Patricia Gibson
PO Box ****** Phone 817-***-****
North Richland Hills, Texas 76182 ***************@***.***
OBJECTIVE
To contribute exceptional problem-solving skills, communication skills, business and decision making skills, and customer service skills to find employment as an administrative assistant, office assistant, clerk or in any related capacity. Proven effective researcher, writer, multi-media designer, decision-making abilities, and well organized.
EDUCATION
American Institute for Paralegal Studies, Downer’s Grove, Illinois
Merit Scholarship, Immigration Paralegal Specialist Certificate, Certificate of Distinction – Legal Research, Certificate of Distinction – Legal Writing, Certificate of Distinction – Estates, Wills, and Trusts
April 2008
Brooks Institute of Photography, Santa Barbara, California
Master of Science in Photography
March 2006
Columbia College, Chicago, Illinois
Bachelor of Arts – Graduated with Honors
Dean’s List, Kodak Professional Scholar Award and Scholarship, Outstanding Student Award, Albert P. Weisman Memorial Award and Grant, Best of Photojournalism Award May 1995
INTERNSHIP
United Way “Visions of Hope” Documentary Spring 1995
COMPUTER SKILLS
• Macintosh and Windows environments.
• Intermediate Microsoft Word, Intermediate WordPerfect.
• Microsoft Outlook and Excel software.
• Experience Drafting and assembling Legal Documents, using ProDocs software.
• Legal Research experience using Lexis Nexis software.
• PracticeMaster and TABS proficiencies.
• Drafting Legal documents, Initial Pleadings, Discovery, etc., Default Judgments, Agreed Orders, etc.
• Intermediate TimeSlips software proficiency.
• Extensive Document Scanning experience and assembling of exhibits, client documents, etc., trial preparation.
• Ascent Batch Capture software experience, preparing, scanning, and QC of Mortgages, Deeds, Foreclosures,
and other Mortgage industry documents, as well as A/R, A/P, Escrow and other documents.
• Experience using online shipping and mailing software: ie: Stamps.com, Fed Ex online shipping and tracking,
UPS online tracking, etc.
• Phoneslips messaging software
• Extensive experience using computer applications Adobe Photoshop™, Adobe Premiere™, QuarkXPress™,
Aldus Pagemaker™, Adobe Illustrator™, and similar photo enhancing, editing and layout/design applications.
• Working knowledge of Director™, Hypercard, Powerpoint, multimedia presentation software applications.
• Familiar with reading, writing, and integrating code for the following: HTML, UNIX, and JavaScript.
• Beginner proficiency Dreamweaver as a web design application.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Hannah’s House of Plano, Plano, Texas
Volunteer Typist, Part-Time Administrative Assistant, Visitation Supervisor
Answering incoming telephone calls and answering any questions; maintaining
the calendar of appointments for scheduled supervised visitation periods;
drafting correspondence to clients, attorneys, and the Courts; faxing, copying,
etc.; registering new clients; and other duties.
Nov. 2009 – Present
The Law Offices of Linda Hem and Brandy Baxter-Thompson
Administrative/Legal Assistant
Answering incoming telephone calls and answering any questions;
Greeting clients and processing client payments;
Maintaining attorney calendars;
Tracking billable time in PracticeMaster;
Entering expense billables, utilizing TABS software;
Drafting correspondence to clients, attorneys, and the Courts; faxing, copying, etc.;
Document scanning and assembling of exhibits, client documents, trial notebooks,
etc., trial preparation; Maintaining attorney calendar; Stamps.com, Fed Ex online shipping and tracking, UPS online tracking, etc.;
Order office supplies; filing;
Conducting preliminary intake interviews for new clients; and other duties.
Sept. 2010 – Feb. 2011
Superior Technical Resources, Irving, Texas
F/T Contract Document Scanner for Lockheed Martin Corporation
Document scanning, Microfilm scanning, various clerical duties.
July 2010 – Sept. 2010
NCS Pearson, Inc., Dallas, Texas
Temporary TAKS Test Scorer
March 2010 – May 2010
US Census Bureau, Bedford, Texas
Temporary Census Enumerator
Matrix Imaging, Irving, Texas
Contract Part-Time Document Scanner, LSI Title Agency
Insure that Mortgage documents, supporting documents and write up materials
in each record are prepped and in the correct order; scan documents, utilizing
Ascent Batch Capture software; Quality Control and Validation, Data entry.
April 2010 – June 2010
Sept. 2009 – April 2010
Akula & Associates, P.C., Irving Texas
Certified Paralegal
Drafting and assembling Legal Documents using ProDocs software:
Initial Pleadings, Discovery, etc., Default Judgments, Agreed Orders, etc.,
Inventory and Appraisement, Temporary Orders, etc., Wills, Estate Planning, etc.
Legal Research using Lexis Nexis database; Tracking billable hours with TimeSlips software; Drafting correspondence to clients, opposing counsel, and the courts;
Document scanning and assembling of exhibits, client documents, trial notebooks,
etc., trial preparation; Maintaining attorney calendar; Stamps.com, Fed Ex online shipping and tracking, UPS online tracking, etc.; Calculating child support
obligation.
Feb. 2009 – Aug. 2009
Fonda G. Fitzgerald, Attorney at Law, Carrollton, Texas
Family Law, Estate Planning Paralegal
Drafting and assembling Legal Documents using templates in database; Initial
Pleadings, Temporary Orders, Agreed Orders, etc.; Drafting correspondence to
clients, opposing counsel, and the courts; Assisting with attorney calendar;
Phone slips messaging software; Calculating child support obligation.
June 2008 – Feb. 2009
Professional Photographer / Exhibiting Artist
Sales Customer Service
Portraits, Weddings, Catalogs, Brochures, Newspaper, Arts Council
1992 - Present
St. Charles Fire Department, St. Charles, Illinois
Official Fire Department Photographer – Paid on Call
June 1993 – June 2001
Samuel J. Butcher, Company
Administrative Assistant, Human Resources Assistant, Bookkeeper
Cash Reconciliation, Daily Deposits, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable,
payroll processing, payroll tax deposits, drafting correspondence, reports, etc. Feb. 1987 – May 1990
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE
Volunteer Paralegal – Legal Aid of Northwest Texas, Ft. Worth, Texas
August 2008 - Present
Volunteer – Texas Office of the Attorney General, Child Support Division
Ft. Worth, Texas 2008 – Jan. 2009
OTHER SKILLS
• Basic Spanish and Russian language proficiencies
• Exceptional writing ability
• Conducting client intake interviews and compiling concise notes
• Extensive proofreading and editing experience
• Maintaining calendar
• Experience drafting correspondence to clients, opposing counsel, and the courts
• Opening, maintaining and closing client files
• Family law experience includes calculating precise child support obligation, drafting legal documents, etc.
• Texas Notary Public
• Extensive customer service and sales experience
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
• NALA –National Association of Legal Assistants
• D.A.N.G. – Dallas Artist’s Networking Group
• Fox Valley Arts Council – Board member and volunteer
• Downstairs Dunham Gallery – Aurora University, Aurora, Illinois, Advisory Board Member
• ACLU – American Civil Liberties Union