June 28th

At first it was difficult for me to understand the long process of a worker's compensation claim because i was performing different steps for each case that i handled. Now that i have completed several examples of each step i have a clearer picture of what the entire process looks like.

Starting with the phone conversation that takes place between the paralegal and the applicant the claim must then be approved by the attorney. Each application must be carefully reviewed before approval in order to ensure that the claim will be approved. Some reasons why a case would be turned down would be if the client's accident took place out of California or if the case did not classify as worker's compensation. (Usually the cases that are turned away fall under "wrongful termination")

One interesting experience that i had involved refreshing my Spanish. The legal assistant who i work closely with was out to lunch and the attorney was away at court. A client called with an urgent message so i was forwarded the call and had the opportunity to speak with the client. The client expressed his concerns and i was able to comfort him and take his call back information. I assured him that i would relay his message and have the paralegal in charge of his case contact him at her earliest convenience.

Another exciting experience so far has been meeting with a client in person. One client came to the office to meet with the paralegal in charge if his case and i was able to sit in on the meeting. The client came in with questions about his case and brought in paperwork to be copied and placed into his file. I also learned shortly after the meeting started that i had scheduled a doctors appointment for this client the week before. It was interesting to see the client in person and see how my work helped his case move forward. 

June 21st

Now that I have gotten to know most of the staff in my department it has become easier for me to make suggestions to the rest of the group in order to increase my efficiency. For example, in the beginning i would send various types of mail and faxes throughout the day for correspondence purposes. The fax and stamp machines are located on the upper floor of the firm. One several occasions I would come back down from sending a fax and someone would ask me to go stamp some mail. This became tiring after several trips so I began asking whether or not anyone had anything to be sent before heading upstairs that way I could complete assignments for several people on only one trip.

Another thing that I have suggested is a way in which new cases were being processed into the database. Sometimes I am asked to send information to opposing attorneys and insurance carriers but the contact information for these parties is missing from many of the files. This would slow the pace at which I could complete tasks because I would have to stop and pull the physical file and search through documents to find a phone number. After, I suggested that the contact information be inputed into the computer database immediately after a notice is received of each party's representation in the case.

The first official paperwork that I have become familiar with is the first step of the workers compensation claim process. The first thing that the attorney's office must do is file an application to the Workers Compensation Appeals Board, or WCAB. With new cases coming in every day it is important to get the applications entered into the database. Once all the contact information is entered and the client is contacted by the attorney the next step is to create the application which will be processed in court. After learning what the application would include, I made my first application by accessing the Workers Compensation website and finding the forms with the proper bar codes which are authorized by the Board. Once the applications are issued, each case is assigned a number which will be used to identify the case until settlement is reached.

I am still trying to work on identifying paperwork and I have learned that I can work on that by simply reading the documents and looking for key words such as names of firms or insurance carriers. I have also created my own file on the computer so that i am able to save my work and use them as references for future assignments that call for similar requests. This allows me to see who I sent the document to and  what information I need to include, such as claim numbers and names of clients. I look forward to watching the way new cases grow and observing how far along the cases move in a month's time.

June 14th

After a full week of training i finally started my first week as an intern. The first task that i had to accomplish was becoming comfortable with the firms utilities such as the scanner and copier, along with the mail stamping machine. The most important thing i had to become familiar with was the computer program with the case information for each client. Not only was i getting accustomed to a new environment but i also had to learn the everyday vocabulary which included names of documents and references to legal procedures. I was welcomed by everyone in the office and felt confident enough to ask when i had a question, especially during the first week. I wasn't the only new member of the firms staff, in fact, i have been working closely with two of the firms newest members. One important thing that i have learned thus far is that communication is key. The legal processes involved in worker's compensation are driven by communication between attorneys, insurance companies, clients, employers, and the court. Luckily i have been taking instructions from someone who is willing to explain each step in detail at a pace slow enough for me to take notes. The notes have served as templates for different documents that i am asked to replicate for different clients. I look forward to mastering the vocabulary and communicating directly with other firms and insurance companies regarding cases.