AMANDA B. THOMAS
Springfield
Summary
Seasoned Insurance Defense Paralegal with 25 years of experience in high-volume civil litigation, specializing in medical malpractice and general liability defense. Expertise includes case management, discovery coordination, medical record analysis, and trial preparation. Demonstrates technological proficiency in managing legal software and optimizing office procedures to enhance workflow efficiency.
Overview
28
28
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Senior Litigation Paralegal / IT Management/ Office management
Drake, Narup & Mead, P.C.
Springfield
01.2017 - Current
- Manage caseload of 50-100 active litigation files from inception through trial.
- Draft and file pleadings, answers, affirmative defenses, motions, and discovery documents.
- Review and summarize medical records, deposition transcripts, and expert materials.
- Research and obtain expert witnesses.
- Coordinate IMEs and expert witness scheduling.
- Prepared trial binders and exhibits, assisting attorneys during trial proceedings to enhance case presentation.
- Maintained litigation calendars, ensuring compliance with court deadlines to support timely case progression.
- Prepare detailed status reports to insurance carriers and clients.
- Managed attorney time entry and billing review while maintaining compliance with carrier billing guidelines.
- Served as liaison between attorneys and IT vendors, coordinating case management software updates and troubleshooting to optimize functionality.
- Assist with onboarding new staff by setting up user accounts, configuring case management systems, and providing training on legal software platforms.
- Coordinate document management systems, data organization, and electronic file integrity.
- Manage firm contracts with all outside vendors.
- Internal accounting functions, trust accounts, bank reconciliations, tax reporting.
- Management of Human resources, health insurance, retirement, and payroll.
- Management of firm data, cyber policies, computer equipment.
Litigation Assistant
Drake, Narup & Mead, P.C.
Springfield
01.1998 - 12.2016
- Supported defense attorneys in auto liability and premises liability matters.
- Liaison between clients, physicians, attorneys, insurance companies, and outside counsel.
- Scheduling depositions, hearings, and appointments with clients, outside counsel, insurance adjusters, physicians, and court personnel.
- Organized and prepared comprehensive discovery and production responses.
- Drafted subpoenas and coordinated records procurement.
- Organized large-scale document productions and maintained electronic databases.
- Managed e-filing procedures in state and federal courts.
- Developed policies and procedures for efficient file maintenance.
Education
Paralegal Certificate - Paralegal Studies
Lincoln Land Community College
Springfield, IL01-2017
Skills
- Insurance litigation
- Civil procedure
- Discovery management
- Pleadings drafting
- Trial preparation
- Case management
- Litigation calendaring
- Document management
- Medical records analysis
- Client reporting
- Billing management
- Billing platforms
- Legal software management
- E-Filing
- LexisNexis
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Adobe Acrobat Pro
- Legal IT Infrastructure
- Network Administration
- Cloud Collaboration Tools
- User Access Management
- Network Performance Monitoring
- Remote Access Solutions
- Wi-Fi troubleshooting
- Data Protection Strategies
- Ability to work independently
- Deadline oriented
- Self-motivated
- Organized
- Client confidentiality
- Honest
- Organized
Certification
- Paralegal Certificate, Lincoln Land Community College, 01/01/17
- Notary Public
References
Available upon request.
It Management Skills
- PC & Laptop Setup and Configuration (Windows 10/11)
- Printer & Peripheral Installation
- Hardware Troubleshooting & Replacement
- Windows Server (basic administration)
- Router & Switch Configuration (basic)
- Wi-Fi Setup & Troubleshooting
- VPN Configuration & Support
- Network Connectivity Troubleshooting
Legal Technical Skills
- Case Management Systems: Centerbase with QuickBooks integration.
- Billing Platforms & LEDES Formatting
- Microsoft Office Suite (Advanced)
- Adobe Acrobat Pro
- LexisNexis
- E-Filing (State & Federal Courts)
Timeline
Senior Litigation Paralegal / IT Management/ Office management
Drake, Narup & Mead, P.C.
01.2017 - Current
Litigation Assistant
Drake, Narup & Mead, P.C.
01.1998 - 12.2016
Paralegal Certificate - Paralegal Studies
Lincoln Land Community College