Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
LANGUAGES
Timeline
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Katherine Zaldana

Silver Spring

Summary

Legal professional with proven track record in providing comprehensive support to attorneys. Capable of managing complex legal documentation and ensuring case files are meticulously organized. Team-oriented and results-driven, always adapting to meet shifting priorities. Skilled in legal research and document preparation, valued for reliability and flexibility.

Overview

8
8
years of professional experience

Work History

Paralegal

Bacon, Thornton & Palmer
07.2024 - Current
  • Enhanced case efficiency by organizing and maintaining legal documents, files, and correspondence.
  • Assisted counsel in preparing answers for interrogatories, providing documentation, and information for discovery request.
  • Summarized depositions, legal documents, medical records and other material to provide attorney with relevant material for cases.
  • Conducted social media searches on Plaintiff.
  • Attended court hearings and depositions to take notes and document proceedings.
  • Contributed to firm-client relationship building through professional interactions with clients during meetings or phone calls, conveying empathy while maintaining confidentiality.
  • Maintained and updated organized client contact information to keep in touch with clients and provide updates on cases.

Personal Injury Paralegal

Montero Law Group, LLC
01.2022 - 04.2022
  • Meet with potential new clients with the attorney to obtain information of the accident, how, when, where, etc.
  • After the attorney takes the case, have the clients sign a retainer between them, the attorney and the law firm, a medical authorization form to request medical records from the chiropractic office and if the client went to a hospital, have them sign a medical authorization form from the hospital to request medical records and bills.
  • After all documents have been signed, make copies and provide them to the client.
  • Refer the client to a chiropractor.
  • Add the new client into our database, add new matter with details of the accident. If the client has been a client at the office before, add a new matter under their name ID.
  • If claims have not been opened with the client's insurance or the other party, open claims with both insurance companies, send out a letter of representation and inform the client to not discuss the accident with either their insurance or the other party.
  • Request hospital records and bills if a client went to a hospital or an urgent care.
  • After receiving a PIP application for a client, set up a time for the client to come into the office to sign the application.
  • If there is a police report, request the report.
  • If a client used their health insurance at a hospital or an urgent care, request a lien release.
  • Follow up with other party insurance for a status on liability.
  • Keep track of client’s treatment status.
  • After a client is done treating and all medical records and bills have been obtained, prepare a demand packet with the accident information, all medical expenses and lost wages if there is any, and send it to the other party to start the settlement negotiations process.
  • If liability was denied because it is a word vs. word accident to the other party insurance but there is evidence that supports our client, inform the client and hand the file to the litigation department. If liability was denied because the other party did not have an active policy, open a UM claim with the client’s insurance. If liability was not accepted because there is not enough property damage or injuries coverage, open a UM claim with the client’s insurance.
  • Negotiate with the adjuster to come to a settlement agreement.
  • After settling the case, have the client come to the office to sign a release form from the insurance company to have the check issued to the office.
  • After receiving the settlement check, pay remaining balances to providers, take out the attorney’s fees and then provide the client with their settlement.

Criminal & Traffic Paralegal

Montero Law Group, LLC
11.2020 - 12.2021
  • Meet potential new clients with the attorney to discuss their charges, how the process works and what the attorney needs the client to do.
  • Prepare a criminal or traffic retainer agreement between the attorney, the office and the client for both attorney and the client to sign.
  • After a client has retained, whether for a criminal case or traffic related case, prepare a line of appearance, a request for a speedy trial (if no court date has been given) and a motion to request discovery for the attorney to sign to file with the court.
  • If a DUI client retained, I would also prepare a line to request breath technician results for the attorney to sign to file with the court.
  • Use MDEC to E-file lines and motions when a case is from Howard County, Montgomery County, Charles County and Baltimore County.
  • Follow up with DUI clients to make sure they are in alcohol treatment classes and have obtained an interlock for their car.
  • Follow up with clients who received a “driving without a license” citation to make sure they are in the process of obtaining their license.
  • Follow up with clients who received a citation for driving without insurance or suspended tags to make sure they are in the process obtaining new insurance and fixing issues with tags.
  • Update the case list with any upcoming court dates, balance of clients and what to do next.
  • Check case search every week to see if any of our clients had a court date coming up.
  • Call the client to inform them of an upcoming court date and prepare a client for trial prep if necessary.
  • Follow up with the state attorney’s office if we have not received discovery.
  • If the client’s trial date is less than 40 days, have the client pay their remaining balance of the retainer.

Receptionist

Montero Law Group, LLC
09.2020 - 11.2020
  • Every morning, clean both conference rooms.
  • Answer calls and redirect them to the assigned paralegal or the attorney, if needed.
  • If a client called and the paralegal or attorney assigned to the case were not available, take down a message with a call back number and email the assigned paralegal and or the attorney.
  • Schedule appointments for clients when an attorney requests one.
  • When a potential new client calls to have a consultation with an attorney, schedule an over the phone consultation with the correct attorney.
  • Mail out criminal and traffic advertisement letters.
  • Distribute mail to the attorneys and paralegals.
  • Do supplies inventory every Friday at the end of the day.
  • Email the attorneys their calendars every day at the end of the day for the following day.
  • Clean the conference rooms before and after an attorney would meet with a client.

Administrative Assistant

USA Debt Solutions
07.2019 - 05.2020
  • Mail out advertising letters to the D.M.V area informing them we can help them resolve a debt or lawsuit regarding collections.
  • Meet with potential clients, get to know them and make sure the client feels comfortable enough with me to let me work on their case.
  • Prepare a retainer agreement to have the client sign.
  • After a client has retained our office, I would get in contact with the attorney representing the collection company suing the client or with the collection company to offer them a deal on behalf of the client.
  • If and when the offer has been accepted, I would prepare an agreement for the other party to sign and for the client to sign accepting their terms for their monthly payments.
  • Notify the clients when and where they needed to send their payments and if they would like for payments to be taken out automatically from their bank accounts they would need to provide us with their bank information to provide to the other party.

Sales Associate

Price Busters Furniture
02.2018 - 06.2019
  • Greet customers as soon as they walked into the store.
  • Offer my service and guide them throughout the store to help them find what they were looking for.
  • Offer the customers financing or layaway.
  • Explain to the customers how financing works and how different the companies we work with work.
  • Fill out an invoice with the customers name, delivery address, phone number, delivery date, purchased items and their total and provide the customer with a copy of the invoice.
  • Receive payments by cash, debit cards or credit cards.
  • Fill out an application with a financing company with the client and once their initial payment has been paid, fill out an invoice for the client.
  • Answer phone calls and answer all questions for the customers.
  • Maintain all dining sets, living room sets and bedroom sets clean.

Education

High School Diploma -

High Point High School
Beltsville, MD
06.2016

Skills

  • Detail-oriented, leader with exceptional communication skills, experienced in working impeccably with organizational departments and diverse groups
  • Ability to prioritize and remain focused on the essence of an issue
  • Handle 1-5 line telephone system, able to multitask
  • Outstanding customer service skills
  • Highly dependable
  • Honest and hardworking
  • Friendly, patient and understanding
  • Notary

LANGUAGES

English and Spanish

Timeline

Paralegal

Bacon, Thornton & Palmer
07.2024 - Current

Personal Injury Paralegal

Montero Law Group, LLC
01.2022 - 04.2022

Criminal & Traffic Paralegal

Montero Law Group, LLC
11.2020 - 12.2021

Receptionist

Montero Law Group, LLC
09.2020 - 11.2020

Administrative Assistant

USA Debt Solutions
07.2019 - 05.2020

Sales Associate

Price Busters Furniture
02.2018 - 06.2019

High School Diploma -

High Point High School

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Katherine Zaldana