Goldberg Segalla paralegal Stacey Miller is passionate about what she does. So passionate, in fact, that word might be an understatement.

In many ways, it seems, Stacey Miller was born for the legal profession.

“I love litigation. I love the fast-paced aspect of it. I feel like you’re born to be a litigator or born to work in litigation. I was inspired to be in the legal field from the time that I was a young girl.

“The same way paralegals couldn’t do it without attorneys, many attorneys couldn’t do it without paralegals. I feel like it’s a really important role that keeps the legal system going,” Stacey said. “I like to provide support. I like to find the elusive document that helps save a case. I just truly enjoy being in that position, which I see as very important to keep cases moving forward.”

For Stacey Miller, being a paralegal is not just merely a job. “It’s a huge part of who I am,” she said.

As such, she’s made it a point to give back to both the profession and those just starting out in the field. Stacey is very active in the St. Louis Paralegal Association, having served as its president and as a board member for many years. She is also active in the association’s mentoring program, helping up-and-coming paralegals and students learn about and navigate the profession.

“If there’s someone who is new to the legal field or new to the office,” said Stacey, “I try to really be a kind, helpful, guiding force.”

Based in Goldberg Segalla’s St. Louis office, Stacey works directly with Scott B. Mueller, a partner in the firm’s Real Estate Litigation and Titles Disputes practice group, whom she followed to GS from a prior firm.

“I’ve had lots of experience in many different areas of litigation. I’ve always been a litigation paralegal. I’ve done gas and oil. I did 10 years of asbestos. I’ve done plaintiff, I’ve done defense. But I had never done real estate work prior to working with Scott. So, it’s been really a fun challenge to do something different and learn a new area of law.”

With 20-years’ experience as a paralegal, a master’s degree in legal studies, extensive e-discovery background and the ability to remain calm no matter the situational “chaos” unfolding around her, Stacey ensures the firm’s legal team is always positioned for success.

“I’m not someone who panics a lot, who freaks out over things,” Stacey said. “Just being calm in the midst of chaos is truly a superpower, especially in litigation.”

That ability to stay calm, she noted, is especially important too when it comes to keeping attorneys on track in the course of their work.

Using “those soft skills to explain where we are in a case, to explain what’s coming up next, I help facilitate the service that a client receives,” Stacey said. “I feel like to build trust with clients and with colleagues, it’s pretty much the same as building trust in any relationship: You need to do the things that you said you were going to do. So, if we tell a client, ‘This is what we’re going to do,’ I try my best to make sure that we give them that result. I feel like that’s the best way to build trust.”

Pointing to her own resume and to the firm’s nationwide roster of highly skilled and trial-tested attorneys, she said it’s experience that makes the difference when it comes to delivering top-quality client service.

“Experience is a good thing. I think experience is something that really sets me apart, and I think the size of Goldberg Segalla sets us apart. It’s really nice that we have such a large group of attorneys we can pull from, and the resources to support them.”

Also setting Goldberg Segalla apart from other firms, Stacey said, is its unyielding commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, ensuring individuals from all segments of society are provided the opportunity to advance, be heard and succeed.

“I love seeing the new attorneys that come in every week. There are African American men and people of color and lots of women,” she said. “I truly like that it’s a firm that doesn’t just do the ‘diversity talk’ but actually believes in it, and it’s shown in the employees and attorneys and support staff that they hire.”

Diversity, Stacey said, is also critically important when it comes to establishing and maintaining relationships with clients.

“Diverse communities within the workplace matter,” she said. “Sometimes, people just feel more comfortable seeing people who look like them. Everyone has important skill sets, but sometimes diversity brings a unique eye. Sometimes, it’s just the language, the mannerisms, the family backgrounds — those sorts of things. People who come from diverse backgrounds can give you a different perspective. And, like I said, sometimes the client just likes to see someone who looks like them. Then, they feel the firm supports and accepts people’s differences and respects that enough to hire diverse employees.

“I believe that there’s still room for growth,” she added. “There are plenty of firms that I’ve walked into where I’m the only African American. So, there’s certainly room for growth. But I’m happy that that growth is happening.”