures with all Center directors; handled projects for Vice President and Owner; assisted in opening several new daycare centers; ordered supplies; prepared newspaper advertisements. (This was a deviation from my legal career because it was an opportunity to work with my husband, the accountant for this chain of daycares. I enjoyed this challenging job until the owner sold all the daycare centers and we were both laid off!)

Berlon & Timmel (Cincinnati Insurance Company), Akron Ohio.

08/94-07/98 Legal Secretary & Office Manager

Hired as sole legal support for Cincinnati Insurance Company’s new Akron in-house law firm, Berlon & Timmel. Worked for managing attorney. Created and implemented all office procedures for in-house insurance defense litigation office. Handled all administrative duties for growing office (it grew from 3 to 9 employees while I was there), including all accounts receivable, accounts payable, and petty cash; ordered supplies; case management tracking; dealt with all computer problems; liaison in dealing with Home Office. Handled discovery, trial preparation, dictation, scheduling, time records, and billings; drafted pleadings such as complaints, answers, discovery, discovery responses, subpoenas, pretrial statements, motions, memoranda of law, and orders.

Eshelman Legal Group, Akron, Ohio.

01/94-06/94 Legal Secretary

Hired as legal support for plaintiffs’ personal injury law firm. Organized and reviewed medical records (I once found a $100,000 medical bill that the defendants had put as a separate bill but was actually a duplicate); prepared closing disbursement statements; opened and closed files; scheduled depositions; trial preparation; prepared correspondence; conducted telephonic interviews with potential new clients.

SPECIAL TRAINING:

Seminars and Classes at Cincinnati Insurance Company and Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs in Microsoft Word, Excel, WordPerfect, Lotus, grammar, Lexis (legal research), and Westlaw (legal research).

Insurance Institute of America Courses: Passed 1 of 4 courses needed for Associate in Claims designation while working for an insurance defense firm. After leaving, I didn’t pursue any more classes.

AWARDS/ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

Over 30 of my submitted word processing tips were published in WordPerfect for the Law Office and WordPerfect magazines

1st place, Marketing Mathematics

5th place, Public Relations

Placed in top 5 at state level, Marketing Mathematics

1985 Kiwanis award to top student

REFERENCES:

Available upon request.

(I have several recommendation letters from former employers scanned, which I could e-mail in PDF.)

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