by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
When thinking of the legal community, several roles spring to mind. One may recall the attorneys or the judges at the federal and county courthouses. The jury might be another’s initial thought. Very rarely, however, will someone recall a runner.
“I think it’s safe to say,” said Elizabeth Torres, the special services coordinator at Smith, Hulsey and Busey, “that runners are very under appreciated by a lot of people. I don’t even like the title because it sounds so general. They are representing the firm every time they go out.”
Torres has been hiring runners at the firm for eight years and has seen many come and go.
“They are responsible for so many things,” said Torres. “And they have to get those things done no matter what. If it’s raining, if it’s cold, they’re out there. Very rarely has someone not wanted to.”
On a daily basis, legal runners handle everything from general office duties, including stocking office supplies and preparing conference rooms, to delivering and filing documents at the courthouses, hospitals and other law firms all over the city.
“On a given day,” said Spencer Singletary, a runner who primarily delivers documents by car, “I’ll courier materials to Shands, Gate Parkway and Baptist Medical Center. I don’t have a lot of time, so it’s important for me to know the city and be quick about it.”
Torres stressed that punctuality is essential to a successful run.
“In the legal community,” she said, “time is of the essence. We have our deadlines and it is absolutely critical that we make them. If someone has a problem with tardiness, they won’t get very far.”
Torres said that an ideal runner — who can be anyone from a student to, in some cases, a retiree — must meet a series of standard criteria before they are hired. They must have a professional attitude, be responsible and, most importantly, be able to work as a team with the other runners.
“You have got to be team player. That’s very important,” said Torres. “As one of the larger firms in the area, a lot is going to be going on at the same time, so you have to be able to think and react. We have four runners on board so they need to be able to communicate, not only with me, but also with each other.”
“That’s one thing that can be stressful about the job,” said Scott Revels, a runner at Salfield, Coulsin, Shad and Jay. “Sometimes it feels like everyone wants everything done at the same time. I’m on my feet a lot but it’s worth it because I’m learning a lot and I’m meeting a lot of people.”
While not doing the work of an attorney, a runner will have the advantage of, at least, seeing the hours that go into the job, while also getting a feel for type of work they perform.
“While I was a runner,” said Ray O’Steen, a real estate attorney who worked as a courier for two summers, “I wasn’t exactly sure if I wanted to be a lawyer or not, but I definitely got a glimpse of what goes into it. It was also helpful to get to know the litigators and the city.”
“It’s a great opportunity,” said Torres, “I can see a lot of runners grow and gain confidence while they have worked for me. You learn to interact on a professional level and if you play your cards right, you can make some great contacts for the future. Almost every runner that has come here wanting to be a lawyer went on to become one.”