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The Docket is a publication of the Sarasota County Bar Association. All articles printed herein are the property of the Sarasota County Bar Association and may not be reprinted without permission.PUBLISHER: SCBA Executive Director Jan JungEDITOR: Jessica E. Carroll, Esq., 12th Judicial CircuitDESIGN AND EDITORIAL CONSULTATION: Peter M. Gentile, petermichael associatesTO SUBMIT ARTICLES: The Docket encourages

submissions of interest to SCBA members. Contact the SCBA office via e-mail (scba@sarasotabar.com) or phone (861-8180) for further information. The Docket is published 10 months a year. Deadline is the first Friday of the month preceding the month of publication.TO ADVERTISE IN THE DOCKET: Please see the rate card at the Bars web site, sarasotabar.com, or call the office at 941-861-8180.

3May2013

B A R A S S O C I AT I O N N E W S

By Whitney C. Glaser, Esq.

State College of Florida, Mana-tee-Sarasotas (SCF) paralegal internship program provides additional support for law and government offices, and nonprofit and corporate legal departments, while also giving them access to prospective paralegal employees.

SCF paralegal students spend 150 hours in a semester during their final year of studies, gaining practical expe-rience by applying what they learned in the classroom, including document preparation, ethics, legal research and writing, and civil litigation.

Venice Attorney Steven W. Ledbet-ter and his most recent SCF paralegal student intern, Charissa Wood, a May 2013 graduate, discuss their experi-ences with the program.

Attorney perspective: Steven W. Ledbetter

Q. Why do you hire SCF paralegal interns?

A. Internships provide an oppor-tunity for students to get a realistic

perspective of what the job involves, and it is a nice opportunity for tempo-rary staffing.

Q. How do students benefit from an internship with you?

A. Students typically find intern-ships to be an eye-opening experience. I offer them a realistic glimpse of how to act in a firm and interact with clients and learn the type of work-product I expect from a paralegal. The experience offers them an opportunity to develop their skills and feel more confident as a paralegal professional.

Q. What are the benefits for law firms to host a paralegal intern?

A. The benefits include support staff for my paralegals and an oppor-tunity to gauge the types of future employees that are coming out of school.

Q. What types of work/activities/tasks do your interns perform?

A. While interns perform general office administrative tasks, they also participate in estate planning docu-ment signings, assist in inventorying probate estate assets, file documents with the court electronically and in person, coordinate evictions, learn about becoming a notary public and draft correspondences.

Q. What are rewarding or positive experiences for your interns?

A. Interns get excited when they have the opportunity to participate in the legal process, because they experi-ence hands-on learning and take real-world steps involved.

Q. What advice do you have for attorneys who are considering hiring a paralegal intern?

A. Attorneys should consider whether they have tasks lined up to keep their intern busy and the time to offer educational concepts to help their intern make the most of their experi-ence.

Q. Is there anything else you want to share?

A. What I hope interns have learned from working in my office is to become good proofreaders. I try to instill in them that their work product speaks volumes about their prepared-ness for the profession.

Intern perspective: Charissa Wood

Q. What led you to pursue a career as a paralegal?

A. Ive always had a passion for law. In high school, I took a law class as an elective. At the time, my mom was involved in a difficult divorce, which sparked my interest in the legal system.

Q. What are the benefits of taking paralegal courses at SCF?

A. The SCF Paralegal Program provided me with knowledge of the law and specific skills necessary to be a successful paralegal, including draft-ing legal documents, performing legal research, and understanding rules and procedures. My education and para-legal training will set me apart from those without prior legal knowledge or experience.

Q. What type of duties did you perform?

A. During my internships, I drafted letters to clients, completed e-filing, researched cases, organized probate binders, and compiled estate planning binders.

Q. How has the experience prepared you for working in a law office?

A. I was extremely nervous about applying for jobs, because even though I had the knowledge, I lacked real-world experience. After completing the internship, I feel confident that I will be a successful paralegal.

Q. What are the benefits of complet-

ing an internship in the paralegal program?

A. The most valuable experiences have been applying what I learned in school, gaining insights into what happens in a law firm and learning what is expected of paralegals.

Q. What were exciting experiences during the internship?

A. What I enjoyed most was work-ing alongside the probate paralegal, who showed me how to open a probate case and organize my work to know what is going on in each file.

Q. What have you learned from work-ing with attorneys and paralegals?

A. I have learned that even if you have been a paralegal for years, you shouldnt rely solely on your memory. You should write down what the attorney asks you to do and never be afraid to ask questions.

Whitney C. Glaser is an adjunct instructor and Paralegal Internship Program coordinator at SCF. For more information about the internship program and to be added to a contact list made available to prospective student interns, email Glaser at parale-gal@scf.edu.

SCF paralegal internship program benefits attorneys and students

Whitney C. Glaser, Esq., SCF Paralegal Internship Program coordinator

Attorney Steven W. Ledbetter

Intern Charissa Wood