november 2015 - career corner

the NALS docket - November 2015 1

Inside this Issue:From the Top 2Coming Events & Deadlines 6Grammar Nuggets 8 Law in Flux 10Word Tips & Tricks 13Career Corner 14Member Spotlight 16Electronic Voting 18Staff Notes 19

2 the NALS docket - November 2015

WE Asked and YOU Answered! As NALS leaders, we have asked a lot of the entire membership over the past couple of years. We asked you to consider the future of our association as you voted to change our governance structure to a five-member board. After that measure passed, we have asked you to answer multiple surveys and provide continuing feedback to a number of questions we posed on a variety of subjects. We have asked and you have answered time and time again. We ask you to continue to engage with us so that we can continue to bring you products and services which provide value to you as a NALS member and to your career as a legal professional.

NALS Award of ExcellenceThree very deserving members were selected as finalists for NALS’ highest recognition, the Award of Excellence. Kathleen R. Amirante, PP, PLS; Ruth Schaub, PP, PLS-SC, AIC; and Kathy Sieckman, PP, PLS-SC, ACP rose to the challenge by going through the rigorous process leading up to the announcement of the 2016 Award of Excellence recipient. We congratulate Kathleen R. Amirante, PP, PLS, our 2016 NALS Award of Excellence recipient! You and both of our finalists are outstanding in your accomplishments and should be recognized for all that you have done and continue to do in performance of your jobs and in service to NALS members and the legal community at large. Bravo!

Grassroots Level Think Tank (“GLTT”)Beginning in March 2015, this group of forward-thinking individuals, which included members, chapter leaders, and national volunteers began to meet to discuss the future of the association. The GLTT gives members and leaders the opportunity to gather together and share experiences, find bright spots, spark innovation, and design solutions for the future—all in hopes of making NALS work better for its members and the legal community. As a result, we have begun to discuss what is—and what is not—working within our organization and start the process of brainstorming potential improvements that will meet

the needs of our members at all levels. As we shared with you in the May 2015 issue of the NALS docket, the GLTT identified four topics that are most critical to NALS members and to legal professionals: time, cost, value, and identity. Most of what the Board and NALS committee members have been working on in recent months has centered around these topics.

But this conversation is not over. We are still inviting everyone to be a part of this continuing dialogue. The next in-person meeting of the GLTT will be in Tulsa at the Professional Development & Education Conference in late February. You can sign up to participate on our website at www.nals.org/GLTT. We hope you will join us so we can hear from you.

Conference Survey Recap We know the value of your time and your money is very important to you. Because of this, we asked NALS members and other legal professionals to answer a survey dealing with conferences. The purpose of this survey was to take the pulse of where people stand, what people want, and what is most important to conference attendees. Here are some of the highlights of what respondents said:

• 64% want to attend a conference once a year• 65% prefer to attend a conference in the fall• 43% want to attend either a two-day conference on

Friday and Saturday or a three-day conference on a Thursday through Saturday

• 67% say they prefer one event containing both CLE and leadership opportunities

• 38% would prefer to attend a conference where half a day is spent on education and the other half on leadership/professional development

• 52% said that hotel room rates are more important than destination

• 63% want social networking events and luncheons included in the cost of registration


YOU asked and WE answered!As a result of your input and engagement when we asked the questions, we have been able to answer with a variety of changes to our products and services. And that action has not and will not stop. We are committed to continuing to serve the needs of the legal professional through the delivery of quality legal education, offering and promoting professional certifications, and providing opportunities for networking and continuous learning. We are thrilled to announce some of the following additions and changes to NALS products and services, all for your benefit.

New Specialty CertificatesBeginning in January 2016, NALS will begin to offer a total of 21 specialty certificates in the following areas:

With the addition of these specialty areas, we have answered the requests of many members for NALS to provide more opportunities for members’ certifications to stand out. A specialty certificate is perfect for the certified PLS and PP who seek to go above and beyond—setting themselves apart from the competition—and making their area of expertise known! We encourage everyone to look at obtaining a specialty certificate as an opportunity to further enhance your careers and NALS certifications.

NALS Mock Exams—Online! With advances in technology, and in response to the stated desires of students and those teaching and studying for NALS certification exams, it is time for our association to “get with the times.” You have asked for it and we are answering. Thanks in large part to a grant from the NALS Foundation and the hard work of dedicated committee volunteers, NALS is pleased to announce it will soon be rolling out a new, robust LMS (learning management system) which will give us the ability to provide mock exams online and later, even certification exams! By the spring of 2016, we will be in beta-delivery mode of mock exams for the ALP (Accredited Legal Professional) exams,

with later releases of the other certifications’ mock exams as they are developed. As each stage of this developing project is ready for launch, we will continue to update you.

Partnering with Related Legal Associations Adding value to your membership with NALS is just one of the many things your Board is committed to achieving. Acting on the suggestions of the GLTT, the Board has been actively pursuing partnerships with related legal associations, such as the Association of Legal Administrators (ALA), the American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE), and others. Our hopes are that, as we continue to build relationships with the many players in the legal industry, NALS will be better positioned to serve the needs of legal professionals throughout the entire country and beyond. That being said, the process is ongoing. As more comes out of these continuing conversations, we will be sure to let you know. Promoting you as a professional and as an indispensable asset to employers and the legal community is just a part of our mission.

NALS ConferencesIt is no secret that it has been getting more difficult and more expensive for members to attend two conferences each year. Often, you have been forced to make the choice between one or the other—either because of time concerns, financial strains, or other considerations. An overwhelming majority of those we have polled have responded they think only one conference a year is needed and/or possible given their limited means. Because of this, and after careful consideration of the results of the conference survey (discussed above) and the fact that we have had declining numbers at the annual Tulsa conference in recent years, the Board has voted to offer only one dynamic and comprehensive education and leadership conference each year in the fall.

Consequently, this makes our upcoming NALS 2016 Professional Development & Education Conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the last one to be offered in the late winter/early spring. This is not sad news, we say, but an opportunity to answer the needs of many.

What does one conference a year look like? Merging a robust professional development and leadership-training track into one fantastic multi-track education conference is the vehicle which will take us into the next outstanding chapter of the association’s future. NALS will continue to offer superior continuing legal education alongside opportunities to obtain the skills, qualifications, and experience that allow you to make progress in your career. We are confident we have nothing to lose and everything to gain by delivering what you and your peers have been asking for.

Administrative LawAppellate LawBankruptcy LawBusiness LawCivil LitigationContract LawCorporate LawCriminal LawE-DiscoveryElder LawEmployment Law

Estate Planning/ProbateFamily LawImmigration LawInsurance LawIntellectual Property Juvenile LawLaw Office ManagementPersonal Injury LawReal Estate LawTrial Management


Carl Morrison, PP-SC, AACPPresident 2015-2016Board Member 2014-2016

Tina Boone, PLSBoard Member 2014-2017

Mimi JacksonSecretary 2015-2016 Board Member 2014-2016

Karen McElroy, PP, PLSBoard Member 2014-2017

Audrey M. Saxton, PP, PLSBoard Member 2014-2017

NALS Board of Directors

Free Certification Exams Yes, you read that right. Aside from the prospect of joining us to celebrate the next chapter in NALS conference offerings and kicking off a new NALS leadership term, the NALS Board has voted to offer certification exams—completely free of charge—at the final Tulsa conference in February 2016. If you have been holding off on taking a NALS certification exam or retaking parts of an exam, now is the time to take advantage of this limited-time offer. Free exams will be offered to anyone who is fully registered to attend the 2016 NALS Professional Development & Education Conference—this is a savings of anywhere from $40 to $225!

The exams will be offered on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at the DoubleTree Warren Place (6110 South Yale Avenue in Tulsa) prior to the regular conference scheduling. This will give you the ability to take advantage of the full conference education, committee orientations, or the opportunity to participate with the Grassroots Level Think Tank (GLTT), if you are so inclined.

To participate in this free examination opportunity, you must be registered and paid in full for the NALS 2016 Professional Development & Education Conference. There is a ticketed event called “NALS Certification Exam” listed on the registration form. Once your registration is fully processed and the “NALS Certification Exam” ticketed event option is selected, the NALS Resource Center staff will send you a promo code via email. Once this promo code is received, you may then complete the application process for the exam of your choosing for the March 2016 exam period, listing the NALS 2016 Professional Development & Education Conference as your test site. The promo code will reduce the amount due to zero once you reach the payment page. The deadline to apply for this free examination opportunity is January 15, 2016. To view full details, please visit: www.nals.org/news/258237

We know that this is a lot to digest and take in and we are sure that you will have more comments and suggestions you would like to share with us as we go forward. Please remember you can always reach us by email ([email protected]) or through our NALS website contact forms. Our Resource Center staff is also available to answer questions. We are always listening and doing what we can to answer your concerns. So keep engaging!

Until next month ….

NALS Resource Center8159 East 41st Street • Tulsa, OK 74145 (918) 582-5188 • (918) 582-5907 (fax)

www.nals.org

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Resource Center StaffTammy L. Hailey, CAE (Ext. 11)NALS Executive DirectorNALS Foundation [email protected]

Saundra J. Bates (Ext. 15)Membership Services [email protected]

April R. Collins (Ext. 10) Meetings/Communications Manager@Law [email protected]

Melissa Wells (Ext. 12) Certification/Education [email protected]

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

NALS Board of DirectorsCarl Morrison, PP-SC, AACP (OK) Mimi Jackson (AR) Tina Boone, PLS (TN)Karen McElroy, PP, PLS (VA)Audrey M. Saxton, PP, PLS (AZ)Tammy Hailey, CAE (OK)

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the NALS docketBrought to you by the NALS Editorial Board with the contributions of the NALS Board of Directors and Resource Center Staff.

©NALS, Inc. All rights reserved.

The views expressed in articles published in the NALS docket are those of the authors alone. They do not represent the views or opinions of NALS, Inc.

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November 2015SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1 2 • docket Articles Due

• Winter @Law sent to proof

• Polls Open For NALS Board of Directors Election

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• WebEd - 12pm CST Uncovering Hidden Liens/ UCC Filing Mistake Avoidance (Free to Members!)

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NALS Resource Center Closed for the Holidays

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• Call For Volunteers Deadline


December 2015SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

Also Due Dec. 1:

• NALS Foundation Grant Deadlinewww.nals.org/Foundation

• Early Bird Registration Deadline - NALSPDwww.nals.org/event/NALSPD16

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• docket Articles Due• Winter @Law mails• Spring @Law

deadline• NALS News &

Industry Views sent

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• National ALP exam (LTC)

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Email is Correspondence Too! By Kathy Sieckman, PP, PLS-SC, ACP

Email is not just a method of communicating

with others over the computer. It is a reflection

of you and your firm when you are using

your company equipment to send emails to

others—whether regarding work subjects

or not. Email is just the same as sending a

letter or any other type of communication.

You need to make sure your message is clear

and error-free.

Keep these things in mind:

• Never, EVER use text-speak in business emails. Take the time to spell words out. People who do not text much or who insist on grammatically correct texts will have trouble reading the email when it contains those kinds of abbreviations. Take the time to turn “R U ready for me to snd the ltr?” to “Are you ready for me to send the letter?”

• Email was once considered a very informal way of communicating. Things are very different now. Think about how many times a day you use email to communicate with attorneys in your own office, clients, opposing counsel, and other professionals. Email has really become a primary business correspondence and, thus, is formal communication. Treat it that way.

• When you are using email to forward some kind of document, you need to make sure both the email and the attachment are proofread and are an accurate

reflection of you and your firm and the quality of your work. I personally love that our Outlook Office Professional Plus 2013 is picking up when it looks like you intended to attach something but have not attached it before you hit send. But even if you do not have that version of Outlook, before hitting send, check your email for accuracy—that it is going to the correct person (do not trust your email program’s autofill) and that your attachment is correct AND attached.

• Speaking of autofill, be very careful when entering the name of a recipient where autofill starts to fill in someone from your contacts. It is very possible it could pull someone from your contacts with a similar start to their name, but is not the person you intended to receive the email. I have seen it happen, and I have received emails myself that were not intended for me, but because there are two Kathys in our firm, I have received her email. It is not too bad when it is just internal, but when you intend to send an email to a client and autofill puts in the name of opposing counsel, that is a huge problem. Slow down and check to make sure the recipients are the correct intended recipients.

• When you are sending an email—particularly one going outside the firm—do not trust the “send” spellcheck. You know which one I mean. You press send, it tells you words it thinks are spelled wrong, fixes them the way you tell it to, and sends it off into cyberspace. Were words that were spelled correctly still the wrong word? It is entirely possible. If you type “The client doe snot have any comment to your revisions,” it is all spelled correctly, but is it what you really meant? Take the time to read your emails and actually proof the email before you press send.


• When you are using your firm’s email mail system and the email address reflects the firm/company name, you are the company. To the reader of the email, you are representing your firm.

• When you are using your firm’s equipment or software to send email, the email belongs to the firm. They have the right to set up templates or give direction for how they want emails to look and what they want them to contain. Find out if your firm has those standards set out somewhere.

• Each email outside the firm should have a signature block just like every letter would. And just like every business correspondence, if you are not a lawyer, make sure your signature block contains your title. Otherwise, the reader may automatically assume you are a lawyer and are giving them legal advice.

• Be careful when responding to email and choosing “reply all.” Does everyone listed on the email really need the information? In today’s law firms, people can easily get over 200 emails a day, so any they do not have to have will put one less email in their box. However, do not assume people do not need to be included. If the subject has changed or someone has indicated they can be dropped from the email chain, that is one thing, but be careful about making the assumption that people do not want to be included. When in doubt, include everyone in the original group.

• Make sure the subject line of your email is accurate. Even if you are responding to an email chain, if the subject has changed, change the subject line. It not only makes it easier for the reader to sort information they really need to deal with at any particular time, but it makes it easier to search later.

• You never know who will read your email. Forwarding emails is far too easy to rely on the idea that only the addressee will ever read your email. Will it end up as a trial exhibit? Will your addressee forward it to someone you may not even know? Will it end up in your personnel file? Will the addressee post your email on the Internet for anyone to see? In the end, always be professional, always be accurate, and always be nice. The last thing you should think before you hit send is, “Do I want my mom to read this?”

Who knew email was so complicated? It really is not complicated; it is just good common sense. And it is good business sense to make sure your email represents you and your firm in the best way possible.

Kathy Sieckman, PP, PLS-SC, ACP, has been a member of NALS for over 25 years and is currently serving as a member of the NALS Editorial Board. She was a finalist for the 2015 NALS Award of Excellence, and served as Co-Chair of the 2015 Las Vegas Conference Task Force. Kathy has a blog on proofreading tips at http://proofthatblog.com. If you have specific grammar issues you would like covered in future issues, please send them to Kathy at [email protected].

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On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States decided the case of Obergefell v. Hodges and declared that same sex couples have a constitutional right to marry. Americans disagree whether this is a good or a bad thing. This article takes no position on the debate. The debate is over, as the highest court in the land has now spoken. This article seeks to explain how we got here, what it means now, and what it may mean for the future.

Times change. The evolution of rights in the United States is readily apparent when one looks to the history of racial discrimination. In 1857, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that Dred Scott could not sue for his freedom from slavery because, as an African-American man, he was not considered a citizen of the United States and thus could not ask for relief in the courts. In the 1960s, all 16 southern states still had “anti-miscegenation” laws prohibiting black and white people from marrying. On January 6, 1959, Mildred and Richard Loving were convicted of violating Virginia’s Racial Integrity Act of 1924. Mildred was black. Richard was white. The couple had travelled from their home in Virginia, married in Washington D.C. where they could legally do so, and then returned to Virginia where they were arrested and convicted. The trial judge in the case, echoing Johan Friedrich Blumenbach’s 18th-century interpretation of race, wrote:

Almighty God created the races white, black, yellow, malay and red, and he placed them on separate continents. And but for the interference with his arrangement there would be no cause for such marriages. The fact that he separated the races shows that he did not intend for the races to mix.

Law In FluxThe U.S. Supreme Court

Rules that Same-Sex Couples Have a Consitutional Right

to Marry

By Jack Wagoner, Esq.


In 1967, the United States Supreme Court rejected the notion that racial separation was ordained by God and declared that couples of different races have a constitutional right to marry. In doing so, the Court rejected virtually all of the same arguments against interracial marriage that would be made against same-sex marriage forty years later. These arguments—such as the claim that divorce rates were higher among interracial couples and that families and children would be harmed—were completely and wholly rejected by the Supreme Court in Loving v. Virginia in 1967. The Court rejected these arguments because these claims were not supported by the facts and because societal views had changed. By 1967, a large segment of society no longer viewed marrying someone of a different race as an “arrest-worthy” act.

Societal opinions of homosexuality have evolved in recent years much like those views changed in the years leading up to Loving. People began to see homosexuality as part of the natural makeup of a minority of humans rather than as a moral issue. In fact, homosexuality has been documented in at least 500 different animal species and, like in the human population, homosexuality generally occurs in only a small minority of any species population. For example, about 10% of rams (males) refuse to mate with ewes (females) but do readily mate with other rams. In 2013, the American Psychological Association filed a brief before the United States Supreme Court that stated:

Scientific evidence strongly supports the conclusion that homosexuality is a normal expression of human sexuality; that most gay, lesbian, and bisexual adults do not experience their sexual orientation as a choice; that gay and lesbian people form stable committed relationships that are equivalent to heterosexual relationships in essential respects; and that same-sex couples are no less fit than heterosexual parents to raise children and their children are no less psychologically healthy and well-adjusted than children of homosexual parents. In short, the claim that legal recognition of marriage for same-sex couples undermines the institution of marriage and harms their children is inconsistent with scientific evidence.

The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and the National Association of Social Workers all joined in this filing as well. Each of these organizations is the largest organization in the United States consisting, respectively, of psychologists, pediatricians, physicians, psychiatrists, and social workers.

In 2004, Massachusetts became the first state to declare that same-sex couples have a right to marry. Massachusetts was the sixth jurisdiction in the world to do so, following the Netherlands, Belgium, Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec. In reaction to Massachusetts’s decision, many states enacted laws prohibiting same-sex marriage. These laws not only made same-sex marriage illegal in these states, but they also prohibited recognition of same-sex marriages entered into in states that allowed same-sex marriage. So, for example, if an Arkansas same-sex couple went to Massachusetts and married, the state of Arkansas would not recognize their marriage when the couple returned to Arkansas. The United States Congress followed suit with the “Defense of Marriage Act,” which forbade the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages even when those marriages were entered into in states that allowed same-sex marriage.

In 2013, in United States v. Windsor, the Supreme Court of the United States struck down the portion of the Defense of Marriage Act that precluded the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages. At that time, slightly more than a dozen states allowed and recognized same-sex marriage, either as a result of popular vote or court decision. The Windsor decision was based in part on the premise that states had the right to define marriage for its own people, and conservatives argued that this (“federalism”) was the basis for the decision. But Justice Kennedy, the author of the Windsor decision, wrote in broad sweeping language that went much further. The decision stated that treating same-sex couples differently “demeans the couple, whose moral and sexual choices the Constitution protects” and that “it humiliates tens of thousands of children now being raised by same-sex couples.” Justice Kennedy further wrote that the “law in question makes it more difficult for the children to understand the integrity and closeness of their own family and its concord with other families in the community and


their daily lives.” Clearly, the Windsor opinion did not rest on mere federalism grounds alone. If it did, all the Court had to do was say that definitions of marriage were up to the states.

As might be expected, the Windsor decision brought forth a flood of lawsuits all over the nation. These lawsuits claimed that same-sex couples had a constitutional right to marry and that states must recognize same-sex marriages performed legally in other states. In June 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States agreed when it decided the Obergefell case. In Obergefell, the Court declared that all laws prohibiting same-sex marriage or the recognition thereof violated the equal protection and due process clauses of the United States Constitution.

At this point, absent a constitutional amendment (to the United States Constitution), the right of same-sex partners to marry is the law in the United States. No state law or court decision can change that fact. And it is extremely unlikely at this point that a move to enact a constitutional amendment to prohibit same-sex marriage would have enough momentum to seriously get off the ground. Public opinion polls by CNN and numerous other organizations in the United States have shown majority support for the legal recognition of same-sex marriage since 2010. Support for same-sex marriage generally correlates with younger age (younger than 50), higher education, and residence outside the southern U.S. However, even polls of southern states have shown a majority of younger voters are in favor of legal equality for same-sex marriage. In light of this overwhelming support, the likelihood that a reversal of course will occur at this point seems remote. Times change.

It is important to note that the right of same-sex couples to marry does not require that any religion allow same-sex marriage within the religion if the principles of the religion do not allow it. And at this point, virtually no constitutional protections have been extended to homosexuals as a group such as those extended to other groups in the past based on race or sex. Prohibitions against public—and even private—discrimination against homosexuals are springing up in various states and communities. But in terms of United States constitutional law as set forth in Supreme Court rulings, the situation remains essentially the same as before Obergefell. Homosexuals are not protected from discrimination

based on their status as homosexuals in any area other than the right to marry a same-sex partner. The pendulum appears to be swinging, however, and court rulings barring such discrimination should begin to mount over the next few years. Times do change, but not overnight. Society is slow to evolve and accept new concepts. And the law is even slower.

Jack Wagoner III is the founder of the Wagoner Law Firm in Little Rock, Arkansas, and he has the highest ethical and legal ability rating in the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. The AV rating signifies that he is considered a “very good” to “pre-eminent” lawyer with the highest ethical standards. Martindale-Hubbell peer review ratings are derived through anonymous polling of Arkansas lawyers and judges familiar with Mr. Wagoner and his practice. For ten consecutive years he has been listed in the publication “Best Lawyers in America” (Bestlawyers.com). He has also been listed for each of the last ten years as one of the Best Lawyers in Arkansas by the Arkansas Times news magazine. He has been the featured speaker on numerous occasions at continuing education seminars conducted by the Arkansas Trial Lawyers’ Association and the Arkansas Bar Association. Mr. Wagoner has served as a special judge in Pulaski County Circuit Court. In 1988 Mr. Wagoner graduated with honors from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) School of Law. While in law school, he served as Associate Editor of the UALR Law Journal.

Mr. Wagoner is a trial lawyer and has successfully litigated a wide variety of cases before Arkansas judges and juries. He maintains a substantial family law practice. He has recovered approximately forty million dollars in verdicts and settlements for clients in a variety of cases including business litigation, products liability, catastrophic injury, wrongful death, and nursing home neglect and abuse.

He is the namesake of the Jack Wagoner Scholarship fund, which provides an academic scholarship each year to a worthy student at the UALR Bowen School of Law. Mr. Wagoner has taught as an adjunct professor of law at the law school, teaching family law to second- and third- year law students.


Word Tips & TricksIndexing Definitions and/or Headings and Subheadings

By Susan C. King

Susan C. King, Legal Word Processor, was hired by Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP as a floater secretary in 1994 and soon thereafter advanced into a legal secretarial position. Three years later, she transferred into the Word Processing Department and is continuing her journey toward becoming a software specialist with strong ties to training and macro development.

When Defined Terms need to be indexed, the Index Group set of keys can be a helpful tool. Indi-vidual defined terms can be exclusive [only fill in Main entry] or Main Entry and Subentry can be incorporated into an index. The index is sorted alphabetically, and the page number for each entry marked in the document is listed. To mark entries for an index, see the following:


GratitudeBy Tashania Morris, ALS, CDF

Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation. ~ Brian Tracy

Sometimes our lives get so hectic that we tend to forget to say “thanks” to the people we meet along the way. Mentors, teachers, bosses, family, and friends have played very significant roles in our lives. Some have helped us to discover gifts we did not know we had, acted as coaches cheering us on, while others have been a listening ear on days we needed to vent. Our attitudes are extremely important and are often linked to our personal and career development. If you are always complaining about what you do not have, you will not be able to recognize what you do have.

Recently while on a short vacation, I was reminded of how blessed I am and how thankful I should be. It has been said that most Americans are richer than 80 percent of the rest of the world. Simple luxuries such as having access to clean drinking water, a free K-12 education system, and job opportunities are sometimes things we take for granted, forgetting that these things are not easily accessible in other parts of the world and/or are extremely expensive. Once we have become accustomed to simple luxuries, we tend to forget about the people who have sacrificed to make them possible.

One of my newfound goals in life is to travel and, yes, I plan to visit all 50 states and go to Europe one day very soon. No, I do not plan to stay in a hostel even though I have heard from reliable sources that it is not as bad as it sounds. I will say it is a very humbling experience to see how the rest of the world lives and experience different cultures. Even travelling from state to state and seeing subcultures within a culture is interesting. Taking time to step away from the hustle and bustle can be rejuvenating to the human spirit. It might be the thing you need to get back your creativity. At this time of the year it is important to reflect on the things that we are thankful for and, in doing so, develop an attitude of gratitude all year around.


Giving Time A great way to show someone you care is investing in a relationship and giving them the gift of time. If you have a subordinate who goes above and beyond, someone that has played a pivotal role in helping you out more than once—you might be able to spend some time with that person, mentor them, and invest in a great work relationship. If you have not invested in any relationships, it is time to start—no man is an island, especially at work.

Give a ComplimentOne of the main things that employees complain about is not being appreciated at work. You do not have to be a boss to make someone feel appreciated or compliment them. If someone has assisted you on a project, it is okay to tell them thanks and express how much their assistance made a big difference in getting the work done. Give them a compliment! You would be surprised by the number of people who walk away without saying a simple thank you. I once had a coworker who volunteered to help me on a project. In return, I created a thank-you certificate. She was extremely shocked by my gesture; I can still see the smile on her face.

Give Back Volunteering is a great way to give back. Some companies have volunteer committees where they allow employees who are interested in volunteering to do so either on or off company time. It is a very rewarding experience. I was a member of a volunteer committee at one of my previous jobs and our main goal was to get the employees interested in volunteering. We would create flyers, collect money to be donated to nonprofit organizations, and come up with fun ideas to actively get employees engaged in the process.

Simple Things Sometimes it is the simplest things in life that matter. One thing I am looking to incorporate in my life is sending thank-you cards to people who least expect it. Just letting someone know you care—it can be sending someone a card, a handwritten letter, or giving them a $10 gift card to Starbucks or Einstein Bagels. Another way is to prepay for a person’s meal without them knowing. I recently listened to an interview about

Rosa’s Fresh Pizza where customers prepay for the next person’s pizza. It helps to feed the homeless people—giving them a slice of pizza they might otherwise not have been able to afford. The most amazing part is when they return to prepay for someone else’s pizza after they find a job and a home. It is the gift that keeps on giving.

Thank YouThank you to NALS for the opportunities, information, and resources you give to the members. Thank you to the editorial board for doing a great job reviewing the articles. It is an honor to be a part of this team. Thank you, Theresa, for allowing me to write these articles. I really appreciate your feedback, encouragement, and most of all your patience. Thank you, Allison, for your continued words of encouragement and I am looking forward to working together and learning from you. Thanks to April for all that you do, answering all my questions, and making sure that everything runs smoothly. Most of all, thanks to the readers and everyone who helps to make this organization great. Michelle Obama once said, “We learned about gratitude and humility, that so many people had a hand in our success, from the teachers who inspired us to the janitors who kept our school clean, and we were taught to value everyone’s contribution and treat everyone with respect.” There is always something and someone to be thankful for.

Tashania Morris, ALS, CDF, has been a paralegal for over six years specializing in foreclosure and later transitioning into bankruptcy. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in human resource management and loves all things career development. Her love for the topic led her to complete a certificate course to earn the designation of Career Development Facilitator. If you have any questions about any of the articles written, suggestions about something you would like Tashania to write about, or enjoyed reading the article, send her a quick note. Tashania’s hope is to engage, inform, educate, and promote change within. You can reach Tashania at [email protected].


Angélle Marie García, ACP, is a legal administrative assistant specializing in commercial transactions and business counseling/corporate finance for Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz in Birmingham, Alabama. After 20 years in the legal field, she joined NALS to network with other legal professionals and to learn from the leaders in the association.

Angélle joined her local chapter, BLSA, a Chapter of NALS, Inc., in Birmingham, Alabama, in 2014 and started right away serving as Program Chairman for 2014-2015. She is now Vice President for 2015-2016.

Angélle says that being a part of NALS…the association for legal professionals has helped her develop her opportunities in the organization as well as in her firm.

If you will commit to being involved in your organization and take advantage of the wealth of information that is provided to you, it is a game-changer for a successful legal career.

Angélle says because of her involvement in NALS, she has “become a more marketable and valuable legal professional. The continuing legal education and networking opportunities have also provided me with the confidence and

MemberSpotlightAngélle Marie García, ACP


the connections to take on leadership roles in my local chapter.” Taking on more responsibility has given Angélle the confidence to take on another leadership role in her law firm. She is now one of four official mentors for new legal professionals hired in the Birmingham office.

So far, the highlight of Angélle’s leadership service to NALS was the opportunity as Vice President of BSLA to attend the NALS 2015 Professional Development & Educational Conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma. At the conference Angélle received information and encouragement from the leaders of NALS. This inspired her to implement a strategy that increased her local chapter’s membership by almost 30% in her first quarter as Vice President, exceeding the yearly goal by nearly 20%!

How did she do it? “I did it by going door to door through my office presenting the benefits of membership. Then I did something even more important. I listened, really listened. I made note of every obstacle a potential member had to joining and I set out to remove as many obstacles from the potential member’s path as possible. For some, it was time; others, it was money; and for still others, it was fear of commitment. I documented all of the issues and let each potential member know that I was there to serve the needs of the membership and that I would work to make joining easy and beneficial. I filled out applications to about 80% completion so completing the application took only seconds, arranged for alternate lunchtime CLE programs to accommodate schedules, and worked with the firm for payment of annual dues. You see, in order to increase your membership, you must work on laying a solid foundation for building a strong relationship with the person you wish to serve by first listening and then serving. After all, that is what we are all about, right? We are here to engage, inspire, enhance, and promote legal professionals and we do that through service.”

Although Angélle has had many highlights in her legal career, she feels that the best moments are when she is “able to be of service to our fellow man through small, seemingly unimportant

gestures. It is in the small, quiet moments when we are serving others that we achieve true greatness. Then we become more than ourselves. We become part of the greater good.”

Angélle has a way of seeing the big picture and great potential in everyone. She is inspired by and inspiring to others in her vision of possibilities:

I believe we are all leaders. Being a leader is not in the title but in the action. Take up the challenge to be a leader in your home, community, place of business, and professional organization. Remember this quote by John Buchan: ‘The task of leadership is not to put greatness into people, but to elicit it, for the greatness is already there.’ Go forth and elicit the greatness from those around you by being the leader you were born to be!

Through her membership and service to NALS, Angélle has developed lifetime relationships and she has broadened her knowledge with a network of professionals who have expertise in a wide array of fields. This network of legal professional friends has been invaluable for work and for her life. Angélle said the NALS experience brings to mind the following quote from Helen Keller: “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

Nominate a NALS member or chapter to be featured in the “Spotlight” section of the NALS docket by completing the online nomination form at:

www.nals.org/spotlight


At the end of October, the NALS Leadership Identification Committee (LIC) officially announced the NALS Board of Directors slate for the 2016-2017 year. To read the official release, please visit www.nals.org/news/256528.

Additional information about each candidate is now available. An overview and more details about the election process are below for your reference.

Electronic Ballots—How It WorksAll NALS members are encouraged to view candidate web pages in advance of opening the electronic ballot. Viewing a candidate’s web page allows you to learn about the candidate and make an informed decision when voting.

Electronic ballots will be emailed to all valid email accounts registered with NALS beginning November 2, 2015. Each NALS member will receive an email from NALS providing a hyperlink and voting instructions. Polls will be open for two weeks, closing on November 16, 2015.

Once voting opens, if you do not see your ballot in your email inbox, please check your spam filter (particularly at work). If you are unable to locate the ballot in your spam filter, please contact the NALS Resource Center via our Contact Us form (www.nals.org/contact) and the NALS staff will investigate.

The elected Board members and officers will be announced in late November after all candidates have been notified of the election results.

NALS 2016-2017 Board of Directors Slate

Slated Officers

PresidentDarlene Howard

Secretary/TreasurerNakia A. Bradley-Lawson

Slated Board Members

Nakia A. Bradley-Lawson

View Nakia’s Profile: www.nals.org/?bradleylawson

Three-Year Term (2016-2019)

Darlene Howard

View Darlene’s Profile: www.nals.org/?howard

Three-Year Term (2016-2019)

Carl Morrison, PP-SC, AACP

View Carl’s Profile: www.nals.org/?morrison

Re-Appointment to a Three-Year Term (2016-2019)

Current Board Members

Karen McElroy, PP, PLS-SC Continuing third year of current term (2015-2017)

Audrey M. Saxton, PP, PLS Continuing third year of current term (2015-2017)


By Melissa WellsNALS Certification/Education Manager

Exam Administrators Needed! With NALS certification exams being offered this year in conjunction with the NALS 2016 Professional Development & Education Conference, it opens up volunteer opportunities for anyone wishing to serve as an Exam Administrator in Tulsa, Oklahoma, this February! If you are intersted in serving as an exam administrator on Wednesday, February 24, 2015, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., please visit www.nals.org/?page=examadmins for additional information and to let us know of your interest.

September 2015 Certification Pass List Now Available! Congratulations to all newly certified ALPs, PLSs, and PPs who passed the September 2015 certification exams! You have tackled and successfully accomplished one of the many opportunities that NALS offers its members. Don’t stop the good work! Look forward to what you can do now. Do you want to take the next certification exam? Do you want to mentor a friend who is taking an exam? Do you want to lead a study group? Or are you ready to become an exam administrator? Your possibilities are only limited by your desire. Get excited about learning! Click here to view the September 2015 certification pass list: www.nals.org/?page=passlist.

EKU offers ABA-approved, partially online paralegal programs designed with your busy schedule in mind. n Associates, bachelors and post-baccalaureate optionsn Personalized course plansn Eight-week coursesn Qualify to sit for state paralegal exams

Get started today! Contact an enrollment advisor at go.EKU.edu/paralegal.

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