ARITA B. SIMS

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

A.B. SIMS CONSULTING, Seattle, Washington
A.B. CONSULTING, Detroit, Michigan.
January 1992 - present
Law office automation consulting and training services.
• Owner/consultant/trainer

EASTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
Business and Technology Education, Ypsilanti, Michigan.
January 2003 - present
• Adjunct professor. Legal Assistant program.

AUTOMATION PARTNERS, INC., and EIDELMAN ASSOCIATES, INC. Ann Arbor, Michigan.
July 1987 - January 1992
Law/computer consulting firm.
• Applications consultant, trainer, administrator, programmer, paralegal and technical writer and technical support coordinator.
• Corporate officer. Through efficient use of technology, also managed accounting and administrative operations for EAI and related software company, Legal Update Company, concurrently with the above duties.

UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO
Toledo, Ohio
September - December 1988
• Assistant instructor, adult education "Intro to PC" classes. (Classes held at Chrysler Corporation Proving Grounds, Chelsea, Michigan)

DOBSON HAMMOND GRIFFIN ROACH ZIEGELMAN & SOTIROFF, P.C.
(now BODMAN, LONGLEY & DAHLING)
Ann Arbor, Michigan. Law firm.
April 1981 - July 1987
• Legal/administrative assistant to senior partner. Engaged in planning, design, and programming of client management and practice systems applications for PC and dedicated word processor. Performed legal research and document drafting for corporate, estate planning and real estate clients.

EDUCATION:

• The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Bachelor of General Studies, 1981.
• Completed numerous continuing education courses, paralegal studies and seminars in office administration, computer systems and applications, real estate, and estate planning.

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES:

• American Bar Association, associate member
• National Association of Legal Secretaries
• Law Technology News Advisory Board, member emeritus

SPEECHES/PUBLICATIONS:

• Speaker, Harnessing the Power of the Internet for Your Practice, Washington State Bar Association, December 14, 2010.
• Author, Billing and Bookkeeping, GPSOLO Magazine, June 2008, Back to Basics issue.
• Speaker, Transitions: Merging Your Practice with Case Management Software. Seattle University Law School, November 2007
• Speaker, Billing and Accounting Solutions for Solos and Small Firms. ABA TechShow, March 2004
• Speaker, Technical Skills for Legal Support Staff. NALS of Washtenaw, January 2004
• Speaker, Creating and Managing PDF Documents. NALS of Washtenaw, October 2003
• Speaker, Paperless Courts/Court Automation, State Bar of Michigan, Legal Assistants Section, September 2001
• Speaker, Document Management: What you Have, What you Need, NALS of Washtenaw, June 2001
• Speaker, Paperless Courts and Electronic Filing, Michigan Association of Legal Support Professionals, April 1999
• Speaker, Computer Show 98: Keeping Track of your Time and Money, Washtenaw County Bar Association, April 1998
• Speaker, Paperless Courts and Electronic Filing in Washtenaw County, Washtenaw County Association of Legal Support Professionals, November 1997
• Speaker, Using Computers in Law Office, Washtenaw County Bar Association CLE seminar, January 1992
•  Co-author, Top Billing Systems for PC Networks, Law Office Computing Magazine, Spring 1991

CERTIFICATIONS:
• Timeslips Certified Consultant
• LexisNexis Practice Management Certified Independent Consultant
 - Time Matters
 - Billing Matters
 - Billing Matters Plus
 - PCLaw
 - Total Practice Advantage
• HotDocs Consultant
• Certified Microsoft Office User Specialist