Great Lakes Paralegal Association An Affiliate of the National Association of Legal Assistants, Inc.

Transcription

1 Great Lakes Paralegal Association An Affiliate of the National Association of Legal Assistants, Inc. Website: MONTHLY NEWSLETTER JUNE 2016 NALA Conventions of Years Past Ida Farhat, ACP, paralegal with Foster, Swift, Collins & Smith, is one of the founding members of NALA (as well as a founding member of GLPA). As the days draw nearer to NALA Conference time, we asked Ida to share some of her thoughts on past conventions and on her NALA volunteer service. Marge Dover, NALA's former Executive Director since 1975, and I first met at the Monteleone Hotel at the French Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana in New Orleans was the first NALA annual meeting that I attended. (NALA held its formation meeting in 1976 in San Francisco.) At that time, NALA First Vice President Dorthea Jorde asked me to serve as NALA's Nominations and Elections Chair. I traveled alone to New Orleans because I did not know anyone else in Michigan who knew what NALA was trying to accomplish. There may have been 150 persons in attendance. I remember the culture shock when I arrived in New Orleans - 99 degrees, humid, torrential rainstorms, and the sanitary workers (in a city known for famous restaurants) were on strike. One of the hotly-contested topics for discussion was whether NALA should use the title "legal assistant" or "paralegal." The now Certified Paralegal Exam (CP) was the main reason for forming NALA. The educational programs presented by IN THIS ISSUE: Third Annual GLPA Membership Meeting Info and Election Results Available Paralegal Positions 2016 NALA Convention Info and Election Results GLPA Membership and Committee Member Info Photo 1 Marge Dover (right), Ida Farhat ACP (left) NALA Annual Meeting New Orleans, LA 1977 NALA members and also Altman & Weil were geared to educate members of this growing new profession in ways to enhance the legal profession economically, to increase educational opportunities, and to increase job satisfaction. Choosing my favorite convention is like choosing a favorite brother or sister from the six brothers and three sisters that I have. The answer and the reasons may change from time to time. So for now, I loved all of the conventions that I attended. Conventions of special note are Kansas City, MO (2005), Tampa, FL (2006), New Orleans, LA (2007), San Diego, CA (2009), Jacksonville, FL (2009), Plano, TX (2011), Charleston, NC (2014) and Tulsa, OK (2015) particularly because of the opportunities for leadership and education, meeting new friends, and connecting with long-time friends. Each has offered a special memory or special opportunity throughout my career. (continued on Page 2)

2 NALA Conventions of Years Past cont d Ida Farhat, ACP A few of my favorite highlights: Charleston had one of the largest numbers in attendance in recent years. Great Lakes Paralegal Association was honored as an Affiliate in its first year of formation. Diane Dodds and I accepted the award on behalf of GLPA. Photo 3 Cheryl Nodarse ACP first from left; Kelly LaGrave ACP, and Ida Farhat ACP, seventh and eights from left) NALA Annual Meeting Charleston, SC 2014 Photo 2 Diane Dodds top row-second from right; Ida Farhat ACP (bottom row first from right) NALA Annual Meeting Charleston, SC 2014 Charleston was also special to me because NALA President Kelly LaGrave ACP and Region 3 Director Cheryl Nodarse ACP were elected to the Board. I was honored to administer the oath of office to the members of the Board of Directors for President Kelly LaGrave asked me to serve on NALA's 40 th Anniversary Committee. This event was a celebration of NALA's 40 years and also to honor Marge Dover for her extraordinary leadership, for her devotion, and for her vision for the development of the paralegal profession. Jill Francisco, APC, Elizabeth Nellis, ACP, Debra Overstreet, ACP, and Elisse Stern, ACP, also served on this committee. Working with these exception members brought joy and appreciation for our contributions to a very successful event. This conference also allowed us to experience a bomb threat for a few hours on a very hot Tulsa afternoon. Photo 4 Cathy Hulsey ACP (left) and Ida Farhat ACP, (right) NALA 's 40 th Anniversary Celebration Tulsa, OK 2016 Kelly LaGrave thought it would be a great idea to attend NALA's 30 th Anniversary Annual Meeting in Kansas City, MO (2005). There I met Cathy Hulsey, ACP, from Knoxville, Tennessee, and Kelly and I reconnected with Marge Dover, and Marie Greninger, NALA's Director of Administrative Services/Certification. Cathy Hulsey and I have served on the NALA Certifying Board since 2009 another one of my most memorable experiences because the CP exam received its accreditation by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) and it went from paper-pencil grading to computer-based testing. My attendance at the annual meetings, the educational conferences and serving on many various committees prepared me to have enough experience and leadership training to serve on the Certifying Board and to be able to assist an officer, director, or chair on a moment's notice. However, there was nothing that could have prepared us for the cricket infestation that we encountered in September Over the years, I have been able to step into new practice areas because of attendance at national, state, and local education legal education programs. A few memorable NALA education tracks were presented by attorneys at Foster Swift Collins & Smith Todd W. Hoppe (Jacksonville), Joel C. Farrar (Plano) Gene Richards (Charleston). As well, I look forward to this summer s conference in Las Vegas, where FSC&S Attorney John Mashni will present the Entertainment Law Track. NALA conventions, and service on the NALA Certifying Board, have immeasurably enhanced my career as a paralegal.

3 A BUSY MAY FOR GLPA! The month of May has been the most action-packed and productive of the GLPA year. Beginning on May 5-6, GLPA joined forces with the State Bar of Michigan Paralegal/Legal Assistant Section to present an Annual Day of Education in downtown Lansing. As a precursor to the educational event, a fun group assembled to watch the Lansing Lugnuts minor league baseball game. Next, on May 20-21, GLPA held its CP Crash Course in Lansing, featuring two days of intense study toward NALA s CP exam. See the Study Group at the bottom right of the page, all of whom we expect to have their CP Certification very soon! (Telisa Ahn, ACP, third from left, attended the event for the continuing legal education credits.)

4 Great Lakes Paralegal Association An Affiliate of the National Association of Legal Assistants, Inc. Website: THIRD ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING AND EDUCATION PROGRAM Kelly A. LaGrave, ACP, NALA President, will provide an engaging one hour presentation on paralegal ethics and the do s and don ts of working in the legal field. Date: Wednesday, June 8, 2016 Location: Time: Cost: East Lansing Hannah Community Center 819 Abbot Road, East Lansing 6:00 pm Social Networking with Light Appetizers and Beverages 6:15 pm Annual Member Meeting 6:30 pm Program (one hour of continuing education credit) FREE EVENT! RSVP to Terri Bolyard at tbolyard@fosterswift.com Please RSVP on or before June 3 rd - Seating is limited!!

5 Great Lakes Paralegal Association An Affiliate of the National Association of Legal Assistants, Inc. Website: ELECTION RESULTS About eight weeks ago a call for candidates for Officer, Director, and Student Liaison positions was made to you by . At that time, a Declaration of Candidacy form went out with a request that members wishing to declare themselves candidates fill out one of those forms and return it. The declaration forms that were received were presented as a slate of candidates to the Board and the slate as presented to the Board was approved on May 4, All open positions that candidates declared for were uncontested, so by Roberts Rules there is no need for a formal vote and the matter is decided by unanimous consent. Listed below are the members approved by the Board for the officer positions, director positions and student liaison position declared for. Those listed below will be installed during the upcoming Annual Membership Meeting to be held on June 8 at 6:00 pm. Please see the GLPA website for additional details. David Bowker, ACP Chair, Nominations/Elections Committee Cheryl Nodarse, ACP Melissa Vela Terri L. Bolyard Telisa A. Ahn, ACP Wendy Cusenza, CP Kelly LaGrave, ACP Kelly Preuss, CP David Bowker, ACP Amy Cumbow, CP Lisa Branch President President-Elect Treasurer Secretary NALA Liaison Director Director Director Director Student Liaison

6 AVAILABLE PARALEGAL POSITIONS Great Lakes Caring - Healthcare Paralegal Job ID: Job Locations: US-MI-Jackson Category: Business Development / Sales/Marketing JOB SUMMARY: This position assesses routine contracting and legal issues and provides support for compliance, legal maintenance, governance, transactional activity and special projects. Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned. 1. Responsible for overall contract management and reporting 2. Works with business line leaders to ensure accuracy of contracts, correspondence, etc. are in line with corporate structures 3. Supports the contracting process for all business lines, ensuring accuracy, expediency and efficiency. 4. Researches and analyzes law sources such as statutes, recorded judicial decisions, legal articles, and legal codes to review and prepare presentations, legal documents such as NDA s and changes to form commercial contracts, and general legal communications. 5. Supports public company compliance activities and related filings. 6. Manages domestic corporate formalities and interfaces with outside counsel on foreign entity formalities. 7. Works with Corporate Legal Specialist on maintaining entity management database. 8. Assists with management of real estate and intellectual property portfolio. 9. Assists in management of contract management tools (Cobblestone) 10. Supports special projects, as needed. QUALIFICATIONS: Education and/or Experience Required: Associate's degree (A. A.) or equivalent from two-year college or technical school; and five years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience. Preferred: Bachelor's degree (B. A.) from four-year college or university; and five year related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience. Certificates, Licenses, Registrations Paralegal certificate accredited institution (preferred). For more information regarding this job posting, including how to apply, please visit: Brigham

7 View web version Forward to a friend In This Issue Contact NALA New Conference Sessions Reserve Rooms Now Conference Charity Facts & Findings Vendor Directory Employer - Group Discounts Visit our website May 15, 2016 Register Now - Early Bird Pricing ends June 1 Webinars - Fall schedule to be announced soon! Was there a webinar we offered earlier this year but you were unable to attend? You are in luck! Most webinars have been recorded and you are able to view via our ondemand webinars. Learn when and where it s most convenient for you. To see our offerings of 2016 on-demand webinars and more, click here. Full Conference Best Rate - Ends June 1 Standard Rate Click to Purchase Member $510 $575 Purchase Nonmember $565 $630 Purchase Student $199 $299 Purchase Social-Day 1 $79 $99 Purchase To view more information on NALA's Annual Conference & Expo please click here. Reserve Rooms for Conference

8 Contact NALA 7666 E. 61st St. Suite 315 Tulsa, OK Phone: Fax: The sleeping room block is filling up quickly. Be sure to book your room soon! Once the room block is full we cannot guarantee any additional rooms at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. The block is only available until June 20 or until rooms run out. $129.00/night $29.00/night resort fee Complimentary internet in sleeping room To reserve your room online please click here. Three Square Selected as NALA Charity for 2016 Each year during conference attendees are invited to contribute to a charity. This is NALA s way of giving back to so many who do so much for NALA members and affiliated associations throughout the U.S. We are happy to announce that this year s recipient is Three Square. Attendees may deposit contributions in a designated area during conference or you can donate online. To donate online, visit their home page, click on the "give now" button, in the comment/feedback box please enter NALA so they can track where the donation came from. Facts & Findings - May/June The May/June edition of Facts & Findings is available to NALA members and subscribers. Download from the NALA website Publications/Current Issue, or from the app stores. You will need your NALANet login which is listed above. This issue of Facts & Findings focuses on Family Law.

9 Vendor Directory Need a product or service for your office? The NALA vendor directory is a terrific place to start. This is a list of legal vendors offering a great range of help including deposition services, document services investigations and more! Click this link to access the directory or follow the steps below to navigate the website. Scroll to bottom of any website page Under - Members, I Want to... Click on Access Vendor Directory Employer - Group Discounts Did you know that NALA rewards employers who provide membership for their paralegals? Discounts of as much as 25% are available to companies or firms with multiple NALA active members in their ranks. NALA MEMBERS DISCOUNT 5 Members 10% ($126 each) 6-10 Members 20% ($112 each) 11+ Members 25% ($105 each) In addition, if your organization is either a government agency, a school, or a 501(c)(3) organization, NALA offers an additional 2% discount. For more information, click here. NALA 7666 E. 61st St., #315 Tulsa OK You are receiving this because of your relationship with NALA If you wish to unsubscribe from these mailings, click here.

10 View web version Forward to a friend In This Issue Contact NALA 2016 Candidates Announced Proposed Bylaw Amendments Facebook Chat Sessions Voting Process Proxy Instructions Visit our website May 27, Candidates Announced Eleven NALA members have declared as candidates for the NALA Board of Directors. We are thrilled so many NALA members have stepped up to serve as NALA leaders! Active NALA members will be electing members to the Board of Directors from Areas 1, 2, and 3 as well as the NALA Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. Candidates Office: Vice President Jill I. Francisco, ACP Office: Secretary Melissa J. Hamilton, ACP Dorothe' J. Howell, ACP Office: Treasurer Debbie L. Overstreet, ACP Office: Area 1 Director Contact NALA Jaye L. Koch, ACP Morag A. Polaski, ACP Office: Area 2 Director

11 7666 E. 61st St. Suite 315 Tulsa, OK Phone: Fax: Carla Y. Dennis, CP Melissa M. Klimpel, ACP Office: Area 3 Director Kai Ellis, ACP Michele T. Pfeiffer, ACP Teresa E. Phillips, ACP Complete details relating to each candidate are on the NALA website. Click this link to go directly to the page or follow the steps below to navigate the website. Hover over Education and click Conferences Locate blue box on right and click on Annual Meeting - Candidates' announced and proposed bylaw amendments Click on Candidates for Office Proposed Bylaw Amendments The Board of Directors is recommending for adoption of the members various amendments to the NALA Bylaws. These amendments will be voted on at the NALA Annual Meeting on July 13, 2016 in Las Vegas. To view the current language of the Bylaws and proposed amendments please click here. Facebook Chat Sessions Candidates will be available online to answer any candidacy questions. The times for chats are listed below: June 21 at 8:00 p.m. CST June 28 at 7:00 p.m. CST Click here for NALA's Facebook link. Voting Process Active members will vote during the NALA Annual Conference in Las Vegas, NV on July 13 and 14. Voting polls will be opened during the meeting days and the results will be announced during Conference. Proxy Instructions Voting members who cannot attend the NALA Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, NV on July 13, 2016 may designate

12 other members to cast their votes. To do this, members must file a "Designation of Proxy" form with the NALA secretary so that election officials will know who will be voting on their behalf. The Designation of Proxy form must be filed by June 13, The form is available online, or a copy of the form was included in Facts & Findings, Career Chronicle Edition. Matters requiring a vote of the NALA membership include the election of members to the NALA Board of Directors, and consideration of amendments to the NALA Bylaws. For details regarding the candidates click here. To view proposed bylaw amendments, click here. NALA 7666 E. 61st St., #315 Tulsa OK You are receiving this because of your relationship with NALA If you wish to unsubscribe from these mailings, click here.

13 BECOME A GLPA MEMBER TODAY! Networking is a key element in the success of your career. The Great Lakes Paralegal Association's goal is to foster professional and personal growth of paralegals in Michigan. This includes paralegal students who are entering the work force and those paralegals with experience who have been working in all areas of the law. The Association will provide networking opportunities, mentoring, continuing education programs, and assistance with national certification. Member Benefits Up to date information on issues and trends in the paralegal profession, both locally and nationally. Continuing legal educational opportunities. Discounted rate on all GLPA programs and events. Networking opportunities to meet with legal professionals in your local community. Waiver of initiation fee to become a NALA member. NALA "Facts & Findings" subscription is available at a discounted rate of $25 per year. Visit to complete the membership application GLPA BOARD & COMMITTEE MEMBERS POSITION NAME President Cheryl Nodarse, ACP cnodarse@woodworthlawpc.com President Elect Melissa Vela melissavela78@gmail.com Secretary Telisa Ahn, ACP Telisa.Ahn@dematic.com Treasurer Terri Bolyard tbolyard@fosterswift.com NALA Liaison Kelly LaGrave, ACP klagrave@fosterswift.com Board Member David Bowker, ACP daveb0422@comcast.net Board Member Kelly Preuss, CP kelly@linguisticarete.com Vendor Committee Chair Student Liaison Lisa Branch branchl@michigan.gov Newsletter Committee Co-Chair Amy Cumbow, CP acumbow@fraserlawfirm.com Newsletter Committee Co-Chair Meredith Erickson mlperickson@comcast.net LEGAL DISCLAIMER: We at Great Lakes Paralegal Association (GLPA) are not lawyers and we do not provide legal, business, or tax advice. Our sites, services, and publications are not intended to substitute for the advice or services of an attorney. We recommend you consult an attorney or other appropriate professional if you need legal, business, or tax advice.