Departure of Paralegal Lindsey Craig Prompts Review of Firm’s Remarkable Staff We at Chappell, Lanehart & Stangl are proud of our status as the oldest criminal defense firm in Lubbock, but what sets us apart from every other firm is our collective legal knowledge and talent, including the vast experience of our dedicated support staff. Our organization is blessed with good people whose skill, wisdom and longevity have been of great benefit to our clients. I’m always gratified when a client chooses to visit with one of our staffers about their case, and not with me, even when I’m available for a consultation. Since we don’t usually charge by the hour, there is no pecuniary downside to a client asking to speak to his or her lawyer. Our clients simply feel comfortable discussing their cases with our staffers, they know the attorney-client privilege is kept safely with staffers, they know staffers will accurately pass along their questions promptly, and they know either the lawyer or the staffer will get back with the client promptly with helpful information or advice. With that in mind, it is with mixed emotions that we say farewell to one of our most valuable staffers next week. Lindsey Craig, paralegal extraordinaire, will begin an internship to complete the requirements for her master’s degree in counseling at Texas Tech University. Lindsey has been a full-time staffer the past five years, but has experience working with several law firms over 15 years. With CL&S, her primary duties have involved trial preparation assistance, including witness coordination, demonstrative evidence, and jury selection. When she completes her advanced degree next year, we hope she will return as a trial consultant for our firm and for others with similar needs. In any case, we wish Lindsey well. Our remaining staff can certainly handle the load. Bernadette Page, our office manager, is well-known as one of the brightest and best legal assistants in the Lubbock area. She started her career as a court coordinator, in Lubbock’s 364th District Court and in Lubbock County Court at Law No. 3, with a stint in between as a legal assistant in Amarillo. Berna has been the backbone of the CL&S support staff for 11 years. Tiffany Coleman began her legal career as receptionist for CL&S more than ten years ago, but she was soon promoted to legal assistant. Tiff’s position is essential as the coordinator for obtaining and organizing evidence and discovery for our clients. The face of CL&S is Jenni Lopez, our bilingual receptionist, who joined us last fall. Her cheerful and patient demeanor greets everyone who calls or visits our office. Jenni is already competent to fill in for other staffers when the need arises. The CL&S tradition of maintaining long-term, loyal employees dates to the 1940’s, when the late, great Byron “Lawyer” Chappell hired Mamie Brown as his legal secretary. She retired after being Lawyer Chappell’s “right arm” for more than 20 years. In 1970, Jean Frazier took the position for the next 25 years. Meanwhile, Marcos G. Hernandez (whose job titles included paralegal, legal assistant, personal relations coordinator, interpreter, runner and Man Friday) served CL&S clients for more than 40 years until his death in 2003. Cindy Rossette worked as a receptionist and legal assistant for 12 years until recently taking an extended leave of absence to raise her family. Another success story is Barb Sucsy, the 16-year CL&S legal assistant and office manager who now serves as Lubbock County District Clerk. The office family of Chappell, Lanehart & Stangl is proud to have had Lindsey Craig assist our clients for the past five years, and we wish Lindsey well in her future endeavors.
Posted on: Mon, 04 Aug 2014 17:46:08 +0000
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