Michigan Lawyers Weekly recently announced 26 members of their second class of Unsung Legal Heroes, including four people from Varnum.
Unsung Legal Heroes honors law firm employees who have consistently gone above and beyond the call of duty, often behind the scenes. According to Michigan Lawyers Weekly, “The award is reserved for the state’s most talented and dedicated legal support professionals. Judging by the response we received since we launched this program last year, lawyers are embracing this opportunity to show appreciation for key staffers.”
Those who were honored from Varnum, along with portions of the language from the attorneys who nominated them, include:
- Jamie Elhart, legal secretary: “Jamie is an amazing person and legal assistant. She is smart, dedicated and ambitious. She looks for additional ways to help and is constantly learning new skills so that she can do more sophisticated and thorough work. She enjoys a challenge and does all of this with a great attitude. She is truly remarkable… She has a fun, positive attitude and is always up for a new challenge. The Ann Arbor office is grateful for her assistance!”
- Stephanie Murray, legal secretary: “Stephanie’s work ethic, quality of work and volume of work is truly remarkable. She handles complex issues on a daily basis and always ensures that the attorneys for whom she works get their work on a timely basis. She does not always get the praise she deserves because she is working behind the scenes. However, that never deters her from doing a great job, day-in and day-out.”
- Vimi Sharma, legal secretary: “Our firm became involved in some very large and complex litigation shortly after Vimi started and both of us began working on the same matter. After several weeks of working together, it made sense to officially have Vimi become my legal assistant. I can honestly say it was one of the best decisions of my young career. Vimi quickly embraced our culture at Varnum. She is extremely friendly, funny, and smart and makes work enjoyable. Most of all, she is incredibly committed and hard-working. Without Vimi, I am certain we would not be where we needed to be in a very complex case.”
- Kristine Sower, information technology specialist: “Kristine does an incredible job with managing ESI and documents from extremely large and complex cases. She goes above and beyond her duties, and certainly beyond normal work hours. Not only that, but she has taken the initiative to ensure that our staff utilizes the capabilities built into our document review software, such as taking the time to create training videos. Her work ethic and talent are second to none… There is no challenge too great for her, and she is always willing to help with the biggest smile on her face. Her knowledge and skills are beyond compare.”
All 26 honorees from across the state will be profiled in a special supplement in the July 30 issue of Michigan Lawyers Weekly. More about the Unsung Legal Heroes award can be found on the Michigan Lawyers Weekly website: https://milawyersweekly.com/unsung-legal-heroes-2018/