Virginia Violette: Paralegal, DarrasLaw

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Virginia Violette has been a paralegal for almost 29 years, and she has been a paralegal for Frank Darras, famed plaintiff’s attorney, for nearly 18 of those years. During her time working for Darras, she has gotten to try her hand at just about every aspect of the paralegal profession, from communicating with defense counsel and drafting pleadings to assisting Darras during trials.

Her dedication to Darras is evident in the pride she displays in being a part of his team, a dedication that flows over into the rest of her life.

“I believe in long-term relationships,” she said. “I’ve been with Frank and the firm for almost 18 years; I’ve been married for almost 35 years; we’ve lived in the same house now for 10 years (an accomplishment in California).”

When asked about her favorite part of her job, Violette says she enjoys working with Darras. “His expertise, manner, presentation, and concern for his clients always constantly amaze me. To be able to work with someone I admire so greatly is a true joy,” she said.

She enjoys watching Darras interact with the clients and provide for them. Some of the emotional highlights of her career have come as she watched him “settle a difficult case with a client who can’t afford to buy the needed medications or who are homeless because they are not getting the disability benefits from an insurance company that promised them.”

Violette grew up reading mystery novels and found that the tendency to dig into documents and records to solve problems was something that came easily to her, because it was what she would do to try to outsmart the characters in the novels and determine the end of the plot. In this way, a career as a paralegal was a natural choice.

In the past, Violette majored in history and worked as a school teacher. She feels that both of these experiences helped prepare her for her future career. When asked if she had any advice for paralegal students, she said, “Learn as much as you possibly can. Volunteer to help so that you can learn.”

Violette currently lives in Alta Loma, CA, with her husband. In her spare time, she likes to spend time with her three grandchildren and scrapbook, the latter of which she feels is a hobby that has helped with her PowerPoint skills. “Whether putting together a scrapbook page or a PowerPoint slide, it all has to be pleasing to the eye while getting the point across,” she said.