Lynne DeVenny, aka @ExpertParalegal and I have had a nifty little mutual admiration society on Twitter for a while now. She’s introduced me to wonderful things like her blog Practical Paralegalism, Green Tea Slushies and @Richard Prickman. Ok, so that last one may not be considered by all to be wonderful, but he is entertaining. When she asked me to guest post on her blog I was extremely honored and literally jumped at the chance. And being the savvy business woman I am, I immediately asked if she might be interested in doing the same here. So without further ado I’d like to introduce my readers to one of my social media/paralegal heroes… Lynne DeVenny.  Psst…she also co-authored the book “Workers’ Compensation Practice for Paralegals” (Carolina Academic Press 2008), pretty impressive right?

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Virtual Paralegals:  “It’s a Good Thing”

By Lynne J. DeVenny, NCCP

“I invented ‘It’s a good thing’ before you were even born.” ~ Martha Stewart

When Tina and I suggested topics for each other’s guest posts at our respective blogs, she tweeted, “I’d love to have you share how a highly successful, in-office paralegal feels about the upsurge of virtual paralegals.”  Since I think the “highly successful, in-office paralegal” is supposed to be me, I’m honored!  My reply to Tina: “Are you kidding?  I want to BE a virtual paralegal!”

Whether you work as an independent contractor providing paralegal support services to attorney clients, or as a law firm employee that skips the physical commute and works from home full or part-time, working virtually only expands skilled paralegals’ employment possibilities – and right now, that is a GOOD thing.  In an era of exploding technological advances combined with the need for lawyers to economize in order to continue to provide affordable legal services – and survive a recessionary economy that is hitting law firm earnings hard, it just makes sense to view virtual paralegals as the wave of the future.  “Traditional” paralegals (like me) should not view them as a threat to our own survival, but as role models and pioneers who are opening doors for the rest of us.

Why am I such a fan of virtual paralegals?  When I didn’t know as many as I do now, I used to think it was because they didn’t have to find matching shoes every single week day morning.  But it’s so much more than that. Here are a few reasons that they represent positive change and an expanded future for the paralegal profession:

• Innovation: Successful virtual paralegals are innovators and technological whizzes.  They are utilizing the latest technology to not only work securely from remote locations but reduce paper (go green!) and perform essential legal support tasks more efficiently than ever.  They are masters of legal software applications and cutting-edge technology that no legal professional can afford to ignore.
• Opportunity: Virtual paralegals help talented attorneys stay in practice who might otherwise be unable to afford expensive office space and traditional personnel expenses.  They are maintaining and creating employment opportunities during a time when everyone’s need to economize is leading to new solutions for staffing needs.
• Flexibility: The opportunities that virtual paralegals provide for flexibility is a two-way street benefiting both attorneys and paralegals.  Quality of life is always a key issue in the fast-paced legal profession.  Working virtually allows both sides to choose full or part-time work, work on a project basis or as a permanent staffer, select an array of services and providers for entry-level tasks to much more substantive and highly specialized support, live in locations best suited to their families’ needs, and set schedules that allow them to work when they’re most productive yet be there for their families.
• Independence: While all paralegals, virtual or otherwise, work under the supervision of an attorney, becoming self-employed via a virtual legal support business offers paralegals the chance to experience business ownership and entrepreneurship, and to even employ other paralegals.  Having access to these businesses full-time or on a project basis allows attorneys to build small or solo practices, especially if they’ve recently been down-sized themselves.

Traditional paralegals will always be needed to provide physical legal support services in many legal specialty areas.  But the number of successful virtual paralegals will continue to grow as more intellectual legal specialty areas become available, as more law firms search for creative ways to adapt to the current economy, and as more paralegals discover that their employment opportunities will expand in a virtual world.  I can definitely see a future where I give up the almost always matching shoes and offer attorneys the litigation support for serious injury cases and writing services that I love – from the beach.

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Lynne J. DeVenny is a senior paralegal employed by Elliot Pishko Morgan, P.A. in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.  She co-hosts The Paralegal Voice, a monthly podcast hosted by Legal Talk Network, with Vicki Voisin, and blogs for and about the paralegal profession at Practical Paralegalism, http://www.practicalparalegalism.com

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The author; Rita Cartwright

The Clerical Advantage Conference Table has been lucky enough to be chosen as a stop on Rita Cartwright’s Virtual Book Tour for her new e-book, ” Online Marketing Tools for Today’s Small Business“.   I got a chance to interview Rita to find out more about her and her very pertinent e-book.

TH:      Why did you write this book?

RC:      My goal was to create a handbook, which entrepreneurs and small business owners can refer to when they are searching for online marketing tools and/or new marketing ideas.  I wrote it for new entrepreneurs and small business owners, as well as for those who have been in business a while.

TH:      Tell me about yourself

RC:      I’m originally from Arizona and now reside in California.  I earned my bachelor’s degree (with Magna Cum Laude honors) from Arizona State University when I was 44 years old.  After graduation, I couldn’t find a job; therefore, I decided to start my own business offering online word processing services, which was 6 years ago.  At that time, I was not aware of the virtual assistant industry, which I am now a member of.  So, I guess you can say I was ahead of the curve.

TH:      What qualifies you to write this book?

RC:      Approximately 2 years ago, I started maintaining a blog and writing articles in order to implement the article marketing strategy.  (I talk about using this strategy as a marketing tool in my e-book.)  Also, while attending college, I learned how to write.  I had to write.  I remember my English professor saying I should be a writer, because he thought I had the skills.  I didn’t take him serious.  I was just trying to get through college.

In regards to the subject matter, my background and education in marketing and my experience from operating an online business provide me with the necessary qualifications to write this e-book on the topic of online marketing tools.

TH:      How long have you been an entrepreneur?

RC:      I have been an entrepreneur since October 2002.  Although I started out as a small business owner, I have become an entrepreneur.  There are differences between entrepreneurs and small business owners.  In fact, I wrote an article on the differences.  It is titled, “Are There Any Differences Between an Entrepreneur and a Small Business Owner?”  Ezine Articles is one of the article banks where you can find it.

TH:      What is the e-book about?

RC:      This e-book contains information on various online marketing tools, along with some examples and in-depth descriptions of the tools.  There is also a resource section that lists websites where you can find the online marketing tools, including “live” links to the websites.  The resource section will save your readers a lot of time in Internet research when they are searching for information on online marketing tools.

TH:      What do you want the readers to get out of this e-book?

RC:      I wanted to provide those readers, who have a shoestring marketing budget, with information they can use in their online marketing plan or, at least, generate new marketing ideas.  Most entrepreneurs and small business owners do not have a large marketing budget.  The marketing tools I discuss costs little to no money.

TH:      Can we look for more books from you in the future?

RC:     Yes.  One of my clients, who is a coach of Christian leaders, and I are currently working together on an e-book.  It will be geared towards Christian leaders and Christian virtual assistants.  So be on the lookout for that in the near future.

TH:      How can the readers contact you if they have any questions?

RC:      Your readers can reach me at 760-631-1335 or toll free at 866-651-3073 or send me an e-mail at rjcartw@rjswordprocessing.com.

TH:      Where can the readers purchase your e-book and how much does it cost?

RC:      They can click here to purchase it, and it only costs $3.98.

TH:      Rita, thank you for stopping by my blog on your tour.

RC:      You are very welcome. Thank you, Tina, for having me.

Learn more about Rita:

Rita’s bio:  Rita J. Cartwright is a Virtual Assistant and owner of RJ’s Word Processing Services and has been in business since 2002.  In 1998, she received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Marketing from Arizona State University with a minor in Spanish.  She is also a member of Virtual Assistant Networking Association and Oceanside Chamber of Commerce.  In order to offer her clients quality service, Rita continues to enhance her skills through various teleseminars and webinars, as well as network online and offline with fellow entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Rita’s background in marketing and experience in conducting her business online qualify her to write an e-book on the topic of various marketing tools and strategies.  Having to operate on a shoestring marketing budget, provided her with necessary knowledge and skills, which were required in order to implement these same strategies into her online marketing plan.  For more information on RJ’s Word Processing Services and Rita, please click here.

Summary of e-book:  Entrepreneurs and small business owners in any industry can use this e-book as a reference guide.  Whenever you need fresh online marketing ideas or need online marketing information, you can refer back to this e-book.  Nowadays, we are so overwhelmed with information, Rita wanted to simplify the search for online marketing techniques by organizing some of that information together into one location, her e-book.

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