National Paralegal Day! 
The ABA currently defines a paralegal as: “a person, qualified by education, training or work experience, who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency or other entity and who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible."

But we would like to add to that definition. Paralegals are the heartbeat of a legal team. They multitask like no other, handle a tremendous amount of pressure, and are incredibly dedicated to the legal profession. On October 23, 2020, we would like to acknowlege all the incredible paralegals and thank them for all the work they do! 

*Certified Paralegal Champion Award Recipient:*
Amanda Nelson, ACP
NALA is proud to announce the 2020 Certified Paralegal Champion Award recipient, Amanda Nelson, ACP. This award recognizes outstanding achievement in promoting and advancing NALA's Certified Paralegal Program within the legal profession. Congratulations, Amanda!

To learn more about the NALA Awards Program and all the different awards we offer, please visit our website. 

Demystifying Paralegal Credentials for Lawyers and Paralegals
We wanted to share this tremendous article written by fellow NALA member, Alicia Mitchell-Mercer, ACP, for the North Carolina Bar Association blog last year. The information has lasting relevance for not only this year, but also future years of the paralegal career field.
 
In her article, “Demystifying Paralegal Credentials for Lawyers and Paralegals,” Mitchell-Mercer discusses the purpose of certification and continuing education. She also reports the results of a paralegal survey she conducted via social media. In this study, she sought to understand how informed a group of paralegals felt their attorneys were regarding paralegal education and certification credentials. To read the article, click here.

2020 NALA Conference Recording Bundle
The 2020 Conference Recording Bundle is still available! If you attended the 2020 NALA Conference @ Home, you can purchase the Conference Recording Bundle for only $199 for NALA members ($249 for non-members). If you did not have the opportunity to join us for this year’s virtual conference, you can purchase the bundle for $575 for NALA members ($628 for non-members).
 
To purchase individual conference sessions or view a complete list of all of NALA’s on-demand webinars please visit our website.
 
*Please note that on-demand access to the recordings are available for one year from the purchase date.

[NEW PODCAST] The 5 Ps of Legal Six Sigma
Whether they fully appreciate it or not, paralegals are project managers. And while comparing efficiencies in auto manufacturing to daily paralegal work might seem odd, host Carl Morrison would disagree. Morrison, who is working on a certification from the Legal Lean Sigma Institute, shared what he’s learned so far about applying process improvement concepts to the delivery of legal services with listeners. From planning to performance metrics, Morrison highlights the value of finding efficiencies and eliminating wasted time. Morrison also responds to a timely listener question about securing confidential client documents when working from home. Morrison talks through the ethical responsibilities of paralegals and how to raise issues with employers. The onus is on the paralegal to secure confidential materials through, among other things, encrypted wifi, password protections, and locked storage. Listen Now!

NALA has been a longstanding sponsor of The Paralegal Voice since its inception. Subscribe today!

Managing Your Legal Career
October 20  |  12 p.m. CT   |  CLE: 1
This webinar will provide insight to multiple aspects of effectively managing your legal career. Whether you are new to the legal field or a dedicated and seasoned professional, the information presented will help you to develop a strategy and a plan to take your career forward, or to the next level, and achieve your professional goals. Career management includes being prepared for the unexpected, whether that is a serendipitous job offer or any undesirable change in your current job. Learn about the evolution of jobs that require a solid foundation of skills acquired in the legal field, current job market trends, the impact of evolving technology, and how to make the transition to a new career opportunity.

Nursing Home Cases:
Critical Aspects for Paralegals
October 21  |  12 p.m. CT  |  CLE: 1  
Nursing home cases are an important part of any personal injury practice, both plaintiff’s and defense. The role of the paralegal is critical to evaluating, litigating, and trying a nursing home case. This webinar will focus on the plaintiff’s firm process, but much of the material overlaps with defense-oriented litigation. Critical questions and red flags will be identified to ensure that nursing home cases are properly evaluated before signing them up and investing firm resources. This presentation will also assist the litigation paralegal in identifying critical medical records, creating accurate timelines, building a Hot Docs folder, and assisting the attorney with identifying critical witnesses. Corporate research on potential defendants will be addressed as well as building Licensure and Corporate folders.

Cannabis 101 – Special Industry Risks
and Considerations
November 11  |  1 p.m. CT  |  CLE: 1 
A high-level overview of the cannabis legal and regulatory framework in the United States examining some of the many practical and technical considerations, risks, and questions to be carefully considered when advising and transacting with cannabis licensees and establishing new cannabis operations. This webinar is open to all levels of experience. The content and perspectives discussed should have something for everyone, from beginners new to cannabis and veterans of the industry.

For Certified Paralegals:

• Congratulations to the 69 new CPs who recently passed the Skills Exam! Welcome to the exciting world of certification! By now, your welcome packet should have arrived in your mailbox. If you have any questions, please contact us at cle@nala.org.
• We have made some changes that we think you are going to like! You can now view or enter your CLE with only a few clicks. Under the Quick Links box, click on View/Enter CLE, and it will take you directly to your CLE page. There, you can enter new CLE or view your total CLE hours. Here are the updated instructions and FAQs with screenshots:
  
  • How to enter your CLE
    
  • CLE entry FAQs

For Examinees:

• The October 2020 Skills Exam testing window is open from October 1-31, 2020.
• If your employer or school testing center is willing to proctor the CP Exam for you, here are the forms that are required:
  • Qualifying as a Testing Center
  • Proctor Application
  • Proctor Confidentiality Agreement
  • Testing Center Application

As a NALA member, you receive exclusive local and national discounts on hundreds of products and services. To access these deals, log into your NALA account and then go to the Affinity Discounts page on our website. 

Are you checking out the NALA Commons?
We hope you are enjoying the increased communication and postings in NALA Commons! Lately, there have been great questions asked, fascinating articles shared, and excellent advice given. We encourage all our members to join their peers by participating in the collaborative social site.

NALA Commons recently launched a new feature we are excited to tell you about. The NALA Commons messaging feature is now LIVE! This new site improvement gives members a simple way to have one-on-one conversations without posting on the home page or in a group. If you would like to private message another member, click on his or her name, and you will see the message icon in the upper right-hand corner. It is that easy!

As always, please do not hesitate to reach out with questions, comments, or concerns about NALA Commons.

Membership Grace Period Update
Effective January 1, 2021, NALA will implement a 30-day grace period to renew a membership following its expiration date to help avoid interruption of member-only benefits. If you need an invoice to present to your employer, click here to download the PDF. For questions, please contact our office at (918) 587-6828 or email us at nalanet@nala.org.