ON THE RECORD Eugene Alcala - Dallas Area Paralegal Association

Transcription

On the record
The Monthly Newsletter of the Dallas Area Paralegal Association
A member of the National Federation of Paralegal Associations, Inc.
Volume XXXVIII, Number 3
Upcoming Events/Section
Meetings
March
5 - Joint Litigation Meeting
9 - Intellectual Property Meeting
10 - Collin County Meeting
17 - Board Meeting
24 - General Meeting
25- Probate Law Meeting
April
10 - Government Law Meeting
10—Collin County Meeting
14 - Board Meeting
21 - General Meeting
25 - Probate Meeting
March 2015
President’s Perspective by: Eugene Alcala
I hope you have been staying warm over these last few weeks. The Texas weather
can be a roller coaster; one day it’s in the mid 60’s to upper 70’s then the next day it
can plunge at the drop of a hat to the low 30’s with sleet and ice.
DAPA held its February General Meeting with an outstanding speaker, Bruce Flowers, Esq. Mr. Flowers, the Director of Kane, Russell, Coleman & Logan, spoke on
the topic of Environmental Law. As always, DAPA offers speakers throughout the
year on various topics for CLE and the General Meetings. Everyone is always welcome to attend and invite your attorney or a non DAPA member. Also if you’re a
mentor, ask your protégé to attend these meetings with you and remember attending
the meetings is FREE and offers 1.0 hour of CLE. Don’t miss out on a great way to
network and meet the DAPA vendors who support us throughout the year.
DAPA’s Litigation Section and Paralegal Division, District 2 are co-hosting a 1 hour CLE titled “eFiling from
Beginning to End.” Amanda Balderrama from iDocket will lead the discussion of the ins and outs of eFiling
as it is now mandatory for Dallas County.
DAPA continues with several CLE’s for the month of March:
March 9th - the Intellectual Property Section holds their meeting
March 10th - Collin County Section meeting
March 24th - DAPA’s General Meeting and Board of Directors Meeting
March 25th - Probate Law Meeting
Always check the DAPA calendar for speaker information and remember to keep your email updated so you
do not miss any changes. I hope you can attend these section meetings and hear the speakers. Remember
that the meetings are free to DAPA members and $5 for non-members. The General Meetings are always
free, so invite a friend to join you. As always, the Belo offers a daily buffet and prices ranges from $12-16,
plus parking.
Don’t forget to support our 2015 Charity of the Year, The Stewpot (http://www.thestewpot.org/). Check their
website for more information about them and for opportunities to get involved by volunteering your time
helping in their activities. They are always looking for individuals that can help at different times serving food
to their clients or various other needs. If you are interested in participating in the Stewpot activities, contact
the appropriate contact person listed or email Risa Burgess, Chair at [email protected] and she
will help get you going in the right direction. As always Pro Bono on!
Become a Mentor to a student or new paralegal! Contact Kelli Smith, CRP, Chair of the Mentor Program, at
[email protected]. Kelli is currently taking new applications for mentors and protégés for the 2015
year. As a Mentor of DAPA, you hereby agree that you are a member in good standing of DAPA, that you
have five (5) or more years of substantive paralegal experience, that you are willing to assist a new paralegal by
answering questions relating to his/her area(s) of law, or area(s) of experience, or other general paralegalrelated questions, including involvement in local, state and national paralegal associations; and you agree to be
accessible to your assigned Protégé on an as-needed basis throughout the year, and at a minimum, you agree
to meet or communicate with your assigned Protégé on a monthly basis.
DAPA is still looking to fill Section Chairs for Corporate Law, Medical P/I, Real Estate Law, and Technology
as well as a Newsletter Editor for the 2015 term. These positions are a good way to network and grow in our
profession. Keep in mind you will have the support of the Board and the Executive Director who are there to
help and guide you with speakers or any other questions you might have. This is great stepping stone into
understanding how DAPA and the Board work. On a personal note, I took this step many moons ago and I
have never had any regrets. If you’re interested in any of these positions, please contact Executive Director,
Mariela Cawthon at [email protected].
If you have any questions or concerns please contact me at [email protected].
Eugene Alcala
DAPA 2015 President
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Volume XXXVIII, Number 3
March 2015
In this Issue
President’s Perspective ........................................................ 1
This Month’s Meetings ....................................................... 3
DAPA Board Spotlight ........................................................ 6
2014 Holiday Luncheon Awards ........................................ 8
2015 Career Day ................................................................ 10
Diversity University-Save the Date..................................... 11
The StewPot ...................................................................... 12
Mentor Protégé Program ................................................... 14
“Paralegal Mentoring-Do you have a Plan?” .................... 17
“Stress-Relieving Tips for Paralegals” ................................ 19
NFPA News ....................................................................... 21
2015 Board of Directors ................................................... 22
Section Chairs, Appointments & Committee Chairs ......... 23
Sustaining Members .......................................................... 24
Welcome New Members
Maria Ayala
Flavia Bastianelli
Michael Diniz
Alicia Goodloe
Norma Kline
Brandy McClary
Taryn Ourson
Sunja Smith
Become a DAPA member this month and start enjoying
all the benefits today!
Download your application by visiting our website
at http://dallasparalegals.org/page.asp?p=Forms
KEEP IT CURRENT
Please take a moment to review your information on the
DAPA website and ensure that the proper information is recorded. Important information is sent to Members via mail and
e-mail, and it would be very helpful for you to keep your information updated.
To check your information, go to the Members Only portion
of DAPA’s website at www.dallasparalegals.org and click on
Edit My Profile. You will be prompted for your username and
password. If you have forgotten your password, click on Forgot
My Password and it will be e-mailed to you. If you still have
problems, e-mail your Executive Director, Mariela Cawthon at
[email protected].
Dallas Area Paralegal Association
The Dallas Area Paralegal Association (DAPA) was formed on October
23, 1976 as the Dallas Association of Legal Assistants, and changed its
name in 1996. In 1978, DAPA became affiliated with the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA), an organization that represents
approximately 10,000 paralegals nationwide. DAPA is a voluntary nonprofit corporation composed of paralegals working in all areas of the law,
who are interested in furthering their own professional development, especially through PACE® and other voluntary certifications, and who are
dedicated to the advancement of the paralegal profession as a whole.
On the Record
On the Record is published monthly by the Dallas Area Paralegal
Association as a means of reporting and sharing news and opinions of
interest to DAPA members. Any opinions expressed herein are those of
the writer and not necessarily those of DAPA. Publication herein does
not imply endorsement in any manner.
If you have important information regarding the paralegal profession, notices of upcoming meetings, events or other dated material, or
section reports to be included in our monthly newsletter, all must be
submitted to the Editor at [email protected] no later than
the fifth day of the month preceding publication. In order to produce
and mail each newsletter to reach our membership in a timely manner,
this deadline must be met. Any material not received by the 5th will be
held for the following month’s publication. Your understanding and
appreciation in meeting our deadline will be greatly appreciated.
If you would like to submit materials for publishing, please send
them via email to [email protected]. The Editor and
Newsletter Committee reserve the right to edit articles submitted for
grammar, clarity and space.
© 2015 Dallas Area Paralegal Association All rights reserved.
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This Month’s Meetings
*** There is no cost to attend DAPA General Membership Meetings. Specialty section meetings are free to DAPA members and a low
cost of $5.00 to non-members. ***
Joint Litigation Meeting with the Paralegal Division
Mar. 5, 12:00 p.m.—1:00 p.m. at the Belo
Speaker: Amelia Balderrama
Topic: “eFiling Beginning to End”
Amelia Balderrama of iDocket will be presenting on how to set up an eFiling account, eFile a
document, how to contact the clerk, and how to
look up up eFiled documents. In addition,
Amelia will address FAQs and problems from users.
Please RSVP Leigh Steinberg, CLE PD District 2 Sub-Chair, to
ensure sufficient seating.
**Registration due by: March 2, 2015**
cial and personal injury litigation from the initial pleadings stages
through bench and jury trials, including discovery disputes and dispositive motions. She has represented product manufacturers, general and sub-contractors and employers in a variety of litigation including products liability, wrongful death, negligence and contract
matters.
Please RSVP to Mary E. Morman, to ensure sufficient seating.
General Membership Meeting
Speaker: Julie Alexander, Consultant; Great
Team-Great Results
Topic: “Cranky, Cantankerous, Conceited People: A Survivor’s Guide ”
Intellectual Property Section Meeting
Julie Alexander, a consultant for over 20 years, and speaker for the
Association of Legal Administrators, provides training, coaching,
and consulting to help people work together more effectively and
efficiently. Her presentation will discuss strategies in dealing with
Speaker: John W. McPete, General Counsel difficult people.
to Netsphere, Inc. and retired partner of Locke
Please RSVP to Programs VP, Kathy Connell, to ensure sufficient
Lord LLP.
seating.
Topic: Rocket-Docket Litigation
Please RSVP to Section Chair, Michelle Roberts, CP, to ensure
sufficient seating.
Collin County Section Meeting
Mar. 10, 12:00 p.m.—1:00 p.m. at Texas Land & Cattle
Probate Law Section Meeting
Speaker: Richard K. Anderssen, Sr., Anderssen
Security Consulting Corp.
Topic: “What I need to know about skip tracingHow to locate persons based on background
investigations ”
Speaker: Jacquelyn Clark, Esq.
Topic: “Legal Ethics Jeopardy”
Location: 3191 Preston Road, Frisco, TX Please RSVP to the Section Chair, Nicole Gonzalez, to ensure suffi75034
cient seating.
Ms. Clark is a Shareholder in the Dallas office
of Cowles & Thompson. Ms. Clark's practice
consists primarily of general insurance defense litigation, transportation defense litigation, products and premises liability defense,
healthcare and commercial litigation. Ms. Clark has handled all
stages of litigation. She has experience handling complex commer-
For more information go to DAPA’s Homepage and click on the
calendar for the date of the meeting.
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Want to take the PCCE or
PACE exam?
Did you know that DAPA has
a study group for these two
NFPA exams?
For more information, contact Kristy Geron, RP®, Certification
Ambassador
Have a friend who could benefit from joining
DAPA?
Copy and paste the blurb below and we’ll take care of
the rest.
Hello there, your colleague would like you to check
out the many benefits of being a DAPA member.
Click here to access DAPA’s benefits and consider
joining DAPA yourself. If you have any additional
questions, feel free to email DAPA’s Executive Director, Mariela Cawthon at [email protected] for more information.
HELP WANTED!!
Corporate Law, Medical/PI, Newsletter Editor, Real Estate, Technology Positions are Available for
the 2015 Term!
If you are interested in any of these positions, please contact Executive Director, Mariela Cawthon,
for more information.
Have you set your career goals? Remember, wishing for change won't make it happen. You have to have
a plan.
To help you with this, I recently completed a new resource for you: Strategic Career Planning: The Paralegal Mentor’s Guide to Setting Goals for Career Success.
There is no cost for this resource. Just follow this link to download your copy: http://
paralegalmentor.com/career-planning-guide
Shadow a Board Member
We are looking for voting members who want to shadow Board Members and find out more about their particular positions. If you are interested,
please contact Eugene Alcala at [email protected] or Mariela Cawthon at [email protected]. Come to a board
meeting and learn how your board of directors works! We work hard but we have a lot of fun! Come join a meeting and shadow a board member. Shadowing a Board Member doesn't require any work, but lets you see what a position involves if you are interested in future participation on
the Board. Come see if you like it!
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Date:
Thursday, March 5th
Time:
Noon – 1:00 p.m. CST
Location:
Belo Mansion
2101 Ross Avenue
Dallas, TX 75201
Amelia Balderrama of iDocket will be presenting on how to set up an eFiling account, eFile a
document, how to contact the clerk, and how to look up eFiled documents. In addition, Amelia
will address FAQ’s and problems from users.
1 hour of Continuing Legal Education Credit
**FREE**
Please note that the Full Buffet is $14.95
Salad Bar, including Soup is $10.75
Parking for DBA members is $4.00
Registration due by: March 2, 2015
RSVP to Leigh Steinberg, CLE PD District 2 Sub-Chair at
[email protected]
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DAPA BOARD MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
This month we are pleased to feature:
Kelli M. Smith, CRPTM
What are your duties on the Board of Directors?
As Education Vice President, my main duty is to be Board Advisor to each Specialty Section Chairperson and to act as the liaison between DAPA's Board of
Directors and Specialty Section Chairs. The Education Vice President also presides over the education committee, and recruits individuals to serve as Specialty
Section Chairs. I am also charged with scheduling, coordinating, maintaining the
master reservation list for all Specialty Section Meetings. Currently, we have
Plains
nearly 70 Specialty Section Meetings scheduled for 2015. The Education Vice
President also assists Specialty Sections with programs and speakers, if needed.
Capital Corporation Are you originally from Dallas?
I was born in south Louisiana and my family moved to Dallas when I was 5 years old. I attended grade school in Dallas and
moved to Kaufman County in the Sixth Grade. I am your typical Southern girl and a "Rajin Cajun" at heart.
Years as a paralegal:
I started my career in the legal field as a Legal Assistant for Centex Corporation in 1997. I later became certificated by a professional development program sponsored by the University of North Texas in 2002. In 2006, I graduated from college with
an AAS degree in Management, while continuing to work as a Legal Assistant. After graduating college, I went to work for an
international law firm as a Corporate Paralegal in 2007. In 2011, I was one of the first 148 paralegals in the nation to pass the
Paralegal CORE Competency Exam® pilot test. Sixteen Texas paralegals passed the exam earning the CRPTM credential. I
joined PlainsCapital Corporation as Assistant Vice President and Senior Paralegal in December, 2013.
Area of law:
I have worked in several areas of law including Litigation (defense), Bankruptcy & Creditor's Rights, Corporate, and Mergers
& Acquisitions.
Brief description of your job:
I currently work for PlainsCapital Corporation in their Legal Affairs division. My day-to-day job duties include responding to
grand jury and third-party subpoenas, IRS summonses, and other state and federal document requests. I also manage PlainsCapital Bank's handling of garnishment matters and property tax lawsuits. From time-to-time I perform research and analyze
various law sources such as statutes, recorded judicial decisions, legal articles, and legal codes to address day-to-day banking
issues.
How long have you been a member of DAPA?
I joined DAPA in 2008, and have served on the Board of Directors since 2011. I have held various positions including Ven(ConƟnued on page 7)
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dor Advisor, Professional Development Director, Director-at-Large, Membership Vice President, NFPA Primary, and I currently serve as Education Vice President.
What do you like most about DAPA?
For me, creating professional relationships is very important and invaluable to the success of your career. DAPA allows the
paralegal community to be able to support and help one another in reaching our professional goals. DAPA offers numerous
events throughout the year that allow us to connect with our peers and share ideas, ask for advice, volunteer, as well as attend
conferences to learn about breaking news, and keep up-to-date on relevant legal issues related to our profession. DAPA offers
the paralegal community an opportunity to learn best practices and new ideas, and meet and brainstorm with other legal professionals who are also looking to share and learn new information. To me, giving back to the paralegal community and promoting the highest professional standards is the greatest reward and benefit.
Additional Information:
I am an avid fair-goer and each year I volunteer for the Dallas Historical Society at the Hall of State located at the great State
Fair of Texas. I am a 14-year veteran, and the 2015 Co-Chair over the Corporate Venue Volunteers at the Byron Nelson Golf
Classic. I also participate in DAPA’s Mentor/Protégé program and volunteer with the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program
(DVAP), assisting with their Pro Bono efforts.
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What are your duties on the Board of Directors? As
Programs Vice President, I am responsible for the selection of a speaker for each monthly General Membership
Meeting; facilitate monthly General Membership Meetings,
and introduce the speaker(s) at each meeting; confirm in
writing or via telephone with each speaker(s) the time, date
and the topic of their presentation and obtain biographical
information from the speaker(s) for purposes of publishing
same in the Newsletter and for the introduction of the
speaker(s) during the General Membership Meeting; maintain rsvp list for General Membership Meetings and am
Board Advisor and supervising Board Member to the chair
of the following committees: Programs Committee and Entertainment Committee (which includes the Paralegal
Nationstar
Day celebration and the annual Holiday Luncheon).
Kathy Connell
Mortgage Holdings, Inc.
As Parliamentarian, I ensure that proper parliamentary procedure, DAPA’s procedures and DAPA’s Bylaws are followed
during board meetings and the annual Elections meeting.
Are you originally from Dallas? No, I was born, raised and went to college in Wisconsin.
Years as a paralegal: I celebrated my 25 year as a paralegal on December 4, 2014.
th
Area of law: Corporate, Banking & Finance, Regulatory, Corporate Securities, Contracts, Subsidiary Governance and Real
Estate.
Brief description of your job: I am responsible for all Section 16 filings, drafting the annual Proxy Statement, drafting
minutes for the Board of Directors and all committees, 8-K filings, informing officers, directors and employees of trading window openings and closings, preparing documents for consideration by the Board and/or the various committees, preparing
independent director 1099s and ensuring their compensation is timely and correctly paid. I also act as the administrator for
our web-based Board portal, so for every meeting I upload documents, link them to the agenda and create electronic Board
books. There is also a great deal of research involved in my job.
How long have you been a member of DAPA? I have been a voting member since 1994.
What do you like most about DAPA? I have made life-long friends through DAPA; I would have to say the networking
and CLE opportunities, as well as being able to “pay it forward” with the Mentor/Protégé Program are the things I love about
DAPA. Additional Information: In the summer of 2014, I bought a Harley Davidson Trike (I have wanted a motorcycle since I was
about 10 years old); I love to travel (I own timeshares in Hawaii, St. Maarten and Mexico); I am an avid reader and I SCUBA
dive.
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Lisa Lynch, CRPTM
What are your duties on the Board of Directors?
This year I am serving as the NFPA Primary Representative. The National Federation of Paralegal Associations
(“NFPA”) is a national association of paralegal associations.
My duties are to represent DAPA at NFPA events. I will
be voting on DAPA’s behalf at the annual convention (just
like the one we had here in Dallas last year) and representing DAPA at Region II meetings. I am the Board Advisor
to the NFPA Secondary Representative and the Certification Ambassador. I am also the Immediate Past President
and the current Board Advisor. Additionally, I am the
NFPA Membership Growth Coordinator. If you have any
questions about anything related to NFPA, please let me know.
City of Dallas Attorney’s Office
Are you originally from Dallas? No, but I got here as
quickly as I could! I love it here!
Years as a paralegal: I have been a paralegal for more than 15. After my first large litigation project as a contract paralegal, I
was hooked. A seasoned paralegal told me I should get a paralegal certificate. I obtained a paralegal certificate from a professional program at the University of North Texas. Then in 2011 I joined a small group of paralegals who took the pilot PCC
exam at 12 locations across the country. I took mine in Houston Texas. There were 148 who passed and I was one of the first
16 in Texas.
Area of law: General Civil Litigation and Environmental Law
Brief description of your job: I work with 4 wonderful attorneys in the areas of general litigation, environmental, appellate
law and first amendment rights. I assist in preparing for and attending hearings, depositions and trial. I assist in discovery responses and subpoenas. I also work on a lot of special projects.
How long have you been a member of DAPA? 11 years. This is my 5 year on the Board.
th
What do you like most about DAPA? The people! I love the friends I’ve made and the networking opportunities I have
experienced. I love connecting with paralegal students and mentoring them along their journey. I also love all the things I have
gained from volunteering with DVAP and doing community service events with DAPA’s charity of the year and other charities. This is a great organization!
Additional Information: My advice – get involved! Serve on a committee, volunteer to assist with CLE’s (presenting or getting speakers), become a Section Chair, shadow a Board Member so you can find a position you like! Give back! Give back to
DAPA by serving and give back to the community by doing Pro Bono and Community Service work. It’s a small amount of
time and you get a huge return on investment! Contact me if you have any questions.
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SAVETHEDATE
DIVERSITYUNIVERSITY2015
DETAILSCOMINGSOON
FRIDAY,MAY22,2015
8:45A.M.TO5:00P.M.
ATTHEBELOMANSION
TOOLSTOELEVATEYOURCAREERSKILLS
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DAPA 2015 CHARITY DAPA’S 2015 CHARITY OF THE YEAR
About the Stewpot
The Stewpot offers a safe haven for homeless and at-risk individuals of Dallas, providing resources for basic survival
needs as well as opportunities to start a new life. Established by First Presbyterian Church in 1975, The Stewpot began
serving food when church members realized no other resources were available for the homeless and hungry. By 1991,
Stewpot programs included a wide range of social services and the agency moved across the street to a donated two story
office building that continues to be “home”. Over the years, The Stewpot has helped to “birth” new organizations to meet
community needs including Austin Street Center, Genesis Women's Shelter, Interfaith Housing and The Bridge. The Stewpot collaborates with more than 25 other nonprofits in order to provide a continuum of care.
•
Since May 2008, The Stewpot has been the sole meal provider at The Bridge (Dallas’ homeless assistance center), serving 1,500-2,000 meals per day, 7 days per week.
•
At The Stewpot’s main location, other services include: case management, health care, and substance abuse
assistance; youth programs; job training; rep payee; referral for employment, housing and other benefits; access to mailing
address and voice mail. Creative and social activities include art classes, community concerts, and talent shows. The
Stewpot has a volunteer base of over 2,000 volunteers.
•
Direct program support for The Stewpot comes from donations from individuals, corporations, foundations,
church, and civic groups outside of First Presbyterian Church. The Stewpot operates under the 501(c)3 of First Presbyterian Church of Dallas, which provides for building maintenance, utilities, and administrative expenses of The Stewpot.
For additional information please contact Betty Heckman at 214.382.5918.
Volunteer Information Packet http://www.thestewpot.org/pdf/volunteers/VolunteePacket.pdf
Call The Stewpot Volunteer Office (214)746-2785 ext. 320 to find out more!
There are many opportunities in this year’s Charity for Community Service activities. You as a member can choose to participate in one activity, we will work on creating group activities throughout the year, it is your choice.
Please email [email protected] if you have any questions or wish to participate.
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DALLAS AREA PARALEGAL ASSOCIATION’S
MENTOR-PROTÉGÉ PROGRAM DAPA's Mentor-Protégé Program is committed to promoting professionalism and career development,
as well as instilling high ethical behavior in paralegals that are new to the profession. We are here to
contribute to the success of, as well as set the standards for, new paralegals and paralegal students.
DAPA believes it is crucial for tenured paralegals to share their knowledge with upcoming paralegals to
help foster growth and maintain and/or raise the standards of the profession. By pairing new paralegals
with "seasoned" or senior paralegals, DAPA's Mentor-Protégé Program offers numerous benefits:
 The Program encourages students to become more engaged in the paralegal profession, as well
as DAPA
 DAPA's Protégés receive immeasurable support from their Mentors to help to contribute to
their success in the profession
 DAPA's Mentors act as a trusted counselors and provide guidance to the new paralegal
 The Program provides Protégés with additional opportunities to network with other legal pro-
fessionals and develop new relationships
 DAPA's Mentors are able to enhance the Protégé's skills and soon become an invaluable re-
source to the new paralegal
What are the requirements for a Protégé? A DAPA Protégé must be a member in good standing of
DAPA and must have three (3) years or less substantive paralegal experience.
What are the requirements for a Mentor? A DAPA Mentor must be a member in good standing of
DAPA; must have at least five (5) years substantive paralegal experience; must be willing to assist a new
paralegal by answering questions relating to his/her area(s) of the law, or other general paralegal-related
questions, including involvement in local, state and national paralegal associations; and must agree to be
accessible to his/her Protégé on an as-needed basis throughout the year. At a minimum, Mentors
should meet and/or communicate with their Protégés on a monthly basis.
If you are interested in serving as a Mentor in 2015, or would like to have a Mentor assigned to you,
please complete the appropriate application and submit via email or facsimile to [email protected] or fax to (877) 412-4961.
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call (214) 525-9058.
Mentor-Protégé Program Committee Chair
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DALLAS AREA PARALEGAL ASSOCIATION'S
MENTOR PROGRAM
Application for Prospective Mentor
Name:
(please print or type)
Firm:
Mailing Address:
Work Telephone:
Facsimile:
Email Address:
Are you a current voting member of DAPA?
Number of Years of Substantive
Practice Area(s)
Special Needs, Requests or
Preferences
As a Mentor of DAPA, you hereby agree that you are a member in good standing of DAPA, that you have five
(5) or more years of substantive paralegal experience, that you are willing to assist a new paralegal by answering questions relating to his/her area(s) of law, or area(s) of experience, or other general paralegal-related questions, including involvement in local, state and national paralegal associations; and you agree to be accessible
to your assigned Protégé on an as-needed basis throughout the year, and at a minimum, you agree to meet or
communication with your assigned Protégé on a monthly basis.
Signature:
Date:
For DAPA Use Only
Date Received:
Date Matched:
Name of Protégé:
Submit completed applications to Kelli M. Smith, CRPTM, Mentor/Protégé Program Committee Chair, via
email [email protected] or fax (877) 412-4961
Questions: (214) 525-9058
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DALLAS AREA PARALEGAL ASSOCIATION'S
MENTOR PROGRAM
Application for Prospective Protégé
Name:
Mailing Address:
Firm/School:
Telephone:
Facsimile:
Email Address:
Practice Area(s)
Are you a current DAPA member?
Number of Years of Substantive Par-
Are you currently a ParAnticipated Graduation
Career objectives
I am requesting a
Mentor for the
following reasons:
Education goals
Current information on the paralegal profession, including certifications
Résumé review and tips for interviewing for a paralegal position
Other:
As a Protégé of DAPA, you hereby agree that you are a member in good standing of DAPA, that you have
three (3) or less years of substantive paralegal experience.
Signature:
Date:
For DAPA Use Only
Date Received:
Date Matched:
Name of Mentor:
Submit completed applications to Kelli M. Smith, CRPTM, Mentor/Protégé Program Committee Chair, via
email [email protected] or fax (877) 412-4961
Questions: (214) 525-9058
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Paralegal Mentoring – Do you have a plan?
by: Debra Hindin-King
Rocky Mountain Paralegal Association
Merriam-Webster defines the word “mentor” as, “a trusted counselor or guide”. Often
mentoring programs are driven by the needs and interests of the mentee and focus heavily
on orientation, advice and networking rather than on training and the development of
technical skills.
When was the last time you were approached by your employer to be a mentor to a paralegal? Have
you declined the opportunity because: 1) you don’t have the time, 2) you don’t feel you have enough experience to share with someone else, 3) the responsibility of mentoring belongs to someone else or 4) what small
benefit and value will I get for my time being a mentor? If you have responded to one or more of the above, it
is time to retool your thinking about being a paralegal mentor!
Mentors need to assume a number of different roles during the course of the relationship with the
mentee. Some basic qualities of a successful mentor include leadership, people oriented, willingness to share
personal experiences, sincere and honest, active listener, seeking out opportunities and solutions and being
flexible. Mentoring is a shared experience for learning and growth and will only succeed if the mentor stays
involved in the relationship. Furthermore the mentor needs to remain flexible and adapt to the changing
needs of the mentee.
If the paralegal profession is going to continue to flourish in the future, it is the responsibility of those
currently in the profession to groom graduates of paralegal programs and new paralegal employees to succeed
with the challenges in this profession. How many of you had a mentor at the beginning of your paralegal career? It would have been great to have someone with experience address the many questions that accompany
the responsibility of being a paralegal. Furthermore, it would have instilled confidence that whatever the challenge - you could efficiently and successfully accomplish the task! Mentoring programs can often eliminate
obstacles and stumbling blocks for a new employee while promoting ethics and professionalism. It can be a
rewarding experience for both the mentor and mentee.
Being a mentor enables you to have fun, achieve personal growth, learn more about yourself and improve self-esteem. It will make you feel that you are making a difference, being more productive and have a
better attitude at work. Mentoring is geared toward the general goals of developing critical thinking skills, promoting life and workplace success.
An introduction of mentoring a new paralegal may have occurred during the student’s internship as
part of the paralegal program’s curriculum and required course work for graduation. The paralegal supervisor/
mentor for the student provided a buffet of different types of experiences related to working in a legal environment to fulfill the requirements of the internship program. Mentoring a student is a learning experience for
both of you.
The task of obtaining and organizing documents for a due diligence review related to a potential business merger or acquisition would provide a great overview of the due diligence process for a mentee. In the
area of litigation having an understanding and general experience of the necessary components getting a case
(ConƟnued on page 18)
Page 17
On the record
ready for trial is priceless, e.g. discovery, preparing trial exhibit notebooks, coordinating courtroom logistics and the related technology used to manage a case. Paralegals have significant knowledge and
experiences to benefit others who may need just a simple primer to be a smashing success. Becoming a mentor to a recent paralegal graduate or to a seasoned paralegal new to the corpo rate legal department or law firm is an experience highly sought after toward grooming a co-worker.
Having in person conversations sometimes can be more effective than a telephone call or email communication. As a paralegal mentor – perhaps think about taking a break and grabbing a cup of coffee
or enjoying a nice relaxing lunch outside of the office to further discuss their role within the company
or law firm. Consider inviting another co-worker to join you when you go outside the office with your
mentee – networking is a great activity to learn more about each other!
Mentoring improves the retention of new employees, their performance and the paralegal will
most likely have greater job satisfaction. Remember that a mentor/mentee relationship is not subject to
evaluation and there are no time limits when specific activities within the mentoring relationship should
occur. To assess whether the mentor/mentee relationship was a success – look at the productivity of
the mentee and whether the mentor derived a professional value from the experience. Mentoring is a
give-and-take relationship.
Accept the challenges and rewards of mentoring a person and experience the benefits that will
last you a lifetime.
Are you interested in becoming a mentor or protégé?
Click here for more information on DAPA’s Mentor
Program. Links to both mentor and protégé applications
are available on that page.
AMAZON
If you do any shopping on Amazon, please start your search by clicking on the Amazon icon in this newsletter. When
you do this, DAPA will get a small percentage of your purchases in rebates from Amazon.
You can also go to this link by clicking on the amazon link that’s on DAPA’s home page. Just go
to www.dallasparalegals.org, on the lower right hand side you will find the Amazon link.
Click the link and shop, shop, shop! It's just that easy.
Thanks for supporting DAPA!!!!
Page 18
On the record
Stress-Relieving Tips for Paralegals
By: Tonya Pierce
(http://www.agilelaw.com/2015/01/stress-relieving- tips-paralegals/)
If you ask most people in the legal profession if they are stressed, the resounding answer will be, “YES!”
This includes everyone from judges and court personnel to attorneys and their staff. While I recognize that
everyone has stress, paralegals must deal with their own stress as well as the stress of balancing the needs of all
of these individuals. Paralegals are given the unique job of making clients happy, supporting the attorney, balancing the court’s demands, appeasing witnesses and experts, badgering contractors when necessary and
dealing with the interoffice politics that are inevitable in a law firm. Paralegals must accomplish the one thing that no
one else in the legal field must do — Make everyone happy on a specific timetable while always keeping the goal of
the case the focus of every action. No wonder paralegals are stressed.
Paralegals balance the demands placed on them by everyone involved
in a case with a calm and pleasant countenance even though they may be
falling apart inside. Does this sound familiar? You have an early meeting that was
not scheduled but the lead attorney decided to call at the last minute, a deadline that is now looming because you had to take time for the unscheduled
meeting that was highly unproductive, a client that has decided to take a
“vacation” from the stress of dealing with the case and an attorney who has one
foot out of the door but needs to review the documents that must be filed with the
court before it closes in an hour.
If you were a cartoon, your head would blow up to five times its natural size, turn red and steam would
come out of your ears. However, you are not a cartoon. You are a real person and you must find ways to deal with
the stress or the stress will eventually take its toll on your personal and professional life. Below are stress-relieving
tips for paralegals when attorneys, clients, witnesses, co-workers, court staff and contractors prove to be too much to
handle.
Paralegal Tips for Unwinding, Relaxing and Relieving Stress
Take breaks during the day
Eating at your desk or quickly downing a yogurt and coffee on the way to a meeting is not considered a
break. Taking just a few minutes away from your desk, the phone and others will help you fight stress. Take a 10minute walk outside or sit on a bench while you eat your lunch. Allow your mind to think about anything other than
work and those involved with your work.
Never hit “send” when you are angry or frustrated
Count to 10 before you hit the “send” button on your email or texts. It is very easy to shoot off a quick, terse reply
when you are frustrated but this often leads to a more stressful situation in the future. Avoid the stress by taking a few
deep breaths and re-reading your response. In most cases, you will find that rewording your reply will achieve the
same result without creating the potential for more stress.
Honesty is usually the best policy
You may be tempted to tell a little “white” lie to a client who is difficult or an attorney who is demanding the impossible. However, lies usually come back to haunt you. It is much better to say, “I do not know but I will find out” or “No,
I have not done that but give me a few minutes and I will have it for you.”
(ConƟnued on page 20)
Page 19
On the record
Use your vacation time
Believe me, the office will not cease to operate if you take a vacation. Your attorney may act as if it is the
end of the world but he will survive and so will the other people who come to work each day in your office.
Things have a way of working themselves out even though you are not there to push them along. You need time
away from work in order to relax and de-stress. You cannot be your best for others if you do not take time for
yourself.
Pick your battles
Going to battle over every minor issue will only result in you being too tired to fight the major battles that
deserve to be fought. If you wear yourself out battling issues that are not worth your energy, you will have nothing left when it really counts.
Volunteer
Helping others is rewarding and relaxing. You will be surprised at the boost in your levels of contentment, happiness, confidence and self-worth. Positive emotions such as these deter stress and help you cope
with stress on a much more positive level. Volunteering also gives you another outlet in addition to work to help
people (most paralegals view themselves as “facilitators or helpers”). It also removes you completely out of the
legal environment (provided you choose an opportunity that is not law-related) so that you can give your full concentration to something other than your job.
Live a healthy lifestyle
One of the best ways to prevent and cope with stress is to live a healthy lifestyle. This includes getting
plenty of rest — working late and going in early will take a toll on your mind and your body. You need to eat
healthy foods (do not skip lunch or grab a candy bar) and get enough exercise (make time for the gym or for
sports). When you take care of your body, your mind benefits as well. You must take care of yourself in order to
take care of others.
Laugh!
Laughter is one of the best ways to relieve stress. When you feel overwhelmed, get a cup of tea or coffee,
sit down at your desk and laugh for a few minutes. A quick internet search will give you plenty of material (e.g.
some of the great paralegal jokes by Stu’s Views (http://www.stus.com/).) Paralegals can experience an enormous
amount of stress dealing with the objectives and needs of so many people (and that is just on one case – we have
many cases). As a paralegal, we tend to want to please everyone all of the time but that is impossible. The best we
can do is perform our job to the best of our ability knowing that what we do will make a difference. However,
if we fail to take care of ourselves, we will not be very useful to any of the people who depend on us each day.
Tonya Pierce is a paralegal with over 24 years experience in several areas of the legal field (17 years as a bankruptcy
paralegal and trustee paralegal).
Page 20
On the record
NFPA News
Registration is now open!
JOINT CONFERENCE
MAY 1-3, 2015
PORTLAND, OREGON!
Region II Meeting in Chicago, IL— April 25th—email Lisa Lynch if you’d like to attend
DON’T FORGET— NFPA HAS A CAREER CENTER!
It can be found under the positions and issues tab on the NFPA website Go To (www.paralegals.org)
If you’d like to receive NFPA’s bi-monthly e-newsletter—you can sign up here!
REPORTING PRO BONO and COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS
Beginning November 1, 2014
We are excited to announce that pro bono and community service reporting is now set up through your member login on
the NFPA website.
1. Go to the NFPA website ( www.paralegals.org )
2. Sign in with your email and password
3. Once logged in, go to the Pro Bono tab and select “Reporting Pro Bono and Community Service Hours”
4. The form will auto fill your name and individual information that was provided to NFPA by your local association.
5. Complete the form and submit.
The reporting period will remain July 1st through June 30th.
Please report pro bono hours on a quarterly basis so that the NFPA Liaison to the ABA can share your service hours and
projects with the ABA.
NFPA’s Model Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility and Guidelines for reinforcement state that:
EC-1.4(d) A paralegal should aspire annually to contribute twenty-four (24) hours of Pro Bono Publico services . . . .
EC-1.4(e) A paralegal should aspire to contribute twenty-four (24) hours of Community Service on an annual basis.
Page 21
2015 Board of Directors
President
Eugene Alcala
[email protected]
President Elect
Kristy Geron, RP®
[email protected]
Programs Vice President
Kathy K. Connell
[email protected]
Membership Vice President
Yvonne Jacobus
[email protected]
Education Vice President
[email protected]
Professional Development Director
Lisa Fenty
[email protected]
Secretary
Angela Wilson
[email protected]
Treasurer
Debra S. Albright
[email protected]
NFPA Primary Representative
Lisa Lynch, CRPTM
[email protected]
Communications Director
Debbi Lowe
[email protected]
Director-at-Large
Laura Kehoe
[email protected]
Board Advisor
Lisa Lynch, CRPTM
[email protected]
Parliamentarian
Kathy K. Connell
[email protected]
Executive Director
Mariela Evora Cawthon, CP, TBLS-BCP
[email protected]
To find out more on each
of the Board members,
please visit DAPA’s website
at www.dallasparalegals.org
Page 22
On the record
Section Chairs
Animal Law
Mary Wasserman
[email protected]
Criminal Law
Yvonne Jacobus
[email protected]
Bankruptcy
Deborah Andreacchi, TBLSBCP
[email protected]
Family Law
Carrie J. Thompson
[email protected]
Government
Lisa Lynch, CRPTM
Collin County
[email protected]
Mary E. Morman, CP
[email protected]
Intellectual Property Law
Michelle Roberts, CP
Corporate Law
[email protected]
[Available Position]
[email protected]
Leadership/Management
Michele Boerder, CP, TBLSBCP
[email protected]
Las Colinas
Meyon Lawson, CP
[email protected]
Litigation
Candy Ryan
[email protected]
Medical / Personal Injury
[email protected]
North Dallas
Meyon Lawson, CP
[email protected]
Probate Law
Nicole Gonzales, TBLS-BCP
[email protected]
Real Estate
[email protected]
Technology
[email protected]
Appointments and Committee Chairs
Assistant Newsletter Editor
Assistant Secretary
Paula Sandu
Kathy K. Connell
[email protected] [email protected]
CLE Audit Committee
Kathy K. Connell
[email protected]
NFPA Secondary Representative
Cynthia Minchillo, RP®
[email protected]
Elections Committee
Sheila White
[email protected]
Student Liaison
Kaplan College
[email protected]
Entertainment Committee
Lisa Fenty
[email protected]
Ethics Committee
Kay Redburn, TBLS-BCP
[email protected]
Job Bank Administrator
Heidi DeLira
[email protected]
Mentor / Protégé Program
Kelli Smith, CRP™
[email protected]
Membership Survey
Kristy Geron, RP®
[email protected]
Newsletter Editor
[email protected]
Student Liaison
Collin County College
[email protected]
Student Liaison
El Centro College
Co-Student Liaisons
Kiva Lawrence and Emily Davis
[email protected]
NFPA Certification Ambassador
Kristy Geron, RP®
[email protected]
Paralegal of the Year Award
[email protected]
Pro Bono / Community Service
Chair
Risa Burgess
[email protected]
Pro Bono Service Award
probonoaward@dallasparalegals.
org
Professional Development
Committee
Lisa Fenty
[email protected]
Programs Committee
Programs VP
[email protected]
Publications Committee
Angela Wilson
[email protected].
Public Relations Committee
Lisa Lynch, CRPTM
[email protected]
Strategic Long Range Planning
Eugene Alcala
[email protected]
TAPA
(TX Alliance of Paralegal Assoc)
Kristy Geron, RP®
[email protected]
Vendor Advisor
Alyssa Freitag, CRP™
[email protected]
Co-Vendor Advisor
Jori Prine, CRP™
[email protected]
Weekly Communications Mgr.
Debbi Lowe
[email protected]
Website Administrator
Kathy Davis
[email protected]
Assistant Website Administrator
[email protected]
Rules and Bylaws Committee
Kathy K. Connell
[email protected]
Scholarship Committee
Laura Kehoe, CRP™
[email protected]
Page 23
On the record
Sustaining Members
Please help support our Sustaining Members by calling on them when you have a project that needs outside support. It is
through their continued support and generosity that DAPA is able to keep membership rates low and provide social events
and CLEs at a low cost.
@Legal Discovery
ABI Document Support Services
Advanced Discovery
Alliance Legal Staffing
Amicus Solutions
Attorney Resource
Avansic
Beacon Hill Staffing
Capitol Services, Inc.
Computer Forensic Services, Inc.
Courtroom Services, Inc.
DepoTexas
Dickman Davenport, Inc.
Digital Verdict, Inc.
Divergent Language Solutions
Elite Deposition Technologies
Esquire Solutions
Equivalent Data
Everest College (Dallas Campus)
File & ServeXpress
HG Litigation Services
HMI Managed Care Solutions
iDocket.com
Inventus
JAMS
Kim Tindall & Associates
Kroll Ontrack
Legal Network
Lifesaver Legal Services
Litigation Paralegals, LLC
Merrill Corporation
Momentum Search Partners
Monarch Process Delivery
Newhouse & Noblin, LLC
One Legal, Inc.
Open Door Solutions
Paranet Corporation Services
Performance Legal Placement
Platinum Intelligent Data Solutions,
LLC
ProActive Inventory
Professional Civil Process
Registered Agent Solutions, Inc.
Retrieve Legal Services
Ricoh Legal
Santiago Legal Services
Second Image National
Special Delivery
Texas Court Process Service
Texas Court Reporters
Texas File, LLC
The Legal Connection, Inc.
U.S. Legal Support, Inc.
Written Deposition Service
Page 24

ON THE RECORD Eugene Alcala - Dallas Area Paralegal Association

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