Melissa Joy Wilson
Highland Lakes
Summary
Dynamic Litigation Paralegal with proven success at DeFrank Law Group, adept at drafting complex legal documents and managing discovery processes. Recognized for exceptional attention to detail and effective multitasking, contributing to multi-million-dollar trial verdicts. Passionate about legal research and committed to client-focused outcomes in high-stakes environments.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
Work History
Litigation/Trial Paralegal
DeFrank Law Group, LLC
Woodland Park
06.2023 - Current
- Drafted legal documents, including but not limited to pleadings, motions, briefs, and arbitration statements for court proceedings.
- Drafted discovery requests and responses on behalf of attorneys.
- Reviewed discovery materials for relevance and compliance with legal standards.
- Research applicable laws, regulations, judicial decisions, and legal articles.
- Attended depositions, hearings, mediations, arbitrations, and trials with attorney representation.
- Communicated with clients on a regular basis to gather information and provide updates on their cases.
- Assist with trial preparation, including organizing exhibits, preparing witness files, and drafting pre-trial submissions and jury instructions.
- Collaborate with trial attorneys to ensure the trial runs smoothly.
- Adhered to ethical standards set forth by the American Bar Association while performing paralegal duties.
- Collaborated with team members to streamline workflow and improve efficiency.
- Communicate regularly with opposing counsel regarding discovery, settlement, and other matters relevant to the discovery process.
- Knowledgeable about state and federal electronic filing systems.
- Obtain, review, and summarize medical records, while consulting outside experts.
- Prepare deposition summaries and track deadlines for the filing of motions or other documents.
- Aid attorneys during executive decision-making processes.
- Collaborate with other paralegals and attorneys on difficult cases.
- Manage IT equipment for trials.
- Maintained client confidentiality when dealing with sensitive matters.
- Organized and maintained case files to ensure easy access to information.
- Managed attorney calendars.
- Stayed up-to-date to changes in legislative and regulatory guidelines.
- Achievements with De Frank Law Group: Prepared and assisted on multiple trials with multi-million-dollar verdicts. I attended NJAJ’s 2025 Boardwalk Conference in Atlantic City and assisted with “The Lab” seminar, creating a new filing system that is more organized and more efficient.
Owner
Lil' Miss Leadfoot Amateur Race Team
Highland Lakes
09.2022 - Current
- Familiar with the standards of business operations, regulations, and laws.
- Collaborate with corporations regarding sponsorships and sponsorship contracts.
- Manage business finances and budgets.
- Manage social media accounts and create marketing strategies.
- Formulate annual business plans for future growth.
- Manage events, and regularly communicate with our fan base.
Legal Assistant
Law Offices of Albert J. Rescinio, LLC
Ocean
02.2023 - 05.2023
- Managed client communications and scheduled appointments for legal consultations.
- Organized and maintained case files, ensuring easy access to information.
- Coordinated with courts and opposing counsel to facilitate case progress.
- Provided administrative support to attorneys by managing calendars; scheduling appointments; organizing files; preparing correspondence; filing court documents; and obtaining necessary signatures.
- Maintained client confidentiality in all matters.
- Answered phones promptly while providing courteous customer service.
- Scanned physical documents into electronic format for storage in a secure database system.
- Greeted clients upon arrival at office and provided assistance as needed.
- Updated databases with new information received from attorneys or clients.
- Participated in client interviews, observed questioning process and documented information.
- Conducted thorough research and review of case information to assist attorneys.
Legal Assistant (Part Time)
DeFrank Law Group, LLC
Wayne
12.2019 - 01.2023
- Assisted attorneys in preparing legal documents and case files.
- Conducted legal research to support ongoing cases and client inquiries.
- Organized and maintained filing systems for easy access to documents.
- Drafted correspondence and memos for client communication and case updates.
- Coordinated schedules for court appearances and attorney meetings.
- Reviewed case files to ensure accuracy and completeness of information.
- Collaborated with team members on various legal projects and tasks.
- Performed administrative tasks such as photocopying, scanning, faxing, mailing packages.
- Prepared trial notebooks containing exhibits related to the case being tried.
- Observed courtroom proceedings and took notes regarding testimony presented by witnesses.
- Scheduled appointments with clients, witnesses, experts.
- Answered phones to provide information to callers or route calls to appropriate parties.
- Assisted with organizing deposition transcripts into chronological order.
- Drafted discovery requests such as interrogatories and requests for production of documents.
- Entered data into case management system software programs to track progress of cases.
- Conducted research on legal issues using online databases and other sources.
- Greeted visitors upon arrival at office reception area and directed them accordingly.
- Managed schedules and calendars, optimizing time for key team activities and priorities.
Internship
Weisberg & Klauber, LLC
Ocean
09.2022 - 12.2022
- Attended municipal court hearings, took notes, and discussed them with the attorney.
- Participated in client meetings. Most of our clients were domestic violence victims, to whom I provided the emotional support they needed at that time.
- Collected relevant evidence pertaining to the facts of the case in preparation for court hearings.
- Collaborated with the handling attorneys on cases with difficult fact patterns.
- I attended attorney conferences and interviewed a number of licensed attorneys to gather insightful knowledge about the field of law.
Internship
New Jersey Reentry Corporation
New Brunswick
01.2022 - 04.2022
- Helped formerly incarcerated individuals transition back into society by helping them find jobs, creating resumes, teaching them proper hygiene, assisting them through Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings, and creating a safe and comfortable atmosphere.
- Helped these individuals receive their government-issued official IDs.
- Helped these individuals apply for further education, such as college or specialized licenses.
- Collaborated with the on-site social worker and head administrator on projects to further help these individuals on their journey back into society.
Karate Instructor/Team Captain
Pace Institute of Karate
Vernon
05.2015 - 08.2020
- Taught martial arts students of all ages.
- Managed class instruction.
- Created class plans.
- Adapted to each student's learning abilities, and tailored the class to meet the students’ needs.
- Lead a team of 25 martial arts instructors.
- Created a safe and comfortable environment for students.
- Collaborated with other instructors regarding class plans and student improvement.
- Collaborated with other martial arts schools on improving the education of our students.
- Lead leadership meetings and team workshops.
- Organized school outings for our students.
Education
Bachelor - Criminal Justice
Monmouth University
West Long Branch, NJ05.2023
Skills
- Detail-oriented
- Time management
- Critical thinking
- Reliability
- Adaptability and flexibility
- Analytical thinking
- Schedule coordination
- Professional demeanor
- Effective multitasking
- Civil litigation
- Adaptability
- Electronic filing
- Legal ethics
- Case analysis
- Legal document review
- Microsoft Office
- Discovery management
- Leadership
- Self-motivated
- Enthusiastic
- Eager to Learn
- Passionate
- Challenge-driven
- Efficient
- Client-focused
- Teamwork, team collaboration
- Attention to detail
- Problem solving, Conflict resolution
- Legal writing
- Legal terminology
- Public speaking
- Trial preparation
- Legal research
Affiliations
- Graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2023
- Amateur Drag Racer and Race Team Owner
- 2nd Degree Black Belt in Martial Arts
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Litigation/Trial Paralegal
DeFrank Law Group, LLC
06.2023 - Current
Legal Assistant
Law Offices of Albert J. Rescinio, LLC
02.2023 - 05.2023
Owner
Lil' Miss Leadfoot Amateur Race Team
09.2022 - Current
Internship
Weisberg & Klauber, LLC
09.2022 - 12.2022
Internship
New Jersey Reentry Corporation
01.2022 - 04.2022
Legal Assistant (Part Time)
DeFrank Law Group, LLC
12.2019 - 01.2023
Karate Instructor/Team Captain
Pace Institute of Karate
05.2015 - 08.2020
Bachelor - Criminal Justice
Monmouth University
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