Minnesota Lawyer

We highlight those who work outside of the spotlight in roles as diverse as investigators, paralegals, office managers and IT professionals.

No attorney, no matter how talented, can do everything to prepare for a case. It’s a team effort, and Brigid Volk’s job is to prepare the technology and visuals lawyers need to win.

After several decades as a writer and editor for special-interest publications, Lynne Tauer made a career change to paralegal work, and she has found those well-developed skills in high demand at her employer, Golden Valley-based rb LEGAL, LLC.

The job of legal administrative assistant can be loosely defined at times, and Ciresi Conlin LLP’s Kristin Schmidt is flexible enough to fit any definition.

For Pamela Erwin Roemer, legal marketing offers the perfect blend of creative and strategic challenges.

At the Minneapolis law firm of Messerli & Kramer P.A., when a computer freeze-up or other technical glitch creates problems, senior support and systems analyst Vic Rattanasithy often gets the call for help.

Alycia Morell attributes her success managing the National Patent Paralegal Team (NPPT) at Fish & Richardson P.C. to her colleagues’ willingness to allow her to fail.

Courtney McClimon has been with Avisen Legal, PA since its founding. In fact, as the boutique law firm was coming together, she did a lot of the detail work needed to get it up and running.

Earlier this year, Tara Leupke celebrated her 20th anniversary as a valued employee at the Minneapolis law firm of Messerli & Kramer P.A. As a legal administrative assistant, she helps the firm’s business litigation attorneys prepare for court hearings and trials.

In today’s competitive market for legal services, lawyers must balance two roles that are sometimes at odds: legal adviser and salesperson.