Law Clerk

Bezaire & Leathers, Attorneys at Law - Irvine, California, USA -- Jan 2024 - Present

Accounting: prepares accounting reports on court-approved spreadsheets for client trusts.
Legal drafting: researches and drafts persuasive memoranda, settlement agreements and client-facing newsletters.
Calendaring: prepares trial calendars in accordance with local court rules and applicable code.
Technology: advises solo practitioner on technological developments and recommends hardware and software.
Automation: automates and standardizes internal forms and contracts.

Legal and Finance Operations Consultant

Occam's Ops (Freelance) - San Clemente, California, USA -- Jan 2024 - Present

Operations: optimizes law firm and legal department process workflows according to specific needs.
Technology: customizes legal tech stacks and implements software solutions to automate processes and maximize efficiency.

Grant Writer and Analyst

The Veterans Art Project (VETART.org) - Vista, California -- May 2003 - Dec 2003

Grant writing: identified grant opportunities and drafted responsive proposals for funding of Veteran Art Therapy.
Budgeting: helped prepare a budget for a multi-year project to win a grant from the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission of California (MHSOAC).
Marketing: successfully nominated Executive Director to win RISE San Diego???s ILIA Award for Collective Resilience.

Director of Operations

G10 Law, APLC - Carlsbad, California, USA -- Sep 2020 - Dec 2022

Financial reporting: maintained monthly financial reports for attorney shareholders.
Accounts Receivable (A/R): invoiced clients using Practice Panther and LawPay e-billing software.
Accounts Payable (A/P): prepared weekly reports, cut checks to pay vendors using QuickBooks and worked with outside accountants to implement accounts payable process
Administration: coordinated shareholder meetings and prepared minutes.
Human Resources (HR): set up Coastal Payroll systems, implemented iSolved HCIM and managed Principal employee benefits.
E-discovery: implemented Logikcull eDiscovery solution.
Legal drafting: researched and drafted an arbitration brief that an arbitrator relied on to excuse a client from mandatory arbitration.
Calendaring: calendared litigation deadlines using dual manual and automated systems, including LawToolBox software.

E-Discovery Specialist

Weil & Drage - Laguna Hills, California, USA -- Mar 2018 - Apr 2019

E-discovery: reviewed and categorized electronic evidence for privilege and relevance using Relativity software.
Legal analysis: analyzed relevant and admissible evidence and tagged it according to legal issue.
Legal drafting: drafted chronologies, summaries and memoranda to highlight and expose new issues.

Office Administrator and Paralegal

Connolly Law Office - Encinitas, California, USA -- Sep 2016 - Jan 2017

Administration: responded to client inquiries, provided matter status updates and screened potential clients.
Calendaring: prepared trial calendars to meet procedural deadlines and scheduled contractual performance timelines.
Legal drafting: researched an drafted pleadings, jury instructions, memoranda and responsive documents.

Law Clerk

University of San Diego School of Law Civil Litigation Legal Clinic (Internship) - San Diego, California, USA -- Jun 2012 - Sep 2013

Legal advocacy: interviewed, counseled and argued on behalf of clients involved in a wide variety of civil litigation while supervised by attorney law school professors.
Legal research: researched, drafted and filed formal notices, pleadings, propounded discovery, and discovery responses.
Oral argument: successfully drafted and argued a contested motion in California Superior Court.

Judicial Law Clerk for Hon. Jacqueline M. Stern

Superior Court of California, County of San Diego, North County Regional Ctr (Internship) - San Diego, California, USA -- May 2012 - Aug 2013

Legal analysis: reviewed moving and opposing points and authorities filed by litigants to support oral argument in motion hearings.
Legal drafting: researched applicable law and drafted confidential memoranda summarizing litigants' versions of relevant facts and applicable law with an objective analysis and recommended ruling.

Contract Administrator

Bankruptcy Management Solutions, Inc. - Irvine, California, USA -- Mar 2010 - Aug 2011

Technology governance: audited and maintained compliance on all internal software licenses.
Contract Administration: reviewed, budgeted and administered client, vendor and business partner contracts.
Facilities Administration: planned and executed a company-wide relocation after assisting with the negotiation of tenant improvements.

Loan Specialist

Homecomings Financial (a GMAC Company) - Newport Beach, California, USA -- Jul 2007 - Nov 2008

Leadership: trained lender-approved brokers to draw mortgage loan documents in compliance with applicable laws and investor guidelines.
Customer service: improved client satisfaction reports from 67% to 94% by improving my team's communication process.
Mortgage underwriting: evaluated proofs and signed off all mortgage underwriting conditions, prior to funding.

Mortgage Underwriter

Residential Mortgage Loan Industry - California, USA -- Jan 2004 - Jan 2007