eDiscovery Leaders Live: Sheila Grela of Procopio

Intro

Sheila Grela, Litigation Paralegal at Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP, joins George Socha, Senior Vice President of Brand Awareness at Reveal-Brainspace, for ACEDS #eDiscoveryLeadersLive sponsored by Reveal.

Sheila has been a paralegal for two decades and has worked at a variety of firms over the years, starting her career at Kennedy and Souza in 2002 before moving on to Nicholas and Tomasevic in 2014, then on to McKenna Long & Aldridge alongside Dentons in 2015 before finally joining Procopio in 2017.

An active volunteer, Sheila serves as the Vice President of the San Diego Paralegal Association, the Assistant Director of Women in eDiscovery’s San Diego chapter, and a member of the Board of Advisors at EDRM.

Listen in as Sheila breaks down the definition of “paralegal” and explains how the scope of the role differs depending on the firm you are working for, the case you are working on, and even how long you have been a paralegal.

She gives her thoughts on training and mentorship as well as her recommended resources for paralegals looking to up-skill. Finally, Sheila shares how she sees the future of the paralegal profession beyond the pandemic.

Key Highlights

• Sheila explains why self-education and mentorship are crucial to a paralegal’s success.
• What are some great training resources for legal professionals?
• How has the pandemic impacted the paralegal profession?
• Sheila speaks on the positive developments she expects in the paralegal world within the next year.

Powerful Quotes by Sheila Grela

• To me, [the definition of “paralegal”] has always been the same: It is someone who is qualified by education and experience to assist their attorneys with tasks that they are delegated.
• My response to [any legal professional] who has a question is: There is nothing that you shouldn’t be able to ask, because once you understand it, it expands your abilities for the client and for the firm.
• You don’t teach math with a calculator. You’ve got to start with the principles. If you’re going to teach someone calendaring, you don’t tell them, “Here’s the software,” when they don’t understand the concepts.”
• Personal growth through professional development. You can’t separate the two. They affect each other.

Connect with Sheila

• Sheila Grela on LinkedIn