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WakefieldThe Indianapolis Bar Association is proud to recognize Melissa Wakefield of Bose McKinney & Evans LLP as the association’s Paralegal of the Year for 2018. Wakefield will be honored with the award at the IndyBar Paralegal Appreciation Luncheon on Thursday, May 31, at the Hilton Indianapolis. Show your support for the incredible paralegals in the Indianapolis legal community by registering for the luncheon at indybar.org/events.
Wakefield, an Indiana registered paralegal, has worked at Bose McKinney & Evans since 1993, serving in the firm’s Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights Group since 1997. She previously worked as a legal assistant at another firm for more than 10 years, working mainly in the area of collections.
Wakefield’s day-to-day responsibilities have grown over the course of her career at Bose, and she now drafts numerous documents, including complaints, discovery requests, motions for default and summary judgment, proofs of claim, motions for relief from stay, and just about every other document involved in creditors’ rights and bankruptcy practices. She also orders and reviews title commitments and maintains extensive contact with clients, court personnel, title companies and sheriffs.
While she takes on these extensive responsibilities, accuracy is at the forefront of her mind. “Melissa’s goal is always to do the job right the first time,” James Carlberg, an attorney at Bose McKinney & Evans LLP, notes in his nomination. “We have confidence that every assignment will be completed with little or no follow up by us.”
Wakefield has actively worked to maintain and further her skills, obtaining certifications from the Professional Career Development Institute School of Paralegal Studies in the Professional Paralegal Program and in the Professional Paralegal Specialty Program, Real Estate Law. She successfully completed the Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam (PACE) in December 2007 and is a registered paralegal.
She has twice been recognized by the firm for her dedication, receiving the Bose McKinney & Evans LLP Client Service Award. Along with this award, “Melissa has also earned the trust and admiration of numerous clients of Bose McKinney & Evans LLP,” says Carlberg. “Clients enjoy working with Melissa, and the hard work and ‘extra effort’ that she puts into her work is greatly appreciated within the firm, by clients and, on occasion, even by opposing counsel.
Wakefield’s dedication to the profession extends beyond her own personal success. She’s had extensive involvement with the IndyBar Paralegal Committee, working to develop and plan events, programs and resources that advance all area paralegals. She has served with the committee as secretary, chair-elect and as its chair in 2009. She also maintains involvement with the Indiana State Bar Association Affiliate Committee and the Indiana Paralegal Association.
As Wakefield’s nomination notes, she is “an exceptional role model for paralegals, and all persons involved in the legal profession, and deserves recognition for her hard work, attitude, and extra activities.” Join us to honor Wakefield and the daily contributions of all paralegals in the field on May 31!•
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