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PROFILE
Celia C. Elwell, RP, freelance paralegal [by Regan Morris] Freelance Paralegal Celia C. Elwell is a semi-finalist in the Lessons from the Top Paralegal Experts contest, which will be turned into a book next year once the 15 winners are selected. LawCrossing speaks with Ms. Elwell about her skills and the perils of reaching the top of the paralegal field.
As a young woman, Celia C. Elwell didn’t
“So I started taking court reporting classes
“He hung my paralegal certificate up next to
know what she wanted to do with her life. But
and just about burned out every brain cell I
the State Seal in his chambers. He was very
at least she knew one thing that she didn’t
had trying to memorize all that stuff,” she
supportive.”
want to be: a paralegal.
said.
Her mother was a legal secretary long before
While studying, she left the utility company
well, she realized being the first paralegal in
the word paralegal was commonly used, and
and accepted the unthinkable job: as a legal
the Oklahoma Supreme Court was a powerful
Ms. Elwell used to go to her office after work.
secretary. The attorney she worked for told
attention getter.
Ms. Elwell was a good student, with advanced
her she would make a better paralegal than a
English skills, and her mother used to give
court reporter.
While Judge Opala was a mentor to Ms. El-
“At first, I really enjoyed the attention that I got being Justice Opala’s paralegal because
her legal documents to proofread. “He recommended I go down to the Univer-
everyone had such tremendous respect for
“And I thought it was probably the most bor-
sity of Oklahoma and start taking classes,
him that I kind of was able to bounce off
ing job that had ever been invented and could
and so I did,” she said. “And I always wanted
that,” she said. “But then after a while, I
not understand why my mother enjoyed it,”
to write, and paralegals had that opportu-
wanted them to have respect for me because
she said. “I thought she was just nuts. And I
nity to write. And I found it to be a lot more
of what I had done. And that’s when I started
didn’t want to be an attorney, because I had
interesting than mom’s work had ever been. I
writing.”
such a black-and-white view of things when I
deliberately stayed away from real estate and
was younger, and I didn’t think I could stand
probate though.”
to represent somebody that I knew had done
Her first article on managing a law office was published in 1987 in a trade magazine. A
something bad. So I really didn’t know what I
She excelled in her course work, taking
publisher noticed the article and eventually
was going to do.”
classes at night when she could afford the
asked her to write a book on paralegals.
tuition. It took her five years to complete the She married her high school sweetheart at
two-year degree, but she gained a reputation
She co-authored Practical Legal Writing for
18. They had a son and worked as clerks at
as a serious and driven student.
Legal Assistants with an attorney, and it was
a Wal-Mart-type store while Ms. Elwell took
published in 1996. She is now getting ready
college courses at night. She eventually took
After graduating, Ms. Elwell, who lives and
to tackle a second edition of the book and
a job with the utility company and, after sev-
works in Norman, OK, went to work for Okla-
expects it to be published some time next
eral years, realized she had gone as far as
homa Supreme Court Justice Marian Opala,
year. She also writes a monthly column in
she could go in the company with just a high
the first ever paralegal in his office. Justice
Legal Assistant Today but plans to give that
school diploma.
Opala taught her to write clearly and avoid
up after January to focus on the book.
the “legalese” she had learned in school and Ms. Elwell, 50, had heard that court report-
working for other attorneys.
ers make good money and thought her strong
“It’s funny, you never know what seeds you’re planting,” she said of how that first article
English skills would help her learn the trade,
“Justice Opala is known for being a perfec-
which involves learning a new language
tionist; he doesn’t tolerate mistakes very
of shorthand typing through syllables and
well. He wants quality work, and he insists
She worked in private practice for almost
sounds instead of letters.
upon it, and he insists upon high ethics and
four years after her two-year stint with
confidentiality of his chambers,” she said.
Justice Opala. In one firm, she lasted just
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attracted editors and publishers to her work.
continued on back