To the Editor:

My name is Michelle Riordan and I am a paralegal with the Carlisle Law Firm, P.C.

I grew up in Northern New York, and while I did leave the area and spent time in Syracuse for school, and then later working in the legal field there, I returned to the area because I believe in the people of Northern New York, and I believe that Northern New York holds some of the most hardworking and dedicated individuals in all of New York.

I have worked in the legal field since 2006. While studying at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, I was a student assistant at the firm of Martin, Ganotis, Brown, Mould and Currie, P.C., assisting attorneys in medical malpractice defense. I then went on to work as a reception/legal assistant with the Carpenter Law Firm, P.C. aiding with divorces, family law, criminal and traffic ticket defense. I also spent some time with the Hiscock Legal Aid Society in the civil program there.

After moving back to the area, I began working with Lekki Hill Duprey and Bhatt, P.C. in Canton, where I acted as the paralegal to the family law, divorce and criminal attorney, later moving into personal injury before settling into my current position, where I have been for almost years, as the paralegal to the attorney for personal injury cases at the Carlisle Law Firm, P.C.

While I was in Onondaga County, I was a member of their bar association and was able to attend CLE’s as a paralegal.

I feel that the paralegals of Northern New York, specifically St. Lawrence, Franklin, Jefferson and Lewis counties, deserve a chance to convene, share ideas, learn and bond, and I feel that we do not have that chance. We should have the opportunity to make connections and maintain a sense of “peoplehood” in a field that can be stressful, demanding and fast-paced, but also very rewarding.

There are six Empire State Paralegal Associations: Adirondack Paralegal Association
-Capital District Paralegal Association, Inc.
-New York City Paralegal Association, Inc.
-Onondaga County Bar Association Paralegals Committee -Paralegal Association of Rochester, Inc.
-Western New York Paralegal Association, Inc.

I contacted the Adirondack Paralegal Association to inquire about membership. I found out they do not have any members from St. Lawrence County and the closest (to St. Lawrence County) that come to a meeting was Glens Falls. Armed with this information, I believe the best course of action is to establish a Northern New York Paralegal Association to include not only St. Lawrence County but also surrounding northern counties.

I believe that there would be many benefits of starting an association in our county and I would appreciate a showing of interest in doing so. I can be contacted at the e-mail address and/or phone number shown at the bottom of this letter. Once we have a handle on numbers, I would like to plan a luncheon for those interested to meet and get together to formulate a plan to begin the process of applying to become a New York State Paralegal Association.

Please contact me at your earliest convenience and I look forward to moving this idea forward: nnyparalegalassn@gmail.com 315-705-3460

Michelle L. Riordan

Lisbon