Machelle Grafton
Elk Grove,California
Summary
Highly motivated legal professional with an Ohio Law License and more than 15 years of experience in the legal field seeking a position where I can use my skills and knowledge to serve my country and my community in a field I am passionate about.
Overview
34
34
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Law Clerk
Diepenbrock & Cotter, LLP, Supervisor John Cotter, 916-565-6222
03.2024 - Current
- Developed a reputation for professionalism, reliability, and the ability to efficiently produce quality legal analysis of complex and novel issues.
- Exercises sound legal judgment and superior written and oral advocacy skills to communicate with clients and articulately draft responses to discovery requests.
- Supports legal team by prioritizing competing assignments, conducting research, drafting discovery, gathering information and interpreting legal documents.
- Elevates firm reputation through supporting and providing stellar client services to attorneys, clients, law enforcement, office staff, and senior leadership with the ability to tailor communications to a particular audience.
- Collaborating effectively with opposing counsel to facilitate exchanges of information required for successful litigation outcomes.
- Bolsters firm's professional image by consistently maintaining a high level of professionalism, confidentiality, and integrity while working with sensitive client information.
- Utilizes strong organizational skills, decisiveness, and initiative to effectively handle deadlines and increase firm productivity.
- Creating trial exhibits and preparing motion in limine charts and exhibit lists.
- Optimizes litigation efficiency through the ability to function independently and cooperatively with attorneys, clients, and legal staff.
- Investigating facts and laws to determine strategies for case preparation.
Contract Attorney
Trustpoint/Lincoln Discovery, Supervisor Aimee Meyers, 888-557-3255
10.2016 - Current
- Utilization of document review platforms (Catalyst CR, Catalyst Insight, Kroll, and Relativity) for e-discovery, quality control, and data mining.
- Produce quality reviews of complex legal issues through efficiency, work ethic, ability to work independently, detail oriented searches, decisiveness, and sound legal judgment.
Law Clerk
United Citizen Law, Supervisor Sam Fareed, 916-800-8457
02.2022 - 02.2024
- Utilized superior written advocacy skills to support legal team by drafting pleadings, motions, briefs, stipulations, affidavits, discovery, and other legal documents.
- Utilized organizational skills, initiative, and research skills to provide a sound legal analysis of statutes, decisions, legal articles, and codes.
- Contributed to successful trial outcomes through drafting and preparation of all trial documents, including motions in limine, oppositions to motions in limine, trial briefs, exhibit lists, jury questionnaires, jury instructions, statements of the case, notices of lodging of depositions, verdict forms and post-trial motions.
- Exhibited superior communication skills and the ability to tailor communications to a particular audience when interviewing clients on legal team's behalf to gather case information and discuss upcoming litigation.
- Worked effectively as an individual and cooperatively to support attorneys in preparing for trials by preparing exhibit binders and trial binders.
- Demonstrated integrity and sound legal and professional judgment in analyzing complex and novel legal issues for the purpose of supporting the litigation team through brief writing and motion work.
Contract Attorney
Bieser, Greer & Landis, Supervisor Joe Oeler, 937-223-3277
03.2017 - 08.2017
- Temporary litigation support for a white collar criminal case.
- Demonstrated ability to take initiative and work independently on document review project, utilizing strong work ethic, organizational skills, decisiveness and professionalism to produce a superior work product.
Legal Extern
Thompson Hine LLC, Supervisor Susan Oiler, 937-443-6600
01.2015 - 04.2015
- Assisted attorneys by conducting intellectual property research, composing inter-office memorandums, and updating patent competitor reports.
Law Clerk
Dyer, Garofalo, Mann & Schultz, Supervisor Nicole Hatton 937-223-8888
05.2013 - 08.2013
- Performed legal research and composed research memorandums.
Jury Clerk
Hamilton County Court Of Common Pleas, Supervisor Bill Schoenfeld 513-946-5656
10.2011 - 06.2012
- Performed a variety of duties requiring independent judgment to enhance the efficient administration of the jury system, including the excusal of jurors from jury duty.
- Demonstrated stellar client services and the ability to tailor communications to the audience through working directly with petit jurors, grand jurors, judges, and court staff to ensure the assignment and availability of jurors for grand jury sessions and trials.
- Ensured compliance with county codes and all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing the Jury Clerk's Office.
Generalist Clerk
U.S. District Court For The Eastern District Of CA, Supervisor Keith Holland, 916-930-4000
04.1995 - 11.1999
- Demonstrated strong organization skills, initiative, and the ability to work both independently and cooperatively by working with senior leadership and co-workers to implement team based management in the Clerk's Office with a focus on innovation and process improvement.
- Demonstrated initiative and the ability to prioritize competing assignments through cross-trained in the docketing, records and public counter areas to increase the effectiveness and proficiency of work flow in the Clerk's Office.
- Exercised sound judgment and professionalism in Issuing search warrants and working with sealed and highly confidential cases, and
- Represented the Eastern District of California at the Team-Based Management Conference in Washington, D.C. to present our team-based management model and promote growth of the team-based structure at other district courts.
Legal Assistant
Jacoby & Myers Law Offices, Supervisor Brian Dixon, 916-718-0171
11.1991 - 03.1995
- Demonstrated the ability to work independently and prioritize competing assignments by managing a case load of 80-100 cases.
- Demonstrated stellar client services and the ability to tailor communications to a particular audience through working directly with clients, office staff, attorneys, and senior leadership in a fast-paced, performance driven law firm to handle personal injury, dog bite, auto accident, and premises liability cases from intake to settlement negotiations.
- Conducted initial client interviews, drafted correspondence, composed settlement demand letters, prepared settlement demand packages, and handled communication with clients, attorneys, insurance adjusters and medical providers.
Education
LLM - Intellectual Property
University of Dayton School of Law
Dayton, OH02.2016
J.D. - Law
University of Dayton School of Law
Dayton, OH05.2015
Bachelor of Arts - Political Science, Constitutional Law Emphasis
University of California
Davis, CA06.1991
Skills
- Legal Research and Writing
- Detail Oriented
- Stellar Written and Verbal Communication Skills
- LexisNexis, Westlaw, Microsoft Word, Foxit, Excel
- Pleading, Motion, stipulation, and Discovery Drafting
- Sound Legal Judgment
- Work independently and as part of a team
- Effective Multitasking and Prioritization of Competing Assignments
- Stellar Client Services
- Preparation of Briefs, Affidavits, and other Legal Documents
- Litigation Preparation and Review
- Accredited Legal Professional
- Quality Control
- Trial Preparation
- Proficient in MS Office
- Court Filings
- Client Interviews
- Document Review
- Proficient in Relativity, Kroll, and Catalyst
Affiliations
- Ohio State Bar Association
- California Baton Council
Certification
Licensed Attorney: Ohio Bar Admission 2016 to Present
OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- Former member of the Sacramento Ballet Company
- Former National Champion baton twirler who performed for the San Francisco 49ers and performed in Superbowl XIX
- Gold medal baton twirling coach at the World Baton Twirling Championships in Spain and Canada
Timeline
Law Clerk
Diepenbrock & Cotter, LLP, Supervisor John Cotter, 916-565-6222
03.2024 - Current
Law Clerk
United Citizen Law, Supervisor Sam Fareed, 916-800-8457
02.2022 - 02.2024
Contract Attorney
Bieser, Greer & Landis, Supervisor Joe Oeler, 937-223-3277
03.2017 - 08.2017
Contract Attorney
Trustpoint/Lincoln Discovery, Supervisor Aimee Meyers, 888-557-3255
10.2016 - Current
Legal Extern
Thompson Hine LLC, Supervisor Susan Oiler, 937-443-6600
01.2015 - 04.2015
Law Clerk
Dyer, Garofalo, Mann & Schultz, Supervisor Nicole Hatton 937-223-8888
05.2013 - 08.2013
Jury Clerk
Hamilton County Court Of Common Pleas, Supervisor Bill Schoenfeld 513-946-5656
10.2011 - 06.2012
Generalist Clerk
U.S. District Court For The Eastern District Of CA, Supervisor Keith Holland, 916-930-4000
04.1995 - 11.1999
Legal Assistant
Jacoby & Myers Law Offices, Supervisor Brian Dixon, 916-718-0171
11.1991 - 03.1995
LLM - Intellectual Property
University of Dayton School of Law
J.D. - Law
University of Dayton School of Law
Bachelor of Arts - Political Science, Constitutional Law Emphasis
University of California
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