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REAP Record – April 2012 1 | P a g e
The REAP Record April 2012 Newsletter
Redwood Empire Association of Paralegals Published Quarterly
Highlights in This Issue
President’s Message 1 CAPA Corner 2 Reader’s Corner 4 New Members 6 Paralegal Mentor 7 Calendar 11 CAPA Educational Conference
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About REAP REAP was established in
1981 under the name Redwood Empire Legal Assistants (RELA) as a
professional and educational organization for legal
assistants and paralegals.
Mailing Address
REAP P.O. Box 143
Santa Rosa, CA 95402
Membership
Membership Information Membership Application
President’s Message By Trudy McQuiddy, CP, REAP President The interesting weather we’ve been experiencing has cramped REAP’s “get fit” walks around Spring Lake, but we hope to be starting up again now that the sun is shining. Keep an eye on Facebook for postings about scheduled walks. These 4 mile treks are a great way to keep in shape while getting to know fellow paralegal professionals. Another way to meet and network with paralegals is by attending the CAPA June Education Conference in Sacramento on June 23, 2012. REAP is co-hosting the event with the Sacramento Paralegal Association, and we have a great program lined up. Our very own Jeff DiCello will be presenting an abbreviated version of his criminal case handling seminar that the presented for REAP in February, and Grace DeLaTorre, together with Bill Wiggins, will be presenting a session on digital document management. JAMS will be offering an all-day program (4 hours of MCLE, which includes 1 hour of ethics) where attendees will receive training on the JAMS arbitration procedures. There will be a general law track, a tech track, and a professional development track. You can get information on the other sessions by checking out the flyer included with this newsletter. A full conference brochure, with bios of presenters and course descriptions will be sent out soon. REAP has a few other events lined up for the year that you should be on the lookout for. We are planning a pro bono event, helping members of the community complete advance heath care directives (yes, an attorney will be present and supervising), and are also looking at hosting a paralegal panel discussion where experienced paralegals will be available to provide answers to practice and procedural questions you may have. A questionnaire will be distributed soon for your input to help the panelists prepare to address your issues.
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CAPA Corner By Trudy McQuiddy Trudy, a litigation paralegal at Senneff, Freeman & Bluestone, LLP, is REAP’s President and CAPA Co-Representative.
Invest in Yourself-CAPA-TOL IDEA: The CAPA 2012 Educational Conference Join us at the CAPA educational conference this summer. REAP’s own Grace DeLaTorre and Jeff DiCello will be presenters. When: Saturday, June 23, 2012 Where: Hilton Sacramento Arden West, 2200 Harvard Street Sacramento, California 95815 Hotel Accommodations: Hilton Sacramento 800-344-4321 – use reservation code APEC Brochure/Registration: Conference Brochure Online Registration You can also view the conference brochure and track flyer on page 13 of this newsletter. As always, if you have any questions regarding CAPA benefits, you can contact me at [email protected], or Monica Lehre, REAP’s CAPA Primary Representative, at [email protected]
In addition, please feel free to peruse the CAPA website.
Did you know that your
membership in REAP
automatically makes you a
member of CAPA?
CAPA members are entitled to a
variety of benefits.
For more information, visit this
link.
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Monthly Paralegal Lunches 2nd Tuesday of each month Each month, paralegals working in or near downtown Santa Rosa area meet informally for lunch. You do not have to be a REAP member to attend. These informal lunches are a great way to meet other members who work near you. When: Normally the second Tuesday of each month. Time: Noon to 1:00 PM. We are in and out in one hour so you can get back to work on time. Where: At a restaurant in the downtown Santa Rosa area. E-mail reminders with the exact location are sent to REAP members a few days before the event. Information is also posted on the REAP Facebook page.
How Much Does It Cost? There’s no fixed cost; each member pays his/her own check and decides what to order and spend.
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Reader’s Corner
Reviews by Jeff DiCello REAP Record Editor
Police Interrogation and American Justice By Richard A. Leo (Harvard University Press)
University of San Francisco law professor Richard A. Leo is a nationally-recognized expert on
police interrogation techniques. His 2008 book, Police Interrogation and American Justice, explores the conundrum of false confessions by criminal suspects.
According to Leo, since 1980, there have been approximately 250 cases of documented false confessions. Leo attributes most of these false confessions not to the use of what used to be called the “third degree,” beating a suspect until he confesses, but to the morally questionable, yet legal interrogation technique of lying to suspects. Telling a suspect falsely that physical evidence has been found linking them to the crime, is a popular technique. After hours of questioning, some suspects come to believe they must have committed the crime but simply do not remember it.
Leo also examines how police sidestep the Miranda warning requirement for custodial interrogation.
The book delves into several actual false confession cases and is written in non-academic, easy-to-understand language.
For those who are so inclined, the book contains copious footnotes and source references. Leo’s book suggests techniques police and prosecutors can embrace to conduct interrogations in a more humane way that still allows for justice to be served.
As Leo’s book illustrates, false confessions lead to wrongful convictions, which means that the
actual criminals go unpunished, and society unprotected.
Flagrant Conduct: The Story of Lawrence v. Texas By Dale Carpenter (W. W. Norton & Company)
In Flagrant Conduct, Dale Carpenter, a University of Texas law professor, chronicles the events leading up to the landmark 2003 United States Supreme Court decision in Lawrence v. Texas (2003) 539 U.S. 558, which struck down Texas’ sodomy law. The rarely enforced law, passed in 1973, criminalized both oral and anal sex, but only when performed “with another individual of the same sex.” The case began in 1998 when police responded to what turned out to be a false report a man with a gun in a Houston apartment. Three sheriff’s deputies responded to the call and entered the apartment of John Lawrence and Tyrone Garner, guns drawn. Two of the deputies said they saw the two men engaged in anal sex, while the third deputy claimed he did not see any sex act. The men were arrested and charged with violating Texas’ anti-sodomy law. Although neither Lawrence nor Garner were gay activists, the gay legal community convinced the men to allow their case to be used to challenge the antiquated Texas law. The book tracks how the case made its way through the court system eventually ending up before the U.S. Supreme Court in 2003. Despite the fact that the attorneys for the state of Texas only half-heartedly defended the statute before the high court, the decision was a close one. By a 5 to 4 margin, the court held that found the Texas statute to be unconstitutional, holding that the “statute furthers no legitimate state interest which can justify its intrusion into the personal and private life of the individual.”
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2011 Perry Scholarship Winner: Ashley O’Neal By Jeff DiCello REAP Record Editor
In January, Ashley O'Neal (pictured at left), a student in the paralegal program at SRJC, was awarded the 2011 Susan I. Perry Scholarship ($1,000). Congratulations, Ashley! The Susan I. Perry Scholarship was established by REAP in memory of Susan Perry, a four-time president of the Redwood Empire Legal Assistants Association (now REAP). Susan, who was instrumental in the association's founding, was also active at the state level as a representative to the California Alliance of Paralegal Associations. Susan worked for many years as a legal assistant and also taught in the paralegal program at Sonoma State University.
2012 Perry Scholarship Competition It is not too late to apply for the 2012 Susan I. Perry scholarship. REAP will award three scholarships in memory of Susan I. Perry to continuing students enrolled in a qualified paralegal program: $500, $250 and $250. The Susan I. Perry Scholarship was established in memory of Susan Perry, a four-time president of the Redwood Empire Legal Assistants Association (now Redwood Empire Association of Paralegals). Susan, who helped to found the paralegal association in the Redwood Empire in the 1980s, was also active at the state level as a representative to the California Alliance of Paralegal Associations. Employed at Anderson, Zeigler, Disharoon, Gallagher & Gray, Susan worked for many years as a legal assistant specializing in corporations. Susan also taught in the paralegal program at Sonoma State University. Susan was extremely hard working, and loved seeking recognition for outstanding paralegals and the paralegal profession.
HOW TO APPLY
Complete and submit an application postmarked NO LATER THAN Friday, April 20, 2012, to REAP, P.O. Box 143, Santa Rosa, CA 95402-0143.
Supply a letter of recommendation, commenting on the applicant's scholastic ability and potential, and potential for contribution to the paralegal profession. The letter should accompany the application.
Submit an essay of 500 words or less telling us why you are committed to becoming a paralegal.
Submit a sealed transcript with your application from the school you are attending.
Meet with the Scholarship Committee for interview on Friday, April 27, 2012, at 6:00 p.m. Scholarship Application: http://www.redwoodparalegals.org/images/Spring%202012%20Perry%20Scholarship%20App.pdf
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Membership Report
REAP welcomes the following new and returning members this quarter.
Carol Karuza June Nelsen Fong Susan Demers Ginger Orosco
Kathryn Wilder Lauren Morris Kelly Hamilton Regina B. Cooney
Kristine Tellefsen Katie Clark Kelly Thistle RoseAnne Powell
Troy Garcia Diane Brooks Daphne Drescher Kathy Parker
Kim Davis Robyn Kasper Stephen Compass Anne Pardini-Ruprecht
Leora Johnson Wayne Clark Patricia Lawrence-Dietz Julie McCabe
Kimberly Givens Carrie Kozubal Christy Pham Kathy Juarez
Banyan Parker Georgina Tello Bugarin Janet Jones Suzanne Murphy
Catherine Wilhoyte Alyssa Messer Andrina Fragoza Danielle Beasley
Wendy Cromwell Sandra Lugo Chris Robles Kirsten Lockwood
Teresa Lyons Justin Scarpete
REAP Membership Information REAP has four categories of membership: voting, associate, student and sustaining. 1. Voting Member (dues: $42.00 per year) Voting members are defined as qualified paralegals by education or valid declaration. 2. Associate Member (dues: $30.00 per year) Associate members are defined as attorneys or paralegal educators. 3. Student Member (dues: $20.00 per year) Student members are defined as current paralegal students. 4. Sustaining (dues $50.00 per year) Sustaining members are defined as individuals, law firms and companies that endorse and promote the paralegal profession. Membership Period REAP’s bylaws provide that the REAP membership period is from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 of each year. Full Amt. Due
The full amount of dues must be paid when joining REAP, regardless of date of application. First time (new) members joining after Sept. 1 retain their membership until Dec. 31 of the year following sign up. Due Date Renewal memberships are due Jan. 1 and become delinquent on April 1, at which time membership is terminated. If past members reinstate after April 1, they are not treated as new members under this agreement. Voting Eligibility Only active members in good standing 45 days before the annual or special meeting shall have been called to order shall be qualified to vote at membership meetings or upon other matters coming to the members for action. Who Cannot Vote No active member who is delinquent in the payment of any dues or other assessments shall be qualified to vote. In no event shall student, sustaining or associate members vote.
REAP membership application: Click Here
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Your Paralegal Career: 6 Simple Steps to Stay on Top of Your Game
By Vicki Voisin Has this happened to you? You wake up one day and realize you're no longer the youngest kid on the block.
You've worked as a paralegal for a decade or more.
You're feeling a bit stale. You wonder if you've made the right
career choice. You consider your options and see only
limitations. You don't feel quite at the top of your
game.
It's time to change your mindset! Staying on top of your game requires some work...and I don't mean the kind of work that keeps you behind your desk from 9:00 to 5:00 (or later) every day. I'm talking about the work you must do to keep you and your mind fresh and energized. Here are some simple steps you can take to do just that: 1. Make yourself available to those who may be newer to the career field. If you've been in the profession for a while, you should welcome, encourage, mentor and praise those who are coming after you. They will look to you for advice and direction. Be there for them. They are the future but guidance from those with history is crucial. Kristina Duncan and Melissa Highnote, CP joined me for this picture at the NALS Conference in Cincinnati. It's great to know that the future of this profession is
in such capable hands! 2. Never say, 'I can't.' There's absolutely nothing you can't do once you put your mind to it. When you're offered a challenge at work, tackle it with gusto. Ask for help and guidance if you need to. Learn everything that will help you in meeting the challenge. Dig in and work hard. Repeat the mantra of The Little Engine That Could: "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can." Then change that to "I KNOW I can!" You WILL reach the top of the mountain...success is waiting on the other side. 3. Never stop learning. Always embrace change and stay in the know! People who are always learning something new are not only more interesting, but also happier in general. There's always something fresh and exciting going on: new rules, case law, and procedures, as well as new books, courses, technology, and vocabulary. Make a deal with yourself to learn something new every day to keep your motivation in high gear. 4. Credentials do matter. Credentials say a lot about you: your depth of knowledge, credibility, determination, diligence, and more. Don't kid yourself...if you're in competition for a job with a person who has the same amount of education and work experience, your credentials will give you the leg up you'll need. Be sure to pursue all of the credentialing you can...then be sure to toot your horn. Let people know you have those credentials and how hard you worked for them. Also, put the designation on your business cards and firm letterhead. If you're curious about the authority to do that, see Peel v Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Committee of Illinois, 110 S.Ct. 2281 (1990). 5. Join an association...local, state and/or national. My mother always said, "Birds of a feather flock together." This is certainly the case with professional associations. See next page
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Continued from previous page
6 Simple Steps to Stay on Top of Your Game
An association will provide you with continuing education opportunities, as well as connections that will enhance your career. You will make lifelong friends that you can count on for assistance when you need contacts or information from their neck of the woods. This will happen more often than you might think. 6. If joining is good, being a contributing, hard-working member is even better. Just carrying your membership card isn't enough. You'll reap the benefits of belonging to an association when you jump in with both feet, get really involved, and take on responsibilities: write articles, speak at seminars, plan a retreat....be generous with your time, your ideas and your enthusiasm. When you do this, you'll find your voice, you'll make a difference in the profession, and you'll be more 'professional.' Your challenge: Think about the steps you can take to stay on top of your game. Go new places, nurture your friendships, accept challenges, embrace goals. Never stop until you're at the top of the mountain...I know you'll like what you find on the other side.
About the Author: Vicki Voisin, "The Paralegal Mentor," delivers simple strategies for paralegals and other professionals to create success and satisfaction by achieving goals and determining the direction they will take their careers. Vicki spotlights resources, organizational tips, ethics issues, and other areas of continuing education to help paralegals and others reach their full potential. She publishes a bi-weekly e-zine titled Strategies for Paralegals Seeking Excellence. Visit Vicki’s website at: http://www.paralegalmentor.com
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REAP Board, Mentors & Committee Contact Info REAP Board Members
Name/Office E-mail Address Telephone
Trudy McQuiddy, CP President and
CAPA Secondary Representative
[email protected] H: 526-9509 W: 526-4250
Michelle Miller Vice President
Grace De La Torre, CP Sonoma County Bar Liason
[email protected] H: 433-8183 W: 522-8251
Kim Davis Secretary
Ginger Orosco Treasurer/Webmaster
[email protected] W: 545-7010 ext. 470
Monica Lehre, CP CAPA Primary Representative
Patti Tate Special Projects Coordinator
Area of Law Mentors & REAP Committees Name/Mentor Area/Chair E-mail Address Telephone
Janet Anderson Probate Mentor
[email protected] H: 527-0886 W: 545-4910
Kim Davis Family Law Mentor
[email protected] 525-8800
Rhetta Hinton Litigation/ Discovery Mentor
[email protected] 544-5858
Joni Boucher Computer Legal Research Mentor Sonoma County bar Assoc. Liaison
[email protected] 569-6144
Grace De La Torre, CP CLA Exam Mentor
[email protected] 433-8138
Jeff DiCello Membership Communication
Facebook Page Manager Criminal Law Mentor
Newsletter Editor
[email protected] [email protected]
537-0475
Susan Demers Co-chair, Education
Debbie Cain Co-chair, Education
Monica Lehre, CP Empire College Student and
Education Advisor
[email protected] 217-8117
Empire Legal Students Association (ELSA) Rep. to the REAP Board
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REAP/Legal Community Event Calendar REAP encourages its members to attend its own educational seminars and those sponsored by the Sonoma County Bar Association (SCBA). Below is a list of some noteworthy upcoming educational programs.
Event Date/Time Location
Show Me the Money Hot Issues in Construction Defects
April 27, 2012/11:45 am to 1:00 pm Sonoma Co. Bar Association 37 Old Courthouse Sq. Santa Rosa
Underwater Homes Part III Gasping for Air and Learning to Swim
April 30, 2012/3:30 pm to 6;30 pm Fountaingrove Inn, Hotel & Conference Center 101 Fountaingrove Parkway Santa Rosa
Banks Are from Mars, Trusts Are from Venus: The Interplay of Trust Administration and Bank Internal Policies and Procedures
Nay 17, 2012/3:30 pm to 6:00 pm Mayacama Golf Club 1240 Mayacama Club Drive Santa Rosa
Real Property Update Recent Developments in California Real Property Law
May 30, 2012/11:45 am to 1:30 pm Sonoma Co. Bar Association 37 Old Courthouse Sq. Santa Rosa
Dealing with Difficult People June 6, 2012/11:45 am to 1:15 pm Sonoma Co. Bar Association 37 Old Courthouse Sq. Santa Rosa
Children’s Input and Preferences in Custody Matters after Elkins
June 13, 2012/3:30 pm to 7:00 pm The Glaser Center 547 Mendocino Ave. Santa Rosa
How Does a Person Get a Green Card in the USA? What Lawyers Need to Know
June 18, 2012/11:45 am to 1:00 pm Sonoma Co. Bar Association 37 Old Courthouse Sq. Santa Rosa
An Overview of California Mechanic’s Lien and Construction Law Remedies
September 21, 2012/11:45 am to 1:00 pm
Sonoma Co. Bar Association 37 Old Courthouse Sq. Santa Rosa
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