wspa jan-feb 2013 newsletter
DESCRIPTION
WSPA NewsletterTRANSCRIPT
J A N / F E B 2 0 1 3
Findings & Conclusions 1
Findings & Conclusions
President’s Cornerby: Brenda Cothary
Happy New Year! I hope 2013 has started well for each of you. It has been an excellent year so far – and compared to most of the country our weather has been great.
Typically the start of a new year is a time people make resolutions. One of my goals last year was to be appointed to the Practice of Law Board. However, when the position was finally open, my father fell, broke his hip, and got a terrible infection and pneumonia. In addition to making two road trips to southern Idaho (1400 miles each), I was trying to work remotely for my attorney, care for my kids, and keep up with WSPA. Have you ever had those times when life was so busy you felt like you
were meeting yourself coming and going? I was not able to get my application for the Practice of Law Board in on time, so I obviously didn’t get the appointment. I was extremely disappointed. However, the Supreme Court then approved APR 28 and I was appointed to the Limited License Legal Technician Board. What’s the moral of the story? Persevere! Don’t Give Up! Hang in there! Life happens, and we need to be adaptable. Set a few goals for yourself, both personally and professionally, but then be willing to adjust them as your circumstances change. This year my goal is to expand my practice areas. I have worked in bankruptcy and collections for 13 years. It is a very specialized niche and I am limited if I choose to look for other jobs. I have been doing a lot of research about transferrable skills, highlighting small blocks of experience, and combining practice areas. Like personal goals, professional goals require planning, commitment, and follow through. Whether your goal is to revise your resume, get a new job, go back to school, or begin doing pro bono work, I encourage you to set goals and work towards achieving them. You owe it to yourself personally and professionally!
I am happy to report that nearly all of our WSPA Board and coordinator positions are filled. I would
like to welcome the following individuals to WSPA Management:
Rebecca Charles, Vice President of Professional Development
Debra Smith, Treasurer
Pamela Renn, Snohomish Chapter Director
Rachel Robertson, CLE Event Coordinator
Barbara Parnell, Job Bank Coordinator
Laura Genoves, Marketing Coordinator
Holly Smith, Survey Coordinator
Roxanne Auge, Membership Committee
Sarah Meyer, Marketing Committee
Clare Brown, Marketing Committee
We are, however, still looking for Seattle and East King County Chapter Directors. If you are interested, please contact me. I would LOVE to start this year with all positions filled! Rachel Robertson has been doing an excellent job planning the Spring CLE. The date is April 26, 2013. Mark it on your calendar and plan to be there. Topics and speakers (Continued on Page 3)
Our Mission: To enthusiastically support and promote the paralegal profession in the State of Washington.
President’s CornerPage 1
Management ReportsPage 3
Get a MemberPage 5
Data MigrationPage 7
A Bi-Monthly Newsletter Volume 28 Issue 1 Jan/Feb 2013Military ParalegalPage 11
Board Minutes/Membership FormsPage 14
Support Our SponsorsT-Scan: Page 8Naegeli: Page 9Medrecs:Page 10JS&L: Page 12NWME: Page 13
2013 President Brenda Cothary
All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt. Charles Shultz
F I N D I N G S & C O N C L U S I O N S
2 Findings & Conclusions
Administrator
Administration Services, Inc.PO Box 58530Seattle, WA [email protected]
Officers
PresidentBrenda [email protected]
Vice-PresididentMembership Terri Marvin-Crow
Vice-President Professional Development
Rebecca [email protected]
SecretarySarah [email protected]
Treasurer [email protected]
Immediate Past PresidentBrian Haberly RP
Management Directory
NFPA Representatives
NFPA Primary RepresentativeSue [email protected]
Secondary RepresentativeJeanenne [email protected]
PACE AmbassadorHelen Halloran, [email protected]
DirectorsEast King Co. [email protected]
Northwest Director Jennifier Provalenko, [email protected]
Seattle DirectorJosh [email protected]
Snohomish Co. Chapter Director [email protected]
Spokane Chapter Director Elena [email protected]
South King CountyJerri [email protected]
South Puget SoundMisty [email protected]
Director At-Large, WestSue [email protected]
Seattle Chapter [email protected]
Committee Chairs Certification CoordinatorHelen Halloran, [email protected]
CLE CoordinatorStephanie [email protected]
CLE Event CoordinatorRachel [email protected]
Job Bank Committee ChairBarbara Parnell, [email protected]
Director Marketing & Vendor [email protected]
Pro Bono CoordinatorJeanenne [email protected]
Newsletter Co-Coordinator/EditorJay [email protected]
Newsletter Co- Coordinator/EditorMichelle [email protected]
Military Paralegal Outreach Coordinator Jeanenne [email protected]
F I N D I N G S & C O N C L U S I O N S
Findings & Conclusions 3
(President’s Corner, Con’t. from Page 1)
will be announced soon, but I can tell you we have some exciting presenters and topics this year. In addition, we will hold our annual Awards Luncheon, where various awards are announced such as the longevity awards, Paralegal of the Year, Community Service, Pro Bono, and Student Scholarship. Now is a good time to think of someone to nominate who has done outstanding work in the profession. Nominations will open in March. In addition to the Spring CLE, WSPA will host the NFPA Region 1 meeting the next day, April 27, in Seattle. Our fellow region members from Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, and California are planning to attend. It is open to all WSPA members. It is a great opportunity to meet other leaders and network. We are planning a social event Friday evening, the Region Meeting on Saturday, and another social event Saturday evening. I hope you can join us.
Don’t forget to check the WSPA calendar at: www.wspaonline.org for details about meetings upcoming in Bellingham, Everett, Tacoma, Des Moines, and Spokane. There is more information in the newsletter about recent meetings and ones coming up. WSPA also hosted its annual Paralegal Career Night in January. It was again a huge success and provided attendees with much information about job searching and the job market.
Again, Happy New Year and I hope to see you at a future WSPA event very soon! Please contact me at [email protected] with any comments or q u e s t i o n s
NFPA Primary Reportby Sue Beichley, NFPA Primary
The National Federation of Paralegal Association (NFPA) had to say goodbye to Karen Santagata, RP, who had tendered her resignation as Treasurer and Director of Finance. Karen believed it was in the best interest of NFPA and her own personal well being to step down from this volunteer position. We thank Karen for her service to NFPA and wish her well.
We are pleased to announce that Georgette Pecoraro, RP, was appointed by the NFPA Board of Directors as Treasurer and Director of Finance to fulfill the remaining term which expires at the 2013 annual
policy meeting. Georgette was the NFPA Treasurer and Director of Finance from 2006 - 2008 and NFPA President 2008 - 2010. She is a valuable asset to NFPA! Welcome back Georgette!
When you join WSPA, you automatically become a member of NFPA (the National Federation of Paralegal Associations). A portion of your dues paid to WSPA is paid to NFPA. You will receive all of the benefits of NFPA membership in addition to your WSPA benefits!
The 2013 Joint Conference – Regulation/Leadership/Certification will be held in New Orleans, LA, April 19, 2013 to April 21, 2013. Registration will open soon.
WSPA will host the NFPA Region 1 Spring meeting on Saturday, April 27, 2013, in Seattle. We plan to hold a social event Friday night. At this point it looks like we will have guests from Alaska, Oregon, and San Francisco
SKCO Chapter Reportby Jerri Corbett, SKCO Director
The WSPA South King County Chapter hosted its second quarterly meeting on December 13, 2012. Our speaker was Sandra Y. Hilton-Craft, Applications Trainer for the law firm of Perkins Coie, LLP, located in downtown Seattle. Ms. Hilton-Craft presented on the use and benefits of Adobe Portfolio. This application is a document management tool that allows for the centralization of documents native to several different platforms. This means you don’t have to spend time jumping from, let’s say, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Power Point, or Adobe documents to view or edit your files. Adobe portfolio allows you to bring all into one application and to work seamlessly. The application also allows for the conversion of the documents to a Portable Document Format (PDF) for sharing, or the documents can simply be shared in their native format through one application. What a time saver! This training resulted in an award of two (2) CLE credits.
On the administrative side of things, we discussed how the chapter could best schedule meetings to meet the needs of our valued chapter members thus
fostering increased attendance. During the Fall CLE, Don Franks talked with some of the attendees and the general consensus was that weekends are preferred to week nights. As a result, during the remainder of my term as Chapter Director, SKCO quarterly meetings will be held on weekends. The next chapter meeting is scheduled for Saturday February 23, 2013, at the Kent Library between the hours of 1-5. I hope to see you there.
Wishing you much success in 2013,
Northwest Chapter ReportBy Jeniffier Provalenko, NW Chapter Director
IOur last paralegal social and PACE Study Group CLE was held on December 7, 2012, in Mount Vernon, WA. Guest Speaker Jeniffier Provalenko, RP ®, discussed the benefits of becoming a Registered Paralegal (RP credentialed), the application process and expected costs. She also provided study guides and tips to successfully passing the Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam (PACE). In addition, Dale Tomb, Paralegal at Windsor Health Group in Bellingham, WA, discussed his goals as the study group leader, and announced the meeting dates and times.
Our Northwest PACE study group was organized and will commence in March of 2013. If you are interested in joining or would like more information, please contact Dale Tomb at [email protected] or Jeniffier Provalenko at [email protected].
PARALEGAL PROFESSION CLE- 2/20/13
Paralegal Profession CLE- Discover the benefits of joining a paralegal association. Meet representatives from Robert Hall Legal, job recruiters, and learn about the current job trends and income levels for paralegals in Washington State. Hear real life stories from our paralegal panel about their struggles and accomplishments as new and experienced paralegals working in various areas of the law.
Sue Beichley, NFPA Primary Jeniffier Provalenko, NW Chapter Director
It was around 496 that
Pope Gelasius I renamed
Lupercalia festival as
Va len t i ne ' s Day and
moved its date to from
February 15th to 14th
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4 Findings & Conclusions
VP-Professional Development Reportby Rebecca Charles Vice President, Professional Development
My name is Rebecca Charles and I will be serving as your new Vice President, Professional Development. I am currently the paralegal at Nagler and Malaier, P.S., a small creditor-debtor firm in downtown Seattle. Prior to working at Nagler and Malaier, I gained professional experience in the laws that govern the education of K-12 students in Montana; landlord-tenant law; and estate planning, probate, and trust administration. Most recently, I was the assistant director of admissions with Seattle University School of Law where I served on numerous information panels for prospective students, staff, and admission office personnel. While at SU, I also served on the Law School’s Staff Council and as the Staff Recognition Chair. I graduated from Carroll College with a degree in accounting and hold a paralegal certificate from Highline Community College.
As the Vice President, Professional Development I hope to expand your opportunities for personal development and professional growth while maintaining the wonderful opportunities already in place. If you have questions or suggestions, I encourage you to contact me at [email protected]. I look forward to w o r k i n g w i t h y o u .
WSPA Newsletter EditorP.O. Box 58530
Seattle, WA 98138Email: [email protected]
WSPA Email: [email protected]
All submissions are due the 20th of each odd numbered month for publication the following month. Articles may be submitted on disk in Word format or via Email.
ADVERTISING RATES:
Dimensions Month to Month Pre-Paid One Year! ! ! (6 Issues)1/8 page! $ 50.00! 20% discount 1/4 page! $100.00 ! 20% discount1/2 page! $150.00 ! 20% discountFull page! $200.00 ! 25% discountContact [email protected] for additional advertising information. The Editor reserves the right to edit material for clarity, space or advertising.The articles published herein express the opinions of their authors and, unless expressly stated, do not necessarily reflect those of WSPA.Unless otherwise indicated, the authors of the submissions contained in Findings & Conclusions are paralegals. All reports, profiles, summaries, checklists, articles, or other submissions are provided for informational purposes only, and are not intended as legal advice and should not be relied upon for that purpose. All opinions expressed in any submission are the authors’ sole opinion and should not be taken as the opinion or position of the Washington State Paralegal Association.
Original items printed here are the property of WSPA. We ask that National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA) member associations who reprint
articles from Findings and Conclusions, credit the article and provide WSPA with a copy as reprinted. Others may not reproduce original material for any purpose without prior, written consent of the WSPA Newsletter Editor.
Publication of any advertisement does not imply endorsement of the product/services offered. WSPA reserves the right to reject advertisement due to content or space considerations.
Definition of a Paralegal – as defined by NFPA and WSPA
A Paralegal is a person, qualified through education, training or work experience to perform substantive legal work that requires knowledge of legal concepts and is customarily, but not exclusively, performed by a lawyer. This person may be retained or employed by a lawyer, law office, governmental agency or other entity or may be authorized by administrative, statutory or court authority to perform this work. Substantive shall mean work requiring recognition, evaluation, organization, analysis, and communication of relevant facts and legal concepts
WELCOME RACHEL!Please join us in welcoming Rachel
Robertson to WSPA Management. Rachel
has volunteered for the CLE Event
Coordinator role, so with the Student
Dinner and Spring CLE approaching, she
will be jumping right in! Rachel is a recent
graduate of the Edmonds Community
College program. Please join me in
welcoming Rachel to WSPA management!
About 8 bi l l ion
candy hearts will
be produced this
y e a r ; t h a t ’ s
enough candy to
s t r e t c h f r o m
Rome, I ta ly to
Valentine, Arizona
20 times and back
again.
F I N D I N G S & C O N C L U S I O N S
Findings & Conclusions 5
MEMBER-Get-A-MEMBER
RECRUITMENT CONTEST
Recruit new members and WIN great prizes! Everyone is eligible to participate. If you are not currently a member of WSPA or if your membership has lapsed you may refer yourself and your friends too. The person(s) who recruits the highest number of new members will win either a free annual WSPA membership for 2014 or free admission to our 2014 WSPA Fall CLE. When applying for membership on-line or by mail, tell your friends to make sure they let us know who referred them. We’ll take care of the rest. It’s that simple.
Membership Dues: Regular Members $85/Year Expand membership &
become a part of a larger
Student Members $40/Year network of PARALEGALS ! Associate Members $60/Year
Start spreading the news! Tell your friends, co-workers, colleagues, and
anyone else who may be interested in becoming a WSPA member!
For more information regarding our great membership benefits go to http://www.paralegals.org. In addition, to your WSPA membership you are automatically considered a NFPA (National Federation of Paralegal Associations) member and gain their benefits as well. Visit the NFPA’s website at http://www.paralegals.org.
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6 Findings & Conclusions
NFPA is pleased to announce the inaugural phase of the new Association Recognition Program. Although the full program will not roll out until after the 2012 Convention, we are giving member associations the opportunity to get a head start with our Member-Get-A-Member Program! If each member association member refers one new member, the member association will grow substantially. With the Member-Get-A-Member program, NFPA is offering an incentive to member associations to bring in those new members. Each member association that participates in the program will be awarded a certificate at the 2012 Convention. The member association with the highest percentage of membership growth between August 1, 2011 and August 1, 2012 will receive its choice from two prize options:
Winning member association may select one member to be a specially invited guest at the 2013 convention (observer fee waived); OR
Winning member association receives a $100 AMEX gift certificate.
Member associations participating from August 2011 through August 2012 will begin the Association Recognition Program in the following categories based upon the total percentage membership increase:
1% to 5% - Bronze Merit Associations; 6% to 10%- Bronze Honor Associations. 11% to 15%- Bronze Supreme Associations. 15% or more- Bronze Ultimate Associations.
The member associations should consider incentives to their members by rewarding them for bringing new members into the association. NFPA strongly believes that by rewarding the local members for referring new members, associations will substantially increase their membership.
Free dinner or attendance at a local association function; Free local association merchandise; Discount on local association membership for the following year; Discount on next local association event; Vendor discount provided by a local association vendor; Gift card to a local salon, restaurant, or other local merchant provided by the merchant; Tickets to a local sporting event; Tickets to the local movie theater; Lottery tickets; and Gift cards.
F I N D I N G S & C O N C L U S I O N S
Nullam arcu leo, facilisis ut 7
Migrating, or moving, data safely and securely is more important today than it has been in the past. Just as animals such as geese and whales migrate in the winter for warmer climates, so too does data need to migrate. Data migration is defined as "the process of transferring data between storage types, formats or computer systems." (See Wikipedia.).
There are a number of reasons why a law firm or legal organization would need to migrate data. I will list three of them in this month’s issue.
1) Outgrowing a Tool.
Many business professionals tend to follow their inclination to tackle a problem with one of the available desktop tools. Most of the time, the tool does the job for a while, but other times complexities arise. Data volume may increase, a complex report or calculation may be necessary, or information may need to be s h a r e d a c r o s s t h e organization."
A good example of this is in litigation case management. At the beginning of the dispute a well-meaning professional, either an
attorney or paralegal, may design a simple application to track and manage the data. This may be a Word table, Excel Chart or Access database, or even a litigation support tool such as AccessData's Summation. Initially, the tracking process works well. But as litigation expands to hundreds or thousands of cases, plaintiffs and venues, the volume and complexity of the collective set of cases can outgrow the tool and requires something bigger to handle the volume of information.
2) Integrating External Data.
Some problems may be more back office than user issues. But that doesn't mean they should be overlooked. For example, when a set of cases is being transferred from another law firm to your office or a lateral partner moves from another firm to yours. Either way, a legal technology professional may be asked to support a legal case management system that is operating perfectly fine, but might be built using a tool the technology group cannot or chooses not to support. For example, if the system is running
on open source software, a type of software the firm has strategically chosen to avoid implementing for security reasons.
3) Decision (or Tipping) Point.
Whatever the issues are, at some point the legal technology professional approaches a crossroad. Can we make incremental changes to the current tracking system? Do we want to welcome a particular technology into our office? Or do we cut the cord on the old system and move the data into a more powerful or standard database platform? Either way, a decision has to be made with the best long-term interests of the organization in mind. What may work for the paralegals and legal assistants may not be in the interests of the attorneys and other professionals who wish to be able to access the information remotely and at various times, which is something discussed in my last article about the “Death of the PC.” In today’s legal climate, attorneys want mobile access to their data and documents and, with the options available, there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be available to them.
Migrating Storage- Moving Data Safelyby Josh Normand
4200 23rd Avenue WestSeattle, WA 98199ph: 206.285.6322fx: [email protected]
T-Scan CorporationRecord Retrieval Document Production Imaging
Seattle, Portland, Salt Lake City, Denver, San Antonio, St. Louis, and San Francisco
Contact T-Scan: [email protected] or 800.285.1507 www.tscan.biz
Make It Simple...
F I N D I N G S & C O N C L U S I O N S
10 Findings & Conclusions
Litigation coming up and need medical records fast?
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Recoverable costs, Third party billing
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11 Findings & Conclusions
HELP WSPA SUPPORT MILITARY PARALEGALS AROUND THE WORLD
" Calling all WSPA members! We have set a goal for 2012 to send 6 Military paralegal care packages to make life easier for those who have chosen to serve our country.
" We have been assigned to the legal office on the USS Enterprise!
These soldiers work almost non-stop and can not just run to the store for a treat or something to read. Along with food, hygiene and entertainment items, we include postcards from the Seattle area and current magazines for men and women.
Please help us with our goal by bringing your donations to the WSPA chapter meetings. You can also include a card thanking them for their service and telling them a little about ourselves and where we live. Items will be collected, boxed and mailed to designated military base or ships every other month.
If you would like to participate but are unable to bring an item to the meetings, contact me at the email below and we will arrange for pick up. You could also send a check to:
WSPAPO Box 58530
Seattle, WA 98138-1530Please make the check out to WSPA and indicate that the funds are for the military outreach program. This will help purchase phone cards or other items that we would like to include.WSPA is a founding member of the NFPA Military Paralegal Outreach program, which began in February 2006. We appreciate the members of WSPA for the strong support of this program!Any questions regarding this continuing project may be directed to Jeanenne Rutherford, [email protected]
Suggested Items:
Hygiene: Food:Antibiotic Ointment Single Serving Pasta LicoriceChapstick/lip balm/Carmex Ready to Heat Soups Sunflower SeedsSunscreen (Bull Frog is good) Lunchables Aqua DropsBug Repellent (with deet) Ramon Noodles GumFace cleaner Powdered Power-Aide/Gator-Aide/ Peanuts in a shellEye drops/Saline Koolaid/Tang Rice Krispy TreatsLiquid hand sanitizer/Baby wipes Granola Bars/Cereal Bars Snack CakesFoot/body powder (Gold Bond) Fruit Roll-ups Misc:Deodorant Raisins CondimentsShampoo/Conditioner Beef Jerky (no pork) Lemonade/Ice Tea MixTooth Brush/Toothpaste Applesauce Cough DropsNose spray/nose drops Fruit/Pudding Cups Stationery/envelopesHand/Body Lotion Cereal (individual Servings) Stamps/PensBand-aids, Mole Skin Chex Mix Dice/Travel GamesSoap Tuna Kits Individual Instant CoffeeMouth Wash Snacks: Books/MagazinesNail Clippers Hard Candy (no chocolate-it melts) Tylenol/IbuprofenDental Floss Snack Mix Allergy MedicineTums/Rolaids Chips/Cookies/Crackers/Microwave Ziploc BagsTylenol/Aspirin Popcorn/Pretzels Instant CamerasQ-Tips Pop Tarts RainX
TIPS FROM A SOLDIER'S MOM: • Send sauce packets (like Arby's sauce). I am told this can make any MIC's taste good.• Send cards and email/snail mail so soldiers can say thank you.• Holiday cards, photos and stories of the everyday things at home are priceless. • Some of the favorite letters are about walking the dog, the kids holiday show and local sports, even if it is not their family it helps you
know that life goes on.
12 Findings & Conclusions
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NFPA Accreditation Packs12-hour pack (2 years) – $799 6-hour pack (1 year) – $499
Introducing new continuing education packages speci"cally for paralegals and legal assistants! IPE Accreditation Packs provide you with the opportunity to meet your continuing legal education requirements in two ways:
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Call to Order! 866-242-0783
WSPA's Mission:
To enthusiastically support and promote the paralegal profession in the State of Washington.
We are dedicated to the enhancement of the paralegal profession.
We strive for personal and professional development.
We will encourage increased utilization of paralegals to broaden employment opportunities statewide.
We advocate high quality paralegal educational programs in preparation for entry into the profession.
We hold our members to high standards by requiring 10 Continuing Legal Education credits per year to retain full voting status or to hold an office in the Association.
We will monitor proposed state and federal legislation affecting paralegals and will participate in the legislative and regulatory process to represent our Members' views.
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14 Findings & Conclusions
MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORSof the Washington State Paralegal Association
July 14, 2012
The Board of Directors of the Washington State Paralegal Association (“WSPA”) met on February 14, 2012 in Seattle, Washington. Proper notice was sent via e-mail to all Board and Association members.
In attendance were the following:
Officers Present:Brenda Cothary PresidentSarah Eisenhauer SecretaryJulianne Fujita Treasurer
Directors Present:Jeniffier Provalenko Northwest ChapterJerri Corbett South King County Chapter
Guests:Theda Yandell NFPA Region 1 RepresentativeJeanenne Rutherford NFPA Secondary Representative Military Paralegal Outreach Coordinator Pro Bono CoordinatorShayne Smith Web AssistantAmanda McDonald American Income Life Represenative
WELCOMEIntroductions of Officers and Directors present. Brenda Cothary, President, welcomed and thanked all
present and called the meeting to order at 9:54 a.m.
QUORUM REQUIREMENT: When the meeting notice was sent out, there were 4 Directors and 5 Officers serving in office, with 51% or at least 5 such positions needed to be present for a quorum and to conduct business under our Bylaws. We began the meeting with 5 voting persons present so there was a quorum.
AMERICAN INCOME LIFE INSURANCE PRESENTATION:Amanda McDonald presented a co-branded supplemental life insurance that we can offer as a benefit to our members. Each member would receive at no cost to them or the Association, a $2500 Accidental Death & Dismemberment policy, Health Services Discount Card, Safe Child Kit which includes information on internet safety and a Will form. There are permanent benefits such as a Terminal Illness Living benefit but it would be up to the individual member to purchase those benefits. We would provide the mailing labels and the rep would stuff the envelopes with the materials and send them out. Those materials do state that if the included card is sent back that a representative from American Income Life will contact them. The
F I N D I N G S & C O N C L U S I O N S
Findings & Conclusions 15
July 14, 2012
representative will contact them to meet in person. There is a zero tolerance policy for High pressure sales however there is an opt-out opportunity as well. Any materials that are sent to our members will be approved by the WSPA President.
We could also use this benefit as a marketing tool to market to potential members. The potential members could receive $1000.00 AD&D policy but if they would become a WSPA, they would then receive the $2500.00 coverage.
For every card that is returned to American Income Life, we will get a small donation back.
The rep could also help us with marketing ideas and surveys.
iCONTACT PRESENTATION:Shayne Smith presented how we will use iContact. This will replace the group emails that we
currently use through Google. We will keep our individual position email accounts. This will eliminate the issue that we have been having of ISPs mistaking our group email addresses as spam.
PAGEMODO FACEBOOK PAGE: Shayne also showed us what the new Welcome page for Facebook site. We have the ability to use create two other pages through Pagemodo.
MEETING MINUTES APPROVAL:Meeting minutes for the February 19th in person Board Meeting and the February 26th and April
29th Telephonic meetings were presented and discussed. It was motioned that we approve the minutes. It was seconded and the motion was unanimously passed.
OFFICER AND DIRECTOR REPORTS:Brenda - has contacted the Washington State Coalition for Open Government to initiate
discussion regarding a co-branded CLE.
Misty – will hold a Wine Social in September. Also, she will be stepping down from South Sound Chapter Director position as she will not be returning to Washington State as she had planned. She will coordinate meetings for the rest of her term until an interim Director is found.
Jeanenne – WSPA has been assigned to the Enterprise for our Military Care package program. She will send out a new list of items that we can send in the packages.
Jerri – will be planning a South King County meeting
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16 Findings & Conclusions
July 14, 2012Sarah – will work on revising the New Director manual.
Jeniffier – has had several CLE events; May – co-sponsored Law Day, June – Court Jurisdiction CLE and July – Immigration CLE. Other topics for future meetings will be PACE study groups Ethics.
Sue – will be attending the Summer NFPA Board Meeting in July. The new NFPA website has been launched. There are two new benefits, discounts for Norman Education CLEs and discounts on Notary Association membership. The first PCC review course began on June 4th and it is a 7 week course. NFPA Board nominations are now open.
NOMINATION FOR THEDA FOR NFPA REGION 1 DIRECTOR:There was a motion to nominate Theda for the NFPA Region 1 Director. It was seconded and
unanimously passed.
WSPA REPRESENTATIVE TO NFPA APPOINTMENTS:WSPA currently has 3 WSPA Representative to NFPA positions, Primary, Secondary and Secondary
appointee. We had 3 people send in interest letters, Sue Beichley, Jeanenne Rutherford and Jeniffier Provalenko. Sue and Jeanenne have served as Primary and Secondary respectively for the last two terms. As they had experience, it was motioned that they continue in their previous positions and that Jeniffier would be appointed as Secondary appointee. It was seconded and unanimously passed.
For the upcoming NFPA conference, Jeniffier will be in Anchorage at the time of the conference. It was motioned that Jeniffier would be appointed to sit at the Policy table with Sue. It was seconded and unanimously passed.
VACANT POSITIONS: We currently have the following vacant Board positions: VP Professional Development Snohomish County Chapter Director Seattle Chapter Director East King County Director At-Large Director We also have the following vacant Coordinator position: Job Bank Chair
F I N D I N G S & C O N C L U S I O N S
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July 14, 2012AT-LARGE DIRECTOR POSITION: Sue Beichley expressed interest in being elected the At-Large Director. After discussion, it was motioned that she be elected as At-Large Director. It was seconded and unanimously passed.
FINANCES: Acteva has not paid us for the money collected for Memberships, last Fall’s CLE and this Spring’s CLE and currently owes us approximately $14,000.00. Juli has been in steady contact with them and if they do not reply by Monday, July 16th, she will start off with a complaint to the BBB. If we still do not receive the money that we are due, then she will start looking into legal action.
Membership is down this year but we are getting the expected income from the CLE companies that advertise their CLEs on our calendar.
The D&O Insurance did go up a little and is expected to go up another 10% next year.
We are in the process of withdrawing Association funds from the Money Market Account and transferring it to our Savings Account. This will finish consolidating the various accounts that we have had into one central account. There is a transfer fee for the money to be wired from one account to the other. It was motioned that we authorize money to be spent to cover the transfer fee. It was seconded and unanimously passed.
NFPA dues are current.
It was mentioned that we look into what it would take to get an Association Credit Card possibly with the ability to accrue air miles to send Board members to conferences.
NFPA REGION 1 REPORT: Theda reported that the Region 1 meeting in Portland went very well. Portland has a good Vendor relationship and they were able to do all of the activities without having attendees pay any fees. She suggested that we should talk with them and see if we can get any tips that we can use for our upcoming Fall CLE program.
FALL CLE: Due to falling attendance at last Fall’s and this Spring’s CLE programs, it was discussed that we change the format for this year’s Fall CLE program. We discussed that we hold a one-day CLE program downtown on a Saturday with a flat fee. Lunch would be sponsored by a vendor. There would be a topic on Ethics and the rest of the day would be speakers on some type of Professional Development. There would be on separate tracks. It would be more of a career celebration where students and paralegals of any level would be comfortable attending.
F I N D I N G S & C O N C L U S I O N S
18 Findings & Conclusions
July 14, 2012RESTATED BYLAWS:
The final changes to the drafted Bylaws were discussed. It was motion that we accept the changes as written and discussed. The motion was seconded and unanimously passed. Brenda will send out final copies of the approved Bylaws.
WEBSITE IMPROVEMENT: In the light of our recent issues with Acteva, it has become a priority that we find a solution to an integrated Membership management and payment system. Some of the Board members participated in a web presentation form Brighnight Media that will allow us to have both an updated website and the membership management and payment system. We discussed and it was motioned that we move forward with negotiating a formal proposal. It was seconded and passed unanimously.
STRATEGIC PLANNING: As with many Associations, we continue to have the issue of Member retention and recruitment. There was some discussion for some ideas on how to recruit members.
• Presentation to Law firms• Send out monthly emails• Market at Attorney CLEs• Mailings to firms using American Income Life resources
For member retention, we will start to send out monthly emails highlighting one benefit from WSPA and one from NFPA.
WSPA LOGO: It has been brought up that our logo is now out of date. A graphics firm has designed six new logos for us that will not need constant updating but they were not sent in time for the meeting. Brenda will forward them to the Board for review as soon as she received them. Discussion regarding a new logo was tabled until we have the samples to review.
NEXT MEETING: The next meeting will be scheduled to be held in mid-September.
MEETING ADJOURNEDThe meeting was adjourned at 3:50 p.m.
BOARD APPROVED THE MINTUES ON JANUARY 13, 2013.
F I N D I N G S & C O N C L U S I O N S
Findings & Conclusions 19
TELEPHONIC MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORSof the Washington State Paralegal Association
August 7, 2012
The Board of Directors of the Washington State Paralegal Association (“WSPA”) met via telephone conference on August 7, 2012. Proper notice was sent via e-mail to all Board and Association members.
In attendance were the following:
Officers Present:Brenda Cothary PresidentSarah Eisenhauer SecretaryJulianne Fujita Treasurer
Directors Present:Jeniffier Provalenko Northwest ChapterElena Manley Spokane ChapterMisty Carmen South Puget Sound Chapter
WELCOMEBrenda Cothary, President, welcomed and thanked all present and called the meeting to order at 7:10 p.m.
QUORUM REQUIREMENT: When the meeting notice was sent out, there were 4 Directors and 5 Officers serving in office, with 51% or at least 5 such positions needed to be present for a quorum and to conduct business under our Bylaws. We began the meeting with 5 voting persons present and accordingly, there was a quorum.
WEBSITE UPGRADE: The proposal by Bright Night Media was discussed. There was a motion to accept the proposal. It was approved.
Then we discussed the add-on options. We decided on postponing adding a Forum and not adding a Classifieds option. We did unanimously pass adding on a Job Board section.
MEETING ADJOURNEDThe meeting was adjourned at 7:55 p.m.
BOARD APPROVED MINUTES ON JANUARY 13, 2013
F I N D I N G S & C O N C L U S I O N S
20 Findings & Conclusions
MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORSof the Washington State Paralegal Association
September 9, 2012The Board of Directors of the Washington State Paralegal Association (“WSPA”) met on September 9, 2012 in Everett, Washington. Proper notice was sent via e-mail to all Board and Association members.In attendance were the following:
Officers Present:Brenda Cothary PresidentSarah Eisenhauer Secretary
Directors Present:Sue Beichley At-Large West Director NFPA Primary RepresentativeJeniffier Provalenko Northwest ChapterJerri Corbett South King County Chapter
WELCOMEIntroductions of Officers and Directors present. Brenda Cothary, President, welcomed and thanked all
present and called the meeting to order at 1:25 p.m.
QUORUM REQUIREMENT: When the meeting notice was sent out, there were 4 Directors and 5 Officers serving in office, with 51% or at least 5 such positions needed to be present for a quorum and to conduct business under our Bylaws. We began the meeting with 5 voting persons present so there was a quorum.
WSPA FALL CLE:The Fall CLE will be held in the building conference room at 910 4th Ave, Seattle on November 3rd. There
will be 5 vendors with Buca di Beppo catering lunch. The fee will be a flat $50.00 and there will be a silent auction.
WEBSITE UPGRADE: We need to update the information that is currently on the web pages so that when we launch the new website we will have the most current information. The current schedule is to go live with the new website on November 3rd. We will be able to show it at the Fall CLE.
NFPA CONVENTION: At the convention, NFPA will be discussing several topics that will require a vote of the members. We discussed and then voted on what our position for Sue and Jeniffier to take to the convention.
NEXT MEETING: Next meeting will be held in December.
MEETING ADJOURNEDThe meeting was adjourned at 4:30 p.m.
BOARD APPROVED MINUTES ON JANUARY 13, 2013
Washington State Paralegal Association
Membership Application
PO Box 58530, Seattle WA 98138 Membership Year 1/1/2013 to 12/31/2013
WSPA Membership Application- Membership Application form page 1
Important: This form should be used only to apply for new membership. If you are a current WSPA member, please use the Membership Renewal form. You may also Renew and pay by credit card securely online at http://www.acteva.com/Go/WSPA.
Applicant Name:
Preferred Mailing Address:
Daytime Phone: __________________________
Evening Phone: ___________________________
Fax Number: ___________________________
E-Mail Address(es): Employer Name & Address:
Send Mail to: ! Home ! Work
WSPA Membership (See below for definitions and requirements.)
Check one and submit the appropriate membership fee with your application. Make checks payable to WSPA. WSPA is a Washington not-for-profit 501(c)(6) organization, Tax ID # 51-0140447:
! Regular Member - $85.00 Employer Paid? !Yes !No
! Associate Member - $60.00
! Student Member - $40.00 ! Sustaining Member - $200.00
Who referred you to WSPA? (Please be specific so that we can thank them!): ______________________________
Special Qualifications: ! PACE® Registered Paralegal ! LPO ! CLA (Certified Legal Assistant)
Chapter Affiliation(s): ! East King County ! Northwest ! Seattle ! Snohomish County ! South King County ! Spokane ! South Puget Sound ! Central Washington ! Other: _______________________
Check all areas in which you are willing to help: ! Chapter Activities ! Events (CLE's, Convention) ! Membership ! Newsletter ! Job Bank Admin. ! Other:_______________________________________________________________________
**Please visit our website at www.wspaonline.org to sign up for specific list servs. Please note that by participating in these list servs, you will receive regular e-mail updates and have the opportunity to participate in e-mail discussion of issues relevant to the list serv.**
WSPA Membership Application- Membership Application form page 2
Education: (check all completed) ! Assoc. Degree, Paralegal Studies* ! Assoc. Degree, Other ! Bachelor's Degree, Paralegal Studies* ! Bachelor's Degree, Other
! Certificate in Paralegal Studies* ! Master's Degree ! Other Postgraduate Degree ! Other: ____________________________
*Must include 24 semester credit hours (or equivalent) of paralegal specialty courses. See Bylaw 2.1.1 for credit hour requirements.
**If you are currently enrolled in a paralegal studies program, give:
Name of the school/program: __________________________________________________________________________
Location:_____________________________ Length of program:_______________________
Degree expected: Type:_________________ Month & Year:___________________________
Employment: Number of years of experience as a paralegal _______. Current status (Check all applicable):
!Employed full-time as a paralegal !Employed part-time as a paralegal !Employed full-time, not as a paralegal !Employed part-time, not as a paralegal !Full-time student in a paralegal program** !Part-time student in a paralegal program** !Unemployed !Other: _________________________
Employer Type: !Private Law Firm !Government Agency !Public Service Agency !Self-employed/freelance/contract !Corp. Legal Dept./Other Private Industry !Temporary Employment Agency
Practice Areas (check all areas in which you regularly practice): !Admiralty/Maritime !Bankruptcy !Civil Litigation !Collection !Commercial Torts !Contracts !Corporate/Business !Criminal !Elder Law !Employment/Labor !Environmental !ERISA/Employee Benefits !Estate Planning !Family/Domestic !Foreclosures !Government !Intellectual Property !Land Use !Legal Technology !Malpractice/Professional Liability !Personal Injury !Probate !Real Estate !Securities !Tax !Workers Compensation !Other:__________________________________
Definitions Paralegal (NFPA Definition): A paralegal is a person qualified through education, training, or work experience to perform substantive legal work that requires knowledge of legal concepts and is customarily, but not exclusively, performed by a lawyer. This person may be retained or employed by a lawyer, law office, governmental agency, or other entity or may be authorized by administrative, statutory, or court authority to perform this work. For additional definitions, requirements, and various other information, check our web site at http://www.wspaonline.org.
Privacy Policy WSPA’s general policy regarding member information is that we do not share this information indiscriminately. We must share name and mailing address with NFPA in order for you to receive your full membership benefits. We may share name and mailing address with certain legal-related vendors, including seminar sponsors, for a fee. This provides WSPA with non-dues income and allows us to keep our membership fees low. We provide this information in the form of printed labels, and we make it clear that the information is to be used only once. We do not give information to any vendors in electronic form which could be used multiple times. We will share with other members of WSPA any of the contact information which is usually available in the WSPA Membership Directory. This includes name, mailing address, daytime telephone, fax number, e-mail address, employer name, practice areas, and chapter affiliation(s). Any other information which we may maintain about our members is available only to WSPA officers, directors, and committee chairs. However, if your primary mailing address, phone, or e-mail is no longer accurate, we may substitute another address, phone, or e-mail. The alternate information would then become shareable as though it were the primary information for that member. You may specify stronger restrictions on certain of your information than under the standard WSPA policy, by completing and signing the following. Please check if any of the specified items should not be shared with WSPA members or vendors:
Item WSPA Members Vendors Home address (usually shared only if it is the primary mailing address) Work address (usually shared only if it is the primary mailing address) Daytime phone Evening phone √ Fax number √ E-mail address √
Signature: I affirm that the information given in this application is true and correct and that I meet the requirements for the membership category indicated above.
Signed: Date:
Washington State Paralegal Association 2013 Membership Renewal Form PO Box 58530, Seattle WA 98138-1530 For the Membership Period of 1/1/2013 to 12/31/2013
To file this Renewal Form with your check payment (payable to WSPA), Mail it to WSPA, P O Box 58530, Seattle, WA 98138-1530; Questions? Please email for assistance to: [email protected]
Important: This form should be used only to renew a current or previous WSPA membership. If you are applying for a new WPSA membership, please Join Online at www.wspaonline.org. You may also Renew and pay by credit card securely online at http://www.acteva.com/GO/WSPA (Renewing Member option)
Member’s Name: WSPA Membership Number (if known): Mailing Address: Check here if this is an updated Mailing Address
Daytime Phone: Evening Phone:
E-Mail Address (primary):
E-Mail Address (secondary):
WSPA Membership (See below for definitions and requirements.) Check one and submit the appropriate membership fee with your application. Make checks payable to WSPA. WSPA is a Washington not-for-profit 501(c)(6) organization, Tax ID # 51-0140447:
! Regular Member - $85.00 Employer Paid? !Yes !No ! Associate Member - $60.00
! Student Member - $40.00
Definitions & Requirements Paralegal (NFPA Definition): A paralegal is a person qualified through education, training, or work experience to perform substantive legal work that requires knowledge of legal concepts and is customarily, but not exclusively, performed by a lawyer. This person may be retained or employed by a lawyer, law office, governmental agency, or other entity or may be authorized by administrative, statutory, or court authority to perform this work. Substantive shall mean work requiring recognition, evaluation, organization, analysis, and communication of relevant facts and legal concepts.
Membership Types – Regular Membership - $85: Any paralegal (see definition above) living or working in Washington with an associate or
bachelors degree and 24 semester hours in paralegal studies OR having a minimum of three year’s experience as a paralegal as defined by NFPA. Regular members are eligible to vote and hold office.
Student Membership - $40: Any student currently enrolled in a paralegal program and not eligible for regular or associate membership status. Student membership is limited to 3 years. Student members are eligible to vote and hold office.
Associate Membership - $60: Any paralegal living or working outside Washington, not currently practicing, or retired. Associate members are eligible to vote and hold office. CLE Credits: WSPA recognizes CLE credits are an important part of developing and maintaining one’s skills and abilities.
As such, all WSPA members are strongly encouraged to obtain 10 CLE credits annually. Individuals who earn 10 CLE credits in a membership year will be recognized in the WSPA newsletter Findings and Conclusions, and will be eligible for a 10% discount off the registration fee for one WSPA CLE of his/her choice during the following calendar year. CLE credits may be reported on the attached form.
DECLARATION OF CLE ATTENDANCE
Year 01/01/20______ to 12/31/20_____
Name: ___________________________________ Member Number (if known): _________________
I declare, under penalty of perjury, that I have attended the following continuing legal education seminars or courses during the indicated year; and that said seminars or courses qualify for CLE credit under the WSPA CLE guidelines:
Date(s) Sponsor Topic Credits
WSPA Approval Code
Total:
Attach additional pages if necessary. If you do not have a WSPA Approval Code, please attach to this Declaration the Sponsor’s Certificate of Attendance or WSPA’s CLE Approval Certificate. Signed: ______________________________________________Date: ___________________________ Email Address where we can reach you regarding this Declaration: _______________________________
To file this declaration, Mail it to WSPA, P O Box 58530, Seattle, WA 98138-1530; Fax it to: 206-575-9255 or scan and email it to: [email protected]