Torres expanding the definition of paralegal

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Corina Torres became interested in a paralegal career at age 11 when she met a paralegal working for an attorney who had helped her family following a car accident. The woman’s enthusiasm for the job, as well as the way she listened and cared for clients, made a lasting impression on Torres.

She pursued a bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies at Concordia University and is now the lead litigation paralegal at Hupy and Abraham. In that role, she supervises all paralegals at the firm’s five offices in Wisconsin, managing 14 employees.

For nearly a decade and a half, she’s been working alongside Chad Kreblin, a shareholder at Hupy and Abraham in Milwaukee. Her case responsibilities have her providing clients with the latest news about their cases. It’s work that has made her ability to speak both English and Spanish an asset.

“This skill allows for incoming clients that are not confident in their English-speaking skills to be more at ease, which is especially critical when they are trying to heal,” Kreblin said.

He called attention to Torres’ discipline, even-keeled demeanor and strong work habits, saying she leads by example. Kreblin said she is always looking for ways to make things better for both her clients and fellow employees.

Torres joined the firm in 2003 as an overflow paralegal. Within a year she had been promoted to a standard paralegal, handling the case management of all litigation files for one attorney. She moved up as co-lead litigation paralegal before becoming head of the team in 2016.

Becoming a successful paralegal, Torres said, requires strong communication and organizational abilities.

She derives satisfaction from training her fellow paralegals on new methods and procedures, helping new hires and coming up with ways to work more efficiently at the firm.

Kreblin said Torres deserves to be recognized for her work to maintain “the standard of what it means to be a paralegal, but also searching for ways to expand that definition.”