I came across a great discussion question today on a Virtual Paralegal LinkedIn Group sponsored by Chere Estrin, Editor-in-Chief at SUE Magazine for Women Litigators.

I suspect this question will inspire a flurry of responses by virtual paralegals and virtual assistants across the country.  “We” are as passionate about our profession as the attorneys with whom we work.

I recently came across a forum post from a paralegal asking if the “virtual paralegal train” had run its course.  The resounding response by that forum’s readers indicated that virtual paralegals are here to stay!

“Litigation can be a rollercoaster. Several cases may come in a flurry, or none may arise for several months.  Maintaining staff for the peak periods can be a sizable ongoing cost for salaries and benefits.  On the other hand, not having people when needed can result in overlooking crucial information, making mistakes, or missing deadlines.” (It’s Discovery Time — Do You Know Where Your Electronic Data Is? Michael J. Connor, Contributor, Litigation Support TODAY, November 2009/January 2010)

If you are the Plaintiff’s counsel, the word “dismissed” is not always a good thing to hear, especially if it is combined with the words “for want of prosecution”.  Some attorneys – and their clients – react more strongly to this occurrence than others.  So, just how does this occur and what does it mean?

For decades, courts have made a practice of cleaning up inactive cases on the docket by setting those cases for “dismissal for want of prosecution.”  For whatever reason, the case has been sitting on the docket inactive for a period of time.  The court sets up a dismissal docket with a list of all the inactive cases, and notice is given to all the attorneys of record.    If neither Plaintiff nor Defendant shows good cause for the case being retained on the docket in the manner designated by that particular court, then the Court would dismiss the case and remove it from its list of active cases.

Have you ever noticed that everyone seems to have a different disclaimer and confidentiality notice which they use on emails and fax cover sheets?  I recently began collecting the forms which come to me through email via direct email, list serves, or other sources.  Needless to say, they vary widely in form.

When I returned to the legal profession in 2008, I was shocked that the small firm I worked for had no “uniform” disclaimer which everyone in the firm used.  I was told to pick one I liked and start using it.  If the disclaimer form is of any use, then it deserves a little time and attention.