Farewell Message
by Tally Burke, Paralegal Division Chair
I know that many of you share a story similar to mine. In the Spring of 1996, I was eagerly anticipating the prospect of completing my Associate's Degree in Paralegal Studies from Salt Lake Community College. I was already working in a position at the law firm of Kruse Landa Maycock & Ricks, LLC, then known as Kruse Landa & Maycock, LLC ("KLM&R") as its receptionist. After graduation, I began working for the office manager where I learned how a law office really operates, how I could best be utilized, and how I should perform as a paralegal. Since then, I have continued my employment with KLM&R and was honored to become Mr. James R. Kruse's paralegal. I have now been working for Jim in the corporate and securities area for five years and have been with KLM&R a total of ten years.
It is amazing what I have learned from the attorneys, office manager and staff at my firm. Looking back at my experiences, I realize the skills they were teaching me were vital building blocks to my career. I cannot thank them enough for all they have contributed to my success as a paralegal. I love being a paralegal and look forward to many more years working in this profession.
Many of us who are veterans in the paralegal profession began working at a time when most attorneys were just starting to utilize paralegals. We are very fortunate that in early 1995 a small group of individuals recognized the need for a paralegal section of the Utah State Bar. These same individuals saw that the attributes of professionalism, expertise, and adaptability would be as important to the success of the paralegal section as they are to the individual members of the section and of this profession.
Throughout the Paralegal Division's nine-year history, the leadership of the Division has worked to anticipate the needs of the paralegal profession as the profession experiences dramatic growth. Throughout these years of growth, the purposes set forth by our Division have guided us well in providing opportunities for paralegals while educating the legal community and the public about this profession.
I enjoyed my tenure as Chair of the Paralegal Division during this past year and am now happy to turn the Chair position over to Danielle Price. Danielle is a paralegal with the law firm of Strong & Hanni, working with Stuart Schultz and Peter Christensen, specializing in insurance defense litigation. Danielle has worked as a paralegal for 13 years and has experience in numerous practice areas. She received a paralegal certificate from Westminster College. Danielle is a former President, Education Chair, Parliamentarian, and Newsletter Editor for the Legal Assistants Association of Utah (LAAU). She has served on the Governmental Relations, Bar Journal, and Licensing committees for the Utah State Bar and on the education and committee for the Paralegal Division. She is currently serving as an ex-officio member of the Bar Commission as a representative of the Paralegal Division.
To all of you, I say thank you and congratulations for a job well done in expanding the paralegal profession. It has been a privilege to serve and collaborate with many of you in our mutual quest to succeed as paralegals. I would like to express my deepest appreciation to the hard-working directors of the Division. My term of service as Chair has been enormously rewarding and a great learning experience. To the members of the Division and everyone in the paralegal profession I say: Keep striving to grow! It is an exciting time to be a paralegal!