Meet Brandon Shackelford: Paralegal for Commonwealth Law Group

When you call Commonwealth Law Group about a workers' compensation or personal injury case, you may get to speak with Brandon Shackelford, a paralegal who focuses on providing clients who have suffered an injury due to the negligence of another person or entity with outstanding service. We asked Brandon a few questions to get to know him better:

How long have you been with CLG? I joined the firm in October 2017 as a paralegal with my main focus on personal injury cases in addition to handling workers' compensation cases.

What was your major in college? I earned my paralegal certificate from Reynolds Community College in 2014. After that, I transferred to the University of Richmond for my bachelor's degree in legal and paralegal studies. It was fascinating to take classes that provided a diverse overview of practicing law – including first amendment law, constitutional law, litigation, torts and a variety of electives that I feel enabled me to develop a well-rounded background for the job I'm performing.

 

I wanted to get the most out of my time at U of R, so I was an active participant in the Student Government Association. I was also inducted into the Golden Key International Honor Society, which is for part-time students. That society opened up a lot of doors for me; they have regular meetings and chapters all over the country.

I graduated magna cum laude from U of R in May 2017—just five months after my son was born. That last semester was a blur of studying, late-night feedings, exams and toothless smiles!

What's your professional background? I've been working in the legal profession for about three years now. First, I interned for a local title company where the focus was on real estate transactions and all of the detailed paperwork that accompanies them. Next, I joined a personal injury firm as a paralegal and spent more than two years there before learning of the opening here at CLG.

What inspired you to enter the legal profession? I've always found the law interesting, particularly as it applies to different cases and situations. I get satisfaction in helping clients through what can feel like a complicated process during a very difficult time period in their lives—such as undergoing medical treatment after a serious accident. I knew I wanted to help people, but wasn't too keen on the medical piece of the equation. Helping people from a legal perspective is a much better fit for me.

What's your greatest strength? I'm a people person who is very detailed oriented. Those are the two biggies that apply to my role. As a paralegal, we're often looking for small details that could be a critical factor in our clients' cases. For example, we need to be very thorough when reviewing medical records so there are no surprises as the case proceeds. If we're aware of all prior injuries and medical treatments, we know how to deal with it if an insurance company brings it up.

What's your typical workday like? I often find myself following up with clients about their treatment, finding out how they're doing, what kinds of treatment they are receiving, and reaching out to medical providers to obtain medical records. I also communicate with insurance adjusters. Since each case goes through different stages, I'm talking with multiple people throughout the day who are at different stages in their cases.

What satisfies you about your job? With each client, I feel as though I am going through the process with them, so I love being able to see a case through from start to finish – there's a huge difference between a new client who has just retained our services and those who are finished with their medical treatment, feeling better and enjoying peace of mind after their case has concluded. Since it's often a client's first legal case, they don't know what to expect out of the process. I see one of my roles as being a calming influence by explaining what we're doing to handle their case with the highest-quality knowledge, experience and attention to detail.

What was your best vacation ever? After I graduated from U of R, I went down to Miami and the Florida Keys. It was such a great celebration! What a relief to be finished with college. I put myself through school—with the help of scholarships and grants—so I worked during the schoolyear and always took summer classes. I hadn't taken a vacation in five years. This one was worth the wait!

What do you do to relax after the workday/workweek? A year ago, I would've said spending time with my two dogs—Cooper, a Lab mix, and Dakota, an Alaskan Malamute―and fishing or playing sports. I still enjoy those things, but now I also have a one-year-old son, Layton, so I try to spend every free moment with him because he's growing and changing so rapidly. Parenthood is incredible—it's this weird mix of fun, excitement and exhaustion. It's been amazing to experience his first year of life!

If you've been injured on the job, call the Richmond workers' compensation lawyers and personal injury attorneys of Commonwealth Law Group. We provide a free, no obligation consultation to discuss your case. We strongly recommend that you explore your legal options. Call us at 804.894.9027. Justice starts at CLG.