Karen A. Smith
125 Law Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Home: 412-753-4308
Cell: 412-694-7821
ksmith@yahoo.com
OBJECTIVE
To obtain a paralegal position in a corporate legal department that will allow me to integrate my writing skills, organizational abilities and 15 years of in-house paralegal experience to contribute to company growth and profitability.
EXPERIENCE
ABC Insurance Company, Pittsburgh, PA
Senior Paralegal, May, 2009 – Present
- Perform all research and writing for five-attorney legal department, reducing outside counsel fees by 10%.
- Draft legal documents including appellate briefs, findings of fact, discovery, motions, pleadings and memoranda of law.
- Research and analyze a wide variety of legal issues in areas including tax, worker’s compensation, environmental, products liability, corporate, employment, international, securities and zoning law.
- Write and edit corporate newsletter; developed time-saving method of newsletter production and distribution.
- Developed in-house paralegal internship program reducing annual staff costs by $20,000.
Dekmark Corporation, Pittsburgh, PA
Legal Assistant, January, 2004 – May, 2009
- Involved in all aspects of litigation support including legal research, factual investigation, medical records review, document management and trial preparation.
- Served as liaison between corporate executives, outside counsel, third-party administrators and all levels of corporate personnel.
- Assisted in retention and management of outside counsel.
- Audited outside counsel legal invoices and provided analysis to corporate legal executives; helped reduce outside counsel fees by 20%.
- Drafted and instituted departmental guidelines for case investigation increasing case management efficiency.
- Drafted discovery documents, motions, briefs and legal memoranda.
- Received Employee Innovation Award in 2005.
Newberg Corp., Pittsburgh, PA
Senior Paralegal, August, 2000 – January, 2004
- Served as paralegal in the litigation department, rising to senior level position in one year.
- Assisted staff counsel in all aspects of litigation management including legal research, factual investigation, witness preparation, document management and trial preparation and support.
- Performed medical records procurement and analysis; prepared medical chronologies and summaries.
- Drafted successful 3rd Circuit brief on employment law issue.
- Assisted in launching departmental intranet site, drafting web content and training staff on intranet use.
Robertson Corporation, Pittsburgh, PA
Corporate Paralegal, July, 1996 – August, 2000
- Assisted staff attorneys in the management of 350+ cases including corporate, asbestos, products liability, labor and employment, environmental and commercial litigation.
- Served as liaison between corporate executives, outside counsel, insurance carriers and third-party administrators.
- Drafted resolutions, contracts, tax certificates, memoranda of law and other legal documents.
- Managed law library; trimmed subscription costs by 5%.
- Received employee recognition award in 1999.
EDUCATION
Davis University Paralegal Institute, Pittsburgh, PA
Degree: Paralegal Certificate, June, 1996
G.P.A.: 3.9
Associate Editor, Parascope Magazine
University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
Bachelor of Arts, English/Writing, 1995
G.P.A.: 3.7, Magna Cum Laude
Dean’s List every semester
ACHIEVEMENTS
- Pro Bono Award, Pittsburgh Paralegal Association, 2007 and 2008
- Published author on paralegal practice topics: “10 Ways Advance Your Corporate Paralegal Career,” Legal Assistant Today (August, 2007); “Cost Containment: A Paralegal’s Guide to Auditing Legal Invoices,” International Paralegal Journal (Spring, 2009).
- Davis University Paralegal Institute scholarship recipient, 1995
MEMBERSHIPS
- Pittsburgh Paralegal Association
- National Federation of Paralegal Associations
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