Overview
Ellen Lockwood is a Trademark Paralegal for Schwegman Lundberg & Woessner. Ellen works with the trademark team to provide services on a wide variety of matters, including management of trademark portfolios, trademark clearance and registration, policing and enforcement of trademark rights, copyright issues, and domain name issues. She also assists in the due diligence for trademarks involved in corporate transactions.
Ellen has more than 25 years of paralegal experience and more than 20 years of experience in international trademark portfolio management. Her experience, working both in-house and with outside counsel, includes international rebranding of two major companies, numerous large diligence projects, as well as extensive experience with copyright, domain name, IP litigation, and other IP issues.
She is the creator and lead author of the Paralegal Ethics Handbook published by Thomson Reuters, and is a frequent speaker and writer on paralegal ethics.
Education
Southwestern Professional Institute
Paralegal Certificate, 1991
Southwestern University
Bachelor of Music, 1984
Certifications & Professional Associations
Certifications
National Association of Legal Assistants
Advanced Certified Paralegal – Intellectual Property
National Federation of Paralegal Associations
PACE Registered Paralegal
Professional Associations
Paralegal Division of the State Bar of Texas
Chair, Professional Ethics Committee
Past President
Publications & Presentations
Publications
Paralegal Ethics Handbook
Creator and lead author
Now in its 12th edition, published by Thomson Reuters
Articles
Ellen’s articles have been published in the newsletters of local and state paralegal organizations around the country, as well as in the Texas Bar Journal, Facts & Findings (NALA’s magazine), the Texas Paralegal Journal, and the San Antonio Lawyer.
Legal Assistant Ethics for Attorneys
Ethics and Professionalism
Ethics and Your Boss
Ethics and Electronics
The Lying Game
The Ethics of CLE
Ethical Walls and Attorney Disqualification
Ethical Responsibilities Regarding Personal Problems
Filing an Ethics Complaint with the Legal Assistants Division
Update on Email Ethics
Billing Ethics
The Ethics of Confidential Information
The Ethics of Inadvertent Disclosure of Privileged Documents
The Ethics of the Solicitation of Clients
The Ethics of Agreements
The Ethics of Giving Legal Advice
The Ethics of Reporting Unethical Behavior
The Ethics of In-House Paralegals and UPL
Brief History of the Legal Assistants Division of the State Bar of Texas
Ethics and the Paralegal’s Involvement in Settlement Negotiations
The Ethics of Organization
The Ethics of Business Cards and Letterhead
The Ethics of Certificates of Service and Certificates of Mailing
The Ethics of Using an Attorney Signature Stamp
The Ethics of Notarization
The Ethics of Referral Fees
The Ethics of Confidentiality
Paralegals and Legal Malpractice
The Ethics of Electronic Filing
How Do I Remain Ethical?
The Ethics of Holding Yourself Out as Certified
The Ethics of the Texas Paralegal Standards
The Ethics of Owning Stock in a Client of the Firm and Related Issues
The Ethics of Interactions with Opposing Counsel
The Ethics of Making Mistakes
The Ethics of Emails, IMs, and Privilege
Update: Ethics Issues of E-Filing
Impress with Professionalism
The Ethics of Discovery
The Ethics of Technology
The Ethics of Social Media
The Ethics of Cloud Computing and Client Data
The Ethics of Gifts from Vendors
The Ethics of Community Service
The Ethics of Revealing Client Names to a Prospective Employer
The Ethics of Using Firm or Company Letterhead and Email Addresses
The Ethics of Correspondence to Clients
The Ethics of Keeping Your Supervising Attorney Updated
Ethics Themes in To Kill a Mockingbird
The Ethics of Email Signatures on Mobile Devices
A Practical Guide Regarding Our Ethical Duty to Report Unethical Behavior
Ethics Issues for Paralegals Working in Non-Traditional Jobs
Ethics of Advising an Attorney Outside the Attorney’s Area of Law
Ethics of “Bring Your Own Device” Workplaces
Ethics of Non-Attorney Officers or Principals and Non-Attorney Bonuses Based on Revenue or Profit
Ethics of Working with Clients When Attorney Is Not Present
Ethics of Attorney Approval of Documents for E-Filing
Ethics of Utilizing Cloud Storage for Documents with Personal Identifying Information
Ethics of Utilizing Home Computer for Work
Seven Deadly Sins of Ethics and Professionalism
Are Paralegals Ever Agents for Attorneys?
Avoiding the Appearance of Representing a Client
The Ethics of Paralegals Representing Corporations
Ethical Considerations of Limited Scope Representation
Texas Notary Laws–Updates and Best Practices
Ethical Considerations Regarding Paralegals and Privileged Communications-Client Privilege
Ethical Considerations Regarding Legal Terminology
Presentations
Ellen has made more than 40 presentations in the past ten years, and is often a specifically requested speaker to both paralegals and attorneys on paralegal ethics and professionalism, including presentations to the Houston Bar Association, Family Law Conference at South Texas College of Law, the NALA annual meeting, and State Bar of Texas annual meeting
Topics include the following:
Paralegal Ethics for Attorneys
Defining Professionalism for Paralegals
Ethics of Cloud Computing and Wireless Networks
UPL and the Duty to Report Unethical Behavior
Avoiding Ethical Issues in a Digital World
Beyond Paralegal Ethics Concepts – Applying Concepts to Real Life Situations
Ethical Behavior and UPL – How to Stay Out of Trouble
Everyday Ethics
Ethics and Professionalism
Texas Paralegal Definition and Standards
Beyond UPL – Advanced Paralegal Ethics
Ethics for In-House Paralegals
But It’s Mine: The Ethics of BYOD and Social Media
Texas Notary Laws – Updates and Best Practices
Honors & Awards
Award of Excellence
State Bar of Texas, Paralegal Division, June 2008
Paralegal of the Year
Voted on by the local judiciary and representing the greater San Antonio area, October 2008
NALA Affiliates Award
For outstanding contribution and dedication to the advancement of the paralegal profession, 2013
Special Appreciation Award
State Bar of Texas, Paralegal Division, for service as chair of the Professional Ethics Committee and chair of the Ethics Handbook Committee, June 2013
