MEMBER FOCUS
| MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
F R O M PA R A L E G A L TO
MEMBER
CHERYL JONES Member, PK Law
Prior to becoming an attorney, you were a paralegal and law firm office manager for a number of years. What prompted you to pursue law school and admission to the Bar? The best part of my job as a paralegal was working with clients to identify and help solve the issues they brought to us. I went to law school because I wanted more involvement in - and control over - solving those legal problems.
How has your prior experience helped you in your current practice? It gave me a good understanding of the business of law, not just the practice. I was able to hit the ground running the moment I started practicing as a lawyer because I already understood how to structure a client engagement letter, how to bill efficiently, and how to manage expectations. But make no mistake - being a first year associate is hard work no matter how “prepared” you think you are!
What’s your favorite part of being an attorney? Helping clients through some of the most difficult and challenging times in their lives. In this field, we frequently see clients in crisis because a loved one is sick or entering a nursing home, as well as clients contemplating their own incapacity or mortality and having to put planning in place. My job is to help them think through the financial, emotional, and legal aspects of those situations and craft a plan that achieves their objectives. It’s rewarding and challenging, and sometimes exhausting, all at the same time.
Photo courtesy of Beverly Funkhouser Photography MARYLAND BAR JOURNAL | VOLUME 2 ISSUE 3
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