Todd Frankel, a paralegal at Reed Smith in downtown Los Angeles, CA and His new job. a litigation paralegal.

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Todd Frankel: Paralegal, Reed Smith, LLP,
Los Angeles, CA
[By Charisse Dengler]
Todd Frankel, a paralegal at Reed Smith in downtown Los Angeles, CA, made the career change from photojournalist to
paralegal in January 2004, and he loves his new job. A litigation paralegal, Frankel deals with product liability with regard to
pharmaceutical and medical device technology.
“I really like looking at data and numbers a legitimate professional activity—being a Frankel, who first joined LAPA only because
and organizing things on a large scale,” he paralegal—which I didn’t know until I started Cal State L.A. gave student discounts for
said. “There’s still a lot I don’t know about looking into it. I mean, you think about being membership in the organization, had lunch
the law, and so every day is really a learning a lawyer—that’s a white-collar profession— with a member of the board in order to talk
experience for me. I enjoy that sense of but as I researched more, I found out that about getting more involved in the group.
discovery.” paralegals are really integral to the way a
law office functions.” That discussion led to Frankel’s co-
Frankel, who has been with Reed Smith chairing of LAPA’s October 2004 conference
since April 2004, completed the American Frankel told himself he would enroll in the committee, during which he claimed he
Bar Association (ABA)-approved paralegal paralegal program and try it out for one must have impressed someone with his
program at California State University, Los semester, and if he didn’t like it, he’d quit. organizational skills and responsible
Angeles. While enrolled in the program, he However, he ended up loving it. personality. His co-chair later alerted him to
decided that he wanted to work at a large an opening at Reed Smith, and he has been
firm upon graduation. “I like working with smart people,” he said. there ever since.
“Attorneys here, I’ve found, are incredibly
“I knew I wanted to go into litigation, and I intelligent and very creative problem solvers. “I credit being in front of paralegals who
knew I wanted to be in a very large firm,” I’m always challenged. There’s a lot I don’t know what works in a big law office and kind
he said. “My history is all in boutique know.” of impressing them and creating a little bit
businesses. I decided part of my career of buzz so that when something came open, I
change was going to embrace a much larger Frankel, who worked as the Chief heard about it,” he said.
employer with more resources, and I was Photographer at the Los Angeles Business
looking for a team environment.” Journal before becoming a paralegal, said “Senior paralegals that work with these
his previous position taught him valuable volunteer organizations have their eyes out
Frankel first started looking toward the law skills that he has carried over into the legal for good people they can recommend to their
as a second career after he was involved in field. law firms; and if you behave professionally,
a dispute over a proposed development in do good work, and show that you can give
Mount Washington, where he lives. He said “I became very good at managing my back to the community, chances are you’ll
the situation led him to view law as a very time and knowing what I wanted out of an hear about things,” he said.
civil process, and it was then that he started assignment when I got there so I wouldn’t
thinking about law school. However, as a have to dilly dally very long,” he said. “I was Currently, Frankel is LAPA’s Executive Vice
husband and father, he felt overwhelmed at able to think fast on my feet, and being able President; but after the reigning president
the prospect. He later began considering the to juggle a lot of things at the same time unexpectedly resigned, he took over the
paralegal profession at a friend’s suggestion. has helped me tremendously in a busy law presidential responsibilities.
office.”
“I found out that I could go through a He encourages paralegal students to get
paralegal program that was approved by The way Frankel found his job at Reed Smith involved in a professional association, for
the American Bar Association [and] that is pretty interesting. After trying out legal both the continued education benefits and
the paralegal world is an evolving, up-and- recruiters and not getting any results, he the networking opportunities.
coming profession. And it’s kind of coming decided to try networking through the Los
into its own,” he said. “I discovered this was Angeles Paralegal Association (LAPA).
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“I think people who are of like mind and “Student paralegals don’t really understand ON THE NET
purpose need a place to congregate, and so that. They’re not sure who makes hiring
LAPA tries to provide that,” he said. “I didn’t decisions at a law firm. They just want to get Reed Smith
seriously want to get involved until I was way through their program, but as I’ve found, www.reedsmith.com
out of school and thought of it as my last senior paralegals have a lot of influence on
resort, but I would tell paralegal students to who gets in,” he said. “I would also suggest Los Angeles Paralegal Association
join as a first resort—to get the newsletters that students keep and maintain a binder www.lapa.org
and start reading about who the players are about the area of law they think they want to
and how you can get on a committee and go into and start collecting reading material Cal State Los Angeles
get in front of the senior paralegals who and review the reading material often.” www.calstatela.edu
ultimately make hiring decisions.”
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