Paralegals & Legal Secretaries

Paralegal Profile: Stephanie Durham Rivera

By Lynne DeVenny

Employer: Olive & Olive, PA; Durham, NC

Years of Paralegal Experience: 7

Education/Degrees: BA, Howard University

Specialty Areas: Intellectual Property; Trademark and Copyright Litigation

Career Highlight: A memorable career highlight for me was working on a case with the United States Product Safety Commission (CPSC), suing Walmart for failing to report safety hazards associated with Weider and Weslo brand home exercise equipment. Case result, Walmart was later fined $750,000 for its failure to report the faulty equipment. It was a highlight not only because it was a significant win for the everyday consumer and the first time a retailer has had to pay a penalty for failing to report a safety problem where the retailer was not also an importer or private labeler of the product involved, but personally, it was one of the first cases I worked on when I entered the paralegal field while working for the Department of Justice Office of Consumer Litigation in Washington, DC.

Paralegal Practice Tips: 1) Organize your emails at the beginning of the day and right before you leave. A messy inbox is a breeding ground for things to get overlooked.

2) Don?t keep files in your office (if you can help it). That?s what file rooms are for. Think of it this way, walking back and forth to the file room also promotes exercise.

Favorite Internet Resources:

In the life of a Trademark Litigation paralegal, I commonly use these sites as resources:

USPTO - TARR - to check Trademark Application status, http://tarr.uspto.gov/

USPTO ? TTABVUE- to check TTAB Litigation status, http://ttabvue.uspto.gov/ttabvue

Secretary of State (NC)- Company background information; confirm proper name and address to serve opposition (I encourage the use of the SOS website for any state; it?s a great resource for information), http://www.secretary.state.nc.us/corporations/thepage.aspx

Casemaker; it free to use for NCBA members and again, it?s a great resource, http://www.ncbar.org/membership/casemaker.aspx

Google- never underestimate the powers of Google. (Through the USPTO, you can even search patents with Google), http://www.google.com/ and www.google.com/patents

Favorite Legal Software: Prolaw; case management, http://www.prolaw.com/

Do you use social media resources, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or blogs, for career and/or case development? No, but I should start.

Fun Facts: I?m a Durham County Guardian Ad Litem, I coach club volleyball (15 year old girls) and I married the love of my life in October.

One Gadget You Can?t Live Without: How about two? Android phone and Netbook Mini

Favorite Quote: "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." ? Robert Frost

Paralegal/Legal Association Memberships: North Carolina Bar Association Paralegal Division; Council Member- Ethics Chair, Women in Profession and Lawyers in the Schools Committee Liaison for the NCBA Paralegal Division; North Carolina Advocates for Justice Legal Assistants Division; Membership Committee member.

Professional Link: Olive & Olive Paralegal Staff

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I met Stephanie through my current appointment to the NCBA Paralegal Division Council, where I'm currently serving as both the editor of the paralegal division newsletter and the technology chair. It's been an amazing opportunity to meet and work with some of the most active and influential paralegals in the state, including Stephanie. Many thanks to her for doing this profile - while planning her wedding!

Full post as published by Practical Paralegalism on December 15, 2010 (boomark / email).