Salina Ruiz
Hacienda Heights,United States
Summary
Senior Litigation Paralegal with 12+ years of experience supporting trial attorneys in top-tier firms. Skilled in managing all phases of complex civil litigation, including case management, discovery, e-discovery platforms, deposition preparation, and trial support. Adept at supervising junior paralegals, coordinating with vendors, and liaising with clients, and opposing counsel. Recognized for meticulous attention to detail, strong organizational skills, and the ability to thrive under tight deadlines in high-stakes environments.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Senior Litigation Paralegal
FROST LLP
04.2024 - Current
- Serve as lead paralegal on multimillion-dollar federal and state cases, including securities litigation, antitrust, and intellectual property disputes.
- Manage case files from inception to trial, ensuring compliance with local rules and court deadlines.
- Draft, review, and coordinate the service of discovery requests and responses; oversee large-scale document review projects using Relativity.
- Prepare deposition summaries, create detailed witness binders, and manage logistics for depositions across multiple jurisdictions.
- Coordinate trial preparation, including exhibit management, trial technology setup, and liaising with court staff; acted as on-site trial paralegal for multiple jury and bench trials.
- Supervise and mentor junior paralegals and interns; implemented standardized workflows, reducing trial preparation time.
Supervising Paralegal
Dordick Law Corporation
08.2022 - 06.2023
- Manage and supervise a team of six paralegals, ensuring compliance with deadlines and firm protocols.
- Handle catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases from intake through trial, coordinating closely with attorneys.
- Draft complaints, discovery, subpoenas, settlement demands, and trial documents.
- Conduct medical record reviews, prepare damages analyses, and create settlement presentations.
- Lead trial preparation, including exhibit lists, witness preparation, and jury instructions.
- Serve as the main client liaison, explaining litigation processes, and managing expectations.
Senior Litigation Paralegal
RALL0|TRAVIESO|LONDON, ALC
02.2021 - 04.2022
- Provided robust support to the managing partner, demonstrating leadership and case management prowess in a high-pressure multi-area practice firm.
- Collaborated effectively with lead attorney, strategizing for Civil and Family Law cases.
- Managed multiple projects simultaneously while meeting tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
- Drafted legal documents including petitions and motions for family law cases.
- Assisted attorneys in preparing divorce settlements, child custody agreements, and other family law matters.
Civil Litigation Paralegal
Downtown LA Law Group
01.2020 - 02.2021
- Managed electronic court filings at state and federal levels, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
- Coordinated medical records, exhibits, and legal documents to bolster case strength and facilitate trial preparation.
- Executed skip tracing to secure critical case participant information, enhancing case progression.
- Spearheaded the preparation of Discovery Documents, both in propounding and responding, to streamline the litigation process.
- Investigated case causes and resolutions, effectively managing damages, losses, and settlement formalities.
- Maintained meticulous records for over 100 cases, aiding swift information retrieval.
Litigation Paralegal
Mastagni Holstedt, APC
04.2012 - 08.2018
- Managed and organized legal evidence, exhibits, and documents for trial preparation, enhancing case readiness.
- Provided strategic leadership to the managing Partner, improving case management efficiency in a high-pressure, multi-area practice Firm.
- Collaborated with lead attorney and juror specialist, contributing to effective strategy formulation for Civil cases.
- Innovated by creating custom fields in Civil documents, enabling their reuse as master documents, increasing productivity.
- Maintained a comprehensive litigation database, ensuring seamless document organization across all cases.
- Streamlined case prep by developing reusable civil doc templates, enhancing team efficiency.
Education
Paralegal Certificate - Legal Studies
University of California Davis
06.2012
Bachelor of Arts - Economics
University of California Davis
06.2006
Skills
- Trial Preparation
- Proficient in MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook and Adobe)
- Complex Case Management
- Legal research proficiency
- Litigation support software - Relativity, Casemap, OnCue, LiveNote and Trial Directive
- Case summaries
- Calendar management
Certification
- Certified Paralegal (CP) – National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA)
- Trial Technology Specialist – TrialDirector or OnCue certification
- Westlaw / LexisNexis Certification – legal research proficiency
- Notary Public Commission, California
Timeline
Senior Litigation Paralegal
FROST LLP
04.2024 - Current
Supervising Paralegal
Dordick Law Corporation
08.2022 - 06.2023
Senior Litigation Paralegal
RALL0|TRAVIESO|LONDON, ALC
02.2021 - 04.2022
Civil Litigation Paralegal
Downtown LA Law Group
01.2020 - 02.2021
Litigation Paralegal
Mastagni Holstedt, APC
04.2012 - 08.2018
Bachelor of Arts - Economics
University of California Davis
Paralegal Certificate - Legal Studies
University of California Davis