TE R R I L. N OCCO ís a Legal Secretary at the plaintiff fí.rm of Bending ~ Weil in Walnut Creek.She started at her first firm as a part-time. file clerk, and has worked ín the legal field for over 1Sdears. Terri flexes her creative writ~.ng and analytical muscles as a frequent contributor of reviewsto Yelp (her coworkers always trust her with restaurant recommendations near and far!), and sheadministrates her own film revíevv page on Faceb~ok.

BY TERRI L. NOCCO -SUBMITTED BY CONTRA COSTA COUNTY LPA

I say I am both. My official title indeed ís Legal Secretary— and the "legal" part ís important too, for my skill setextends f ar beyond the administrative. The importanceand dignity of the professional path I have set myself onbecomes clear when we dig a little deeper and discoverthe etymology of these titles that folks get so hung up on.Let's start with SECRETARY: "a person entrusted withsecrets." That sounds a lot more interesting than a coffeefetching typist to me, and ít points to one of the morecrucial aspects of the job, which ís confidentiality. Ethicallegality is tantamount, and with so many secretaries andattorneys shuffling between firms year to year, conflictscan arise quickly. It ís our respect for confidentiality, andthe importance of the professional lines we uphold throughdue diligence, that keeps our clients' secrets well. We maybe Plaintiff versus Defendant, but at the end of the day weare all on the side of serving our client with respect and

efficiency and the utmost professionalism.

Secrets can also extend to the daily work environment.There ís no firm ín existence, small, medium or large, thatís free of the interpersonal dramas that complicate ourworkday and cause difficulties that inhibit teamwork. Itisn't right, but ít ís a reality. Sometimes our home lifestruggles creep into our professional líves; sometimes wehave to run to the restroom so we don't cry at our desk.We are imperfect beings held to high standards. Workingín such an important and high pressure environment wheremillions of dollars and peoples' homes and livelihoods canbe at stake, can be a daunting task. We are not expectedto be superhuman. We are simply expected to do the j obas we agreed to do ít. Perform your tasks, get through theday, cry at home. Never let them see you struggle. Let thatbe a secret you keep well.

14 I THE LEGAL SECRETARY

mike our st~teYnent with concise e~ ro ession~l lesi ny ~ g

LORI M~ELROYCreative Director

redromancreatíve@gmaíl. comwww.redromancreatíve. com

619.772.3335

THE KEEPER OF SECRETS

How about ASSISTANT? Seems pretty straightforward.The etymology there states an assistant ís "one who helpsor aids another." Personally I help or aid three attorneysand two paralegals as part of my firm's construction defectteam. Sure, I can exhaustively list out the individual tasks Iperform, the importance of calendaríng with reminders, thegreat tricks in Microsoft Word to help keep a motion freeof old formatting dragged over from the inevitable cut-and-paste. But I've instead found the easiest way to explain myjob as an assistant ís to simply be a vital asset to the legalprofessionals I support, to do what I can to make theirjob as easy as possible. It ís my responsibility to knowmy case load and be able to answer their auestíons with aminimum of fuss. With over a decade of experience undermy belt, íf they still manage to ask me a auestíon I can'tanswer off the cuff, I know where to start my search forthe answer. I maintain contacts with vendors even whenI change firms, because I will always need good reliablefriends who are also ín the industry. I will always updatemy service list when I receíve an Answer or a Notice ofChange of Handling Attorney, even when it's an e-service

case, because that's a crucial part of assistance. The moreinformation I keep easily accessible, the more of an asset Iam, and at the end of the day, ít ís my value as an employeeand an assistant that keeps my bills paid and keeps myfirm afloat. I am an important part of the team not justbecause they offered me the job, but because ít became myresponsibility when I accepted the job.

I'm a Legal Secretary. I work hard daily to be a vitalasset to my team, and to earn the trust and respect of allmy coworkers, no matter their paygrade, their tenure, oreven their challenging attitude and steep demands. I Willcontinue to take daily pride ín assisting these attorneysand paralegals that I respect and am privileged to callfriends, as they serve their firm alongside their clients andeach other to achieve an ideal outcome and resolve theselargest of conflicts. It ís only with hard work, respect,tenacity and communication that I can effectively assist,and ít is my firm's trust and respect that I value most of all.No matter my title.

And that ís a secret I don't intend to keep.

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AUGUST 2016 ( 15

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BY MAUREEN HOLLANDSee Page 4