by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
As the president-elect of the Association of Legal Administrators, Jacksonville Chapter, Lori Lordahl Bolen has a busy year ahead. On top of her everyday duties at the law firm of Schutt, Humphries and Schmidt, Bolen will be responsible for facilitating the lines of communication among the 43 local members of the group while also staying abreast of the issues surrounding their profession.
“It might get a little stressful,” she said of her upcoming one-year term. “But luckily, I’m very familiar with our organization, our members and how things are supposed to run. I’m not nervous.”
Bolen said the benefits of being in the ALA, which meets for a luncheon on the second Tuesday of every month, are numerous.
In addition to having access to the local members, legal administrators who are in the ALA are given the opportunity to converse with contemporaries from around the country at annual, national meetings.
“There are so many great opportunities for our members to network in Jacksonville and also internationally,” said Bolen. “Plus, it’s just a great way to get educated about our profession. A legal administrator is in a difficult position because while you’re not an attorney, you’re not a secretary either. A lot of times, it feels like you are on your own level.”
Though the duties of a legal administrator differ from firm to firm, Bolen said their primary role is that of an office manager who oversees a lot of the behind the scenes action while the attorneys try cases.
“It’s a combination of a lot of things,” she said. “There’s the management side, the technical side, the human resources side. We really just keep the firm going.”
Bolen and the ALA found each other by coincidence nearly six years ago. Though her legal career began when she took a job as a runner, Bolen was later promoted to legal aid while working for attorney Dennis Schutt. When Schutt left to start his own practice, Bolen followed as his legal administrator.
“That was a really interesting transition,” said Bolen. “Everything was brand new and I didn’t really have anyone to answer any questions that I might have.”
While putting together a meeting with Schutt, Bolen was given the task of finding a speaker. After a brief search, someone recommended a representative from the ALA.
“After hearing her speak,” said Bolen, “it just made sense to get involved.”
Now as she prepares to step into office, Bolen expects to be answering a lot of the members questions while also making referrals about topics ranging from how to handle personnel to which telephone service or health care provider have the best options.
“It’s more detailed than you might think,” said Bolen. “When we get together or communicate through e-mail, it’s not just, ‘How are you?’ We talk about important issues.”
Beyond regular meetings, the ALA also participates in charitable events when time allows. In the past, they have worked in conjunction with The Florida Bar to benefit Hubbard House and have organized various donation drives.
Bolen said the future looks bright for legal administrators. While continuing to further refine the role of what they do, Bolen said she looks forward to more member recruitment drives in an effort raise the profile of the organization locally.
“I anticipate a lot of growth,” said Bolen. “We really want to get the word out through marketing and membership drives. Personally, I was very relieved to find this organization. I’d like to think that if you are in the ALA, you’re not on your own.”