You're juggling linguistic research and tight project deadlines. How do you find the perfect balance?

To find the perfect balance, you need time management, prioritization, and flexibility. It's crucial to plan and organize tasks and to set clear priorities to ensure the most critical aspects of the research are completed on time. Efficient communication with your teammates and stakeholders is critical to keeping everyone aligned with the goals and timelines. Lastly, maintaining flexibility allows you to adapt to any changes or unexpected challenges without compromising the quality of the research. This approach to project management is not just for linguistic research but any research or project that has set deadlines.

One thing I have found helpful in prioritization it organization. Knowing when all court filing deadlines are due, depositions are promptly scheduled and following the state rules a procedures of legal practice in order to ensure that every client is represented to the best of the firm, as a team, and like they are the only client. Constantly updating helps ease their worries that their case is top priority. You have to balance time management between cases, but you have a million different cases and tasks to juggle. It takes dedication, determination, devotion, and passion for what you are doing for your clients and your firm.

One example of my 18+ years of litigation and legal experience in many different areas of law, time management between cases and tasks is something any legal professional must MASTER. There are a million different cases and tasks to juggle. It takes dedication, determination, devotion, and passion for what you are doing for your clients and your firm. Find the best way that works for you. I calendar all deadlines and set reminders of upcoming filings and trials to attempt to stay ahead of the chaos that may ensue if one thing is missed. Practice makes perfect and organization skills are key.

My stance on collaboration with other colleagues, is that you must all have differences that can help in different ways. Of I’m managing a case and have two legal assistance, I will delegate all very important work to them that cannot be billed for as billable hours. This delegation helps the client, attorney, and definitely the paralegal(s) working on that case. It is also a learning experience for all involved. Disregarding job titles, you can learn different and new strategies from your delegated colleagues. It is a team effort. With that being said, every case is handled by many, but just because you’re the assigned paralegal does not mean your team will not assist and hopefully learn new techniques that can be used and billable.

One thing that I have always strived to stress to other colleagues is that not everyday is going to go as planned. In fact, most do not. Be prepared for the unthinkable and always have solutions that can be incorporated to the problem at hand to ensure it can be corrected or completed in a quick, timely matter. This all grows from experience, but you learn new things daily and I ensure I keep it noted for future reference. If the issue happens again, there is a game plan and the legal professionals will all work together to get the unexpected outcome to become one of mastery.

Self care and a good work-life balance is essential in a career. Ensure you are spending time doing things that you love and enjoy. Ensure your goals are in the forefront, but alright balance those goals with a great and stable attitude and mental health. Not only is this healthy for you as a paralegal, but shows in your work performance, whether you notice it or not. Try to strive others to follow your example and see the difference it could make a whole firm more effective, professional, productive, energized, and willing to go above and beyond. Realize that it only takes one person to make drastic changes for the better.