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Kathy Surber Moore: Paralegal with Butler, Vines and Babb, Knoxville, TN[By Kenneth Davis]

Kathy Surber Moore said that she was motivated to become a paralegal because she wanted a career that was both

challenging and personally rewarding. She added that she also wanted a career that was connected to the law in some way.

“I have always had an interest in the law

and felt that working as a paralegal would

provide me with those opportunities,” she

said. “I hold very strong beliefs when it

comes to justice and fairness. I don’t like to

see anyone getting taken advantage of simply

because of someone else’s negligence or

greed. I wanted to be part of something that

provides a remedy or solution to help others

and serve the greater good of the community

in which I live.”

Moore has been a paralegal with the law

firm Butler, Vines and Babb, which is based

in Knoxville, TN, for more than seven years.

She said she has been assigned to work

primarily with two attorneys at the firm:

Edward U. Babb and John W. Butler. Moore

added that she works chiefly in the areas of

insurance defense, workers’ compensation,

and personal injury; she also works on some

product liability matters.

Moore said her tasks as a paralegal are so

numerous and varied that it’s difficult to

give an accurate description of the details

of her job.

“So much depends on the type of case I am

working on,” she explained. “However, most

of my responsibilities are centered around

the discovery phase of a lawsuit, although I

am generally involved from beginning to end

in all matters.”

Moore said she spends a great deal of time

collecting and reviewing various documents,

such as medical records, employment

records, social security files, criminal

records, accident reports, and so on. And

once she has reviewed and analyzed those

documents to locate any relevant findings

necessary to the case at hand, she prepares

summaries and/or chronologies (timelines)

based on this information for the attorney

to review. She added that she also spends

a significant amount of time doing research

that is both legal and non-legal in nature.

“Again, the type of research is often

determined by the type of case that I’m

working on,” Moore said. “One day, I might

be trying to locate information on city or

county building codes, and the next I may

be trying to locate a potential witness

who is serving time in a federal prison. In

addition, I contact clients, witnesses, police

officers, and treating physicians to gather

information relative to the facts of the case

and/or their opinions. Oftentimes, I feel as

though I play more of an investigative type

of role because it’s my job to not only find

information but figure out how to get access

to it, as well. I draft discovery responses

and various memoranda, as needed. I also

assist my attorneys at depositions and trials

when needed.”

Before becoming a paralegal, Moore was

a marketing coordinator for a major cable

television company. During that time, she

attended Walters State Community College

in Morristown, TN; she received her A.S.

in Paralegal Studies from the school in

May of �999. From there, she continued

her education at Tusculum College in

Greeneville, TN, where she earned her B.S.

in Organizational Studies in 2002. Moore

graduated from both colleges with honors.

She said that she’s particularly proud of this

accomplishment because she had to work

full-time and attend school at night to earn

both degrees.

Moore joined Butler Vines in June of �999.

She said one of her professors in the

paralegal program recommended her to

the firm.

Moore discussed what she enjoys most

about her job:

“I enjoy the feelings of accomplishment

that I get when I know I’ve done a good job

and have helped our client’s position,” she

said. “I feel my work has purpose and that

my thoughts and opinions are valued by my

attorneys that I work with.”

She said the most difficult challenge of her

job is keeping up with her workload.

“This is definitely not a career for someone

who likes to leave the office every day

with a clean desk,” she commented.

“Oftentimes, it can get very stressful trying

to keep up with the huge caseloads that

most attorneys carry.”

Moore is a member of the Smoky Mountain

Paralegal Association (SMPA) and the National

Association of Legal Assistants (NALA), the

leading national paralegal association.

“Being part of a paralegal association is a

wonderful opportunity to network with other

paralegals, to share information and ideas,

and to be a support system for one another

in dealing with various problems or concerns

that may arise within the legal field or on the

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job,” she said. “Associations also help us

to keep focused on improving our skills and

knowledge so that we can be better at what

we do and encourage those around us to do

the same.”

In 2004, Moore passed the National

Association of Legal Assistants’

comprehensive examination, making her

a Certified Legal Assistant (or Certified

Paralegal) and granting her the designation

“CP.” In addition, Moore is currently an

adjunct faculty member at her alma mater,

Walters State Community College. There,

she teaches a course entitled “Introduction

to Paralegal Practices, Legal Ethics, and Law

Office Management.” She’s also a member

of the school’s advisory committee for the

paralegal studies program.

Moore explained what she likes most about

teaching:

“It is very rewarding for me personally to be

able to share the things that I have learned

and experienced while working in the field

with new paralegal students,” she said. “I

feel that this is my opportunity to give back

something in appreciation for all of the good

things that I have received and experienced

in my life and career.”

Moore had the following advice for paralegal

students:

“I like to encourage the students that I

teach to be willing to work hard and apply

themselves diligently in their classes, to

be willing to do whatever it takes to get

the job done (so long as it’s honest and

ethical), and to love what they do,” she said.

“Every career will have its highs and lows,

but if you truly love what you do, the lows

won’t seem nearly as daunting when you

encounter them. I also encourage students

to honor their ethical guidelines, even if

they see other legal professionals doing

otherwise. It is important to always try to

do the right thing and be the example for

others to follow.”

Moore said one of the highlights of her

career was receiving her professional

designation as a Certified Paralegal through

the National Association of Legal Assistants.

“At the time of my certification, there were

only 236 paralegals in the whole state of

Tennessee who had accomplished this task,”

she said. “In order to become a certified

paralegal, one has to sit for a two-day

extensive legal exam (much like the bar exam

for attorneys), which tests your knowledge in

�� different areas of law, from legal research

to civil litigation to criminal law. There is a

70% fail rate on first attempts at taking the

exam; however, I passed in all �� sections

on my first attempt. Needless to say, I was

ecstatic when I received my congratulatory

letter from NALA.”

Moore said she believes frivolous lawsuits

are one of the most important issues facing

the legal community today.

“I feel that frivolous lawsuits are becoming

a major black eye to the legal system here

in America,” she said. “At one time, the

law was considered to be an honorable

profession. However, in today’s society,

people are becoming so ‘lawsuit-happy’ that

the courts are inundated with senseless

and unnecessary lawsuits. People aren’t

interested in justice or fairness anymore;

they are only interested in how much money

they can get from someone. And, sadly, we

all pay the price for such conduct. There

needs to be a ‘common sense’ rule written

back into the laws these days, so that people

cannot continue to get away with filing these

senseless and unsubstantiated lawsuits.”

When she’s not working, Moore likes to

spend time with her husband, Kelly. They

have been married for six years and recently

finished building a new house.

“We sort of live in the country and love

being outdoors when we can,” she said. “My

husband is a huge bass fisherman, and I

occasionally accompany him to the lake,

although I spend more of my time enjoying

the peaceful solitude and reading a good

book versus catching bass.”

Moore added that she’s also a huge animal

lover.

“My husband says that is why we had to move

to the country-so that we would have room

for all of the homeless or neglected animals

that I tend to take in and give much-needed

love and affection,” she said.

Moore said she also loves flowers and

gardening, spending time with family and

friends, and shopping.

ON THE NET

Butler, Vines and Babb

www.bvblaw.com

Tusculum College

www.tusculum.edu

The National Association of Legal Assistants

www.nala.org

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