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PROFILE
Profile Jim Barber, CP, Christensen & Jensen, P.C., Salt Lake City, UT [by Regan Morris] Jim Barber has been a paralegal for more than 18 years. About five years ago, he decided he had enough experience to share, so he started writing. He has been published in numerous paralegal publications, such as the National Paralegal Reporter and
the Texas Paralegal Journal. But it was an article he helped write for the University of Detroit Mercy Law Review that has really put him in the spotlight.
Two years ago, Mr. Barber, a litigation paralegal
paralegal organizations, promoting education
That’s great for the one being “poofed,” but it
with Christensen & Jensen, P.C., in Salt Lake City,
standards and professionalism.
hurts the profession because it denigrates the people with education, especially when parale-
UT, decided to write an article on moonlighting. He conducted some research and found the one
But Barber wasn’t always a champion of para-
gals are lobbying for raises and more profes-
and only law review article on the subject was
legal education. He had various odd jobs in the
sional treatment, he said.
from 1985. It had been written by a professor
1970s after a stint in the Air Force. While work-
at Pepperdine University and published by the
ing in a San Antonio, TX, law firm in a clerical
Barber said he thinks there is too much compe-
Detroit law review.
position, Barber finally decided what he wanted
tition and infighting among organizations like
to do with his life.
the National Federation of Paralegal Associations and the National Association of Legal
Barber called both the professor and the law review and suggested they revisit the subject. The
“I like to help others, and I became fascinated
Assistants and various state, local, and national
law review in turn suggested he team up with
by the law. It’s like a continuous chess game,” he
groups.
a student and write the article himself. Barber
said, adding that an attorney at the firm urged
jumped at the opportunity.
him to get a paralegal certificate.
The article took two years to complete, and Bar-
“And my knee-jerk reaction was ‘Why go take
paralegal associations. It’s about us in total try-
ber received only “contributing author” credit,
the course when I’m already doing the work?’”
ing to make the profession better, the paralegal
instead of the co-authorship he expected. But it
he said.
profession,” he said. “You hear people say, ‘I don’t
“It’s not about NALA v. NFPA or NFPA v. NALA or either them v. state bar associations or local
like NALA,’ or ‘I don’t like NFPA.’ Well, that’s not
was a great experience, delving into a scholarly article, and Barber said he would do it again.
The attorney convinced him that a certificate
what the issue is. The issue is we as a group—to-
The Rocky Mountain Paralegal Association
was a sign of accomplishment and would fur-
gether, we need to foster more for our profes-
recently sent out a press release lauding its
ther his career.
sion. And if we don’t take care of our profession, no one’s going to.”
member’s success as the “first” for a paralegal. “So I went to the paralegal course, got my cer“They checked with the national federation—
tificate, and brought it back in to him,” he said.
Barber, who joined his firm in August 2004, said
NFPA—and they also checked with NALA, and
“And he was gracious enough to ask if he could
his writing helped him land the job.
neither of those organizations had heard of any
frame it for me, and he did. And I still have it.” “The reason I started writing was at that point,
paralegals ever being published in a law review, ever,” he said. “So then they went and checked
Now Barber worries about what he calls “poof
I felt, well, I’ve got enough experience now that
further with state organizations—and noth-
paralegals.”
I can actually feel comfortable about saying something about something and know what I’m
ing. They sent emails out, posted notes saying ‘Has anyone ever heard of this?’ and got no
“A guy with a magic wand comes along, taps
talking about,” he said. “When I came here, they
responses. So after doing that background, they
you on the head, and poof, you’re a paralegal
said, ‘You’re the only one that’s applied that has
said, ‘You’re the first.’”
now. That really hurts our profession, and I don’t
all these articles published.’”
see that going out any time soon,” he said. “BeBarber has also recently written articles about
cause the attorney has his legal secretary and
The firm was clearly impressed, as Barber got
major complex document control and new state
he goes poof, he makes her a paralegal, gives
the job. Writing well gives any applicant an extra
laws in Utah. He is passionate about the parale-
her a couple bucks more an hour.”
edge in the legal profession, he said.
gal profession and actively involved in various
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PROFILE
“It tells them a few things—that you can read, write, type, and understand and be able to restate issues,” he said. “I think when you’re in the employment market, you get some mileage out of that.” He also urges paralegals to seek diversity in their experience, even in the age of specialization. “In Texas, if you start out as a personal injury paralegal, you will die a personal injury paralegal,” he said. “I tried very hard to get experience on various sides, in different areas. So I’ve worked in personal injury, medical malpractice, plaintiff’s work, defense work, with unions—so that you get employment labor work from a union’s perspective in addition to the plaintiff’s perspective or the employee or employer’s perspective.” Variety is worth fighting for, he said, even if you have to sacrifice a short-term pay raise. In the long term, diverse experience pays. “Get plaintiff’s side, defense side. Don’t just stay with personal injury; don’t just stay with state law. Learn the federal law as well,” he said. “Get some diversity in your background. It will help you if you decide to change careers; it will help you if you deicide to change states.”
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