"In school we were told that the legal secretaries were the 'cream of the crop.' While I thought it sounded like interesting work...I wasn't sure I was good enough, since it was always stressed no mistakes could be made on legal documents. This, of course, was before there was a computer on every desk. Legal documents were typed in multiple copies with carbon paper, so accuracy was very important."
Yet despite her doubts, Jarvis pressed on, taking courses in typing, Gregg shorthand, English grammar, spelling, bookkeeping, transcribing, office practices, and psychology at the Memphis School of Commerce in Memphis, TN, figuring office work included work outside the legal field.
Out of school and several jobs later, however, Jarvis was sent by an agency to interview with a law firm. Before she knew it, she was hired.
Without any legal experience, Jarvis relied on the firm's attorneys to guide and train her.
"One of the first attorneys I worked for, a young partner by the name of Stuart, taught me a lot, said Jarvis. "I still had an awful lot to learn then, but Stu was patient and always took the time to explain the cases and why we were doing things—not just what I needed to do. He would discuss the facts and the legal theories, and it brought the law alive for me."
"I found the law fascinating," Jarvis added. "I learned quickly and soon discovered that I never wanted to do anything else."
Jarvis worked for several years in Washington, DC, where she said she learned things there she could not have learned anywhere else. One exciting experience was watching her attorney argue before the United States Supreme Court.
"[It] turned out to be a 9-0 victory in a seminal case. It felt good to be a part of it," said Jarvis.
Currently, along with working for Dorsey & Whitney, Jarvis acts as president of Legal Secretaries International, Inc., an "educational association for legal secretaries whose members value ethics, professionalism, and continuing legal education," according to its website. She became a member in 1997, just two years after the organization was founded. At the time, Jarvis lived in Northern Virginia and worked in Washington, DC, where she and her friend, Jan Sullivan, came together to form Legal Secretaries of D.C., Inc., "as a local affiliate."
Jarvis was soon holding several board positions, including the position of president; she is currently serving her second term in the post. By the end of the year, however, Jarvis will leave office. Her plans? "I will stay active in the association but in a less prominent role."
But Jarvis's role in the legal field does not end with Legal Secretaries International, Inc. Recently, Jarvis became a certified legal secretary specialist in civil litigation, after passing "a four-hour examination that include[d] questions on legal secretarial procedures and in-depth knowledge of specialty procedures in one of six specialty areas," she explained. She also works as a legal secretary for Dorsey & Whitney, LLP, an international law firm with 18 offices in the United States, Canada, Asia, and Europe.
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With such esteemed positions held, it is difficult to remember that this secretary once doubted her ability to succeed in the legal field. But overcoming doubts and fears gives Jarvis confidence when offering others advice.
"Pay attention and learn. Never turn down free training, even if it is on your own time. You are the one who will ultimately benefit. Keep your skills up to date—both your technical skills and your knowledge of procedures. Read what comes across your desk. If you don't understand something, ask questions. That's how you learn. Proofread everything; even a misplaced comma can make a difference. I would also recommend joining a professional association. It's a great way to make new friends and network across the country."
