The Swenson Lervick Law Firm celebrates Eileen Viergutz on her 40th anniversary with the firm.
Eileen started with Swenson Lervick in December, 1976 as legal assistant to attorney Robert Swenson. She says she stayed up nights before starting her job, studying to refresh her shorthand skills which were then a requirement of the position. As computerized word processors entered the small office world, she became the operator of the firm’s first word processor, which was a large free-standing card machine. Using that machine, she produced correspondence and documents for several attorneys.
Fast forward a few years to when desktop computers on every desk became the norm, and Eileen was assigned as legal assistant to the then senior partners. She moved into paralegal work and in 1994 became an NALA-certified paralegal and worked in real estate, corporations, litigation, probate and estate planning. Probate became her niche, and she notes, “I have always enjoyed working with client families in this field.”
She also says that over the years her office co-workers became a second family, as she and other long term employees watched each other’s children grow up “and eventually make us grandparents.”
“Eileen’s contributions to Swenson Lervick are immeasurable,” says Tom Jacobson. “Not only has she provided invaluable service to our clients, but I think we attorneys will all admit that she has taught us all a lot about how to apply what we learned in law school to the real world of serving our clients.”
Eileen and her husband, Wilbert, have two sons and two granddaughters which are “enjoyed immensely!!” Eileen plans to retire on January 30, 2017.