Elena Lee began her career in the legal field in a law firm in Texas after graduating with a Legal Secretary Certificate. Now the Firm Administrator at Krevolin & Horst, Elena was formerly with Troutman Sanders for the last 12 years serving in various positions including: Legal Secretary/Floor Coordinator, Legal Administrative Support Supervisor, Resource Center Manager, Secretarial Services Manager and most recently recruiter. Elena is currently working on her degree in Business Administration and also has a paralegal certificate from The National Center for Paralegal Training with a specialty in Civil Litigation. Elena is the President of the Association of Legal Administrators.

The Legaco Express for Paralegals (LEX):

You began your career as a paralegal and are now the firm administrator of your law firm. How did you get started in legal administration?

Elena Lee:

I got started in legal administration in 2005 when I started working as a secretarial and word-processing supervisor.

I was working as a legal assistant in the labor and employment practice group of my law firm, working a lot with cases that had to do with companies and HR departments. I just got really intrigued by Human Resources issues, managing people and helping companies be in compliance, and I decided that it was where I wanted to take my next step.

LEX:

What qualities set you apart and helped you succeed, both, as a paralegal and a firm administrator?

Elena Lee:

I would say my work ethics, my delivery, and how I get along really well with all different types of personalities.

LEX:

Why did you choose to work for Krevolin & Horst, LLC? What do you like best about your job?

Elena Lee:

I recently joined Krevolin & Horst. While I gained a wealth of knowledge at my previous firm, Krevolin & Horst offers me the opportunity to expand my knowledge, skills and abilities. I am now involved in the different aspects of running a law firm.

LEX:

If other paralegals would like to follow your example, what kind of training/background do you think is helpful for a career in legal administration?

Elena Lee:

I am a member of the Atlanta Association of Legal Administrators and the organization provides a lot of educational sessions that have been invaluable in my growth.

I am also a member of SHRM (Society for Human Management). Their website has a lot of tools and they also offer a lot of educational seminars that I participated in. Continuing my education and attending as many training sessions as I could really helped my professional growth.

LEX:

You worked in the past as a recruiter for a big law firm, what are some of the most common mistakes paralegals make on their resume?

Elena Lee:

Typos!

The other mistake that I see which is a little frustrating is leaving off dates. It is really important to have dates on the resume even if it is just months and years. Saves a lot of time on the recruiter's part.

LEX:

What can a paralegal do to make a good impression during an interview and what are good questions to ask during an interview?

Elena Lee:

Paralegals need to ask questions about that specific position and exactly what it entails. It is always good to find out with whom exactly they will be working with, which practice group, how many attorneys they will be supporting, just of a lot of detailed information regarding the position.

LEX:

You are also the President of the Atlanta Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators. Why did you choose to get involved in your local professional association?

Elena Lee:

I began to attend the educational sessions, but they also had opportunities to volunteer. I joined several committees and networked with members. I was nominated to be on the Board as Director of Membership and was elected. After two years, I was nominated for Vice-President. It is a three-year term - Vice-President, to President, and then Past President.

ALA has offered me so many opportunities to grow and volunteering my time and talent is one way for me to give back to an organization that offers so many wonderful benefits for its members.

AALA offers educational training, seminars, conferences and the networking is invaluable. You can meet so many people in the legal field that you can reach out to for guidance.

They also have a list-serv where you can ask questions and get feedback from the members, it was really invaluable to me.

LEX:

How do you deal with concurrent deadlines, what are your time management tips?

Elena Lee:

I am such an organizer, so as soon as I have a project and I know what the deadline is, I look how much time I have, what this project entails, and then I divide it up so I can spend as much time as I can on it. I am a planner anyway so meeting deadlines is not a problem.

LEX:

How do you deal with work-related stress?

Elena Lee:

I keep smiling and a positive outlook.

I don't let things bother me. I am surrounded by a lot of motivational quotes in my office. I take time to work out, play golf with my husband on Sundays and spend time with my family.

LEX:

What was the best advice you have ever received? What advice would you give to paralegals entering the field

Elena Lee:

I had a Mentor once who told me that “as long as you're doing what is right, you will succeed”. I have lived by these words.  

LEX:

The legal world is changing fundamentally in many ways at the current time. How do you see the paralegal profession and your job evolve?

Elena Lee:

The paralegal position is invaluable to law firms and while the job market slowed down and we had a lot of reduction in forces, I see things picking up again. 

The paralegal role has changed, and like everyone else, they are asked to do more, taking on more responsibilities, but they will remain really an essential part of a law firm.

LEX:

Mrs. Lee, thank you for your time and for sharing your experience and insights with us.