Vanessa W. Whichard
Litigation Paralegal
Tampa, FL · (813) 555 0112 · name@example.com · linkedin.com/in/vanessawwhichard
Key Qualifications
EXPERIENCE
Eight years in civil litigation support at plaintiff side firms
PRACTICE AREAS
Personal injury, premises liability, wrongful death, auto negligence
SPECIALTIES
Discovery drafting, medical record review, deposition preparation, trial binders
SYSTEMS
Clio, Filevine, Westlaw, Relativity, Adobe Acrobat
CREDENTIALS
Certified Paralegal, National Association of Legal Assistants; Florida Registered Paralegal
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Arts in legal studies, University of South Florida
Executive Summary
Litigation paralegal with eight years supporting plaintiff side personal injury and premises liability matters from intake through trial. Carries roughly ninety active files, drafts discovery responses for attorney review, builds deposition and mediation binders, and keeps medical record collection on schedule. Certified Paralegal who works closely with three trial attorneys.
Signature Achievements
- Kept a caseload of ninety active injury files on schedule with no missed court deadline in six years.
- Reduced average medical record collection time from forty one days to nineteen by building a provider tracking log and a standing follow up routine.
- Prepared exhibit sets and trial notebooks for fourteen cases set for trial, eleven of which resolved at mediation.
- Drafted first versions of interrogatory answers and responses to requests for production, saving the attorneys roughly six hours each week.
- Trained four new paralegals on the case management system and the intake to demand package workflow.
Professional Experience
Litigation Paralegal
Gulfstream Injury Law Group, Tampa, FL 2021 to present
Supports three trial attorneys handling injury and premises matters across Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.
- Opens new matters, gathers medical and billing records, and assembles demand packages for attorney signature.
- Drafts written discovery responses and privilege logs under attorney supervision, staying clear of the unauthorized practice of law.
- Schedules and prepares depositions, including witness files, exhibit tabs and summaries of prior testimony.
- Tracks every court deadline in Clio and issues a written status report to the case attorney each Friday.
Paralegal
Ardsley and Munn Trial Attorneys, Saint Petersburg, FL 2018 to 2021
Two attorney firm handling automobile negligence and slip and fall claims for Gulf Coast clients.
- Summarized medical records and deposition transcripts into chronologies used at mediation.
- Filed pleadings through the state electronic filing portal and confirmed service on all parties.
- Managed client contact for sixty open files, returning every call the same business day.
Legal Assistant
Bayshore Claims Advocates, Tampa, FL 2017 to 2018
Intake and file setup for a small practice serving injured workers.
- Conducted first client interviews using a standard intake script and opened the file the same day.
- Maintained the calendar for statute of limitations dates across two hundred matters.
Licensure and Certification
Certified Paralegal, National Association of Legal Assistants
Florida Registered Paralegal, The Florida Bar
Member, Tampa Bay Paralegal Association
Education
Bachelor of Arts in legal studies, University of South Florida, Tampa
Paralegal certificate, Hillsborough Community College
Core Skills
Discovery response drafting · Medical record chronologies · Deposition preparation · Trial exhibit management · Electronic court filing · Client communication · Calendar and deadline control · Clio case management · Westlaw research · Demand package assembly