LEGAL ASSISTANT AND LEGAL ADMINISTRATOR

Legal Assistant Laura Schwetz is originally from California. She holds a legal assistant certificate from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Ms. Schwetz has worked as a legal assistant and legal secretary for more than twenty-five years. Her work has involved personal injury, insurance, and general litigation matters. Before entering the legal field, Ms. Schwetz served in the U.S. Army, where she was a Polish interpreter.

Legal Administrator David Loftus is a native Oregonian. He is a former news reporter, free-lance editor and proofreader, and published author who also does stage and voice acting, reading aloud before live audiences and for recordings, and performance folk dancing. 

TECHNOLOGY

The firm invests in technology to facilitate timely client service.

Time Matters network software efficiently organizes documents, contact information, and a centralized calendar to track deadlines, meetings, and case progress. CaseMap software is used to organize case strategy, and TimeMap software graphically maps case deadlines and timelines of events.

All correspondence, pleadings, and other documents are stored electronically. Documents created at the firm, once finalized, are stored in .pdf format. Incoming mail, pleadings, and other documents are scanned and also stored in .pdf format. Electronic storage permits instant access to case files from both office computers and remote laptops. (For more detail, see "Our Paperless World" via the link at left.)

To protect client privacy and database integrity, the firm's network is secured behind a firewall and access is password protected. A back-up of all electronic files, both open cases and closed, is done automatically every night, and the backup tape removed from the premises to a remote location at the end of every workday. On a regular basis, a backup tape is taken to a bank safe deposit box for storage.