On this episode, we have special guest Colson Derby, III, Chair of the New Jersey Bar Association Paralegal Committee and Personal Injury Paralegal. Colson shares his wealth of knowledge on being a paralegal in the specialized fields of personal injury and medical malpractice. In addition, we discuss the future of the NJBA - Paralegal Committee including how our listeners can join and become active members. If you would like more information regarding the NJBA- Paralegal Committe or additional information on the personal injury/medical malpractice field, please contact Colson Derby, III at [email protected].

Today we discuss the legal area of Family Law from a paralegal's perspective. Joining us is Jennifer Smith, an Advanced Certified Paralegal. Jennifer has held various impressive titles such as former President of the Paralegal Convention of NJ, former President of the NJ Paralegal Association and former Co-Chair of the NJ State Bar Association Paralegal Committee. She is a current Trustee at Large at the Paralegal Association of NJ and a current member of the Berkeley College Legal Studies Advisory Board. She is employed as a full time Family Law Paralegal and has many years of experience in this area.

If you wish to contact Jennifer Smith with any questions on Family Law or inquiries for speaking engagements, her information is below:

[email protected]

973-464-2449

In celebration of Women’s History Month, we invited Kimberly Paton, Esq. to discuss the topic of “Women in Law." Specifically, Ms. Paton discusses owning a successful law practice and her personal journey through the practice of law as a woman.

Kimberly Paton, Esq.  is the Managing Member at The Paton Law Firm LLC located in Fair Lawn, NJ where she specializes in wills, trusts, estates, real estate transactions, and corporate formation.  Ms. Paton is a member of the Bergen County Bar Association and she serves on the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Sections.

You may contact the The Paton Law Firm via the following:

patonlawfirm.com

201-470-4801

In our Part I discussion of the hot topic of Family Law, Maurice Giro, Esq. joins us to discuss the spike in divorce cases after the holidays and other important information surrounding divorce procedure in New Jersey courts.

Mr. Giro is a partner and managing member of Giro Attorneys at Law, LLP located in River Edge, New Jersey.  He has 16 years of experience in Family Law as well as Elder Law.  He held prior roles as Union City Municipal Prosecutor as well as the West NY Municipal Prosecutor and Public Defender.  Mr. Giro is admitted to practice in New Jersey, New York and the United States District Court, District of New Jersey.

This is Part II of our discussion where we explore the importance of having your estate plan in order during your lifetime.  Joining us is Crystal West Edwards, Esq., who is a Partner at Porzio Bromberg & Newman, PC, located in Morristown, NJ. She is the Department Chair of the Wealth Preservation Group and has extensive experience in elder law, estate planning, estate administration and special needs planning.  She is a member of the Board of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and a Fellow to the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC).

To contact Ms. Edwards to begin the process of planning your estate, please click the link below:

https://pbnlaw.com/practices/wealth-preservation/estate-planning

Today we discuss the important topic of Estate Planning with John M. Elias, Esq., Partner at Porzio Bromberg & Newman, P.C. in Morristown, New Jersey.  Mr. Elias takes us through "Estate Planning 101" to answer our questions regarding the basics of getting your affairs in order.  

Mr. Elias is in the Wealth Preservation Group at Porzio and has over 35 years of experience in estate planning, estate administration, trust administration and succession planning.  

To contact Mr. Elias to begin the process of planning your estate, please click the link below: 

https://pbnlaw.com/practices/wealth-preservation/estate-planning

Employment Law attorney, Ayesha Hamilton, Esq., joins us to discuss employment rights with regard to COVID-19 vaccines and time off protections, Family Medical Leave, and Discrimination and Harassment in the workplace.

The Hamilton Law Firm is located in Princeton, New Jersey.  If you are an employee or employer seeking an advocate to help you handle a potential employment issue, Ayesha can investigate and find the best legal recourse option available.

Website: Employment Lawyer Princeton, NJ | Business Law (ayeshahamiltonlaw.com)

Email: [email protected]

In this Episode, Taking the Leap! Should I Become a Freelance Paralegal?, we speak to Dorothy Secol, author of "Starting and Managing Your Own Business: A Freelancing Guide for Paralegals."  Ms. Secol was also a Petitioner in the case In re Opinion 24 of the Committee on the Unauthorized Practice of Law, 128 N.J. 114 (1992) which validated the fact that there is no distinguishable difference between an in-house paralegal and a freelance paralegal working under the direct supervision of an attorney.