The Paralegal Voice

Dig into the stressful life of a paralegal professional working in a high-stakes defense litigation firm. Guest Amy McGuigan is a senior paralegal with the San Francisco firm of Swanson & McNamara LLP, a firm that specializes in trial and appellate law. She’s no stranger to the stress of cases where literally a defendant’s life is on the line. She’s always been into stressful jobs, from her start as an overnight 911 dispatcher to her work in a California public defender’s office to her current position working on criminal defense cases. 

Life as a criminal defense paralegal isn’t for everyone, but for McGuigan, that’s part of the excitement and the challenge. “It’s like a puzzle,” she says. “I just love to go through the discovery process and find that one thing.” 

McGuigan shares how she focuses on the process and logical progression of a case, compartmentalizing the legal aspects. She’s mindful there are victims involved, but understands her role is to ensure the accused receive the best defense possible, the process of the law is followed, and no detail is overlooked. 

Work in a defense firm is never dull, McGuigan explains her involvement in forensic evidence examination, including metadata, e-discovery, cell phone and search engine histories, fingerprint evidence, and the detailed examination of evidence that could swing an entire case. If you’ve been considering a career as a paralegal professional in the high-stakes world of defense litigation, this is the episode for you.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Women in eDiscovery

Women in CyberSecurity

San Francisco Paralegal Association

Bar Association of San Francisco Paralegal Section

“Both Sides Use Trove of Cell Data at Alex Murdaugh Trial”

“Lawyers for Alex Jones Turned Over Evidence That Contradicted His Testimony”

NALA, The Paralegal Association

NALA Conference & Expo 2026

In this jam-packed episode, host Tony Sipp welcomes four outstanding paralegal professionals and educators to share tips on balancing mindfulness, wellness, and self-care in today’s world of rapid tech advancements. 

If it seems like the profession is bolting forward at light speed, you’re not wrong. It’s important to take care of yourself. Let tech work for you, not wear you down. At times, you need to plug back into yourself before you plug into the latest technology. 

With a race to incorporate that latest in AI, it is important to keep learning, but also to learn how to embrace “the power of the pause,” taking a moment to step back. Don’t just survive, thrive! 

Mentioned in This Episode:

American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE)

AAfPE Legal Luminaries podcast

Paralegals on Fire podcast

Adam Grant, speaker

Los Angeles Paralegal Association

NALA, The Paralegal Association

NALA Conference & Expo 2026

Guest June Hunter is a trained paralegal professional and legal technology trainer with a 35-year career in legal services that spans the profession’s growth from the days of physical, paper files to today’s legal tech AI revolution. 

Hear how Hunter has come to feel that paralegal professionals are “the best project managers in the world,” juggling clients, lawyers, tech tools, and court schedules and deadlines. The paralegal profession is no longer limited to helping process legal documents. Technology has expanded the field into so many new areas and specialties. 

The best part about today’s tech tools, including AI, is that in the long run, it can save clients money, increase efficiencies, and solve ethical issues involving billing. Hunter’s message: be eager to embrace and master the latest technology throughout your career. The smartest person in the room is the person who’s not afraid to ask questions and learn new things.

Mentioned in This Episode:

San Diego Paralegal Association

San Diego Legal Secretaries Association

Los Angeles Paralegal Association

MCLE, California Minimum Continuing Legal Education

A History of Microsoft’s “Clippy” 

NALA, The Paralegal Association

NALA Conference & Expo 2026

Once you’ve landed your first job as a paralegal professional, what next? How do you build your career, advance into management, and leverage affiliations and activities within local and national associations as you pursue your goals? 

Guest Angela King is a successful paralegal manager at the national law firm of Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP. Over more than two decades, she has advanced from a law firm volunteer to a file clerk to legal assistant, then paralegal professional, and now paralegal manager at a national law firm overseeing dozens of paralegal professionals. 

At each step, being active with paralegal associations helped her advance her skills and network. It starts with learning, and it extends to helping and mentoring. King explores how a conscious push to improve and learn at every stage built her career and how you can create your own path to professional success.

Mentioned in This Episode:

National Capital Area Paralegals Association

National Federal of Paralegal Association

IPMA, International Practice Management Association

IPMA Conference and Expo

Los Angeles Paralegal Association

NALA, The Paralegal Association

NALA Conference & Expo 2026

How is the legal profession evolving, and what does it mean for your career? In this episode, host Tony Sipp welcomes a very special, nationally renowned, guest, Chere Estrin for a look into the future of the legal workplace.

Estrin is a guiding force in the legal profession and a nationally recognized voice on career development in the field. She’s the CEO of Estrin Legal Staffing, the author of 12 books, and the creator of the podcast Lawfully Employed and The Estrin Report blog. 

Hear how to adapt and stand out and what traps you need to avoid in the new world of law. AI has jolted the industry, but it’s not just about technology. Paralegals are being tasked with increasingly complex duties, you’ve got to keep your skills current and show initiative every day. 

Estrin provides insights and advice you can use now, whether that’s in your current job or when searching for your next step. The moves you make today can make or break your career. Start “future proofing” your life and getting ahead now.

Mentioned in This Episode:

The Estrin Report, blog

Lawfully Employed, podcast

“If I Lost My Job Tomorrow, Here’s How AI Would Fix My Resume Before Lunch,” by Chere Estrin

“Hot Flashes, Cool Resume: Still Billable. Still Brilliant. Resumes for Legal Professional Women Who Aren't Done Yet,” by Chere Estrin

“Power Plays” by Chere Estrin

Other books by Chere Estrin, Amazon.com

Previous appearance on the Legal Talk Network, Lawyer 2 Lawyer: “Paralegals: The Backbone of the Law Practice”

International Paralegal Management Association (IPMA)

IPMA 2025 Annual Conference & Expo

NALA, The Paralegal Association

NALA Conference & Expo 2026

Ever think of hanging up a shingle and going it alone as a freelance paralegal services provider? It can be done and there is a demand. Working in a firm isn’t your only option.

Guest Corrin Swintosky is a freelance paralegal professional at her own company, Lucid Legal Support LLC, who specializes in helping small and midsize law firms increase efficiencies by providing extra help with criminal law cases as needed.  

A former probation officer, Swintosky’s passions include helping expunge criminal records, getting offenders back on their feet and get their lives back on track after minor offenses and missteps. Even a minor mark on a person’s record can create barriers to housing, employment, voting, and everyday life. 

Hear how Swintosky as a one-person show balances tech and business skills, how she learned to work side-by-side with attorneys, and how she leans confidently into her expertise. 

Mentioned in This Episode:

“New York Clean Slate Act Takes Effect on November 16, 2024, With New Obligations for Employers Running Criminal Background Checks,” LawAndTheWorkplace.com 

“It's Time for a Federal Clean Slate,” The Clean Slate Initiative 

NALA, The Paralegal Association

NALA Conference & Expo 2026

How do professionals in the legal community help protect and enhance the civil rights we all deserve? Guest Capri Maddox is the executive director of the Los Angeles Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department, working to ensure Los Angeles is a city of belonging, justice, and a welcoming space for all. 

She’s an attorney, but she also worked as a paralegal professional, and she recognizes how big projects depend on every level of the legal team. 

As a former prosecutor, Maddox says she knows no city can arrest its way to safety. Described as “a powerhouse of purpose,” she believes the only way to ensure public safety is to make sure everyone feels included, feels represented, and feels that justice works for all, not just a few. 

Her team’s latest campaign is a simple, yet powerful project called “Just Say Hello.” The idea is that if people say “hello” to a stranger once in a while, it can create a friendlier, more inclusive city. As she notes, it’s unlikely someone will mistreat someone if they’ve just said “hello” to each other. Hear how we can all do something in our own communities to ensure everyone feels welcome, respected, safe, and empowered.

NALA, The Paralegal Association

NALA Conference & Expo 2026

Los Angeles Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department 

LAIsForEveryone.com

“LA Civil Rights Celebrates ‘Just Say Hello’ Campaign Citywide for International Friendship Day 2025” 

The LA For All Campaign

“I Belong. You Belong. We Belong. Theme for Fourth Annual LA For All Week” 

LA Law Day 2025

Using social media? The campaigns’ hashtag is #LAIsForAll

Paralegals can find themselves on an island at the workplace, left without training, mentorship, and opportunities for growth and advancement in a sink or swim environment. It doesn’t have to be that way. 

Guest Eda Rosa is a former paralegal who founded her own firm, Eda Rosa LLC, in 2017. The legal consulting and training company is dedicated to transforming the legal industry from the inside out. Rosa says CLE classes are fine for the nuts and bolts, but what about training to avoid burnout and build “soft skills” that make life and work better? 

Training shouldn’t stop with paralegal classes and company onboarding. Continuous education and team building exercises ensure teams remain strong and develop as a unit. Every player on a legal team has a role, failure to bring along every player hurts the entire firm. 

Hear how Rosa “learned by doing,” growing into her own professional self, earning a master’s degree in law, and then turned her insights into a mission to help paralegal professionals advance their careers and live their best lives both in and out of the office. 

Resources: 

Previous appearance on the Legal Talk Network, Legal Rebels, “What Does the Future Hold for Licensed Paraprofessionals?” 

NALA, The Paralegal Association

NALA Conference & Expo 2026

We’re at an interesting and dynamic point in time for immigration law, with Supreme Court rulings and presidential executive orders reshaping the field and challenging the system’s status quo. 

The administrative area of immigration law is especially difficult for legal professionals. In an immigration hearing, the judge is essentially on the same “team” as the prosecutor, and because immigration policies are largely under the federal executive branch, the rules seem to shift every four years with a new presidential term. 

Guest Nikki Mehrpoo is a former judge, a scholar, and the first and only California dual certified legal specialist in immigration and Workers’ Compensation law. She is a lawyer as well as a professor of law at West Los Angeles College. She recently created the  MedLegal Professor, a project dedicated to the ethical use of AI technologies in the field of law and medicine. 

In this timely episode of Paralegal Voice, Mehrpoo unpacks recent Supreme Court rulings, executive orders, and even the use of AI facial recognition that are reshaping the field of immigration law. As a legal professional, what we think we know may be subject to change day by day, ruling by ruling. 

Mentioned in This Episode:

Previous appearance on Paralegal Voice, “Digging Into California Workers’ Compensation (Plus, Career Advice From a True Pro)” 

LAPA

Noem v. Perdomo, SCOTUSblog coverage

“Immigration Officers Intensify Arrests in Courthouse Hallways on a Fast Track to Deportation,” Associated Press

“ICE Awards Clearview AI $9.2M Facial Recognition Contract,” Biometric Update “Nevada Judge Takes Creative and Unusual Approach to Combat AI-Generated Fictitious Citations,” LawNext

“The EU Artificial Intelligence Act”

Clearview AI

NALA, The Paralegal Association

NALA Conference & Expo 2026

The paralegal profession is evolving at breakneck speed, driven by emerging technology such as AI and the era of “video connectivity” brought on by the pandemic. It’s up to paralegal associations to keep up. 

Guests Milady Cambare and Travis Chow are veteran paralegals and the respective presidents of the Orange County and Los Angeles paralegal associations. They share how their associations are working to stay ahead of technology and ensure no member is left behind or left out. 

Today’s information jungle can be beneficial, including social media, Chow says, and paralegals need to keep up with the array of technology. But, Cambare adds, there is still space for in-person events, such as dinner cruises, conferences, and even ice cream socials. As tech takes over more of our lives, she says it’s vital that associations remember the importance of in-person events that connect generations of paralegal professionals.

Cambare and Chow are trailblazers in the paralegal field, envisioning the future of paralegal associations and championing the value of membership, networking, and lifelong learning. Hear how association membership and engagement is more important today than ever before. 

The paralegal profession is evolving at breakneck speed, driven by emerging technology such as AI and the era of “video connectivity” brought on by the pandemic. It’s up to paralegal associations to keep up. 

Guests Milady Cambare and Travis Chow are veteran paralegals and the respective presidents of the Orange County and Los Angeles paralegal associations. They share how their associations are working to stay ahead of technology and ensure no member is left behind or left out. 

Today’s information jungle can be beneficial, including social media, Chow says, and paralegals need to keep up with the array of technology. But, Cambare adds, there is still space for in-person events, such as dinner cruises, conferences, and even ice cream socials. As tech takes over more of our lives, she says it’s vital that associations remember the importance of in-person events that connect generations of paralegal professionals.

Cambare and Chow are trailblazers in the paralegal field, envisioning the future of paralegal associations and championing the value of membership, networking, and lifelong learning. Hear how association membership and engagement is more important today than ever before. 

Mentioned in This Episode:

Google Meet

Zoom

Survey Monkey

Orange County Paralegal Association

Los Angeles Paralegal Association

NALA, The Paralegal Association

NALA Conference & Expo 2026