Paralegal Spotlight: Brett Cosgrove
Brett Cosgrove
Brett Cosgrove is a litigation paralegal with almost 30 years of experience in personal injury, medical malpractice and complex civil litigation. She has two children and six grandchildren who live in different parts of the country. Outside of work, Brett enjoys hiking, reading, cooking and baking, traveling in their RV, and spending time with her husband and their Rottweiler, Veruca.
A Purposeful Path to the Law
Brett Cosgrove didn’t begin her career in law, but once she discovered it, she never looked back. While living in Arizona, Brett spent several years working in operations for a cable-locating company, where she traveled extensively across the country setting up offices and working in the field. Though the job was steady, she knew it wasn’t her long-term path.
A conversation with a friend who was an accountant sparked her interest in the legal profession. Inspired and curious, Brett enrolled in night classes to earn her associate’s degree in paralegal studies and took a part-time position with a sole practitioner assisting his paralegal, all while continuing to work her full-time position with the cable-locating company.
Certifications and Career Growth
After completing her degree, Brett joined a study group and, within six months, sat for and passed the NALA Certified Paralegal (CP) exam.
Brett began her legal career with a corporate counsel firm in Tucson, working her way up from receptionist to paralegal and focusing on personal injury defense. She later spent seven years with an Arizona sole practitioner handling medical malpractice and personal injury, an experience she continues to draw from today.
In 2008, Brett relocated to North Carolina with her husband. After settling in and obtaining experience in North Carolina, she earned her North Carolina Certified Paralegal (NCCP) designation and quickly adapted to local court procedures. One of her earliest surprises was “learning there were 100 counties in North Carolina, all with their own rules.”
Litigation and eDiscovery Expertise
Today, Brett serves as a Litigation Paralegal at Young Moore and Henderson, where she supports three partners. Her work is focused on complex civil litigation, particularly eDiscovery and appeals. In the eDiscovery space, Brett manages document productions that can include tens of thousands of documents and pages. She uses a review platform to upload, organize, tag, and produce documents, ranging from emails to audio files. Her work is both high-volume and highly detailed, requiring a keen eye and a methodical approach.
Mastering Appellate Procedure
In addition to litigation support, Brett handles electronic filing across multiple court systems and assists with preparing the record on appeal for the North Carolina Court of Appeals. She enjoys this aspect of her work, describing it as detailed and rule-driven, yet surprisingly creative. She finds a sense of accomplishment in managing appeals and appreciates the opportunity to bring order to complex procedural matters.
Paralegal Perspective: Adapting Across Workplaces and Roles
Over the course of her career, Brett has worked in a variety of legal environments, each with its own structure, pace, and expectations. Some were fast-paced and process-driven, with little room to deviate from established systems. Others were more collaborative or independent, where paralegals wore multiple hats and had greater flexibility. She notes that sometimes, the culture of an office can shape the work just as much as the work itself, maybe even more.
Her takeaway for paralegals weighing their next step? Pay attention not just to your title or firm size, but to the day-to-day rhythm of the work and the personalities involved. “Fit matters,” she says. “Especially when you’re part of a small team, it really helps to genuinely enjoy the people you work with.”
She appreciates the balance of structure, professionalism, and flexibility at her current mid-sized firm.
The Value of Work-Life Balance
Brett is a strong advocate for self-care and boundaries. Having once worked in roles where 50- to 60-hour weeks were expected, she knows the toll that pace can take. She encourages newer paralegals to prioritize their well-being early in their careers: “You need to look out for yourself; no one else is going to do it for you.”
In part, she credits her long-term career success to maintaining that balance.
Life Beyond the Office
Outside of work, Brett and her husband enjoy traveling in their RV travel trailer, accompanied by their Rottweiler, Veruca. They aim to take five or six trips a year, ranging from long weekends to weeklong adventures. They’ve explored many locales, including Maine’s Acadia National Park, toured the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, and often use their travel trailer to visit far-flung family members.
These adventures, Brett says, help her return to work energized and grounded. They’re a reminder that life is about more than deadlines. It’s also about joy, nature, and time well spent.
Final Thoughts and Advice
To paralegals still finding their footing, Brett emphasizes the importance of organization, detail orientation, and continuing to grow. She also recommends making time for connection, such as attending paralegal conferences and annual meetings, which she’s always found valuable for learning and networking.
“It’s a great way to meet other paralegals, hear new perspectives, and feel part of a professional community,” she said.
After more than three decades in the profession, Brett Cosgrove’s career stands as a testament to adaptability, dedication, and the importance of living a well-rounded life inside and outside the office.
Lakisha Chichester, ACP, NCCP, is a certified paralegal and real estate broker in Durham, NC. With over a decade of experience in legal and regulatory compliance, real estate, and corporate governance, she is passionate about staying at the forefront of legal and real estate trends. When not working, Lakisha enjoys reading, spending time outdoors, and making memories with her six grandchildren.
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