The Paralegal Voice

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202

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Aug 2026

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About the show

The Paralegal Voice covers the latest issues and trends in the paralegal world. Hosted by Jill I. Francisco and Tony Sipp, The Paralegal Voice is an award winning show where leading paralegals and legal professionals discuss a range of topics from career tips and tactics to writing skills and hiring trends. The Paralegal Voice is a comprehensive educational resource for paralegals and all legal professionals at any level of experience.

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September 3, 202621 min

Get Excited! The NFPA Annual Convention is Here, Sept. 24-27

The annual NFPA (National Federation of Paralegal Associations) convention is coming up September 24-27 in Bloomington, Minnesota, adjacent to the Mall of America just outside Minneapolis. Our guests on this episode are Lori Wagner, president of the NFPA, and Patty Meagher, who is chairing the NFPA convention. Both are paralegal professionals with more than 30 years of experience each. The NFPA is a national organization dedicated to helping paralegals drive their careers through educational programs, continuing education certification, and networking events. This year’s convention will focus on paralegal resilience and how the profession has evolved over the past six years. The convention features 38 speakers (including our host, Tony Sipp, who will unpack how AI is changing the profession). At the convention, sessions will share the trends that are reshaping the profession, not only as AI takes over the more routine tasks, but how successful paralegals are becoming vital components of the legal practice, unleashing their critical thinking skills to team with attorneys and build their firms’ profitability and driving results.  This is an exciting time to be in the paralegal profession as states expand the role of paralegals as paraprofessionals in a bid to expand access to legal services to all. NFPA is dedicated to collaborating with all paralegal organizations, and the annual convention is an excellent opportunity to network with fellow professionals and gain insights and learn new skills.  Mentioned in This Episode: NFPA (National Federation of Paralegal Associations) Annual Convention, Sep. 24-27 NFPA website Meet Minneapolis Copilot National Paralegal Day, NALA “Minnesota Judges Form Band Called Reasonable Doubts,” KMSP TV NALA, The Paralegal Association  NALA Conference & Expo 2027

August 27, 202628 min

We’ve Got This Down! What Paralegals Need to Know About Court Reporters

Get a look into a part of the legal world that paralegal professionals work with closely, but often don’t get to know: court reporters and transcription and documenting professionals. Guest Jennifer Hines, the founder of Hines Reporters and a 40-year veteran court reporter, chats with Mila Alcantar, a stenography student who represents the next generation of courtroom recording and transcription professionals.  The field of professional documentation, recording, and legal transcription is constantly evolving. Depositions, video conferencing, and even understanding languages and dialects are all vital parts of the legal process that intersect directly with the paralegal profession.  As the court reporting profession works through a shortage of trained workers, hear how ASR, automated court reporting, voice recording, and even a potential problematic trend in “digital” recording is challenging the field.  Curious about how the transcripts you include in legal filings get made and how state requirements vary? How do you know you’re working with a valid, defensible transcript? This episode of Paralegal Voice digs into the process and ethical standards of legal reporting and explains what paralegal professionals need to know. Resources:  California Court Reporters Association National Court Reporters Association NCRA A to Z Online Program NALA, The Paralegal Association  NALA Conference & Expo 2026

August 13, 202624 min

Working Your Way Up. The Power of Staying With a Firm Long-Term

There are many ways to live and grow through a career in paralegal services. Some chose to move from firm to firm in search of promotions. Others go freelance or establish their own firm. Guest Sabine Alexis’ career demonstrates how working for a long period with a single firm also offers a path to promotion, success, and personal satisfaction.  Alexis is passionate about the paralegal profession and a fierce advocate for paralegals and their role. She rose from a file clerk to a leader in the field as a certified paralegal professional. She is also the author of the book, “The Little Black Book of Paralegal Wisdom: Tips for a Successful Career.”  Alexis spent most of her career at the Fort Lauderdale office of Kelley Kronenberg where she holds a management position, helping paralegals excel and advance their careers. She quietly became a leader without the title, only later recognized with an official title by her firm as it became clear she not only excelled at her job but also how she nurtured newcomers and helped teams work together. Hear how she accepted her role and drove her career forward.  Her “Little Black Book” started as a manual for support staff inside her firm until she realized others could also learn from it, no matter where they worked. As she says, paralegals don’t work business hours, they work “deadline hours.” Weekends, late nights, even tracking down a court reporter on a weekend, it’s all part of an exciting profession that’s always challenging and evolving. Resources:  “The Little Black Book of Paralegal Wisdom: Tips for a Successful Career,” by Sabine Alexis  NALA, The Paralegal Association NALA Conference & Expo 2026

July 23, 202643 min

From the Firm to the Front Lines: A Paralegal's Path to City Council

Everything changes, sometimes even you. Is the job you started out in still the job you love? Guest Cynthia Vasquez started out as a paralegal professional but made a pivot, earning her MBA and striking out on her own, founding her California-based eDiscovery consulting firm Propel Consulting. (She even ran successfully for city council and finds time to volunteer in professional organizations). Sometimes, it’s good to take a look at your own, unique skill set and see how those skills might apply in a new capacity. Vasquez has found her niche in eDiscovery, putting her legal and analytical skills to work in her boutique firm that specializes in the technical work of sifting through digital data for firms and corporations that don’t have a dedicated team, or the expertise, in this emerging field.  You may like the job you currently do, but is there something you’ve been secretly dreaming about, a big, audacious goal? What’s holding you back? Get inspired by Vasquez’ drive for more in her life and her successful leap into the unknown.   RESOURCES MENTIONED: Gies College of Business, University of Illinois Women in eDiscovery (Orange County Chapter) Orange County Paralegal Association Cynthia Vasquez (council platform)

July 9, 202637 min

Diversity and Representation Matter in Our Courts. Open a Door!

Our court system tends to draw in a diverse mixing pot of “customers.” Many of us will end up in a courthouse for some reason, a civil or criminal proceeding, a hearing, a deposition, a divorce, jury duty, even a marriage license. That’s why diversity and representation of all of us matters for those working inside the courthouse. Guest Belinda Handy is a commissioner in the Superior Court of Riverside County, California. She says the mix of people working inside the courthouse should reflect those who use the services, that means diversity in race, sex, economic background, professional experience and more. Since the public using the courthouse is made up of everyone, so should the staff and leadership. Handy herself rose to the bench from a non-traditional pathway: the public defender’s office. Our other guest, Terri Walters, shares her experience growing up as a person of color in a predominantly white community, then went to work in law firms that were predominantly white. It took effort to shake an “imposter syndrome” and understand she belongs and that she excels at her job. “Never did I have the opportunity to work with people that look like me,” she says. “Representation matters.” Both Handy and Walters advocate for pathways to success in the legal field for people in underrepresented communities. The court system can seem intimidating, but there are doors open to everyone. It’s not all about college degrees and law school. Handy says the courthouse is “like a city,” full of opportunities including IT specialists, clerks, bailiffs, paralegals, and yes, judges and lawyers. "The court’s a public building. You’re welcome to come in,” Handy says. Hear how all of us in the legal community can invite someone inside, maybe a young person who thinks the courts aren’t there for them. Open a door today. Mentioned in This Episode: California Alliance of Paralegal Professionals LAPA, the Los Angeles Paralegal Association Orange County Paralegal Association NALA, The Paralegal Association NALA Conference & Expo 2026

June 25, 202645 min

Free-Range Paralegals? Can You Really “Go It Alone?” Yes You Can.

Can paralegal professionals really strike out on their own and set up a paralegal business outside the confines of a law firm or government agency? Guest Rashida Forbes did just that. She’s a veteran paralegal professional who turned her early boots-on-the-ground early experiences into her own firm wrangling the legal process in the high-stakes world of foreclosure and eviction. Forbes was working in a traditional law firm framework when she grew frustrated with the status quo and struck out on her own, forming the Atlanta-based freelance paralegal firm RF Legal Support. Her inspirational journey is proof that “the way it’s always been” doesn’t have to be the only way. Being a business owner isn’t easy, she explains. It can gobble up your day, take time away from family and friends, and through it all, it’s your money at risk and your commitment that will be tested. Hear how Forbes made the leap and learned to incorporate the legal tools her firm needed to prosper and grow. Plus, how owning her own business allows her and her team to shake up the world of legal fashion, experiencing the freedom to dress for success with a little extra flair (and host a fashion show). Mentioned in This Episode: Stylish Paralegal Fashion Show NALA, The Paralegal Association NALA Conference & Expo 2026

June 11, 202641 min

What’s New NALA, With CEO Vanessa Finley (Plus NALA’s 2026 Convention)

In a truly fun episode, co-host Jill Francisco is back with co-host Tony Sipp and longtime friend of the podcast, Vanessa (Vinnie) Finley, CEO of NALA, The Paralegal Association. Finley dishes on all that is new this year at NALA for its members and shares insider details about the upcoming 2026 NALA Conference & Expo, July 16-18 in Denver, Colorado. The theme is “Transforming today’s paralegals into tomorrow’s leaders.” The paralegal profession is growing by leaps. Demands are increasing, technology is transforming the profession, new areas of practice are opening up, and nothing is as it was. Get insights into exciting new developments and roles for paralegal professionals, network with your peers, and get ahead. (All while you can earn up to 41 hours of CLE, including a keynote address from Michael Houlberg, JD, leader of the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System.) Don’t miss this year’s conference and be sure to catch a Major League Baseball game at Coors Field, the absolutely dazzling home of the Colorado Rockies. And if you’re flying in, you don’t need a rental car, the Denver A Line, “the train to the plane” brings you directly from the airport to downtown Denver’s Union Station. Mentioned in This Episode: NALA, The Paralegal Association NALA Email NALA Conference & Expo 2026 NALA Advanced Certified Paralegal Program College of the Canyons Certified Paralegal Exam Study Courses New NALA CP Practice App and Other Tools National Paralegal Day Visit Denver Eat Denver (Independent Network of Restaurants) Denver Grand Hyatt Denver Union Station Denver A Line, "The Train to the Plane" Denver 16th Street Free Shuttle Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System (IAALS)

May 14, 202634 min

Paralegals Should Be Millionaires! How a Rural Paralegal Built a Business and a Movement

Guest Jaclyn Foster was a paralegal struggling to make ends meet in rural Wisconsin with a new baby when she started her own paralegal services business, online only, out of her home and out of desperation. It took off, generating six-figure revenue and ultimately being acquired just three years later by a larger company, giving her the breathing room to pursue her passions. She founded the Paralegals in Business Society, dedicated to helping others in the field start and run their own paralegal businesses while serving a market that needs those services. Foster is watching and navigating a sea change in the paralegal profession. E-filing, remote work, and new systems are driving the field forward along with the entire legal industry. The COVID-19 pandemic turned the paralegal industry upside down, and for those who adapted, it’s for the better. For freelance paralegals ready to level up, hear how there’s a better way to specialize, solve problems, and get out there. Go beyond resumes and office politics and take charge of your career. Hear how Foster taught herself the business, from marketing to scope-of-work contracts and built her life outside the traditional confines of the law firm paralegal practice. Yes. You. Can. As she says, “There is always a way to figure this out, and paralegals are the best at doing this.” If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Who am I to start a business,” ask yourself instead “Who am I not to.” Mentioned in This Episode: “Paralegals Should Be Millionaires: Stop Settling. Break Boundaries. Create the Life You Deserve,” by Jaclyn Foster, on Amazon NALA, The Paralegal Association NALA Conference & Expo 2026

April 9, 202650 min

The Adrenaline Rush of High Stakes Defense, Poring Through Modern Discovery

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

March 12, 202654 min

Understanding the Intersection of Wellness, Mindfulness, and Tech

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