Bowman and Brooke Legal Secretaries Valerie Ferrian and Kelly Mills have been named a 2015 "Unsung Legal Hero" by Minnesota Lawyer magazine. This award is reserved for the state’s most talented and dedicated legal support professionals, and both Val and Kelly not only meet, but exceed these criteria.
Val manages the challenging demands of her three partner assignments with great poise. Though she regularly encounters situations far above her job description and far above what most legal secretaries would consider ordinary, her resilience always ensures a job isn't only completed, but it's completed in a manner that exceeds expectations. Val's myriad of responsibilities is impressive—from booking flights at a moment's notice and scheduling client meetings and depositions across the county, to deciphering illegible scribbles for filing court documents—she always goes the extra mile and does so with unwavering positivity.
Kelly is a rarity in the legal profession, a secretary who is able to function at the level of a paralegal. Unintimidated by the constraints of her position, Kelly's analytical approach to managing a case and profound interest in product liability defense allows her to perform in a manner typical of paralegals. She served as a key member of the legal team defending the largest mass tort in product liability history. Kelly also functioned as a paralegal during a major medical device trial where she worked around the clock to help on matters, assisting in ways that exemplified her tremendous leadership skills.
Val and Kelly, along with their "Unsung Legal Hero" honorees will be recognized alongside the "Up & Coming Attorneys" on September 8 at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Minneapolis. Minnesota Lawyer will publish a special section in their September issue profiling the honorees.