Karen Butts, a legal assistant at Curtis, Curtis & Brelinski, P.C. in Jackson, restored three classic cars with her husband. She is pictured with their 1966 Mustang coupe.
(Photo courtesy of Karen Butts)
Legal News
Karen Butts has been a legal assistant at Curtis, Curtis & Brelinski, P.C. in Jackson for more than two years, working for managing attorney Philip J. Curtis.
“They’re a great bunch of people — I feel very fortunate to have found them,” said Butts, who has worked in the legal field for close to four decades.
Butts has skills in corporate, estate planning, probate and trust administration, civil litigation, appeals, real estate, municipal law and employment law, as well as serving as a certified notary public.
“My work entails drafting legal documents and correspondence, keeping files organized, speaking with clients and scheduling appointments,” she said. “I like seeing a project through from start to finish.”
She got her start in the legal field as a bookkeeper, billing clerk and receptionist for Fried & Bugbee, P.C. (f/k/a Fried & Levitt) in Beverly Hills, quickly transitioning into the role of a legal assistant.
“I was fortunate to work for that firm for 18 years and have learned so much from them,” she said. “All my training has been actual work experience.”
She enjoys litigation work, as well as estate planning, probate and corporate work.
“Luckily, I’m able to work in more than one type of law — it keeps it interesting,” she said.. “After 36 years in the field, I’m still able to learn new things. I enjoy getting to know clients and helping them.”
Butts, who also spent several years working for law firms in Ann Arbor, has experienced many changes in technology over the decades.
“Email was a game changer,” she said. “E-filing has been a wonderful change as everything is immediate and there is less paper involved. I love the scanning ability, something we didn’t have when I started out — it keeps files more accessible and organized when you can scan documents into a file. It’s also helpful when you’re trying to locate old files that have been destroyed — you can always keep an electronic copy of all the documents.
“I also like the ability to be able to look up court records and register of deed records. Information is more accessible. Zoom got us through the pandemic and has changed things going forward.”
Butts, who grew up in Detroit, met her future husband when she was 6 years old. The two have been married for 35 years, living in the Livingston County city of Howell for the past 33 years.
Butts loves anything to do with water —boating, swimming, and just spending time near water; and she also enjoys rescuing dogs and providing a home for them on the couple’s 2.5-acre property. Her current canine pal is 6-year-old Noel, rescued from a kill shelter in Campbellsville, Ky. as a six-month-old puppy.
“They are the coolest animals on the planet,” she said. “I enjoyed having two dogs at the same time. We actually have a pet cemetery on our property, with each pet having their own headstone. The only downside to having a dog is that they do not live as long as you.”
Butts and her husband John are passionate about classic cars, and have restored a 1966 Mustang coupe, a 1968 Cougar XR7 and — her favorite — a 1968 Mustang Fastback Shelby.
Other than getting the cars professionally painted, the pair has done everything else.
“The cars are stripped to the bones — electrical, everything out and redone,” she said. “The Shelby, although the paint is complete, is still under construction and has not hit the road yet — I can’t wait for that to happen.
“Although my husband is the brains behind restoring the cars, I’ve helped over the years with making templates, putting headliners in the cars, putting windshields in and even helping put a transmission in. I enjoy driving them around town — it’s a great hobby and a good investment. My attention to detail serves me well in my hobby and my employment.”
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