Lori Ramer

I think a lot of my success comes from my communication skills and also the continuation of education. Being a lifelong learner is essential in this field. I mean, especially in the legal community - granted, there are a lot of attorneys out there, but in all actuality, it's really a small community. Different attorneys from different law firms, and they all talk. So you want to make sure that your reputation is there. Building and maintaining strong professional relationships through good communication has been key to my career.

You would have to make sure that you enjoy continuous learning. You also need to want to know the law and help people. I've worked both sides - both plaintiff and insurance defense - so you have to be able to evaluate a case for inconsistencies to be able to prove your case. You need to become a right-hand man to your attorney. When you do find that you're working with a supportive team, that's one of the biggest factors. You need to have a good working team between the attorney, the paralegal, and whatever other support staff you have working within that group. Some attorneys don't want you to even bother them, so when you find supportive attorneys who will explain the processes to you if you feel stuck on something or don't quite understand it, that makes all the difference.

I think honesty is one of the main things to me. It's like, you know, take responsibilities and own what - if you made a mistake, or if you think you did something wonderful, take action. Take pride in your work and what you're doing. Whether you make a mistake or do something good, you need to own up to it. We're all human, so if you do make a mistake, it's okay - own up to it, learn the lesson, and continue to grow. But if you did something good, don't be afraid to advocate for yourself.