Carrie Hall

Carrie Hall is only the ninth paralegal in Texas to be board certified in criminal law.

“It’s something I achieved,” she said, adding that it was more of a personal goal for her. “It makes me feel good.”

Mrs. Hall, 43, started her legal profession as a secretary in the Smith County District Attorney’s Office in 1993, has worked for the local firm Bain, Files, Jarrett, Bain & Harrison since 1996 and has been a certified paralegal for 14 years.

On Friday, Mrs. Hall was sworn in by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization as a board certified in criminal law paralegal during a ceremony in Austin.

Only about 1 percent of licensed attorneys in Texas are recognized as board certified specialists in one of 21 select areas of law, according to www.tbls.org. The Texas Board of Legal Specialization was established in 1974 by the Supreme Court of Texas

at the request of State Bar of Texas and is the only governing board authorized to certify attorneys in legal specialty areas.

Mrs. Hall said she has learned so much from the attorneys she works for, F.R. “Buck” Files Jr. and Brett Harrison, over the years. As their paralegal, she spends her days meeting with and interviewing new clients, going to court and keeping up with case files. At the firm, she is heavily involved with the attorneys and their cases and is more hands on then some paralegals, she said.

“It’s never the same thing every day,” she said. “I like getting to meet people and help people.”

She said helping people is her favorite part of the job. People come to them with a problem and they help them through it, she said.

Mrs. Hall was born in Garland and lived in Georgia before moving to Tyler when she was in high school. She stumbled into the legal profession.

She jokes that she works on the opposite side of her husband of 22 years, David Hall, who is a sergeant with the Tyler Police Department. They have two daughters, Bethany, 11, and Audrey, 8.

Juggling work and her children is sometimes hard but it is worth it, she said.

While she loves her job, being a mom is her favorite part of life, she added.

When’s she’s not working, Mrs. Hall loves being with her family, reading, teaching her daughter’s Sunday school class with her husband and baking. She bakes cakes and other desserts for people going through hard times — an illness, loss or just because.

“I love to cook for people,” she said.

Mrs. Hall decided to take the test to become board certified after Files and Harrison suggested it.

She failed it the first time.

Mrs. Hall didn’t have any idea what to study because she is more of a hands-on learner, she said.

When she inquired about how many paralegals had become board certified, she discovered she would be the ninth person in the entire state, she said.

After working all day, Mrs. Hall spent hours studying during her daughters’ twirling and soccer practices.

Attorneys and the other paralegals at her firm would support her whether she passed or failed, but they were really happy when she passed, she said. Her husband, who has called her a “glorified secretary” in the past, is “beyond proud” and has changed his tune about what she does, she added.

Mrs. Hall’s family, as well as the entire office, went to Austin for the ceremony.

Harrison said Mrs. Hall has been an outstanding paralegal to him for the past 10 years and her becoming board certified demonstrates her dedication to the profession and to helping their clients.

“It’s a difficult test, evidenced by the fact there are only nine in Texas,” he said. “It takes a breadth of knowledge in the area of criminal law.”

Files said Mrs. Hall has a wonderful knowledge of criminal law and has helped in their representation of hundreds of clients.

“We are so proud of her for passing the certification examination,” he said.

 

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