ISM- INTERVIEW ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS

Student Name:
Printed Name of Person
Interviewed:
Role of Individual:

Place of Business:

Lauren Love

6th

Melissa Williams
___Mentor ___Other Professional #1
Law office of Dan Krieger

Phone Number:

215 E Galveston St
League City, Tx, 77573
281-332-7630

Date of Interview:

11/4/15

Business Address:

Period:

__X_Other Professional #2

Type of Interview: _X__ In Person ___ Telephone* ___Email*

*Documentation Required (Attach E-mail to Interview Verification Page)

1. For someone working in your field, please describe the fantasies versus realities of the job.
(fantasy vs. reality)
Fantasies She anticipated what she were getting herself into
There would be less stress and pressure involved because she was only a paralegal
The Pay would be better
Realities There are good people who are faced with trying times
Being a paralegal is as stressful as being a lawyer because you have to organize the cases
The amount of work and the hours put in are worth more than the pay
Justice system says everyone is titled to a defense and its not your judgement call.

2. What is your current educational level? What continuing education and training are required?
(educational level and requirements)
High school graduate
Normally you need a degree to be a paralegal and have some experience
She has years and years of experience at the District Clerks office.
7 years at the DEA and 8 years at a private attorney
Worked for the Attorney Generals Office and took legal calls and documentation
If you do not get a degree they take into account the years of experience

Revised Fall 2013

3. Please describe the typical day to day activities of someone working in your field.
(day-to-day activities)
Answering phones
Scheduling appointments
Drafting pleadings
Filing paperwork
Setting up cases in case programing organizer, which also can be used for filing
Relay information to attorney
Answering clients questions
Emailing

4. How secure are you in your current position? What do you think is the future of your field?
(job security)
Very secure.
Dont plan on ever leaving.
Boss is great.
The paralegal field is increasing due to new lawyers emerging and needing the assistance of
paralegals

5. What is a typical (average or lowest to highest) salary of someone working in your field?
(salary)
Low (inexperienced and without a degree) - $25,000
High (experienced and in the city) - $60,000. Or $80,000.00

6. What potential for growth is there in your field?

(growth potential)
Never be a decrease in paralegals due to the lawyers need of help.
Always new people coming into the field.

***Questions 7-10 will be created by the ISM student.

7. What made you pursue this career?

Needed a job and was 23 years old.

Had a 2 year old that needed providing for and needed insurance and benefits

Revised Fall 2013

District Clerks office was the solution and it opened up other options such as the paralegal field.

8. What is the hardest part of your job?

The hardest part of this job is having to meet people when they are going through the most difficult times
of their lives
Make it as painless as possible for everyone that comes through the door
Try to be understanding to circumstances and just listen
Be extra friendly on the phone and help with the process.
No one ever needs a lawyer when they are doing well, these people walk into the office angry and you
have to try and calm them down
Break the ice

9. Do you, as a paralegal, have to make complex decisions?

Comes easy because youve been in the field so long.
If the person has unrealistic requests you can bring the realities to them.
Telling the fees and working out the payment plans

10. Being a paralegal in a law office, do you have potential clients that come into your office and assume
youre an attorney?
Dont assume that you are an attorney.
They expect to know everything.
They come in a lot and say you work here, so you should be more informative.
Being a paralegal you live by the cardinal quote of Im not an attorney. Im a legal assistant.
You can also say I can not interpret anything for you but I can give advice by stating the cardinal quote
from above.

Revised Fall 2013

11. How do you prepare the attorney?

By getting as much information as you can upfront about a potential client.
By following whatever needs to be filed
Maintaining the calendar of their court settings.
He can just get to work because he has all of it to do his job.
If a client calls she will look it up to see if they have a court date and set up appointments
before court date.
12. How do you manage all the clients and make sure there is no conflicting schedules?
He has 2 offices one in Harris County and one in Galveston County.
Every day make sure there is someone who covers the scheduling from both locations.
MYCASE puts in the clients information and case information- what kind of charge and the
case number and what county.
Puts it on calendar.
Clients can log in to MYCASE and message the attorney to keep track of court dates and email

13. How often does the attorney coordinate with the client without the paralegal?
A lot.
Once they come here and set up the contract and pay, paralegals dont see them again but they
communicate with them.
Attorney sees them at court but hardly at the office.
Paralegals only see clients when they fill out the employee contract and pay fees.

Interview Summary
What information from this interview will you select for your page typed,
bulleted list of research informationto be used in your presentation?

Revised Fall 2013