i s s u e. m a r c h / a p r i l. Soaring Eagles. You Are the Link. Q&As. Life Stories. Association News.

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1 m a r c h / a p r i l inside Greg Blomberg Dreamstime.com Soaring Eagles Page 7 You Are the Link Page 8 Q&As Pages 9,10 and 12 COVER STORY: Trend from typewriters to high-tech parallels development of profession See page 5 Life Stories Page 12 Association News Page 13 Community Service Page 14 Bruno Passigatti Dreamstime.com TOP STORY: N.C. Bar Association rejects proposal to give paralegals vote on board Is its chance to make history gone? See page 4 m a r c h / a p r i l i s s u e

2 i n s i d e m a r c h / a p r i l V o l u m e 2, N u m b e r 2 6 Items Of Interest Is NCBA s chance to make history gone forever? Technology opened up U.S. law offices to paralegals Men making headway in the paralegal world It s a unisex world out there Legal costs were big reason paralegals got their start Q&A with Lee Owens Q&A with Chiquetta Simmons The more I learned, the more I wanted to know Q&A with Betsy Brooks Association News Is there a community need that paralegals don t serve?...14 Classifieds Capitol City Consulting, LLC NC s leading Digital Forensics Firm. Specializing in: Forensic Examinations of Computers/Networks, Cell Phones/PDA s, Digital Media E-Discovery/Litigation Support Expert Witness/Courtroom Presentations CLE Training & Education (Lunch & Learns) Certified & Experienced Examiners On/Off-Site Data Recovery/Forensic Lab Facility Incident Response/Digital Forensic Outsourcing Civil, Criminal, Corporate and Government Member of the following associations: Servicing Clients in NC & Nationally since 2002 Phone: Fax: Carolina Paralegal News march/april 2008

3 6 Items Of new operation, which was to begin March 1. That included agreeing on an application form, which the committee approved at the conclusion of its meeting, the Jacksonville, Fla., Daily Record reports. Raleigh N.C./Columbia S.C David Blackwell, Esq., Publisher, ext 12 Frederick Horlbeck, Esq., Editor in Chief, ext 13 Gregory A. Froom, Esq., Associate Editor, ext 21 Guy Loranger, Esq., Reporter, ext. 20 Teresa Bruno, Esq., Opinions Editor Elizabeth Battle, Esq., Opinions Editor Diana Smith, Reporter, ext. 15 Bob Dixon, Advertising Director, ext 17 Sharon L. Lipps, Classified Manager, ext 11 Rhonda S. Wall, Account Executive, ext 10 Susannah G. Hardee, Sales &Marketing, ext 16 Nell Franke, Administration Assistant, ext 19 Jim Sleeper, Production, ext 22 Michael D. Zellmer, Production, ext 23 Dolan Media Company Chairman, President/CEO James P. Dolan Executive Vice President/CFO Scott J. Pollei Vice President/Newspapers Mark W.C. Stodder Carolina Paralegal News. Material may not be republished, resold, recorded, or used in any manner, in whole or in part, without the publisher s explicit consent. Any infringement will be subject to legal redress. Subscription: Free Following are selected news items from our sister publications, North Carolina Lawyers Weekly and South Carolina Lawyers Weekly, and other news sources. N.C. defense attorneys group invites paralegals to join new division The N.C. Association of Defense Attorneys has recently formed a paralegal division. Paralegals who devote a substantial amount of their professional time to the handling of litigation primarily for the defense, government and business are invited to join. To be eligible, a paralegal must work under the supervision of a lawyer member of the NCADA and must be certified by the N.C. State Bar Board of Paralegal Certification. Michelle May, a certified paralegal with the Charlotte firm of Morris York Williams Barringer Lewis & Briggs, will serve as the first division chair and as an ex-officio member of the NCADA s board of directors. NCBA s paralegals to hold 10th annual meeting in May The Legal Assistants Division of the N.C. Bar Association will hold its 10th annual meeting on May 16 at the Grandover Resort and Conference Center in Greensboro. The event will cover a wide range of topics, including: Recent technological advances that affect how paralegals search for and file documents; Information from the N.C. solicitor general about the consequences of failing to comply with the state Rules of Appellate Procedure; Interest Rules of professional conduct; and Effects of the green movement on land development and zoning regulations. Attendees will receive six hours of CPE credit hours, including one hour of ethics/professional responsibility credits. Nine a la carte sessions will delve into specialized areas of the law, such as litigation, real estate and corporate law. Visit the LAD s Web site for more information. N.C. Paralegal Association seeks survey participants North Carolina paralegals are invited to participate in the 2008 Paralegal Utilization and Compensation Survey being conducted by the N.C. Paralegal Association. The NCPA study evaluates the educational backgrounds, work environments, duties and responsibilities, billing and compensation levels for paralegals across the state. Results will be posted later this spring. Any paralegal who works in North Carolina can complete the survey. To access it, visit New Fla. paralegal program gets under way in March Finishing touches have been put on the application for Florida paralegals to become Florida registered paralegals under a new program proposed by the Florida Bar and approved by the Florida Supreme Court last year. The Bar s Florida Registered Paralegal Program Committee met at a midyear meeting to work out the last details of the Paralegal sentenced for sending harassing messages by A paralegal who used a Bakersfield, Calif., attorney s account to send harassing messages was sentenced in federal court. Victor VeVea, 43, of Bakersfield was sentenced to three years of probation and 90 days of monitored home confinement, according to a news release from the office of U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott. On Jan. 24, VeVea was found guilty of unlawfully accessing Michael Kilpatrick s account to send harassing s in Kilpatrick s name, the release said. VeVea began using Kilpatrick s account in 2001 and sent messages saying the attorney admitted to being a pervert, according to the release. The messages were sent to government officials and other attorneys, the Bakersfield Californian reports. Hiring prisoner who was ex-paralegal lands lawyer in trouble In January, Stephen M. Compton of Delavan, Wis., was stripped of his law license for, among other things, setting it up so a one-time paralegal doing time at the Dodge Correctional Institute could conduct legal research for him. Compton met the former paralegal, according to state records, when he was appointed to represent him before the state Supreme Court in Not long after, Compton s former client landed behind bars and, while there, let Compton know that he wanted to do legal work for him. The attorney took up the inmate s offer. In early 2002, Compton sent a case file to the former paralegal without the knowledge or approval of Compton s client. Regulators found that the lawyer didn t supervise the legal work being done or ensure client confidentiality, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. Established 2007 Circulation to S.C. and N.C. Paralegals Published Quarterly By Lawyers Weekly Questions or comments: x12 Carolina Paralegal News is published bimonthly by N.C. Lawyers Weekly, 107 Fayetteville Street, Raleigh, NC and S.C. Lawyers Weekly, 701 Gervais Street, Columbia, S.C. Standard postage paid at Raleigh, N.C. and additional mailing offices. Let us help grow your business. Our friendly and professional staff is ready and able to get you going today. No new software needed simply browse to our web site, log on & start getting results. Sustaining Member of the North Carolina Paralegal Association march/april 2008 Carolina Paralegal News 3

4 TOP STORY Is NCBA s chance to make history gone forever? Or just delayed? N.C. Bar Association rejects proposal to give paralegals a vote on its board By DIANA SMITH CPN Staff Writer A committee of the N.C. Bar Association has voted down a proposal by NCBA president Janet Ward Black to give paralegals a vote on the board of governors a move that would have been a first for U.S. bar associations. In a Feb. 29 meeting, the strategic planning committee decided, however, that paralegals will have more participation on three committees charged with conducting the NCBA s day-to-day business. That includes voting power on the strategic planning committee. In October, Black said she would push for the NCBA s growing Legal Assistants Division to have a voting representative on the board. Currently, the LAD s chair sits on the board but has no vote. There was a lot of rationale [for the decision], said Allan Head, the NCBA s executive director. We feel like they re already actively involved, and we feel like there are more things that we can actively involve them in and that the opportunity to vote was not critical at this time. Paralegals participate in all 28 of the NCBA s specialized sections. They act as liaisons, attending each section s council meetings to report and receive any relevant information, said Stephanie Crosby, LAD chair. Under the new recommendations, the LAD will participate on the executive committee and audit and finance committee, Head said. Paralegals serving on those committees will be non-voting members, said Sharon Robertson, a paralegal who serves on the strategic planning committee. Voting membership on both is limited to board members, Head said. Itʼs a big deal, and I am sure that the board of governors realizes that, but whenever you get your hopes up for a wind of change and the door closes a bit, itʼs disappointing. But then you keep pressing forward and hope that the opportunity arises again. Julianne Fink co-cle and co-ethics chair of the Legal Assistants Division With regard to those two committees, we are adding the leadership of our LAD to the list of those who are invited so that they will be a part of all discussions and deliberations, Head said in an to Carolina Paralegal News. As for the strategic planning committee, more paralegals will be able to serve on it, with the NCBA s president and presidentelect appointing as many as they deem necessary, Head wrote. There, they will have voting power. In an , Black said the recommendations are steps in a very forward direction. Perhaps as the legal assistants roles increase in the leadership of [the] organization, the voting issue will be revisited, she wrote. But for now, the decision appears to be final, according to Head. I think that we ve covered it for awhile, he said. That s not to say that it won t come up again in the future. Times change and these sorts of conversations are healthy. I imagine that the answer is yes; this will come up in the future as we look at the changing trends that are affecting the legal profession. And that s OK with Crosby, the LAD s chair, at least for now. I would have liked to have had the vote, but it s not the end of the world, she said. Some people will be very, very disappointed, though. No other state bar or bar association has granted voting status to paralegals, so the NCBA would have made history if it had done so. When asked whether the committee s decision reflected any concern about taking such an unprecedented step, Head said no. But I think everybody was aware of that, he said. Because the committee s decision does not require board approval, paralegals can begin involvement in the recommended leadership committees immediately, said Head. The message here is that we want to be very supportive of legal assistants or paralegals in North Carolina, he said. Quite frankly, they do a lot with, and for, North Carolina lawyers to help us get our job done I think we re on the right track here. I m positive about the decisions we ve made, and I m positive about the even greater involvement of legal assistants and paraprofessional personnel in the future. Janet Ward Black REACTION Paralegals across the state had various reactions to the committee s decision. Melanie Miller, president of the Asheville Area Paralegal Association, was surprised. Well, why did they do that? she said. Now that we re NCCP [North Carolina Certified Paralegals], they re finally thinking we re really people. So we should have a vote. But Patricia Clapper, first vice president of the N.C. Paralegal Association, was not shocked in the least. A 15-year veteran of the profession, Clapper dropped her membership with the NCBAtwo years ago because she felt that legal assistants received little recognition. To me, the BarAssociation is more politically concerned, so I m not really surprised that they wouldn t have two beans to care about what paralegals think about political issues, she said. As a dues-paying member of the N.C. Academy of Trial Lawyers, Clapper feels that she gets more bang for her buck than she did when she paid for membership with the NCBA. The academy has a listserv and document bank and is real involved with their paralegals, she said. And when the State Bar was going through the certification process, they actually listened to us and took our input and used it. In five words or less, I m just not surprised. Sharon Robertson WHAT DO YOU THINK? Whatʼs your reaction to the NCBAʼs decision about paralegal voting? Send your comments to diana.smith@cpn.lawyersweekly.com. Your thoughts may be published in a future issue of Carolina Paralegal News. I think that weʼve covered it for a while. Thatʼs not to say that it wonʼt come up again in the future. Times change and these sorts of conversations are healthy. I imagine that the answer is yes; this will come up in the future as we look at the changing trends that are affecting the legal profession. Allan Head NCBA executive director Other paralegals expressed thanks for the NCBA s support over the years. The LAD will celebrate its 10th anniversary this year. It was their decision to make, said Lillian Glenn, president of the Research Triangle Paralegal Association. I think the board of governors have gone above and beyond to accept legal assistants into the Bar Association. I think it s a bit risky well, maybe not risky, but ungrateful to keep pushing, so I hope that this doesn t affect our relationship with them. When asked whether she thought other members of the RTPA would be upset about the decision, Glenn said that she thought reactions would be mixed. I hate to speak for anyone else, she said. Some members really poured their heart and soul into the association to get it promoted to the highest extent, so I may be in the minority here. I won t say that getting the vote wouldn t have been nice, but I m not extremely upset about it, either. Julianne Fink, co-cle and co-ethics chair of the LAD, called the move disheartening, but did not feel that it was the end of the road. You would hope that with the new certification process that began over two years ago, we would be in some place to have some voting authority, said Fink. Sitting in these LAD meetings, you see the passion and professionalism of these men and women. Much like what you see in the other divisions, we take our positions very seriously. It s a big deal, and I am sure that the board of governors realizes that, but whenever you get your hopes up for a wind of change and the door closes a bit, it s disappointing. But then you keep pressing forward and hope that the opportunity arises again. Questions or comments may be directed to diana.smith@cpn.lawyersweekly.com. Let us create LEGAL maging Solutions tailored to your needs. I You need an electronic discovery expert who goes beyond simply extracting data from computers. Legalis offers the technical skills, industry awareness, and unfettered commitment to ensure your success in managing large volumes of evidence accurately and cost-effectively. We bring a combined 40 years of technological strength and unparalleled service to North Carolina s legal community. Contact: Craig McGannon, Esq. craigm@legalis.com Centered around IPRO s online project management tools, we offer state of the art quality control for our projects. 4 Carolina Paralegal News march/april 2008

5 Emily J. Will, BC-BFDE Certified Document Examiner Court Qualified 20 years Box Raleigh, NC local toll free By DIANA SMITH CPN Staff Writer When the British colonists established their first settlements in America, you can bet that they had no idea that their legacy would eventually include would shaping today s paralegal profession. But that s what happened. They did. Jane Terhune, co-founder and first president of the National Association of Legal Assistants, asked for advice from the British Institute of Legal Executives in 1974, when the concept of establishing an American organization for paralegals was still in its infancy. Paralegals were already an integral part of the legal community in England. They had decided that lawyers needed professionally trained assistants who were not necessarily law school graduates several years before we did, so they already knew what to do and how to do it, said Terhune, 76, of Georgetown, S.C. They were well ahead of us. Indeed, America s paralegal field is one that emerged largely due to the passage of time and the advent of office technologies. In the early 1950s, a majority of attorneys practiced alone in small offices, Terhune wrote in a 2006 essay. All it took to set up [a practice] was to purchase a desk and attorney s chair, a stenographer s desk, a few additional chairs (for clients and visitors), one or two bookcases to house one copy of Black s Law Dictionary, the most recent edition of the state s statutes and sometimes a set of reporters containing recent legal opinions and reports interpreting state laws. Back then, the only office equipment available was a manual typewriter. And Terhune, who attended secretarial school at Katharine Gibbs School in New York City, doesn t remember that typewriter very fondly. Mistakes were not forgiven, and failure was not an option. If you had a document like a will to do, you couldn t make a single mistake, so you know exactly what would happen, said Terhune. You d have to re-type it three times, of course, and every mistake was on the last three lines. But amid the frustrations, she still ended up as a legal secretary in Charleston, S.C. But as she watched new technologies develop the electric typewriter, adding machines and early dictating machines she also noticed a transformation in the way law offices could be managed. Those machines meant that tasks could be divided between secretary and attorney, she said. One could be dictating while the other could work on drafting correspondence and legal documents. This was a watershed moment for the paralegal profession. A seed was germinating. But just as it takes time for roots to develop and a plant s stem to emerge from the soil, it took time for the idea of a legal assistant or paralegal to catch on in law offices. Secretaries had been handling many of the duties that could now be defined as paralegal work, said Terhune. In 1968, the American Bar Association created a what it called a committee to study the feasibility of lay assistants for lawyers. Of course, the first thing the committee did was to change the title lay assistants to legal assistants, Terhune said with a mischievous laugh. The ABA committee concluded that trained non-lawyers could reduce legal costs by completing routine tasks, such as drafting drafting documents, while supervised by an attorney. Now, the roots had firmly taken hold. PICKING UP SPEED Many things began happening at once. In the early 1970s, the first paralegal training programs were developed. Two types of education were available, according to Terhune. College graduates could take three-to-six month specialty courses, or attend a community college and receive an associate s degree after two years. Typically, graduates from the associate s program were educated in a particular type of law, such as corporate law or real estate law. Then, Terhune joined a task force appointed to determine the value of creating a national certification program for legal assistants. Comprised of practicing paralegals, attorneys and paralegal educators, the task force determined that a national association to coordinate certification would be an asset to the growing profession. Many of the first paralegals were pulled from the ranks of longtime legal secretaries, who had gained much experience after years of performing duties equivalent to that of a legal assistant. We enticed as much of that nucleus of that senior group as we could, said Terhune. It was a difficult time. There was some jealousy between legal secretaries and this new animal, the paralegal or legal assistant, or however the title was used. But it had to be done. The legal secretary associations would not have had as much credibility continuing on with this subsection of more experienced members. Likewise, setting new national standards had to be done with a group of people whose sole interest was focused on legal assistants. In 1975, NALA was incorporated with between 900 and 1,000 members. The founders primary project was: to establish a national certification program for paralegals. The organization offered its first exam in the fall of 1976 and certified 48 legal assistants in January Today, 14,566 paralegals have attained NALA certification, which enables them to use the certified legal assistant, or CLA, title. Or, if they prefer, they may use the certified paralegal, or CP, professional credential as well. A year earlier, the National Federation of Paralegal Associations had also formed. Handwriting, altered documents examination, reports, testimony. COVER STORY Technology opened up U.S. law offices to paralegals, but America wasn t first Profession started in U.K., and Brits even had advisory role in NALA s startup, historian says Like NALA, the organization advocates for the regulation and education of paralegals. In 1994, the organization developed the Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam for paralegals who have a bachelor s degree and at least two years of experience. Those who pass the exam are entitled to use the registered paralegal, or RP, designation. AN EVOLVING FIELD Technology continued to be vital in the development of the paralegal profession well into the 1990s. Indeed, it was just dawning on law firms to utilize modern conveniences like , according to VickiLynn Mitchell, a paralegal at Nexsen [The British] had decided that lawyers needed professionally trained assistants who were not necessarily law school graduates several years before we did, so they already knew what to do and how to do it. They were well ahead of us. Jane Terhune Co-founder and first president of the National Association of Legal Assistants Pruet in Columbia, S.C. When she began working as a paralegal about 16 years ago, she had double the paperwork that she has today. She recalls working on her first case at one of the larger law firms: It was a large bankruptcy matter, with lots of adversarial proceedings within the bankruptcy, and there were many, many, many documents, said Mitchell. It was being discussed for the first time about using the [software program] Summation whether it should be used, whether it shouldn t be used. For a firm that was pretty technologically savvy no matter what, this was one of the first times that they were really discussing using a pro- See HISTORY on PAGE 15 march/april 2008 Carolina Paralegal News 5

6 Men making headway in the paralegal world a bit self-consciously Profession s new arrivals steadily making inroads; some unfamiliar dynamics crop up along the way From STAFF REPORTS Legendary soul musician James Brown once sang that it s a man s, a man s, a man s world. But in the paralegal world, that phrase just doesn t apply. In 2006, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that only 11 percent of paralegals were males. The numbers appeared even more bleak in a 2004 NALA survey, which showed that the percentage of male respondents was between 3 and 5 percent. It s a discrepancy noticed by both men and women within the profession. Annette Church, a paralegal for Ted A. Greve and Associates in Charlotte, N.C., said that she only sees a handful of men in attendance at CLEs and association meetings. The few that she does see often clump together or sit alone at tables in a corner. I always feel so bad for them, said Church. I make it a habit to go over and invite them to join us, because it s such an obvious divide. South Carolina paralegal Dan Herman has sat alone before. As the only male paralegal at Leatherwood, Walker, Todd & Mann in Greenville, Herman said that he has noticed differences in how male and female Investors Title Company Commercial Residential Service Solutions Trust Reconciliation 1031 Exchanges INNOVATIVE BY INSTINCT EXPERIENCE Relationships paralegals relate to each other. It s a weird dynamic, he said. I can t really explain what it is, or why it s that way. But Stefan Peniston, an N.C. State Bar-certified paralegal in Charlotte, has not felt a division between himself and the six female paralegals who work at Richard A. Peniston and Associates. He, too, is the only male paralegal in the firm. We re a pretty jovial bunch, he said. I haven t noticed any strange dynamics. Both men, however, acknowledge that there is a stigma attached to the paralegal job title. But it s men, not women, who tend to express those biases, said Peniston. Herman agrees. I think there s the assumption that male paralegals are either too stupid or too afraid to go to law school, he said. Herman, 34, was considering becoming an attorney when he received his undergraduate degree from Kutztown University in Pennsylvania in But he wasn t sold on the idea of law school, and decided to get a paralegal certificate from Kutztown Dan Herman instead. He never looked back. I m happy with what I do, Herman said. Peniston said he s seen men raise their eyebrows with a quizzical expression when he tells them he s a paralegal. The reaction is obvious, he said. The typical comment is Oh you re not an attorney? Both men speculate that the stigma is an example of the historical tendency of people to separate occupations by gender. I think there s an assumption that paralegal work is secretarial work, and that secretarial work is women s work, said Herman. I think the field needs time to evolve on its own. But I can guarantee you that most men are still going to pursue a J.D. Peniston, who has worked in his father s office for 12 years, said the demographic of the field is already beginning to change. At his firm, the number of résumés and inquiries from male paralegals is steadily growing. It used to be that 100 percent of the applicants were women, said Peniston. Now, I d guess that 5 to 10 percent of the job candidates are men. Male paralegals may continue to make inroads as the demand for legal services grows. The U.S. Department of Labor expects the employment rate of paralegals and legal assistants to grow 22 percent by 2016 in order to meet the needs of the nation s expanding population. That, accompanied by the presence of more men in paralegal certification programs, could help create more balance, said Peniston. Elizabeth Vance, president of the Guilford County (N.C.) Paralegal Association, estimates that there are five male members in the 60-member group. For a long time, we had only one male member, she said. But it s been steadily increasing. Indeed, at the last monthly meeting of the Union County ParalegalAssociation, Peniston was one of only two men present. But the other man an instructor from a paralegal program at a local community college brought a group of students with him. Six of them were men. Investors Title Insurance Company: 2711 Middleburg Drive, Suite 214, Columbia, SC fax Investors Title Exchange Corporation: Developing Solutions to Grow Your Bottom Line 6 Carolina Paralegal News march/april 2008

7 SOARING EAGLES By CHERYL J. LEONE Special to CPN One of my favorite stories involves a male paralegal and a female attorney. The male paralegal was escorting a new client back to the conference room and introduced the client to the female attorney. The client looked back and forth between the male paralegal and the female attorney and finally blurted out: I get so confused anymore over who is who! In other words, in this client s world, men are lawyers and women are paralegals. This is the farthest thing from the truth within these two fields. So what has happened and is happening in our paralegal world? I think you have to go back to the sudden shifts in the work force at the end of the war (by the way, for you people under 40, that is World War II). Back then, if you were female and worked outside the home, you had to have a respectable female occupation. It had been fine for women to work while men went off to war, but now things were supposed to get back to normal. Women, if they did work, did it while waiting to get married, have children and stay home to be the homemaker. If you had to work, you had to be in an acceptable job (not a career, but a job). Nurses, teachers and secretaries were considered female- and gender-appropriate. Men had to support the family, and thus the need for education and training was reserved for the male population, and wages were paid to provide for this need. The paralegal concept was actually conceived in England, and individuals were called attorney assistants. It was the training ground to provide support for the solicitors, and it allowed one to get a more formal look at law before going into the field of law. It was a predominantly male role. As usual, economics and common sense won out, and as more and more lawyers recognized the need for support personal with highly trained skills to help with the work, the paralegal concept got started in the United States. In 1968, the American Bar Association officially recognized the role of paralegals. This was at the appropriate time because, by the beginning of the 1970s and into the 1980s, the women s movement was challenging stereotype occupations in every field. Paralegals rose from the legions of highly qualified women working within the law firms. These women took the time to gain additional education that enhanced their skills so they could truly provide a supportive role to the lawyer and help ease the workload. The paralegal movement was born. At the same time, there was also multitude of legal secretaries who felt, because of their own education and experience in the field, that they, too, should be designated as paralegals. The secretarial field was already female. As states started certifying paralegals, exceptionally talented legal secretaries applied for and were grandfathered into the designation. This simply solidified the paralegal field as a growing profession that started out as predominantly female. However, times are a-changing, and more and more males are entering the paralegal work force. Based on a 2005 statistical survey, 11 percent were male a 2 percent increase over the previous year, which is huge in the statistical world. My hunch is that it s probably around 15 percent to 20 percent at this time. No one gives a second look any more at male paralegals. Paralegal employment is expected to grow by 22 percent over the next 10 years, and it is my belief that more and more men will be entering this field. I think it interesting that, by the same token, more and more females are entering the law field as lawyers. In 2006, Karen Mathias, then president-elect of the ABA, cited some astounding figures at a conference of lawyers. According to her research, in 1971 just 3 percent of all lawyers in the United States were women. In 1987, 40 percent of lawyers were women. In 2004, for the first time in history, there were more women graduating from law school than men. I would be interested to know how many women who are going to law school today had prior legal experience in law firms. Jennifer Pierce, a professor of American Studies at the University of Minnesota, wrote a book called Gender Trials in The book examines findings concerning paralegals and how gender plays a role in the field. Pierce, a former litigation paralegal, confesses that she left the field because of the long hours and unrecognized respect for her skills. In the early 1990s, Pierce did a 15-month study on gender roles in law firms. What she found is what you would expect lawyers were predominantly male, and females were paralegals. She concluded that female paralegals played the role of emotional laborers. In other words, they were seen as nurturing and deferential where the litigators were seen as analyzing and strategizing. These were what were perceived as male and female It s a unisex world out there b e h a v i o r a l traits. This in itself may have caused men to think twice about the field. Interestingly enough, she said that paralegals were asked to analyze documents and work on strategy as well, but they Cheryl Leone were also expected to provide the emotional support for the lawyers and the clients as the process developed. Unbeknownst to other paralegals, Pierce actually worked within firms to study the socioeconomic dynamics. One of her conclusions was that the inequality was not a bad thing because, as men became paralegals, theprofessionasawholestartedtoimprove,be taken more seriously and all talented paralegals were given better opportunities to advance. And why did men go into the paralegal field? My personal best theory is that with an unstable economy and men looking for new careers, the career of a paralegal fit the male role: A position of respect with a degree that would allow growth and provide stability, utilizing a thinking style that is supported by the environment. I also think it was easier for males to break into the paralegal field than the nursing field, for example. This can be attributed to the fact that there truly is no stereotypical gender for a paralegal, which is a new profession compared to the historically female nursing field. I remember my daughter giving her valedictorian speech that stated simply that her great-grandmother did not have the right to vote; her grandmother was not allowed to work outside the home; her mother (me) worked because she chose to, but certain professions were not an option; and that in her lifetime it was entirely feasible she could choose any profession she wanted, including president of the United States if she so desired. And by the way, since then she has worked as a paralegal while going to college and now owns her own law firm. And we have a woman running for president. I want a world where we are genderneutral, where people are allowed to be what they want to be and are recognized and rewarded for their skills, not their gender. And I hope we have a genderneutral world where respect is earned not because of what you are but because of who you are. And I hope we have people reaching positions of authority not as a matter of gender issues but because their knowledge and their skills put them there. When that happens, I believe we will have a world that exceeds our expectations. Editor s note: Cheryl Leone, a speaker and writer, is one of the principals in Catalyst Group, Inc. The company develops high-performance practices and staff training for law firms as well as other professional practices. Leone has more than 45 years experience in the field of law management, mentoring, and consulting. Her Web site is march/april 2008 Carolina Paralegal News 7

8 YOU ARE THE LINK! Lower legal costs were big reason paralegals got their start By ANNETTE G. CHURCH Special to CPN Many times when people refer to issues or matters all boiling down to money, it is intended as a negative remark. However, as I explored the history of the paralegal profession, it became apparent to me that the need to lower the costs of legal expenses played a primary role in establishing the paralegal profession. Our careers as paralegals had its origins as a way to make legal services financially accessible to more citizens. And since then, we have demonstrated the benefits our skills bring to the entire area of law. Most sources refer to the 1960s as the time when the profession of paralegals begin to emerge. Paralegals were recognized by the American Bar Association for the first time in Washington, D.C., was among one of the first places to utilize paralegals, and the idea spread quickly. After all, what professional does not want to provide better service at a savings? In 1974, the National Federation of Paralegal Associations was founded as the first national paralegal association. Created as a non-profit organization with Annette Church a mission to advance policies relating to the quickly evolving paralegal profession, this federation today has more than 11,000 members and 50 member associations and remains dedicated to advancing our profession. All of us owe a great debt to their efforts, as they continue to monitor legislation that could affect numerous issues in the paralegal field. Many other paralegal professional associations have resulted from the growth of our field. An example is the Charleston Association of Legal Assistants, founded in A primary goal of this group is to promote excellence in education in our profession. The S.C. Upstate Paralegal Association provides a superb Web site, and I encourage you to enter its name in your favorite search engine and check it out. We will all join in the celebration when the goal of paralegal certification is reached in South Carolina. I believe in supporting causes you believe in. Therefore, please consider writing S.C. state representatives and senators and the governor about the issue. If you are a resident of North Carolina, write them and explain the benefits of paralegal certification. Express your support for your fellow paralegals in the Palmetto State. To get contact information for the elected government officials of South Carolina, go to SC.GOV on the Internet. Then go the right side of the site where Branches of Government is listed. Click there for the contact information. It is my hope that S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford may be an advocate for paralegals. He declared Oct. 26, 2007, as Paralegal Day, and his proclamation read as follows: To recognize paralegals throughout the Palmetto State for their efforts to help our legal system perform more efficiently and effectively for the benefit of South Carolina residents. NCPA The N.C. Paralegal Association s Web site has a timeline that presents, in a wonderful way, the history of North Carolina paralegals progress. This association began with a group of paralegals in the Greensboro area. Another group joined with them in 1979, and the group had its bylaws for the NCPA drafted. By 1980, the association was officially in operation with 177 members. What has happened since is tremendous! Much, much more history is revealed on the NCPA Web site. From its first CLE, the issuance of its first publication and the vast accomplishment of co-hosting the NALA s 15th Annual Convention in 1990 with the Virginia affiliates, on to the Paralegal Profession Act being introduced to the N.C. General Assembly and paralegal certification approval by the N.C. Supreme Court, it is a powerful and inspirational read. Indeed, certification has brought motivating and thrilling times to our profession. With more and more colleges expanding their paralegal courses and majors, the significant leaps made in the past will continue. Increased educational opportunities for paralegals are essential. Also important is greater interaction among paralegals, creating an increased bond among ourselves. We will grow stronger with the support of one another. Editor s note: Annette G. Church is an N.C. State Bar-certified paralegal with Ted A. Greve and Associates of Charlotte. OPPORTUNITIES: We carry an extensive line of contact lenses and designer frames including LaFont, Nike, Ray-Ban, Dolce & Gabanna and Versace. Carolina Paralegal News readers are looking for: job opportunities for paralegals, administrators, legal secretaries, and other legal support staff. They are also looking for other services for paralegals. Place your ad today in Carolina Paralegal News. Call ext. 11 or sharon.lipps@nc.lawyersweekly.com 8 Carolina Paralegal News march/april 2008

9 CAROLINA PARALEGAL NEWS Q&A Q&A with Lee Owens, president, South Carolina Upstate Paralegal Association CPN: How many members do you have? Owens: SCUPA currently has approximately 65 members, including active paralegals, paralegal students and associate members who are members of the legal community. CPN: How often do you meet? Owens: Our full membership meets monthly on the second Thursday of the month. Our meetings are generally lunch meetings with an educational keynote speaker. Usually, CLE credit is available for attendees. CPN: Any special events (CLEs, annual seminars, etc.)? Owens: SCUPA is in the process of scheduling its annual seminar for September CPN: What one or two items are at the top of your agenda as president? Owens: One of my primary goals as president is to continue to encourage paralegals in the area to join our organization. This is a continuation of my primary goal as second vice president-membership for the previous two years. Melissia Ford, who is second vice president-membership for the current year, also holds this as a primary goal, and we will be working closely with each other and other members of the SCUPA board to further this goal. Continuing education for paralegals in the area is always a top priority. CPN: Does your group sponsor any charitable organizations? Owens: SCUPA is involved in a variety of charitable and community endeavors throughout the year. We support the March of Dimes and are planning to participate in the 2008 campaign by entering a team in the walk scheduled for April 26, SCUPA also participates in the Wills for Heroes program, which provides wills to police, firefighters and emergency personnel at no cost. We participate in or contribute to other charitable organizations as the need arises. CPN: What pitch do you give to nonmembers who are wondering whether they should join your group? Owens: I do not know that we employ a pitch, but all of our members try to encourage others in the paralegal field to join SCUPA as a means of networking with colleagues, gaining contacts in the legal field and furthering educational pursuits. CPN: What s the biggest challenge facing today s paralegal? Owens: Believe it or not, there are still attorneys and law firms that are unaware of the value that paralegals can add to a law practice. CPN: Could law firms function without the paralegal profession? Owens: They could certainly function, but, if his or her skills are utilized well, a paralegal can be an invaluable asset to the attorney. CPN: Do you think paralegals need greater recognition from the Bar? Owens: I would like to see a paralegal division in the state bar associations. CPN: How long have you been a paralegal? Owens: Twenty-one years. Eleven of those years were spent working in two different corporate legal departments. The last 10 have been in a private law firm setting. CPN: What area of law do you concentrate in (if any)? Owens: My primary focus is corporate law, including mergers and acquisitions, entity formations and corporate reorganizations. In my years as a paralegal, I have also worked in intellectual property, securities and corporate governance. CPN: What firm/institution do you work for? Owens: Leatherwood Walker Todd & Mann, in Greenville, S.C. CPN: What do you like best about your job? Owens: I work with a terrific group of people, all of whom are conscientious, hardworking and dedicated to providing clients with top-notch service. CPN: Which of your job skills are you proudest of? Believe it or not, there are still attorneys and law firms that are unaware of the value that paralegals can add to a law practice. Lee Owens president, South Carolina Upstate Paralegal Association Owens: It is my firm belief that my job as a paralegal is to make my attorneys jobs easier for them. I pride myself on taking on whatever task is at hand, regardless of what that task is, and my commitment to my team. CPN: Have you ever saved the day at work? If so, how? Owens: Our firm operates on a team basis, so no one individual saves the day. It is a team effort. CPN: Where would we likely find you on the weekends? Owens: I enjoy spending the weekend with my husband and my two daughters, either gardening, reading or attending local events. If it s fall, then it s football! SCUPA OFFICERS FOR 2008 Lee Owens, president lowens@lwtm.com Wendy MacDonald, 1st vice president, programs wmacdonald@hsblawfirm.com Melissia Ford, 2nd vice president, membership mford@mcdonaldpatrick.com Sean Thacker, 2nd vice president, publications sthacker@dobsonlaw.com Michelle Martinez, secretary michelle@bmllp.com Char Johnson, treasurer cjohnson@gwblawfirm.com Liz Scharf, NALA liaison lscharf@wyche.com CPN: Your favorite vacation spot? Owens: I enjoy any vacation spot, but my favorites are those that are sunny and warm. CPN: Last movie you went to? Owens: Charlie Wilson s War with Tom Hanks. Look no further. Everything you need is within sight. If you are one of the thousands of North Carolina attorneys insured with Lawyers Mutual, then you already know the service, support and security that you receive. What you may not know is that Lawyers Insurance, a subsidiary of Lawyers Mutual and the official insurance agency of the North Carolina Bar Association, provides a comprehensive range of other valuable Insurance Products to protect you, your business and the people behind it. We deliver the truth throughout the Carolinas. 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10 CAROLINA PARALEGAL NEWS Q&A Q&A with Chiquetta Simmons, president, Charleston Association of Legal Assistants CPN: How many members do you have? Simmons: The Charleston Association of Legal Assistants presently has 69 members, which consists of 17 new members, 49 returning members and three sustaining members. To date, our current numbers reflect a substantial membership increase when compared to the same time last year. Our 2008 goal is to exceed last year s 98 membership total. CPN: How often do you meet? Simmons: Our membership meetings are held every third Wednesday of each month from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Along with the different guest speakers we have each month, we also change the meeting locations every quarter. This allows our members to enjoy the different scenery at different locations, as well as different menu choices. Previously, the board members met every second Wednesday of the month for one hour. However, at our last board meeting, we decided that going forward we will call a special meeting one to two additional times per month. These extra meetings will assist in giving us more time to discuss how to maintain the structure of the organization and to better manage the huge task of planning the upcoming events. CPN: Any special events (CLEs, annual seminars, etc.)? Simmons: Our members who are CLAcertified have the opportunity to earn one CLE credit hour per every membership meeting pursuant to the speakers and topics discussed in accordance with the requirements to maintain certification, per NALA. We are in the process of planning our fall seminar that will be held in October. I will submit more information and plans as they are confirmed. CPN: What one or two items are at the top of your agenda as president? Simmons: As president, my first agenda item is to start a scholarship fund on behalf of CALA. The scholarship will be for students enrolled in the paralegal/legal assistant programs throughout Charleston, S.C. Secondly, we are in the process of establishing CALA Day, which would occur on the third Saturday in May. This fun day would be held at a local park and would include food, fun, games and a gathering of members and their families. CALA Day is designed to help bring together I believe the clients are comforted by the fact that I know the details of their individual case. Chiquetta Simmons president, Charleston Association of Legal Assistants our members for the purpose of coalescing around future enhancements to the organization of the paralegal profession as a whole. CPN: What pitch do you give to nonmembers who are wondering whether they should join your group? Simmons: I would tell a non-member that CALA is an organization whose goals are to advance the educational standards of the profession, encourage ethical and professional achievement and promote the paralegal profession. I would advise them that the benefit to being a member in CALA is the opportunity to meet other legal professionals, attend educational events, further professional development and develop leadership skills. I would also advise them that, as an association, we are the voices of the paralegal profession. Our power is in our membership, and our strength is in our numbers. The larger our membership body, the louder our voices will be on issues that directly affect our profession. If we want to be respected for the professionals we are, if we want to influence the way paralegals are viewed by lawyers and the legal community, then we must strengthen our voice and increase our impact. CPN: What s the biggest challenge facing today s paralegal? Simmons: I think the biggest challenge facing today s paralegal would be salary. Many paralegals are not receiving the proper salary that is commensurate with their education and experience. Also, the lack of acknowledgement and respect given to the paralegal by the attorney when they are not recognized as being a vital asset to the team. CPN: Could law firms function without the paralegal profession? Simmons: I think a sole practitioner or a small firm that consists of one or two attorneys would initially be able to function without a paralegal, but once the practice grows (and that is the goal), it would definitely be more productive and beneficial to have one on board. The larger firms, no they could not function without us. CPN: Do you think paralegals need greater recognition from the Bar? Simmons: Yes, I do! I think attorneys need to be assured that the paralegals they employ to assist them are educated and qualified to provide legal services. Paralegals have a great amount of interaction with clients, and many times the clients rely directly upon information given by paralegals. Paralegals should know and understand their ethical duties and their limitations under the authorized practice of law statutes. They should meet minimum standards of paralegal competency. A certification program through the S.C. Bar would minimize ethical violation, malpractice claims and unauthorized practice of law. Through continued education and experience based on certification from the Bar, it would assist lawyers and law firms in distinguishing paralegals that meet or exceed the skills required for certification and identify the highly qualified paralegal professionals. With that being said, paralegal salaries would be commensurate not only with education and experience but also certification. CPN: How long have you been a paralegal? Simmons: This is my 16th year. CPN: What area of law do you concentrate in (if any)? Simmons: I am involved in areas of pharmaceutical, defective drugs and medical device litigation. CPN: What firm/institution do you work for? Simmons: I work for Motley Rice in Mount Pleasant, S.C., which is one of the largest plaintiff s litigation firms in the nation. CPN: What do you like best about your job? Simmons: I love helping people and also knowing that I was an integral part of assisting our clients receive the compensation they deserve for what they have endured. This is something I do See SIMMONS page 11 QUALITY SERVICE INTEGRITY Quality Court Reporting and Video Since 1989 Professional Stenotype Reporters Conference Rooms Complete Case Management Real Time/Daily Copy Certified Legal Videographers Video Teleconferencing All Forms of Litigation Support Online Accessibility Copying/Imaging/Binding/Consulting Serving All Of North Carolina scheduling@caseworksonline.com Linda N. Russell CSR Carolina Paralegal News march/april 2008

11 SIMMONS CAROLINA PARALEGAL NEWS Q&A Continued from PAGE 10 every day on the job, and it makes me feel really good at the end of the day. CPN: Which of your job skills are you proudest of? Simmons: Amongst many others, I am most proud of the rapport that I have with our clients. I guess it reflects not only who I am, but the type of person that I am. At all times, I try to give clients a sense of commitment to fighting for their benefit and that I sympathize with their plight. In so doing, I believe the clients are comforted by the fact that I know the details of their individual case and I understand and sympathize with what they have been through or still may be going through. CPN: Have you ever saved the day at work? If so, how? Simmons: I can t take the credit for saving the day alone, because I work with an awesome attorney, Carmen S. Scott, and legal secretary, Staci Palmer Barra. We make a spectacular team, so the praise of saving the day or putting out fires would go to the three of us as a team. CPN: Where would we likely find you on the weekends? Simmons: Saturdays are family days, where we would catch a movie or bowl and go out to eat. Sundays are the relaxing days for me I would go to church (early morning service) and, after I have cooked dinner, I would relax and watch Lifetime the remainder of the day. CPN: Your favorite vacation spot? Simmons: Anywhere that my lifetime girlfriends and I plan to go and get away, preferably someplace warm and beautiful. CPN: Last movie you went to? Simmons: The Great Debate. CALA S UPCOMING CHARITABLE EVENTS 2008 Clean Cities Sweep To clean up and beautify Charleston and North Charleston. Dates are April 20, 2008 April 27, Grand opening of new animal shelter Volunteers will help with games, activities, dog-walking, showing off adoptable animals, ballot-counting, raffle, tours, giveaways, selling items in retail stores and manning information booths. Mentoring program/career Day events Speaking to high school students about the paralegal profession. The next event will be at Charleston High School from 7:30 11:45 a.m., April 10. CALA BOARD MEMBERS FOR 2008 For more information and upcoming events please visit CALA s Web site at Chiquetta E. Simmons president Nelson R. Gibson vice president Glynis Washington treasurer Edna Nix recording secretary April McCants corresponding secretary LaTonia Roberson NALA liason, SCALAA delegate Cliff Jarvis job bank chair Rita Boags community outreach chair Carrie Shillingford holiday/social committee chair Haywood R. Starling Forensic Handwriting Examiner Former Supervisor Questioned Documents N.C. State Bureau Investigation Competitive Fee Fast Turnaround 3327 Lake Boone Tr. Raleigh, N.C Tel Fax march/april 2008 Carolina Paralegal News 11

12 Life Stories Focused on progress: The more I learned, the more I wanted to know By MARJORIE JONES Special to CPN Hello, I m Marjorie Jones, a 2005 graduate of the Spartanburg Methodist College Paralegal Program and currently employed as an administrative assistant with the S.C. Supreme Court. Choosing a career was not always at the top of my list. Early in life, I had to make decisions that would later prove to be in the best interests of my children. My first career choice was in child care. My love for children guided me to seek employment with the Spartanburg Regional Medical Center Child Development Center. After being employed there for about a year, I decided that it was time to improve my skills by seeking higher education. I, along with three of my co-workers, enrolled in the Early Childhood development program at Spartanburg Methodist College. Focusing on attaining a degree was the best thing that I could have done. Once I completed this task, I felt that I was a much more qualified caregiver and better equipped to do the job that I was hired to do. Education has always been important to me. Not only does it solidify your credibility, it also makes you more marketable. For the next 14 and a half years, I enjoyed sharing my knowledge with children to help them develop their cognitive and social skills. When you have a job that you enjoy, it never seems like a job. Once my youngest child was ready to leave the center to start kindergarten, I decided that it was time for me to move in another direction. Once again, trying to make a decision that would be in the best interests of my children, I took a part-time position as an office manager, which would give me the flexibility that I needed to be available for my children after school. It was here that I was able to build my office skills, particularly my computer skills. This would prove to be my best decision of all. After utilizing my office skills for the next several years, I felt that my skills were at a level that would allow me to seek other employment. In 1998, I was fortunate enough to find myself in a position to use my office abilities to land a secretarial position with the Seventh Judicial Circuit in Spartanburg County. Here, I would become familiar with the different aspects of litigation. Although I have not worked in a law office, my exposure to daily activities associated with litigation gave me a broad view of how things should work. I became familiar with many different forms and procedures while working at the circuit level. The hands-on experience was great. On the circuit level, I was exposed to both civil and criminal procedures. It was here that I was able to begin understanding how a case started, from the filing of the complaint to the arrival before the judge. Here I was able to see how a default judgment worked, what it meant for each party involved and what forms were to be submitted before the default could be presented to the judge for his viewing and signature. I also learned to prepare forms and utilized my computer skills to assist with typing orders. It seemed as if the more I learned, the more I wanted to know. I attended a research seminar on the circuit that exposed me to the electronic research. This would prove helpful over the next few months. Once I enrolled in the paralegal program, I was very excited about how much I had learned through my daily exposure at work. Attending class was a lot of fun because I was able to build on the knowledge that I had acquired during my years of experience working on the Circuit Court level. The next level was the Court of Appeals, where the interaction with attorneys would now become very scarce for me. No longer did I have to keep track of whether or not the judge had seen a file or whether an order had been presented by an attorney. At the appellate level, my job changed significantly. The amount of paperwork that I handled at that point was a lot smaller than the circuit level. Now, the concentration would turn to more research and proofreading. This is where the paralegal program helped tremendously. By having the research and writing courses under my belt, I became more confident about assisting in pulling a case from Westlaw without second-guessing myself. This would make it easier for me to proofread as well as making sure cites were correct, which is very important when they are included in an opinion. Although our office has law clerks, I am able to render assistance when needed. If you are considering working in a law firm, I think that you should at least take the research and writing courses from a paralegal program. During my classes in research and writing, I learned more about what would now become part of my dayto-day exposure, such as the briefs that would be sent to our office, the process of how a case goes from one court and ends up at the appellate level, and maintaining all resource materials, assuring the most up-to-date volumes are available in the office. Now that I am at the Supreme Courtlevel, my duties are pretty much the same as with the Court of Appeals. I feel confident that the skills that I obtained Marjorie Jones during my training in the paralegal program will continue to be utilized as part of the team. There are still the daily administrative duties to be handled: Phones, letters, filing and staying on top of the justice s calendar. I look forward to the many other tasks that he will assign to me. Although it is not a requirement, I look forward to seeing and reading the opinions once they have been published. Trying to explain what you do on a daily basis is a little hard. This is just a small portion of what happens. I hope that this has given you a little glimpse into the life of a judicial administrative assistant and how I got here. Again, I encourage anyone who is thinking about becoming a paralegal to strongly consider getting into a program in order to equip yourselves with the necessary skills needed to keep an office running smoothly. Although I have attended a meeting, I am not a member of the local chapter of legal assistants. However, I do plan to join eventually. Editor s note: Marjorie Jones is a paralegal at the S.C. Supreme Court and works for Justice Donald W. Beatty as an administrative assistant. CPN: What s the biggest challenge facing today s paralegal? Brooks: Resting assured that everything is in that box when the lawyer walks out of the door with it! CPN: Could law firms function without the paralegal profession? Brooks: Law firms might function without a paralegal, but a firm can really accelerate its productivity by utilizing all of the powerful capabilities that a paralegal possesses, including efficiency, organization, researching, locating, drafting, investigating, reviewing and preparing. Paralegals are enriched with a can-do attitude, ready to accept any challenge by recognizing that no task is too large. CPN: Do you think paralegals need greater recognition from the Bar? Brooks: Should the Bar create a division to recognize paralegals, lawyers and paralegals could learn from each other. Paralegals learn the needs of attorneys, and the attorneys understand the full scope of a paralegal. Both could benefit by working together with the Bar. CPN: How long have you been a paralegal? Brooks: I began at the bottom of the totem pole, working as a part-time courier in a law firm while in college. Absorbing every detail around me, I worked my way into the mold of a paralegal over five years ago. CPN: What area of law do you concentrate in (if any)? CAROLINA PARALEGAL NEWS Q&A Q&A with Betsy Brooks, paralegal, Pope & Hudgens, Newberry, S.C. Brooks: My focus is in a civil litigation practice, including personal injury, wrongful death, medical malpractice, legal malpractice, workers compensation, breach of contract, condemnations, automobile accidents and breach of trust. CPN: What firm/institution do you work for? Brooks: I work for Pope & Hudgens law firm in Newberry, for attorney Thomas H. Pope, III, along with lawyers Joseph W. Hudgens, W. Chad Jenkins, and Kyle B. Parker. CPN: What do you like best about your job? Brooks: I most enjoy the wide array of Paralegals are enriched with a can-do attitude, ready to accept any challenge by recognizing that no task is too large. Betsy Brooks paralegal, Pope & Hudgens, Newberry, S.C. challenges presented on a daily basis. From direct contact with clients, lawyers, experts and court personnel, to preparing fully for a trial (and everything in between), the experiences that I gain are invaluable. CPN: What paralegal organizations, national, state or local, are you member of and what positions do you hold in them? Brooks: I was an active member of the Charleston Association of Legal Assistants of Charleston, S.C. I recently relocated to the Midlands and returned as a member of the Palmetto Paralegal Association in Columbia, S.C. CPN: Which of your job skills are you proudest of? Brooks: I am most proud of my organizational skills. To be a successful paralegal, one must first lay the proper foundation. Once you are familiar with your case, everything else will fall into place as the file continues to develop. CPN: Have you ever saved the day at work? If so, how? Brooks: Paralegals save the day every day! They often remind me of Superman. They are humble and would never acknowledge that they hold those secret powers. They are professionals who are extremely dedicated to their work and always put their best foot forward. (By the way, I often wonder how they manage to keep their capes hidden!) CPN: What are your personal goals as a paralegal for the coming year? Brooks: My personal goals include striving for excellence in any situation. I hope to further develop my organization skills and continue educating myself on the paralegal profession and the legal field in general. CPN: Where would we likely find you on the weekends? Brooks: On the weekends, you might find me traveling or spending time with family and friends. CPN: Your last vacation spot? Brooks: My vacations have included travels to Spain, Africa, Germany, France, Mexico, Panama and Costa Rica my bags are always packed! 12 Carolina Paralegal News march/april 2008

13 ASSOCIATION NEWS NORTH CAROLINA PARALEGAL ASSOCIATIONS Metrolina Paralegal Association NOTES: New elections and installation for the members of the executive board will take place in April and May. Monthly membership meetings: Second Thursday of each month. All-day seminar: On Oct. 9, a seminar will enable participants to obtain the required CLE for NALA certification and N.C. Bar Association paralegal certification. Asheville Area Paralegal Association Monthly membership meetings: First Thursday of each month. Meetings will alternate between 11:30 a.m. lunch meetings and 5:30 p.m. dinner meetings. Topics vary from meeting to meeting and are posted on Web site at RSVP with menu selection. Cumberland County Paralegal Association NOTES: Election of new officers will take place in April. Monthly membership meetings: Second Thursday of each month at 12:30 p.m.; various locations. April 12: 17th Annual Educational Seminar, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., FTCC Lecture Hall, Health Technology Building. Guilford Paralegal Association NOTES: Members interested in running for office in should contact Teresa Smith at April 8: Monthly membership meeting, Ward Black Law Firm, 208 W. Wendover Ave., Greensboro. Guest speaker: Janet Ward Black. Topic: 4All campaign of the N.C. State Bar. May 3: Full-day continuing education seminar, DoubleTree Inn, High Point Road at I-40, Greensboro. The seminar will offer six continuing education credits for N.C. certified paralegals, pending approval from the N.C. State Bar Board of Paralegal Certification. The seminar is open to members, non-members, paralegals and students outside Guilford County. For a registration form, president@ guilfordparalegalassociation.org. May 13: Monthly membership meeting. Location: TBA. This will be a dinner meeting for networking, business items and nomination of officers for Raleigh-Wake Paralegal Association NOTES: The RWPA Annual CLE is scheduled for Oct. 3 at N.C. State s McKimmon Center. The all-day CLE allows for 6.0 CLE credits, including one ethics credit. This CLE will provide paralegals with all the required CLE credits necessary to maintain state certification. A hot lunch will be provided for all. More information and a CLE application will be available later in the year. April 9: RWPA monthly meeting at 12:30 p.m., Wachovia Building, 150 Fayetteville Street, 13th floor, Raleigh. Speaker: Tricia Sabol, on techniques for dealing with stress both in and out of the office. May 14: RWPA monthly meeting at 12:30 p.m., Wachovia Building, 150 Fayetteville Street, 13th floor, Raleigh. Speaker: Jim Blackburn North Carolina Paralegal Association, Inc. March 27-29: NCPA Annual Meeting and Seminar at Embassy Suites Hotel in Concord, N.C. Contact: Patti Clapper at (704) Research Triangle Paralegal Association NOTES: RTPA regularly supports Interact of Wake County ( and challenges you, your firms or companies to get involved. Please visit our Web site ( for additional information about upcoming meetings and events. The Research Triangle Paralegal Association meetings occur the third Wednesday of April, June, August and October. A holiday meeting will be in December. The members of the Raleigh-Wake Paralegal Association board for 2008 are, front row, Sherry Grady, Julianne Fink, Crissie Curtis; middle row, Deana Walker, Priscilla DeLuca, Lisa Vasques, Maryle Herkimer; and, back row, Shiela Jones, Lanice Heidbrink, Dara Lyon-Warner, Christine Blackwell, Dianne Shakelford, Nancy Mallett, and Jen Watford. Photo courtesy of Raleigh-Wake Paraliegal Association SOUTH CAROLINA PARALEGAL ASSOCIATIONS Palmetto Paralegal Association NOTES: The PPA s 20th anniversary gala will be held Oct. 15 from 5-7 p.m. at the Meridian Building on Main Street in Columbia. April 16: Membership meeting at Summit Club, Columbia. May 21: Membership meeting at Summit Club, Columbia. S.C. Upstate Paralegal Association NOTES: Four paralegals have successfully completed the NALA twoday Certified Legal Assistant examination and are now entitled to use the CLA or CP professional credential. They are: Melissia G. Ford of McDonald, Patrick, Baggett, Poston & Hemphill, Liz B. Scharf of Wyche Burgess Freeman & Parham, Sarah Smith of Davis & Snyder and Sean Thacker of Dobson, Jones, Ball, Phillips and Bridges. These paralegals are among 141 in the state of South Carolina and 14,566 paralegals nationwide who have attained this goal, according to NALA. Educational luncheon meetings are held on the second Thursday of the month at 12:30 p.m. at the Poinsett Club, 807 E. Washington St., Greenville. Legal Staff Professionals of Greenville NOTES: LSPG held its Fashion Show & Membership Drive on Feb. 7. Coldwater Creek of Haywood Mall for supplied the clothing and several door prizes for the event. LSPG s regular membership meetings are on the third Wednesday of every month from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at the Poinsett Club. The meetings offer educational speakers and one half-hour of CLE credit. National Association of Legal Assistants NOTES: More than 30 programs will be offered through May by the NALA Campus LIVE Online Educational Programs. Ranging from intermediate to advanced levels, the programs have been approved for CLE credit by the N.C. State Bar Board of Paralegal Certification. The entire schedule may be found at Online courses are accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. March 28-29: - CLA/CP examination. April 24-26: CLA/CP short course A April 2: Board meeting at City Hall, 12:30 p.m. April 16: Monthly membership meeting at the Poinsett Club, 12:30 p.m. The officers will be installed. Legal Staffing Professionals of South Carolina NOTES: LSPSC has seven newly certified members. They are: A. Yvonne Fortner, Karen Cummins, Elaine Botten, Gwen Loftis, Dawn Williams, Kayce Dawson and Jessica French. Yvonne Fortner and Karen Cummins received commemorative pins for receiving professional paralegal certification at the Legal Staff Professionals of South Carolina Winter Membership meeting at Seawell s in Columbia. For more information on these certifications, please visit our Web site at LSPSC has asked nine colleges across the state to encourage students to submit scholarship applications for the Norma F. George PLS Scholarship Award. Each year, LSPSC offers a $1,000 scholarship to students who are seeking further education to become paralegals, legal assistants or legal secretaries. If you or anyone you know may meet these criteria and would like to receive an application, please contact this year s scholarship chairperson, Robin Deming, at 5148 Henderson Hill Road, Chesnee, S.C or demingcatr@chesnet.net. April 18-20: LSPSC 43rd Annual Meeting and Educational Conference, Airport Holiday Inn, Charleston. Charleston Association of Legal Assistants Membership meetings are held every third Wednesday of the month from 12:30-1:30 p.m. NATIONAL PARALEGAL ASSOCIATIONS Prep Course for Nationwide Certification as a Paralegal, Jacksonville, Fla. National Federation of Paralegal Associations, Inc. April 25-27: Leadership and Regulation Superconference, Indianapolis, Ind. July 25-26: NFPA Tech Institute Real World Tools for the Virtual World, Doubletree Hotel, Aurora, Colo. Oct. 9-12: Annual Convention: Runnin Wild in Arkansas 08, Embassy Suites NWA, Rogers, Ark. SEND US YOUR NEWS Carolina Paralegal News is happy to publish announcements of upcoming events, association anniversaries or meetings scheduled for your paralegal organization. Please your news to diana.smith@cpn.lawyersweekly.com by May 1 for the next issue. march/april 2008 Carolina Paralegal News 13

14 Needy families. Hungry animals. Unemployed people. Is there a community need that paralegals don t serve? From STAFF REPORTS A paralegal s work is never done. In addition to fulfilling work responsibilities and attaining CLE credits, many paralegal associations in the Carolinas feel a duty to contribute to their communities by participating in volunteer service projects. It s a way for members to bond with one another, said Elizabeth Vance, president of the Guilford Paralegal Association in North Carolina. But it s more than just a networking opportunity. Some paralegals practice areas, such as litigation or divorce law, can be emotionally draining, and service work invigorates them. Most of us who deal with the law deal with a lot of negativity, said Vance, who works in family law at Wyatt Early Harris Wheeler in High Point, N.C. It s nice to do something good for people. I do that in my job, but it s harder to see in the long run. Rather than adopting one cause, the 60 members of the Guilford Paralegal Association participate in all kinds of charitable work. We try to support things that our members have a particular affinity for, said Vance. Robin Allen, the association s community coordinator, has been active with the Urban Ministry for years. So when she suggested making donations to the group last year, her paralegal comrades rallied around her. More than 20 members collected gloves, scarves and hats for 100 needy families. The organization has also supported local animal rescues by donating canned foods, adopted a route to deliver food for the Meals on Wheels program and participated in a Santa for Seniors event, in which they donned red and white Santa hats and delivered gift bags to the elderly. In South Carolina, the 200 members of the Palmetto Paralegal Association are currently collecting Easter baskets and cash donations to deliver to local children s homes. It s an event the association does every spring, according to Melinda Cotton, the chair of the groups community relations and pro bono committee. Last year, they delivered 230 baskets. When we see some of the letters that come back from these children s homes, we know why we do this work, said Cotton. You can feel the joy. In these homes, you ve got children who are not with their families for whatever reasons, and these baskets are a way to give them a little boost. In April, the PPA will begin collecting toys for a local children s cancer center. They also purchase coloring books and drawing pads to stock up the waiting room of the Dickerson Children s Center in Columbia, a non-profit agency that helps abused children. They also participate in the National Federation of Paralegal Association s Navy Legalmen Project, in which they raise funds and mail a monthly care package to a Navy legalman or military paralegal stationed in Iraq or Afghanistan. At the NFPA conference in October, the association was recognized for the amount and consistency of its donations to the Navy Legalmen Project. Sometimes, the charitable work ends up striking a personal chord. Last year, the Raleigh-Wake Paralegal Association in North Carolina pioneered a new service project for unemployed women, called Dress for Success, through a partnership with the Raleigh JobLink program. The mission was twofold: First, RWPA members would collect suits, shoes, purses and jewelry that women could wear to job interviews; second, they would spend an evening helping women refine When we see some of the letters that come back from these childrenʼs homes, we know why we do this work. You can feel the joy. In these homes, youʼve got children who are not with their families for whatever reasons, and these baskets are a way to give them a little boost. Melinda Cotton Palmetto Paralegal Association cover letters and résumés. Dress for Success was the brainchild of RWPA president Julianne Fink, a single mother of two. Fink, who was then chair of civic/community outreach, always sought to support programs that would tap into the heartstrings of the association s membership. Dress for Success was her heartstring. A few years ago, I left my husband. I took my two children and had literally 200 bucks and a couple of suitcases and that was it, she said. I didn t have anything. I didn t have a job, and I went and lived with my parents and went to Meredith [College] and I got my paralegal degree. My heartstrings pull on the single parent because I know how difficult that is. I ve lived that. Luckily, I had the grace of God and my parents, but a lot of people don t have that backup, and so it s a little bit more difficult to get through things and have that faith that it s going to be OK and that sooner or later you ll find something. The RWPA membership supported the program whole heartedly, Fink said. Of the association s 100 members, a dozen paralegals spent an evening sitting side-byside with women at computers in the JobLink center, helping them create or enhance their résumés. More than half of the members donated clothes for Dress for Success. Each summer, members also donate backpacks filled with supplies for children for the Wake County Guardian Ad Litem program. One year, the members collected more than $1,000 in backpacks and school supplies. RWPA members also spend about $125 per child buying gifts during the holidays through the Guardian Ad Litem program s Angel Project. That s another favorite among members, Fink said. Although you don t meet the children, you kind of get a biography of them, she said. You hear their back story, and it s really heart-wrenching, and you realize how blessed you are in trying to give back. For 2008, the association plans to repeat Dress for Success and the backpack project. They will also continue staple projects, such as collecting canned goods or fundraising for the Red Cross if natural disasters or catastrophes occur. Sometimes until you re in a position where you kind of feel like you ve lost everything, you can t get a true understanding of what you re doing, said Fink. But when you can empathize, and not just sympathize, with people, that s when you can understand. You know, I enjoy being the president [of RWPA], but I have to admit that being the civic/community chair was one of my favorite things to do. I knew I was making a difference. Photos courtesy of the Guilford Paralegal Association The Guilford Paralegal Association held a ʻwrapʼ party in December 2006 to sort and wrap gifts donated by members and their firms for their Adopt-A-Family project. They provided gifts, clothing and Christmas dinner to a family of seven that they adopted through the Salvation Army of Greensboro, N.C. Stockings and presents are ready for delivery. GPA members participated in a fundraising walk for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in September 2006 in High Point, N.C. In the front row is Sandra Strickland. In the back row are Felicia Jones, Joyce Jasper-Morant, Margaret Gabriel and Elizabeth Vance. WHAT S YOUR PROJECT? Carolina Paralegal wants to know what s on your list of community care projects. Are you serving the needs of the poor? Visiting the elderly and infirm? Providing holiday gifts to children and adults who might otherwise not get any? Whatever the service, if it s provided by paralegals or a paralegal association, let us know what it is and how it s making the world a better place. We ll run your responses in a special feature in Carolina Paralegal. And who knows? Maybe your community project will be the inspiration for someone else s. 14 Carolina Paralegal News march/april 2008

15 HISTORY: Education, regulation seen as important goals in paralegal profession Continued from PAGE 5 hune joined Hall, Estill, Gable, Golden & ing to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nelson in Tulsa, Okla., in 1977, she was Participation in NALA or NFPA certification gram like that to manage the documents. It was very new. Mitchell, a past president of the Palmetto Paralegal Association, also felt a sense that the paralegal field was still working hard to gain credibility in the 1990s. It was part of the reason that she pursued leadership roles within the association. Even though it was 16 years ago that I was starting out, smaller firms really weren t using paralegals. They were using secretaries or administrative assistants, Mitchell said. It was only the bigger firms that were really using paralegals, so I felt strongly that we needed to promote ourselves so that we could let everybody know that there were benefits to using paralegals in their offices. Indeed, the need for paralegals in law offices took time to catch on. When Terthe first paralegal the firm had ever hired. By the time she left in 1997, there were 30. Large firms are also developing programs to incorporate paralegals into their practices, Mitchell said. For example, firms might have distinct paralegal programs with paralegal managers or paralegal recruiters on staff. Education remains a primary goal. Association meetings throughout the Carolinas offer speakers and seminars enabling paralegals to earn CLE credits. About 1,000 schools offer a variety of paralegal degree programs, ranging from a paralegal certificate to a master s degree. The ABA has approved 260 paralegal programs across the country. While there is no requirement that a paralegal attain a degree from an ABA-approved program, it can increase employment opportunities, accordway exams is voluntary, but is a good for paralegals to test their knowledge and maintain high standards of professional excellence, said Terhune. Now, the primary focus should be turned to regulation, said Mitchell. There is no Bar-certified regulation of the paralegal field in South Carolina, but Mitchell thinks it s crucial, not just to increase the field s credibility, but also to protect the public. In some places especially in South Carolina you can still call yourself a paralegal without any kind of legal education or training. In states or areas where that s the case, you have people come in who say, Well, I m a paralegal, with very limited background and no training or experience needed to perform the job function. So, if you don t have an attorney supervising them to the level that they should, then I believe that the client can be at risk. The barriers to that type of regulation: Some attorneys may not feel that it s needed, said Mitchell. But she does see more firms requiring that paralegal job applicants have a bachelor s degree and a paralegal certificate, which she feels is a small step in the right direction. It s the efforts of people like Mitchell and members of all national, state and regional paralegal associations that will encourage the field to grow, said Terhune. Although she no longer has a leadership role with NALA, she continues to attend the organization s conventions and seminars. There comes a time when you realize that anything worthwhile can t be continued by the same person or it will die, said Terhune. So you have other people take up the cause. And they re doing a wonderful job. C l a s s i f i e d EMPLOYMENT AVAILABLE Administrative Assistant Administrative Assistant for a small litigation firm in North Raleigh. Please resume, cover, and salary history to melissalaurie@laurielaw.com Paralegal Youngblood & Associates Recruiters for Paralegals and Legal Executive Assistants in Coastal North Carolina Looking for a Career Change? Legal Secretary Well established, busy litigation law firm seeking receptionist/legal secretary. Law office experience preferred. Salary based on experience. Great benefits with a pleasant working environment. Please resume to: legalassistant80@yahoo.com Call Sharon to x11 Contact us at: syoungblood@youngbloodaso.com The Wilmington office of Cranfill Sumner & Hartzog LLP is now accepting resumes for an experienced litigation paralegal- employment defense experience preferred. Qualified candidates will have a minimum of 2 years experience, excellent communication skills, ability to work independently, attentive to detail and a 4 year degree or 2 year paralegal certification. Please send resumes to hrwilimington@cshlaw.com Place your employment opportunity ad here. Contact Sharon Lipps at ext. 11. Closing and Title Software Solutions Join SoftPro, the nation s leading provider of real estate closing and title production software. We are currently looking for experienced real estate professionals to join our growing team in Raleigh, NC. We have exciting and dynamic positions available in the following areas:.... Support Documents Implementation Quality Assurance For more information on any of the above job listings, visit or submit your resume and cover letter to careers@softprocorp.com. OPPORTUNITIES: Carolina Paralegal News readers are looking for: job opportunities for paralegals, administrators, legal secretaries, and other legal support staff. They are also looking for other services for paralegals. Place your ad today in Carolina Paralegal News. Call ext. 11 or sharon.lipps@cpn.lawyersweekly.com march/april 2008 Carolina Paralegal News 15

16 Some mistakes can be hard to fix. Nothing can divert the energy that you devote to your work like having to fix errors especially when one results in a malpractice suit. In today s legal climate malpractice suits against lawyers are increasing, and many of them arise from common oversights. At Lawyers Mutual Liability Insurance Company we take great care in helping our policyholders and their staff to implement thoughtful risk management practices. From CLE programs designed specifically for paralegals to video lending, we strive to keep our insureds and their staff aware of potential missteps so that they don t have to spend time fixing mistakes. Lawyers Mutual was founded 31 years ago by lawyers and remains a lawyer-run company insuring over 7500 North Carolina attorneys. We know how accidents happen, and we do our best to make sure that they don t happen to you or Fax: lml@lmlnc.com 16 Carolina Paralegal News march/april 2008