Assistant Medical

PENNY L. SMITH

**** ** ****** • ROUND ROCK, TEXAS 78665 • PHONE 512-***-****

**********@*****.***

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS

Self motivate individual with high quality skills and experience in the strategic areas of the legal field in the following areas; Civil Litigation, Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury, Real Estate, Defense, Collections and Family Law.

Familiar with Microsoft Word and WordPerfect.

Worked with clients directly in a variety of legal areas.

Calendaring, preparing client files for trial and hearing purposes, drafting Discovery responses and requests.

Familiar with drafting pleadings, contracts, agreements, motions, orders, dictation, e-filing with the Court, inputting attorney time, reviewing legal documents, scheduling mediations and legal research.

Adapt easily to new concepts and responsibilities.

Member of Capital Area Paralegal Association (CAPA)

Self-motivated; able to set effective priorities and implement decisions to achieve immediate and long-term goals and meet operational deadlines. Dedicated, long-term employee, willing to work hard to achieve any goals set forth, and not afraid of change.

EXPERIENCE

01/11-6/11 Law Offices of Kelley Whalen – Georgetown, TX

Litigation Paralegal

• Responsibilities included making client appointments and setting up client files, meeting with clients, drafting Divorce Decrees, Proposed Support Decisions, Inventories, Proposed Disposition of Issues, Motions to Transfer, Motions to Sever, Motions to Dismiss, Motions for Continuances, Applications for Guardianship, Discovery Requests and Responses including, Request for Disclosures, Request for Production, Request for Admissions, Request for Interrogatories, Occupational Driver’s License Petitions, Appearance letters to Municipal Courts, Original Petitions for Divorce, Affidavits of Relinquishment of Rights of the Parents, Withholding Orders, Original Petitions for Adoption, Orders to Appoint Ad Litem, Tax Protests, Modification of Child Support, Protective Orders, Restraining Orders, Notice of Hearing, Original Answers, calendar default dates, trials, hearings, depositions and deadlines, emailed client questionnaires to clients, filing petitions and issuance of citations, collect information to send to process servers for service of process, set trials and hearings with Court coordinators, drafted correspondence to opposing counsel and opposing parties, billing thru QuickBooks on-line, make Court appearances for trials and hearings, forward payment to Courts for fees and Court costs in order to collect dismissals against clients,

06/10-12/10 Recovery Management International – Georgetown, TX

Legal Researcher

• Responsibilities included reviewing legal real estate documents involving the FDIC, in-statute judgments, out-of statute judgments, promissory notes, collection proceedings for the FDIC in part to receive a settlement percentage. Collecting Debtor information in order to collect on a debt, filing 1099 with the IRS in order to collect on a debt in part, to receive a percentage based upon what is collected for the debt owed, inputting information collected into Microsoft Access database for collection purposes.

10/09-4/10 M Halmagean Law Firm PLLC- Houston, TX

Family Law Legal Assistant

• Responsibilities included dealing directly with domestic and international adoptions, contested or uncontested divorce, collaborative law, alternative dispute resolution, child support, paternity suits, and pre-post martial agreements. Responsibilities include calendaring meetings, hearings, preparing client files for trial purposes, e-filing with the Court, scanning legal documents, converting legal documents, sending documents to clients for their review, drafting letters to clients and to the Court, assisted in preparing Subpoenas, Temporary Orders, Divorce Decree documents.

06/09-08/09 Various Contract Assignments

04/09-06/09 Sanchez Law Firm – Houston Texas (Contracted through Quest Personnel)

Executive Legal Assistant/Collections

• Responsibilities included reviewing legal documents, scheduling mediations, coordinating hearings, and trials, preparing Motions for Continuances, Non-Suits With and Without Prejudice, Orders, Motions to Re-Instate, handling Dismissals for Want of Prosecution directly with Courts, Discovery responses and requests, Counterclaims, and Answers.

08/08-12/08 Connelly Baker Wotring, LLP- Houston, Texas (Contracted through Quest Personnel)

Legal Assistant/Defense

• Responsibilities included working for three (3) attorneys, Court filings, drafting discovery, pleadings, environmental documents, appellate documents, personal injury documents, setting up depositions, calendaring meetings, hearings, drafting motions, deposition notices, inputting time for attorneys expense purposes, conducted conflict searches, e-filed pleadings and discovery using ECF and Lexis Nexis, and printing docket control orders with PACER.

02/07-07/08 Lewis Law Firm- Houston, Texas (Contracted through Quest Personnel)

PI/Medical Malpractice Legal Assistant/Plaintiff

• Responsibilities included service of process for Original Petitions, drafting Original Petitions, filing legal pleadings with the Court, preformed legal research, client discovery, HIPAA verifications and authorizations to clients, prepared Rule 11 Agreements, e-filed pleadings through Lexus Nexus; sent discovery to clients, worked directly with clients to answer discovery and to get the medical providers to input on their Chapter 74 Authorizations, order medical records from doctor’s offices and facilities, drafted medical records charts; economic losses charts for lost of earnings to be provided in the Requests for Disclosure.

02/06-07/06 Robert MacInvale, P.C.- Houston, Texas

Family Law Legal Assistant

• Plaintiff firm dealing directly with probate proceedings. Responsibilities included drafting Will Packages including, Last Will and Testament, Physician’s Directive, Power of Attorney, and Affidavits of Heirship.

11/05-02/06 Kerr & Hendershot, P.C. - Houston, Texas (Contracted through Quest Personnel)

Legal Assistant/Defense

• Responsibilities included working for five (5) attorneys, drafting letters to doctors regarding Corporate Entity set-up, dictation; made binders for client meetings; converted legal documentation from WordPerfect to Adobe using Omni-Pro; set up corporations through the Secretary of State, Secretary of State searches to check for current entities in business, as well as performing commercial litigation tasks.

12/02-05/05 The Law Office of John K. Tyler - Houston, Texas

Real Estate Legal Assistant

• Responsibilities included drafting General and Special Warranty Deeds, Deeds of Trust, Seller or Owner Finance Packages, Affidavits of Heirship, Assignment (Transfer) of Lien, Full and Partial Releases, Third Party Vendor’s Liens, Closing documentation, Mineral Agreements, Purchase Agreements, Stock Certificates, closing binders, handled Title work with numerous Title companies including Fidelity National Title, First American Title, Chicago, Stewart, Commonwealth, Houston Title, etc., corporate resolutions, subordination agreements, equitable liens, powers of attorney, renewal and extension rider mechanic liens, and home equity releases.

08/01-11/02 The Lanier Law Firm - Houston, Texas (Contracted through Quest Personnel)

Legal Assistant/Medical Coordinator/Plaintiff

• Responsibilities included assisted in getting work history information regarding asbestos exposure, going to trial with lead attorneys, worked with experts getting medical information regarding asbestos exposure, sending pathology and medical reports to doctors and medical experts, setting up medical examination’s, handled and dealt with b-reads, pulmonary function tests, drafted physician and hospital lists, pulling medical records for settlement and trial purposes.

06/01-08/01 State Farm Insurance Company– Houston, Texas (Contracted through Quest Personnel)

Personal Assistant

• Responsibilities included working for the Catastrophe office working on insurance claims for flood victims, personal assistant for State Farm Executives, drafted memorandums, and handled telephone inquires, coordinate meetings.

5/99-05/00 Pfeiffer, Vacek, Pfeiffer, Scruggs & Hoffman-Houston, Texas

Insurance Defense Legal Assistant

• Responsibilities included assisting in creation of letters and memos to claim adjusters with Texas Farmers Insurance & Liberty Mutual; prepared examination under oath summaries for insurance litigation, drafted discovery, and petition of intervener for filing with court; and assisted in depositions with clients.

EDUCATION

• San Jacinto College North (1996-1999) Associate of Applied Science Degree in Legal Assistance (ABA approved)

• 2000-2004 Lee College/San Jacinto College courses in various subjects towards Bachelors Degree

• 2008-2010 On-line classes at University of Houston towards Bachelors Degree

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Reliable and conscientious worker with lead paralegal experience. Assisted with flood victims in Houston Texas.

SKILLS

Outlook Express, Peachtree, Excel, PowerPoint, Lotus (1 and 2), Windows (95, 98, 2000, XP), WordPerfect (5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0, 2003), MS Word, Net Plus, Flip Win, Internet, Omni Pro, Access, Docs Open, Delta View, LexisNexis PCLaw, FTP, Amicus Attorney 2008, PCP, Summation, Quick Books, G-Mail Calendaring and Time Matters.

References Furnished Upon Request

Contact this candidate