Carol Francis

Paralegal

“It's never too late to be what you might have been.”
 — George Eliot

Before a new person is hired at Law ElderLaw, they have to endure a battery of personality testing and a handwriting analysis. We were looking for the perfect paralegal: precise, detailed, and timely. Carol Francis met all of our stated goals. She is more than just technically capable, however — she is also an engaging and considerate person. Carol has delightful interpersonal giftedness. When we asked her about the life experiences that have shaped her, she said,

"Watching members of my family grow old and frail made me realize I was too quick to judge seniors by their appearance. I did not look past physical limitations and/or mental challenges, to see the real person and recognize that they, too, had rich and full lives and still have much to share. The phrase "respect your elders" is now more meaningful to me and it will carry over to my job at Law ElderLaw."

When we inquired about her significant relationships, she listed Dan, her husband — "Dan is my rock, albeit a rock with a sense of humor! Dan believes in me even when I doubt myself and when I lose faith in my own abilities; he instills confidence and independence." She also mentioned Jessica, her daughter, Darwin, her son-in-law — "Jessica and Darwin have shown me the keys to both success and happiness — work very hard, and play just as hard!" She says that Scott, her son, has taught her not to take everything so seriously, and how to laugh at herself.

Some things Carol enjoys outside of work include backyard barbeques with friends on a summer day and seeing different parts of the country. She says, "My favorite state park is Devil's Lake, Wisconsin, and my favorite national park is Yellowstone... Boston, San Antonio, Yosemite, and the Pacific Northwest are on my bucket list." She also enjoys a good pizza and her two cats. She admits, "I am owned by two cats. Buffy tells me when to wake up, Angel tells me when it's time for a walk, and they both let me know when it's dinner time. If I live to be 100, I will be 'the Crazy Cat Lady' taking in all the strays!" She is much less fond of DVRs that don't record the last few minutes of a favorite show, shopping, and people on cell phones in restaurants and checkout lines.

When Carol is not at work, you might also find her scrapbooking, camping, reading John Grisham novels, or working on learning to play the piano.

EDUCATION

• B.S. Computer Science, University of Scranton, Scranton, PA
• Paralegal Certificate, Elgin Community College, Elgin, IL