Celebrating 35 wonderful years with AAPi!!! Come celebrate with … · 2017-05-02 · Celebrating...

SPRING 2017

Celebrating 35 wonderful years with AAPi!!!

Come celebrate with us!

Message from your President

Happy Summer Everyone! At the halfway point of celebrating our 35th Anniversary, it has already been a very busy year. For those of you who missed out on the Winter Seminar, you missed a great learning opportunity and a lot of fun. Debbie Paul did an amazing job and the seminar was, as always, amazing! There are a lot of ways you can get involved with AAPi and I would like for all of you to really think about how YOU could get involved. Whether it is attending meetings and seminars; making suggestions for topics/speakers for meetings and seminars; sharing ideas to make AAPi even better; writing an article for the Novus; getting on a Committee; or declaring to run for office – I encourage all of you to get more involved. After all, AAPi is “Our” Association and is only as good as its members! Remember: It’s all about teamwork: Together Everyone Achieves More! Now . . . for the fun stuff . . . I hope you have all made your reservations for AAPi’s Summer Seminar CLE at SEA! It is sure to be a huge success and a lot of fun. If you haven’t already done so - - make your reservations now. The Annual Meeting will take place at The Admiral Hotel in Mobile, Alabama at 9:00 a.m. on August 31, 2017. It is really important for everyone to attend the annual meeting to vote and hear all about the workings of AAPi. The installation of officers and awards ceremony will take place immediately after the Annual Meeting. Then . . . we sail away! I hope to see you all there! Sonya Graves, ACP President

AAPi Board of Directors & Committee Chairs 2016-2017 Fiscal Year

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President* Sonya Graves, ACP Butler Snow LLP One Federal Place, Suite 1000 1819 5th Avenue North Birmingham, AL 35203

(205) 297-2141 office (205) 305-0812 cell [email protected]

First Vice President* Angela Henderson, CP Vernis & Bowling of Birmingham, LLC 3300 Cahaba Road, Suite 200 Birmingham, AL 35223


Second Vice President - Membership*

Terri Sargent, ACP Adams and Reese, LLP 1901 6th Ave North, Ste 3000 Birmingham, AL 35203


Second Vice President - Seminars*

Deborah M. Paul, CP Delaney Development, Inc. P.O. Box 16126 Mobile, AL 36616


Secretary* Jebbie R. Austin Cunningham Bounds 1601 Dauphin Street Mobile, AL 36604


Parliamentarian* Kineshia R. Collins Surgical Care Affiliates, LLC 569 Bookwood Village Suite 901 Birmingham, AL 35209


Treasurer* Wanda Dimon, ACP Corporate Paralegal EBSCO Industries, Inc. P.O. Box 1943 Birmingham, AL 35201


NALA Liaison* Adrienne Berry, CP U.S. Department of Justice 1801 4th Avenue North Birmingham, AL 35203


Region I Director* Jeanie C. Johnson, ACP Harland Clarke 5200 East Lake Blvd. Birmingham, AL 35217


Region II Director * Charlene Schieferstein, ACP Melton, Espy & Williams, P.C. P.O. Drawer 5130 Montgomery, AL 36103


Region III Director* Keri N. Sistrunk Paralegal McDowell Knight Roedder 11 N. Water Street, Suite 13290 Mobile AL 36602

251/431-8811 Direct Line 251/432-5303 Fax [email protected]

Region IV Director* OPEN

COMMITTEE CHAIRS Communications Chair Lauren Stuman

Honorable Joseph L. Boohaker, Jefferson County Courthouse, Room 360 Birmingham, AL 35203

(205) 410-3700 cell [email protected]

Past President’s Chair Julie A. Craft, ACP Gaines Gault Hendrix PC 309 Franklin Street Huntsville, AL 35801

[email protected]

Professional Relations Chair

Susan Conger Sirote & Permutt, PC 2311 Highland Ave. S Birmingham, AL 35205


Ways & Means Chair Kelly Crowe, ACP Gray & Associates, LLC 3800 Colonnade Pkwy, Ste 350 Birmingham, AL 35243


*Executive Committee Members

ALABAMA ASSOCIATION OF PARALEGALS, INC.

Wanda R. Loftin, ACP Nominations & Elections Chairperson

Post Office Box 2727 Mobile, Alabama 36652

Telephone: 251/441-8251 Facsimile: 251/433-1820

Email: [email protected]

CALL FOR DECLARATIONS OF CANDIDACY

OFFICIAL NOTICE REGARDING ACCEPTANCE OF DECLARATIONS OF CANDIDACY

AAPi’s election of officers is held each year at its annual meeting in August. Along with this notice you will find the requisite form to declare candidacy for office. You may also find the form on AAPi’s website. If you wish to be placed on the slate of candidates for office for the 2017-2018 fiscal year, please complete the form and submit it to Wanda R. Loftin, ACP, Nominations and Elections Chairperson. Declarations of Candidacy must be received by the deadline of Monday, July 3, 2017, unless postmarked on the deadline. In fairness to all candidates, late declaration forms will NOT be accepted. NO EXCEPTIONS. The following standards of timeliness according to method of delivery will apply: HAND DELIVERY Your form must be received by the Nominations & Elections

Chairperson on or before July 3, 2017. EMAIL A declaration form sent by email must be received on or

before the close of regular business hours on July 3, 2017. FACSIMILE A declaration form sent by facsimile must bear the receiving

facsimile machine’s time/date stamp showing that it was received on or before the close of regular business hours on July 3, 2017.

OVERNIGHT DELIVERY SERVICE (FEDEX, UPS, AIRBORNE, ETC.) Declarations submitted by this form of delivery must be

received by the Nominations and Elections Chairperson on or before July 3, 2017.

REGULAR U.S. MAIL Declarations sent by U.S. Mail must bear the U.S. Postal Service’s postmark showing it was mailed on or before July 3, 2017. If you have your law firm’s meter mail stamp on the envelope bearing the date July 3

2017, but do not get it in the mail in time to get the Postal Service’s July 3, 2017, postal stamp, your form cannot be accepted.

The Bylaws of the Alabama Association of Paralegals, Inc. outline the requirements and duties of each board office. For your convenience in considering a candidacy for a board position, we are presenting here the duties and requirements for each position. FIRST VICE PRESIDENT This officer assists the President in any manner necessary to accomplish the goals of the association. Job Description: Presides at meetings in absence of the President. Follows up with those that have been drafted or volunteered for various association activities or tasks to ensure their timely completion. Chairs the Education Committee. SECOND VICE PRESIDENT-SEMINARS This officer coordinates educational opportunities for the membership. Job Description: Makes all arrangements for educational seminars sponsored by the membership. Arranges for speakers and seminar locations. SECOND VICE PRESIDENT-MEMBERSHIP This officer distributes information about AAPi to prospective members and maintains official membership rolls for the Association. Job Description: Sends out dues notices. Receives membership applications and prepares membership packets for new members. Maintains membership database. SECRETARY This officer is responsible for preparing accurate records of what occurs at all meetings and maintaining past records. Job Description: Must be a good listener and display ability to take accurate notes. Must be able to prepare accurate synopses of important information.

TREASURER This officer is responsible for maintaining accurate financial records of the Association. Job Description: Works with accounting software to prepare accurate and timely financial reports. Works with President to develop and maintain annual budget. Pays all bills and handles all banking transactions for the Association. Works with First Vice President-Membership to remind members of dues and fees owed.

NALA LIAISON This officer is responsible for maintaining contact and working closely with NALA as well as ensuring that AAPi complies with all requirements to maintain its status as a NALA Affiliate in Good Standing. Job Description: Must be a NALA member at the time of nomination. Prepares and submits quarterly and annual reports to NALA as required. Works with Treasurer to ensure that annual NALA dues are timely paid. Works with First Vice President to ensure that the Association meets NALA’s educational requirements. Works with Parliamentarian to ensure that bylaw changes are submitted to NALA for approval. Works with President to ensure that our goals and projects are consistent with those of NALA. Keeps membership informed about news and programs. Keeps NALA informed about AAPi activities. Works with CLA Coordinator to obtain current information from NALA. REGION DIRECTORS These four officers oversee the activities for their assigned region of the State. Job Description: Plan and coordinate activities and meeting at the regional level for AAPi members in each of the four geographic regions.

ALABAMA ASSOCIATION OF PARALEGALS, INC. DECLARATION OF CANDIDACY

2017-2018 ELECTIONS I, , employed as a

paralegal with _______________________________________________________

hereby declare myself a candidate for the following office:

____________________________________________________________________.

My qualifications for this office are as follows:

(If more space is needed, please attach an extra sheet of paper.)

ONLY ACTIVE MEMBERS OF AAPI WHO ARE IN GOOD STANDING ARE ELIGIBLE TO RUN FOR OFFICE. DECLARATIONS OF CANDIDACY MUST BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN JULY 3, 2017.

DECLARATIONS RECEIVED AFTER JULY 3, 2017, WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. RETURN THIS FORM TO THE NOMINATIONS & ELECTIONS CHAIRPERSON: Wanda R. Loftin, ACP Phelps Dunbar LLP Post Office Box 2727 Mobile, Alabama 36652 [101 Dauphin Street, Suite 1000, 36602] Email: [email protected] Telephone: 251/441-8251 Facsimile: 251/433-1820 Campaign guidelines will be sent to each declared candidate. Signature Print or Type Name Address City, State, Zip

Telephone: Home:

Work:

Cell:

2017 Winter Seminar & CP Review Workshop

The first Seminar of our 35th

Anniversary Celebration Year is in the book. AAPi’s 2017 Winter

Seminar & CP Review Workshop held February 10th

and 11th

at the Tutwiler Hotel in

Birmingham, Alabama was a HUGE success!!

We had some phenomenal speakers!!! The topics covered were informative and educational, and

kept the audience’s attention throughout the program! I love feedback, and I have received so

many wonderful comments regarding the speaker presentations. AAPi may have to try and

convince them to speak at a future seminar!

AAPi was honored to have four sponsors attend this seminar. Freedom Court Reporting,

Spy4Rent, Expedius Envoy and Bain & Associates were present for the weekend and brought tons

of goodies, deserts and snacks for us. Anytime you see anyone from these companies, please

thank them for all they do for AAPi!

This year AAPi decided to sponsor a charity at the seminar and we chose The Amelia Center

located in Birmingham, Alabama for all of their exceptional work with children. We had two

representatives from The Amelia Center give a presentation during the seminar explaining all the

wonderful things they do for grieving children, parents and their families. If you were not able to

be present for the presentation, please look them up at www.ameliacenter.org.

If you missed the 35th

Anniversary party not only did you miss a lot of fun and great food, (plus

seeing our esteemed President, Sonya Graves, line dance!!). Also, you missed your chance to

receive the beautiful commemorative AAPi 35th

Anniversary glass. These are truly collector’s

items as they will not be offered again.

In this issue of NOVUS you will find many photographs taken over the weekend. Other

highlights from our 2-day event include... door prizes for everyone; a thrilling Saturday

luncheon with special guest speaker, Chief Danny Hallmark; a swag bag filled with

goodies; our Past Presidents receiving tiaras and sashes (which we had them wear to

everything!) OH and last, but not least, a special 50th

Birthday party for our President,

Sonya Graves!!

I hope that everyone had a lot of fun, learned something new, and truly enjoyed

themselves. I know The Tutwiler put out some absolutely delicious food and the hotel

rooms were very nice with lots of friendly staff members.

If you missed out on all the fun, I hope you will join us on our next adventure!

Debbie Paul 2nd

Vice President - Seminars

Come Sail Away with AAPi

For a CLE at SEA

Our 35th

Anniversary

Celebration Continues with a

4-day Carnival Cruise to Mexico!

For AAPi’s 35th anniversary and cruise, the Board of Directors has decided to treat those

members attending the Annual Meeting/Installation of Officers with a “Sail Away Bag”

which will replace the normal goody bags and door prizes. This bag will have all of the

“goodies” that you will need for your trip to make your cruise more enjoyable- a $30 Carnival

gift card that can be used on the ship; an embroidered AAPi beach towel; custom t-shirt;

sunglasses; lip balm; sunscreen; visor; etc....I think you get the picture! This swag bag will be

PACKED with high quality items valued at over $100!!!

“Sail Away bags” will only be given to AAPi members who RSVP and attend the Annual

Meeting on August 31, 2017. There are no exceptions to this rule.

The Annual Meeting and Installation of Officers will be held at The Admiral Hotel, 251

Government Street, Mobile, AL 36602 at 9:00 a.m. **NOTE** You do not have to go on the

cruise to attend the Annual Meeting/Installation of Officers. This meeting is open to ALL

AAPi members at no cost! Just fill out the Registration From and let us know you are not

going on the cruise so we can substitute a restaurant gift card for the Carnival gift card!

For those travelling from out of town, and for those attending the Annual Meeting, AAPi has

reserved a block of rooms at The Admiral Hotel in Mobile, Alabama for the night of August

30, 2017. The rate is $144, plus tax, which includes breakfast for two on August 31, 2017 and

parking for the duration of the cruise. (Parking prices at the cruise terminal are $18/day).

Shuttle service will be available for those staying at the hotel for $10 round trip/pp. To take

advantage of this deal, use code ALP. This deal is only available until July 31, 2017 or as

long as space is available at the Hotel, whichever occurs first.

DON’T FORGET! As we do each year, we will be giving away a free CP or ACP exam at the

Annual Meeting! You must attend the Annual Meeting to be entered in the drawing!!

Do NOT DELAY to reserve your cabin! Cabins are not guaranteed and are available on a

first come-first serve basis. Contact Jorge Carrasquillo at 1-800-819-3902 (Ext. 82541).

Group Name: Alabama Association of Paralegals, Inc. Group Number: 3BW8X5.

Cruise Costs: (based on 2 people per cabin. If +/- 2 people, prices are subject to change)

Inside cabin: $391.35 per person (includes taxes and fees) Ocean view cabin: $431.35 per

person (includes taxes and fees)

A $150 per person deposit is due at time of booking. You will be given a log-in; password

and reservation number so that you can make on-line payments. FINAL payment is due by

7/2/17. There are no exceptions to this rule.

*All meals and snacks are included in the cruise costs (with the exception of soft drinks and

alcohol).

**Bottomless Bubbles” is an unlimited soft drink plan that is available for purchase at $6.50

pp/per day. (For those attending the Annual Meeting, the $30 gift card would cover this

cost)

** “Cheers” is a prepaid bar package that is available for purchase in advance for $49.95/pp

per day or onboard for $54.95/pp per day. See Carnival’s website https://www.carnival.com/

for additional information. (Prices are subject to change)

Excursions:

Shore Excursions are available while we are docked in Cozumel. Please check the Carnival

website for further information.

Thursday, August 31, 2017

9:00 – 9:15 9:15 – 12:15 12:30 – 2:30

6:00 p.m.

Registration for Annual Meeting at the Admiral Hotel Annual Meeting and Installation of Officers Board the Cruise Ship and set sail to Cozumel, Mexico!

Enjoy the rest of the day on the Cruise Ship! Formal Dinner Seating with all your AAPi friends!

Friday, September 1, 2017

8:00 – 8:30 8:30 – 9:30 9:30 – 10:30 10:30 – 11:30

6:00 p.m.

Sign in and Opening Remarks The Laws of Repossession – Josh Brakefield, Expedius Envoy Freedom’s Trial Technology– Jeremy Walker, Freedom Court Reporting Cyber Security – Don Marcrum, Spy4Rent

Enjoy the rest of the day on the Cruise Ship!!

Formal Dinner Seating with all your AAPi friends!

Saturday, September 2, 2017

8:00 – 4:00 Enjoy a day in Cozumel, Mexico! 6:00 p.m. Formal Dinner Seating with all your AAPi friends! Sunday, September 3, 2017

9:00 – 12:00 Legal Case Management - Start to Finish Cathy L. Davis, ACP

Legal Studies Director, Faulkner University – Montgomery Campus

Enjoy the rest of the day on the Cruise Ship!! 6:00 p.m. Formal Dinner Seating with all your AAPi friends!

Monday, September 4, 2017

8:00 a.m. Arrive at Mobile, Alabama

ALL CLASSES ARE PAPERLESS – MAKE SURE TO LIST YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO RECEIVE CLASSROOM MATERIALS!!

2017 AAPi SUMMER SEMINAR AT SEA AND ANNUAL MEETING/INSTALLATION OF OFFICERS

REGISTRATION FORM

Name: _______________________________________ (Please Circle) CLA CP ACP Telephone

No._____________________Address:__________________________________________

City: _____________________________ State: __________ Zip Code: _________

Firm: ___________________________________E-mail: ________________________________

Please circle one: Active Associate/Institutional Student/Lifetime Student/Other Non-Member

ATTENDING ANNUAL MEETING: YES ______ NO ______

If attending the Annual Meeting T-shirt size for bag (Circle one): S M L XL 2X 3X

(If you do not circle a size you will receive a Large!)

If you do not tell us you are attending AND attend the meeting you will not receive a Sail Away Bag! DEADLINE TO

SIGN UP FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING IS JULY 1ST!

**PLEASE NOTE** IF YOU ARE NOT A MEMBER OF AAPi YOU CANNOT ATTEND THE ANNUAL MEETING.

_______ I WANT TO ATTEND THE MEETING BUT NOT REGISTER FOR THE SEMINAR.

There is NO CHARGE to attend the Annual Meeting/Installation of Officers and you will receive a Sail Away Bag and

be entered in the drawing for a free CP or ACP exam.

SEMINAR COSTS: Early Registration Registration after June 1st

Active Member $150.00 $175.00

Associate/Institutional Member $170.00 $195.00

Student/Lifetime Member $100.00 $125.00

Student Non-Member $125.00 $150.00

Other Non-Member $175.00 $200.00

Mail Registration & Checks to: TOTAL AMOUNT ENCLOSED: $__________

MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO AAPI

Deborah M. Paul, CP Payments can be made online

P. O. Box 16126 at www.alabamaparalegals.net. Please send

Mobile, AL 36616 Registration Form and payment receipt to

[email protected] [email protected] .

DEADLINE TO REGISTER IS JULY 1st!!

NO REFUNDS AFTER JULY 1st!

35 Years

2017

1982

Continuing Education Credits

The 2017 AAPi Summer Seminar meets the requirements of the NALA

Certifying Board for Legal Assistants for continuing paralegal education

credit required to maintain the CLA/CP/ACP credential. The credits

available are as follows:

The Seminar has been approved by NALA for 6 CLE Credits.

When it’s time for the party to end...

The AAPi Board of Directors hopes that you enjoyed

our CLE at SEA cruise and wishes you safe travels

home! Watch your email for the next opportunity

to join us for another fabulous AAPi seminar...

Until we meet again...

At AAPi’s 2018 Winter Western Rodeo Seminar!!

So dust off your blue jeans and put on your boots...

we’re having a rootin’-tootin’ rip-roaring event!

So y’all come back now, you hear!

Get Ready to Set Sail!!!! Join us for AAPi’s 2017 Summer Seminar CLE at SEA onboard the Carnival Cruise Ship Fantasy! August 31st - September 4th 2017

In this issue of NOVUS you will find the brochure for the 2017 Summer Seminar CLE at SEA. In it you will find lots of information regarding our upcoming cruise. If you haven’t decided to join us yet.. Let me point out a few perks!:

1. The educational portion of this cruise qualifies for 6 CLE credits with NALA;

2. As of today, we will be joined on our cruise by our friends and sponsors, Freedom Court Reporting, Spy4Rent, and Expedius Envoy;

3. There will be lots of time for socializing, catching up with old friends and making new friends. We will all be dining together each night of the cruise which is a wonderful opportunity to socialize, network and talk about the day’s events;

4. All meals onboard the ship are included in the cruise price! Plus many of the restaurants onboard the ship are included in the cruise price!!

5. Have you looked at all the amenities this cruise ship offers??? It’s like having New York, Las Vegas and Gulf Shores all rolled into one!! You’ve got the salt air, sun, pools, casinos, top of the line restaurants, shows and clubs all on board...and if that’s not enough for you you’ve got a spa and a full shopping mall!! WOW - I don’t think there will be enough time to see it all!

6. Then you have the day in Cozumel, Mexico where you can take an excursion, go to the beach and see their beautiful waters or there are tons of shops and restaurants to see;

7. If you are an AAPi member AND you join us at the Annual Meeting you will get a special “Sail Away Bag”

valued at over $100! We are PACKING it will lots of high end items to celebrate our 35th

Anniversary! This is something you do not want to miss out on! Even if you can’t go with us on this exceptional cruise adventure... Sign up and come to the Annual Meeting just to get the bag!!

8. AAPi will be giving away a free CP or ACP exam at the Annual Meeting - but you must be present to win!

We hope you can join us for all of the fun and festivities. As more information comes in I will be sending out email updates.

Debbie Paul 2nd Vice President - Seminars

AAPi has SO much fun at our events!!!

Come Join Us for Our AAPi Seminars!

Check out

those vendor tables & the

country store!

Mardi Gras theme at the Winter Seminar!

We have the

most wonderful speakers!

The wonderful faces of AAPi!!!

AAPi bears arms at the Citizen’s firearms class

with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office!

All smiles at the

5th Annual Alabama

Parkinson’s Fighter Walk!

Celebrating our amazing past

presidents & 35th anniversary!

Walks With My Friend

Sonya asked me to write an article for this issue of Novus about Jeri Boyd, my dearest friend, sister-in-law, and former paralegal/co-worker at Sirote & Permutt, and Jeri’s vision to start a walk in Alabama to raise money for Parkinson’s disease research.

First, let me begin with this year’s Parkinson’s Walk. Sonya and I, along with some of our family members, respectively, attended the 2017 Alabama Parkinson’s Fighter Walk (“Fighter Walk”) that was held on March 4, 2017. It is beyond amazing to see how the Fighter Walk for Parkinson’s disease research has grown and how much money has been raised in Birmingham, Alabama in these six short years.

Jeri’s story goes back to 2010 when she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease after experiencing tremors in her fingers and toes and on the left side of her body. Of course, this diagnosis hit her hard, and of course she cried, we all cried together. After her diagnosis was confirmed by a second neurologist at UAB, she started praying for guidance and asking for any and all materials and information UAB had on the disease. All she knew about Parkinson’s was that Michael J. Fox had it.

Jeri went into combat mode, utilizing her paralegal skills, and researching everything she could find on Parkinson’s disease. Pretty much the only activity she could find was that a Parkinson’s Unity Walk was held in New York City in April of every year. She immediately made a promise to herself that she was going to attend the Unity Walk in New York City in April 2012. So, off we go, me, Jeri, and Jenny McInerney, an attorney Jeri had worked for at Sirote. Jenny and I knew since Jeri’s diagnosis that we were going to be there for Jeri and be by her side at the Unity Walk. In addition to sponsorships, and other donations, we held breakfast and bake sales, raffles, and hot dog lunches at Sirote numerous times throughout the year to raise money to take to the Unity Walk.

The Unity Walk is a one mile walk through Central Park that approximately 10,000 people from all over the country attend the last weekend in April every year and we were there in Central Park, WOW! I remember conversations we had as we were flying to New York, where Jeri had expressed her concerns about being able to complete the one-mile walk. After we arrived in Central Park and she saw all the people there, people who had been living with Parkinson’s longer than she had, many in wheelchairs, many there to walk with the assistance of canes and walkers, family members and friends by their sides, teams who arrived in buses, etc. Jeri’s adrenaline immediately kicked in. Not only did Jeri walk over the finish line, she left there totally PUMPED! We grabbed so many educational materials from the vendor booths that we had a hard time bringing the materials home. At the airport, Jeri had so many materials in her suitcase that it caused it to be over the weight limit. She started taking materials out of her suitcase and put almost all of them in “my” carry-on shoulder bag that didn’t have wheels. I’m not sure I forgive her for that! We had raised and turned in almost $13,000 for Jeri’s Alabama team at the 2012 Unity Walk.

5th Annual Alabama Parkinson’s Walk

On our flight home, Jeri looked at me and Jenny and told both of us that she was going to start a Parkinson’s walk in Alabama and that she had thought about this all weekend. Jeri said she knew that creating a walk in Alabama was just a part of what she needed to do to help raise money for Parkinson’s disease. So, on March 9, 2013, the inaugural Alabama Parkinson’s Fighter Walk was held. The 2013 Fighter Walk raised over $17,000.00.

Overall, the four Fighter Walks that were held in Birmingham in the years 2012-2015 collectively raised over $40,000.00, which was donated to the Unity Walk.

Because of donations to fund Parkinson’s research, in November 2015, Jeri underwent the first Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery procedure at UAB, which consisted of having a device implanted in her brain and in December 2015, Jeri underwent the second DBS surgery procedure where a battery pack of wires was inserted to connect to the device in her brain. The DBS surgery has helped reduce Jeri’s shaking and tremors that are side effects of Parkinson’s disease, but it is not a cure. In March of 2016, Jeri had to retire as a paralegal at Sirote, and go on disability Jeri has not retired from and continues all of her fundraising efforts to raise money for Parkinson’s disease research. Because of Jeri’s vision and the success of the Fighter Walks, the Alabama Parkinson’s Fighters (the team Jeri founded) was invited to partner with the Parkinson’s Association of Alabama (PAA). This was an exciting opportunity for the Fighter Walk and PAA, which meant that they could work together as one team fighting a cure for the same disease, and that 100% of the net proceeds raised through the Alabama Fighter Walk would stay in Alabama. The 2016 Alabama Fighter Walk raised over $25,000.00 for Parkinson’s research, which was donated to UAB. While the Alabama Fighter Walks alone have raised over $65,000.00 since the first Alabama Fighter Walk in 2012, the numbers for the March 2017 Alabama Fighter Walk have not come in as of this writing. Jeri told me that her personal goal was to raise $30,000.00 from this year’s walk. I believe she surpassed her goal! This year’s Alabama Fighter Walk was bigger and better than ever and the Alabama Fighter Walk continues to grow each year. If the numbers come in as Jeri envisions, and the 2017 Alabama Fighter Walk raised $30,000.00, then the six Alabama Fighter Walks combined have raised almost $100,000.00 for Parkinson’s research. Jeri says that preparing for the Alabama Fighter Walk is very hard work, but there is no way she could do it alone. I’m including the following quote from one of Jeri’s emails:

“I knew that creating this walk was part of what I needed to do now that I have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. I will tell you that I have very many PDBs (Parkinson’s Disease Blessings) in my life. If I did not have this disease, I would not know many of the people that I call some of my closest friends and I would not change that for anything! I hope one day our team will be the number #1 fundraising team. But most of all, my prayer is that a cure will come even sooner than that!!”

Several years ago, Jeri was awarded Region I member of the year. Jeri thoroughly enjoyed being involved with AAPi and she worked on several AAPi committees prior to being diagnosed with Parkinson’s. She especially liked working on the Seminar Committee, but said it was a lot of hard work! I dearly miss working with Jeri and I miss seeing her five days a week. However, please be on the lookout for Jeri, because she is going to be my roommate at the AAPi cruise in August! Susan Conger

Susan Conger, Jeri Boyd, &

Sonya Graves at the 5th Annual Parkinson’s Walk!

Jeri Boyd & Susan Conger at the Parkinson’s Unity walk in NYC!

Jefferson County Citizen’s Firearm Class

AAPi BEARS ARMS Julie A. Craft, ACP

Deputy Chief Danny Hallmark of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office was the keynote speaker at AAPi’s Winter Seminar on February 10, 2017. During his address, Deputy Chief Hallmark suggested organizing a citizen’s firearm class for AAPi members. AAPi President Sonya Graves determined there was enough interest to organize the class and scheduled it for April 15, 2017. The morning session was filled so quickly that a second class was scheduled for the afternoon. My husband, a retired police officer, and my son are both into guns, but to tell you the truth I’m a little afraid of them. I had been shooting with them on three occasions. I wanted to learn more about the guns themselves, how they worked and more about safety. I also wanted to become more confident in handling a gun. I attended the afternoon session. Deputy Chief Hallmark came in just before class started and told us a little more about the training center and the instructors. Our instructor for the three hour class was Sergeant Terrell Hogeland. Sergeant Hogeland has been with the Sheriff’s office since 1998 and is a SWAT Team Sniper. For the first two hours of the class, he instructed us on the “Cardinal Rules” of gun safety, the parts of a revolver and a semi-automatic handgun, how the guns function, a little history of the weapons, proper grip, the advantages and disadvantages of each type of handgun and answered any questions we had. In addition to providing all this information in a way that was easy to understand, Sergeant Hogeland was also entertaining. He told us about his daughter’s 13th birthday party. She wanted to have a self-defense birthday party. So he organized it. This former military, SWAT Team Sniper, tough guy donned a protective suit and let a group of 12 and 13 year old girls beat up on him. What a Dad! After two hours in the classroom, we were allowed out on the shooting range to practice what we had learned. We had the option of bringing our own gun and ammunition or using a gun provided by the Sheriff’s office. If we were going to use one of the guns provided by the Sheriff’s office, we were asked to bring our own ammunition for either a .38 or a 9 mm. In addition to Sergeant Hogeland, we were joined on the range by Lieutenant Venita Edge, Lieutenant Brian Reeves, Sergeant Ronnie Lay, and Corporal Don Marcrum. We had a small class so we each received quite a bit of one-on-one instruction. I must say it was a little intimidating at first having a Sheriff’s deputy standing at your shoulder watching you shoot a gun, but they were all so friendly and helpful that the intimidation factor quickly went away as we spent the next hour putting holes in targets.

I had brought my own gun, a .22 semi-automatic that I had shot once before and felt comfortable using. I also asked to try a .38 revolver that Sergeant Hogeland had shown us in class. I found it had a bit more of a kick than I liked. Lieutenant Reeves encouraged me to try his 9 mm Glock, explaining that as a heavier weapon it had a smaller kick. He was right. I would like to thank AAPi President Sonya Graves for organizing these classes, and the instructors at the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Training Center for sharing their knowledge and time. I feel more comfortable handling a handgun and after using three different guns, I am confident that I can hit what I aim at, at least 90% of the time. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office offers these classes the general public on a regular basis free of charge. For more information from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, please go online to www.jeffcotrainingcenter.com and click on the Courses link or contact Sergeant Ronnie Lay at [email protected]. Sonya Graves is currently working with Corporal Marcrum to schedule another class for AAPi during the Fall of 2017 – so keep a check on your email for more information.

Sergeant Hogeland gives instructions to McKenzie Davis!

AAPi Bears Arms with Lieutenant Edge,

Corporal Don Marcrum, Lieutenant Reeves, & Corby Howard!

“What exactly do you do?” A brief glimpse into a Criminal Paralegal for the United States Attorney’s Office

Adrienne D. Berry, CP

Working for the government is still exciting! Even after 10.5 years, I can still say that. There is never a

dull day in the work that I do. By now, you are asking yourself, who is this crazy person and what is she

talking about. Well I would I would like to introduce you to a day in the life of a federal criminal

paralegal.

To give you a little background, I received my paralegal certificate in 2001 and began working in Labor &

Employment at Sirote & Permutt, PC in Birmingham. I changed jobs in January 2007, and began working

in the Criminal Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama. Prior

to working here, my entire legal knowledge was focused in civil litigation and I would have never chosen

to work in criminal law.....not for all of the money in the world. Well, as you see, things changed and now

I would not change this job for all of the money in the world.

I am a certified paralegal specialist in the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force Unit

(OCDETF) for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama. I am also a

supervisory paralegal of three paralegal specialists (in Birmingham and Huntsville) and am the contact

support of two contract paralegals. OCDETF currently has four Assistant United States Attorneys, myself

and a contract paralegal and a legal assistant. Our main job is to prosecute drug dealers and their

organizations including forfeiture of assets. Our office works with special agents from various agencies

including The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms & Explosives (ATF), The Drug Enforcement

Agency (DEA), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI),

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS), US Postal Service (USPS) and countless others. On a regular basis, I

have about seven to ten active cases ongoing at the same time. I am also a paralegal to the Deputy Chief of

Reactive and Violent Crimes, which includes felon in possession, bank robberies, narcotics and other

reactive crimes.

So still you are asking, okay, what makes her job so satisfying and wonderful? I must say all of it. There is

a self-fulfilling satisfaction of knowing that I am playing a part in taking large quantities of drugs off of

the street. In a sentence, I assist our Assistant US Attorneys in getting the bad guys and the drugs off of

the street. Let me give you a brief glimpse into a big case prosecuted by our OCEDTF unit:

A typical OCDETF case lasts about 12-18 months if it includes wiretaps and phone records. Most of the

larger OCEDTF cases are given code names, which make it easier to know which case you are talking

about. Even the agents use the code names on these cases. It sometimes feels like I am working at Mission

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Possible and Tom Cruise is going to walk in at any moment. I started working on “Smorgasboard” in

February 2008. “Smorgasboard” was a typical large drug organization conspiracy case but it also

included money laundering, and counterfeiting. There were in total, 21 defendants on this case, 16 in

the main case and then 5 other spin off cases. For the first part of my involvement, I was tasked with

the compilation, organization and production of all of the documents, videos, phone calls and any other

evidence that was collected during the investigation of the case. In federal criminal cases, a defendant

can be under investigation for months, even years before he/she is charged. Once they are indicted, our

office is required to turn over all of the information collected at their arraignment, which is usually

about 12-14 days after the indictment is filed. For this particular case, all of the phone calls,

surveillance discs and videos were burned to 50+ discs. Since there were 21 defendants, everyone had

to have a copy of all of these discs. In addition, there were countless numbers of boxes of paper

documents, including the motions from the pre-indictment phase, document production from grand jury

subpoenas, and all other information collected by the law enforcement agencies. The pre-discovery

process normally takes 2-4 weeks to assemble before the arraignment and in this case, time was not on

my side. At the arraignment and detention hearings, I assisted the AUSA with giving out and going

over all of the discovery. We even had meetings for me to explain to defense counsel how I prepared

the documents and discs and how they could find information related to their individual clients.

INDEXES are your friends!!! I had a master index of all of the documents, an index for each meeting

that was held, an index for attorney comments/questions and an index for all of the defense counsel

because the names did change over the course of this case. I forgot to mention that once someone is

indicted, they have a right to a speedy trial within 70 days unless the defendant waives that right. This

means that in working for four attorneys, I can have as many as ten cases ongoing at the same time, all

set for the same trial day with the same discovery deadlines. “Did I mention that there is never a dull

day at my job!”

Getting back to a paralegal’s role in the criminal division of the US Attorney’s office, it is our job

responsibility to prepare and organize all aspects of the discovery production. We must be very

knowledgeable about the materials that are produced and be very efficient in our computer skills. For

most of our cases, paralegals use Ipro EclipSE, Excel, PowerPoint, Sanction, SmartDraw7, Adobe,

CaseMap and TrialDirector. Not only do we get in on the ground level of a case, but we are able to be

involved from the beginning to the end. A criminal paralegal is a vital part of the pre-trial and trial

phase. After meeting with the AUSA, it is our responsibility to organize and set up the trial exhibits in

a format that will be utilized at trial. As for my role in the “Smorgasboard” case, all but five of the

defendants pled guilty, so I only had to prepare my trial documents for those five defendants. The fun

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part of this is that I prepared trial on all 21 defendants at the beginning and as one defendant would

plead, I would have to readjust all of the documents. There is no way of knowing who will plead and

who will not until the week before the trial starts. Even at the plea hearing, the defendant can elect to

change his/her mind and they will go to trial. We took the last plea on the Wednesday before the first

day of trial. I was on the phone with witnesses saying yes/no come to town, and re-submitting the

exhibit list to the Judge’s clerk. The judge’s clerk became my best friend. The trial was scheduled to last

2 weeks, with 49 witnesses called to testify and a minimum of 198 trial exhibits. Even at the end of the

trial, I could recite all of the charges in the 87-page indictment without having to look at it. The hardest

part of my job is forgetting the information on each case because I have a wonderful photographic

memory (which is not always a blessing). In preparing for trial, I made reference to all of those indexes

to help identify particular documents relative to only these defendants. As part of the preparation, I

created a timeline organization chart to describe the major events of the drug organization from 2005-

2008. I utilized a drug organization chart that pictured each defendant and their relation to the other

defendants in the case. We even used a phone records chart that outlined how many calls were placed on

the cell phones in a particular period of time. As an example, the chart showed that Defendant 1 called

Defendant 3 on the cell phone 547 times in a four day period and each call was transcribed for playback

during the trial along with a readable version of the phone transcript for the jurors. To take all of our

documents to the federal courthouse, I had to use a flatbed and go in the back doors of the courthouse. It

took me 1 hour just to load and unload my documents. Can’t you picture me walking in downtown

Birmingham pushing a flatbed full of documents on a flat wheel, praying that nothing fell off in the

middle of the street, but of course it did and I held up traffic!! (True story). The trial was exhilarating

every day because I knew that the jury could understand the magnitude of this case and as the AUSA

stated in his opening statement, “It would take days to explain the magnitude of this drug organization,

so I am just going to give you a glimpse into the life of these drug dealers and how over $6 million

dollars of drugs were bought and sold by this group along with the other criminal activity they were

involved in.” At the end of that two week trial with 2 days of deliberation, four of the five defendants

were found guilty with two facing a life sentence and a $6 million judgment placed against the entire

drug organization! The outcome of this trial was so worth the hours and days that I spent in preparing it

for trial. As a paralegal, I felt that I was more than just a part of the “process,” I actually played a major

role in helping bring this drug organization to its end and that feeling is just so indescribable in words.

My job was still not over in regards to the “Smorgasboard” case. After trial, notification must be prepared for all

parties who were intercepted on the phone calls during the investigation. This means that anyone who placed a

phone call to any of the defendants’ cell phones during the investigation, must be notified that their calls was

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listened to (intercepted) by federal agents. In this particular case, there were over 10,000 calls placed on

the five phones that were intercepted. I have not been able to get a final calculation on how many people

must be notified, but I can say that it will take me a little while. So are you still asking what makes my

job so special and why I find it so fascinating- well it is not only because of the type of work that I do,

but it also the people that I work with on a daily basis, they all share the same mindset that I do. We are

all public servants who are glad to do our part in taking the bad guys off of the street.

In addition to my daily caseload, I also supervise a group of paralegals within our main office and our

branch office in Huntsville. The paralegals vary in their type of daily work and levels of experience, so I

have worked with the other supervisory paralegal to create a manual for the new paralegals with tips on

daily procedures, office protocols and “how to” guides. I conduct monthly meetings with my group,

review their weekly agendas and assist them with trial preparations (well only on their first trials). I

travel to Huntsville at least once a month so that I can interact with the paralegals and AUSAs in the

branch office. Some days are busier than others. In this year alone, I have prepared for six trials, have six

more in this month and May, have prepared discovery for over 50 defendants from January to April,

attended seven other hearings at which I provided litigation support, sat in on multiple witness/agent

meetings, conducted training with my group of paralegals, handled supervisory duties and still, I enjoy

what I do. I think I strive on the stress!

And, lastly, I am a single mother to four daughters: Tyler, 24.5, who lives in NY; Kayla, 19, a freshman

at The University of Alabama (ROLL TIDE); Meleah, 17, who just attended her junior prom and is

involved in EVERY school club and church activity that she can sign up for; and Jordan, 14.5, the

diva/socialite aka mini me, who thinks it is my job to just drive her around and constantly give her

money....My girls understand how busy I am during any given week and are very understanding.

So there you have it....a small and brief glimpse into the daily life of a criminal government paralegal. As

I said in the beginning, there is never a dull day in the work that I do and I wouldn’t change this job for

all of the money in the world.

4

NALA Updates

Let’s Spring into it, there are some changes coming to NALA. Here is what you need to know:

Changes are coming to the CP Exam for 2018.

a. New Structure and Content

b. Faster Exam Results

c. More Testing Dates

Examination Format

The 2018 Certified Paralegal examination will consist of two required sections taken in the following order:

Knowledge Exam

o The Knowledge Exam will consist of multiple choice questions covering the topic areas listed in Appendix A.

o The Knowledge Exam will be administered on-demand, year-round attesting centers with preliminary result

reporting upon completion.

o Candidates must successfully complete the Knowledge Exam in order to be eligible to take the Skills Exam.

Skills Exam

o The Skills Exam will consist of a written assignment; specifications are set forth in Appendix A.

o The Skills Exam will be administered during four testing windows each year: February, April, July, and October.

Successful completion of both the Knowledge and Skills Exams is required to obtain the Certified Paralegal

credential.

Examination Policies

• First Administration – Knowledge Exam

o The first administration of the Knowledge Exam will be offered during a 30-day window with 150 items. This

administration will be used for post-administration analysis, scoring, and standard setting. For this session, results

will not be available upon completion but will be provided once the analysis, scoring, and standard setting has been

completed.

o 100 items will be scored(determined after administration).

o 50 items will be pretested for statistical analysis(determined after administration)but will not be scored.

o 3.75 hours testing time(90secondsperitem)will be provided for this one-time testing session.

Subsequent Administrations – Knowledge Exam

When the examination opens for year-round testing, 120 items will be included on each Knowledge Exam.

a. 100 items will be scored.

b. 20 items will be pretested for statistical analysis.

c. 3 hours testing time (90 seconds per item) will be provided for all subsequent Knowledge Exams.

d. Result reporting will be available upon completion with on-demand testing year-round.

Exam Administration Policies and Procedures

• Knowledge Exam

o Candidates must first pass the Knowledge Exam.

o Candidates are eligible to take the Knowledge Exam only after they have graduated from an educational program, if

using that eligibility pathway, or have the required minimum experience, if using the experience category. The new

system of on- demand testing will remove deadlines to apply for the examination. Candidates will be able to apply when

they are eligible.

o Once NALA approves an application for the Certified Paralegal examination, candidates will have 365 days from the

approval date to sit for the Knowledge Exam. If the candidate does not take the Knowledge Exam within 365 days of

the initial approval date, NALA will return the application to the candidate. The examination fee is nonrefundable.

o Candidates who do not pass the Knowledge Exam must wait 90 days before re- taking it.

o Candidates must pass the Knowledge Exam within the first three attempts during the 365 day period or wait 365 days

before trying again.

Skills Exam

• Candidates who pass the Knowledge Exam are then eligible to take the Skills Exam and must complete the Skills

Exam within the next 365 days after receiving notice of eligibility from NALA.

• Candidates must wait at least 2 weeks after passing the Knowledge Exam before receiving eligibility to take the Skills

Exam.

• Candidates who do not pass the Skills Exam must wait 90 days before re-taking it.

• Candidates must pass the Skills Exam within the first three attempts in a 365-day period or start over by re-taking the

Knowledge Exam.

Exam fees

• First time candidates

o Non-refundable examination fee of $250 for NALAmembers,$275 for non-members. o Includes one attempt for the Knowledge Exam and one attempt for the Skills exam. • Retake candidates

o Non-refundable attempt fee of $60 per subsequent attempt for the Knowledge Exam.

o Non-refundable attempt fee of $60 per subsequent attempt for the Skills Exam.

New applicants for the May 2017 and September 2017 testing windows

• Candidates who have not yet taken any sections prior to the May 2017 testing window have

the option to sit for the examination in May 2017 or September 2017 but will have to complete the exam and pass all

sections by the closing of the September 2017 testing window. If candidates do not take and pass all sections by the

closing of the September 2017 testing window, NALA will require these candidates to retake the examination in its

new format beginning in 2018.

Candidates who have not yet taken any sections of the exam also have the option to wait until 2018 to sit for the

examination and the application will be transferred to 2018 upon request.

Candidates in retake status

• Candidates who first sat for any section in September 2015 through January 2016 will have the full two years

provided in their original application to take and pass all sections of the exam since the applications will expire after

the September 2017 testing window closes.

• Candidates who first sat for any section in the testing windows beginning May 2016 through January 2017 will need

to successfully complete any remaining sections of the examination by the September 2017 testing window.

• Any candidates who do not successfully complete all sections by the September 2017 examination will retake the

entire exam in its new format starting in 2018. Candidates in this situation have a reduction in time to complete the

examination from the time allowed in the initial application. These candidates will be permitted to re-take the new

exam once at half cost since the time period to complete the examination has been reduced. Any subsequent re-takes

will be at full price.

Incomplete/pending applications

• Candidates filing incomplete applications must provide the documentation and/or fees required to complete the

application within 60 days.

• CONGRATULATIONS Jennifer Cline and Whitney Yarborough recently obtained their CP designations!

• Did you know? As of July 6, 2016, we have 239 CPs across the state of Alabama. As of April 3, 2017, we have 58

ACPs across the state of Alabama.

• Check out these great upcoming webinars:

Webinars are a fast, convenient, and now an even more affordable way to get the education you need.

1.0 hour webinars: $39 for Members and $59 for Non-members



April 27, 2017- 10:00 a.m.

Estate Planning for the Modern Family- In this webinar, we will discuss drafting considerations for the modern

family. Drug usage, failed careers, second marriages, and children who “still live at home” are part of the modern

family. How does one draft to avoid unintended consequences when these circumstances arise? How does one draft

efficiently without a crystal ball into the future? We will talk about how to avoid fiduciary disputes that often result

from these circumstances. Every document we draft will eventually be administered and affect people in their

everyday lives.

May 5, 2017- 1100 a.m.

Law and Ethics - This webinar will focus on the law and the ethical issues that arise when laws provide a

certain outcome that may not be fair, ethical or necessarily the “right thing.”

Mr. Bermingham will analyze and debate some key Constitutional and State Court Cases that deal with

ethical issues outside of the law. The webinar will include discussion of the Attorney/Client Privilege, 4th

Amendment’s Search and Seizure, 5th Amendment’s Due Process, 8th Amendment’s Cruel and Unusual

Punishment, 1st Amendment’s Right to Free Speech, and the Right to Privacy.

May 9, 2017- 12:00 p.m.

Expert Witness Bootcamp: From Retainer to Trial and Everything in-between- This Bootcamp will

provide practical time saving tips and pointers for retaining and preparing experts throughout the course of

a case. Learn how to efficiently assist your attorneys in preparing experts from initial retention, including

preparation of witness files and tracking of evidence and documents sent to expert witnesses, to the heat of

battle, including deposition and trial prep. Learn how to effectively and efficiently create, organize and

manage witness files for deposition and ultimately, trial.

May 10, 2017- 1:00 p.m.

Dram Shop Case: What is it and Do I have One?- When a drunk driver causes an automobile collision,

can the injured party sue the establishment where the drunk driver was served? If I serve guests at a

graduation party and one of them causes a collision on the way home, am I responsible? This exciting

webinar will discuss the determining factors to help you understand liquor liability. David Lail is an

attorney who specializes in dram shop cases and his presentation will walk you through a case from start to

finish, identify experts to deliver unbiased opinions as to the evidence, and suggest visual aids that can

enhance your case.

May 17, 2017 12:00 p.m.

Basic Due Diligence- The laws, rules, and policies around a law firm's due diligence can be challenging at

times to experienced attorneys and paralegals. It is even more daunting for those who are just getting

familiar with the due diligence/RA 9 world. This presentation outlines some key points for those who are

relatively new to this area of corporate law. Topics included are: general search rules, forms, and

importance of the debtor name. There is also a discussion on the GM case and its implications for firms. All

topics are established touchstones in due diligence analysis.

If none of these times or dates don't work for your schedule? How about taking a Self-Study Course or an

On-Demand Webinar? Learn whenever it is convenient for you.

CLE Lookup

Don't remember how many hours of CLE you have earned? Follow the steps below to access the recorded hours. We

recommend accessing via Chrome or Firefox as there are known issues for some users when accessing via Internet

Explorer.

• Click on the CLE Lookup Icon

• Use your login and password

• View and/or Download

Advanced Paralegal Certification

Advanced Certification courses are part of the self-study programs offered by NALA. APC certification is for

Certified Paralegals and is focused on mastery of specific course material developed under the direction of the

Advanced Paralegal Certification Board. An assessment component is part of the curriculum-based program as well

as detailed exercises. Presently, NALA offers APC credentials in 26 practice areas. The average course is about 20

hours in length and organized into multiple modules. These web-based courses are available on a 24/7 basis.

2017 NALA Conference & Expo

It’s Almost Time- the 2017 NALA Annual Convention is fast approaching!

Join fellow paralegals at the largest paralegal conference in the country! The 2017 NALA Conference will be held

Wednesday, July 19 to Friday, July 21, 2017, in Orlando, FL. Online registration is available online now. The

conference will be held at the Wyndham Orlando Resort on International Drive. Prices are $129/night until the room

block is filled or until June 19, 2017. Extra person charge: $20/pp. (Reservations can be made online through

www.nala.org under 2017 NALA conference

• July 19: Opening Session, Affiliated Associations Meeting, General Session – 1 CLE, NALA Annual Meeting

• July 20: 5 hours of CLE

• July 21: 6 hours of CLE Cancellation policy - All cancellations received after June 19, 2017, will be assessed a

$100 processing fee.

Session topics include:

2017 Employment Law Updates

Advanced Contracts - Commercial Leases

An Introduction to Estate Planning

Civil Litigation - A Step by Step Look at the Process

H-1B Visas IRS Collection - Dealing with Liens, Levies, and Seizures IRS Negotiated Settlement Program -

Secrets to Success Learning About Evidence Letting Go of Paper Practicing the Paralegal’s Professional

Responsibilities Questioning Techniques for Depositions Raising Capital and Crowdfunding Revamping Your

Firm for Success The Basics of Trust The Paralegal's Professional Responsibilities Role-Playing Workshop The

Paralegal's Role in Litigation The Secret to Understanding Objections Trap Doors - Real Estate Transfers

AAPi Past President, region 1 member, and current NALA Affiliated Associations Director, Jane McKinnon,

CP, has declared for the NALA Board of Directors Area at Large Director for 2017-2019. The voting for this

position will take place at the annual meeting on July 19-20, 2017. Qualifications for this position include:

• Legally competent to enter into contracts

• A citizen of the United States

• An Active member of NALA

• Actively employed as a paralegal

• A current Certified Paralegal

If you are unable to attend, please complete the attached proxy voting form and submit to the listed persons on

the proxy form. Voting Representative is Adrienne D. Berry, CP and alternate voting representative is Sonya

Graves, ACP. The deadline to submit your proxy for is June 19, 2017. A complete list of all candidates and

proposed bylaw amendments will be published in the May/June issue of Facts & Findings and on the NALA

website (www.nala.org)

Join the AAPi delegation. If you are interested in attending the 2017 NALA convention, please contact me

for details. Become part of the Alabama contingent!

Are you interested in joining NALA: www.nala.org

As your NALA Liaison, if I can assist or answer questions, please do not hesitate to contact me:

[email protected]

Designation of Proxy and Alternate Proxy Form National Association of Legal Assistants, Inc. Annual Meeting, July 19, 2017

Instructions and General Information 1. If you cannot attend the NALA Annual Membership Meeting on July 19, 2017, you may designate two NALA active members to cast your proxy vote during the meeting. One NALA member will serve as your proxyholder and the second member will serve as

your alternate proxyholder, and/or alternate is a back-up to protect your vote in the event your proxy must cancel at the last minute or leave the meeting early. Any active member may hold your proxy with the exception of the NALA President.

2. Only active members in good standing forty- ve (45) days prior to the annual meeting or a special meeting shall be qualified to vote at such meeting or upon other matters coming to the members for action. An active member who is delinquent in the payment of any

dues or other assessments shall not be qualified to vote. Student, associate or sustaining members are non-voting members of the Corporation (Article III.3.9, NALA Bylaws).

3. Be sure your named proxyholder and alternate proxyholder plan to attend the annual meeting. If your proxyholder and/or alternate proxyholder have to leave the annual meeting before its conclusion, another member cannot hold your proxy. No proxy or alternate

proxyholder may be designated after June 19, 2017.

4. Your Designation of Proxy and Alternate Proxy form �must be sent to the NALA Secretary and the NALA Credentials Chairman

in order for your proxy to be recorded. e form must be received by these o cers no later than June 19, 2017.

5. Remember to instruct your proxy holders how you wish your vote to be cast. Announcement of candidates and proposed bylaw

amendments will be published in May/June issue of Facts & Findings and on the NALA Website.

I, __________________________________________, a NALA active member, hereby appoint YOUR NAME __________________________________________, a NALA active member, to serve as my proxyholder at the NALA PROXY’S NAME Annual Meeting in Orlando, FL, July 19, 2017. In the event my named proxyholder is unable to hold my proxy, I hereby appoint __________________________________, a NALA active member, to serve as my alternate proxy at said ALTERNATE PROXY’S NAME annual meeting. � _________ _______________________________ ________________________ DATE SIGNATURE PRINT/TYPE YOUR NAME

_________________________________________________________________ ADDRESS ________________________ __________________ _______________ CITY STATE ZIP Note: is form is not considered received if postmarked June 19, 2017. It must be in the Secretary’s hands by that date. is form may be led by regular mail, fax, or e-mail. Send to: Melissa J. Hamilton, ACP Peonca Grier, CP 6900 Crested Butte Road NALA Credentials Chairman Bismarck, ND 58503-8313 5926 La Costa Drive [email protected] Orlando, FL 32807 [email protected]

Why join AAPi?

Membership in AAPi is two-fold: (1) it provides a myriad of benefits and resources through networking, CLE events, seminars and meetings, its NALA affiliation, and its website and, (2) it gives its members an opportunity to give back by allowing them to share their knowledge and skills with others. I first learned of AAPi while pursuing my paralegal degree and joined as a student. Once I graduated and began my career as a paralegal I joined as an active member and have been “active” ever since. Joining AAPi was one of the best and most rewarding decisions I have made in my career. Over the years I have developed some wonderful “AAPi” friendships and learned so much from every one of them. The support and camaraderie among the membership is what makes this association unique in the legal community. With the evolution of technology, changes in the judicial rules, and the ever present need to know and do more, membership in AAPi helps to keep its members on the cutting edge of the latest developments to enable them to assist their attorneys and firms at the highest level of expertise. AAPi is here to help you succeed in your career. I encourage you to bring your experience and knowledge to the AAPi table while at the same time learning from others.

Now is the time to let your voice be heard and make a positive

difference in your own career and the paralegal community in your area by joining or renewing your membership. I would also encourage you to remind other paralegals of the many advantages and benefits of joining AAPi. We look forward to the continuing participation of our current members and welcome those who wish to join this great group of legal professionals.

Please contact Terri Sargent for a membership or renewal application

at [email protected].

Sincerely, Terri Sargent, ACP 2nd Vice President Membership

Membership

A Huge Thank You to Our Sponsors!!!

NOVUS is the official publication of the Alabama Association of Paralegals, Inc.

Thank You!

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NOVUS

NOVUS is the official publication of the Alabama Association of Paralegals, Inc. This publication is published quarterly, and is a benefit of membership in AAPi. Subscriptions to NOVUS are included in annual membership fees. To submit materials for publication in NOVUS, please contact the Communications Chairperson, Lauren Stuman, at [email protected]. Opinions expressed in articles and features herein are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of AAPi. The Editor strongly encourages the submission of materials for publication; however, the Editor reserves the right to edit material and accept or reject materials submitted.

The Alabama Association of Legal Assistants, Inc. (“AALA”)

was formed in July 1982, as a non-profit organization to promote the paralegal profession through awareness and education. In 2003, by a majority vote of the membership, the name of the organization was changed to Alabama Association of Paralegals, Inc. (“AAPi”). AAPi is an affiliate of the National Association of Legal Assistants, Inc.

AAPi’s Goals • To further education among members of the profession. • To encourage a high order of ethical and professional

attainment. • To cooperate with bar associations. • To establish good fellowship among AAPi members, the

National Association of Legal Assistants, Inc., and member of the legal community.

• To support and carry out the programs and goals of NALA.

Celebrating 35 wonderful years with AAPi!!! Come celebrate with … · 2017-05-02 · Celebrating...

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Transcript of Celebrating 35 wonderful years with AAPi!!! Come celebrate with … · 2017-05-02 · Celebrating...