Lord & Faris Paralegal Jennifer Thorup

Behind every successful attorney is a team of professionals who collect information, draft legal documents and perform the myriad tasks involved with preparing a personal injury case for settlement or trial or defending a doctor, nurse or other licensed medical professional facing the potential loss of his or her medical license. At Lord & Faris Law Office, case preparation is the job of veteran paralegal Jennifer Thorup.

Thorup joined Lord & Faris Law Office in 2006 but has worked at law firms since 1992, when she took what she thought would be a temporary job to get some hands-on experience before law school. By 1995, she decided to forego law school entirely and devote her full attention to paralegal work.

“A paralegal is an attorney’s right hand,” Thorup explains. “My job varies dramatically from day to day, which is why I love it. One day I’m interviewing clients and doctors about a case, another I’m doing research, gathering medical records and bills, preparing documents, speaking with insurance adjusters to update them on the status of a client’s medical treatments, and putting together demand letters or pre-mediation materials based on my research."

“Over the years, I’ve found that I get a great deal of satisfaction from educating clients about the legal process and helping manage their expectations,” she says. “When people walk into the office with a problem, they generally are experiencing a great deal of uncertainty and need our help during a very scary, very difficult time. I really enjoy advocating for our clients and educating them about the process to help eliminate some of that uncertainty.”

A native of Albert Lea, Thorup has a bachelor’s degree in Speech Communications from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. When not at work, she devotes her time to her young son, taking classes, and volunteering in her community.