Dallas Area Paralegal Association
DAPA FROM ‘A’ TO ‘Z’
Z. (Locke) Lewis
DAPA President 1982-83
Michele Boerder
DAPA President 1988-89
One of the first paralegals involved with organizing (the now called) Dallas Area Paralegal Association 50 years ago was Z. Lewis (Mary “Z.” Locke Lewis)
Z. recalled DAPA’s beginnings as well as the beginning of her journey as a paralegal:
“I was working with Coke & Coke when I first heard about this new legal entity called ‘paralegal’ or ‘legal assistant.’ Paralegals were primarily being used in the Northeast and the role and the term had not yet made its way to Texas. I approached Coke & Coke leadership and asked if this new category of legal service providers would be considered by the firm. I received a resounding not only ‘no, but Hell no.’”
“I stayed with the firm for about another year but investigated other law firms to see if any Dallas firm might be utilizing paralegals or would be willing to entertain the concept. I found that firm in Jackson, Walker, Winstead, Cantwell & Miller. I went to work with Jackson, Walker as a real estate paralegal, but they never utilized me as a paralegal in that area. Instead, I worked in the tax department led by Vester Hughes and did paralegal work in the area of tax litigation.”
“I left Jackson Walker after a year and went to work with Durant, Mankoff, Davis & Wolens. To be fair, Dallas attorneys had no idea what a ‘paralegal’ could and could not do and there were no guidelines promulgated by the Texas Bar, so it was a very fluid and unsure adventure for Dallas attorneys. We were all searching in the dark to figure out how we could utilize this new para profession.”
With a bachelor’s degree from UT Arlington in Pre-Law/Psychology in 1972, Z. approached the firm about attending the Institute for Paralegal Training in Philadelphia, the first post-graduate ABA approved paralegal training program in the country, to which the firm agreed. Upon completion of the specialized program, Z. returned to Durant, Mankoff, Davis & Wolens to work in the Estate, Probate and Taxation section of the firm.
“When I returned from the Institute in Philadelphia, I made a pledge to myself that I would do my part to encourage the understanding and utilization of paralegals in the delivery of legal services.”
Thus, Z. helped found DAPA (formerly “DALA”), and served as President in 1982-83. “One of the very first acts I took as President in 1982-83 was to ask the Board of DALA to approve the creation of Texas Association of Legal Assistants (“TALA” later changed to Texas Alliance of Paralegal Associations, “TAPA”), an organization that would be made up of Texas paralegal associations that were active at the time.
“The Board authorized me to invite the leadership of the other established Texas paralegal associations to attend a first meeting in Dallas to discuss and explore how we could utilize TAPA to exchange information about how each association’s members were being utilized as paralegals within their employment, how associations could offer continuing legal education, to share salary ranges to promote value in the profession, and also how, as a group of associations could assist emerging and rural area paralegals throughout Texas who wanted to create their own paralegal associations.”
“There were no dues, and it was agreed to be voluntary with associations taking turns hosting the meetings. The original associations who attended the first meeting were from Houston, Austin, Dallas, San Antonio; I believe there was another, either Ft. Worth or Midland/Odessa. The first meeting was held in Dallas sponsored by my firm, Durant, Mankoff, Davis and Wolens. It was a highly successful meeting, and it generated considerable excitement moving forward.”
In 1983, Z. was recruited to be an Assistant Vice-President/Trust Officer and Corporate Executor on behalf of MTrust. (the former “Mercantile Bank” in Dallas). In 1986, following a brief three-month hiatus (and honeymoon after getting married), Z. was approached by Judge Bill Bedard to be the Court Coordinator for Probate Court No. 3. In 1988, she semi-retired to raise her two sons, Evan and Tom.
In 2002, after a sixteen-year parenting break, Z. received mediation training specializing in Family and Probate law. She was a charter member of the Texas Mediator Credentialing Association and was designated as an Advanced Credentialed Mediator. In 2004 she received the Top Mediator Provider Award and in 2006 the Outstanding Volunteer Mediator Award from Dispute Mediation Services.
In June of 2005, Z. returned to Probate Court No. 3 as Court Administrator/Administrative Assistant to Judge Joe Loving who had replaced Bill Bedard after Judge Bedard’s death while in office. Z. subsequently worked with Judge Michael E. Miller, and Judge Margaret Jones-Johnson who took office in 2014.
“In 2015 I was invited to join the law firm of Burdette & Rice, a boutique Probate/Estate Administration/Probate Litigation firm, which later divided and became Caldwell, Bennett, Thomas, Toraason & Mead. I worked as senior paralegal with the firm until retirement in December of 2021.”
“It has been the many who came before me, and the hundreds who have come after me, who have worked tirelessly to ensure that ‘paralegal’ has become a recognized profession and a vital part of the legal team. These paralegals have believed in the profession, supported DAPA, and are dedicated to continuing advancement.”
“It has been a great honor being a part of the paralegal profession in Dallas, and now to honor DAPA on its 50th Anniversary !”
1Coke & Coke started as a Dallas law firm in the 1880’s, and closed in 1984
2Who started Hughes & Hill which became Hughes & Luce, merged with K&L Gates in 2008
3She also served on the Advisory Board for the Paralegal Program at El Centro College (now Dallas College) from 1979-1981.
