Legal secretary enjoys tax work at Foster Swift

By Sheila Pursglove
Legal News

When Jeanette Ransom, looked through career descriptions in her middle school guidance class, she decided on a career as a legal secretary.

“I took secretarial block for two years in high school and really enjoyed it,” she says.

She went on to earn an associates degree in Legal Secretarial Science from Lansing Community College where she had a particular interest in business law, grammar, and letter writing.

After graduation, she was hired as a legal secretary in the Business & Tax Department at Foster Swift in Lansing, and currently works for two attorneys and a paralegal in the Business & Tax Department, where she types and prepares routine and special correspondence to clients and consultants, and prepares and revises agreements and business documents.

“The things I enjoy most about my job are the people I work with and the challenge to provide the best work product I can for our clients,” she says. “I love organizational projects and creating documents that are pleasing to the eye and grammatically correct.” 

After LCC, she also joined NALS of Lansing, an organization for legal professionals, and completed the multiple-week NALS Official Training Course in all areas of the law. She later joined a study group with NALS of Lansing and took and passed the Professional Legal Secretary (PLS) Exam.

Honored as NALS of Lansing Legal Professional of the Year in 1995, Ransom has served as President of the Chapter, as well as Vice President, Secretary, Director, Parliamentarian, Bar Liaison/Law Day, Bylaws and Standing Rules, Employment, Ethics, Financial Review, Marketing/Public Relations, Newsletter, Nominations & Elections, and she is currently the Website/Technology Chair.

On the state level, she has served as Parliamentarian and on the Public Relations Committee; and has volunteered on behalf of NALS of Michigan for the State Bar of Michigan Annual Meeting as a worker. She was honored as NALS of Michigan Legal Professional of the Year in 2012.

 She particularly enjoys the legal education and networking.

“NALS has so many opportunities for learning in all areas of the law at their monthly meetings and Saturday seminars – I learn something new each time I attend,” she says. “I also enjoy spending time with my NALS friends at social events and gatherings. These ladies are so much fun. They are just a great group of people.

“I would recommend membership as a way of learning more about all areas of the law and networking with other legal professionals. There’s just something about being with like-minded legal professionals and sharing our love for the law.”

A native of Lansing, she and her husband of 35 years, Rick, live and work in South Lansing. “Lansing has so much to offer,” she says.

“There are so many good restaurants, recreational areas, and things to do. I love this area.”

Ransom’s hobbies include thrift and antique shopping, camping, walking, and spending time with friends and family, including her daughter Jennifer and son-in-law James, who live in Maryland; and daughter Jessica and son-in-law Corey, who live in Grand Rapids.
 

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