LAST CHANCE for Conference @ Home Early Bird Rates
Today is your FINAL day to take advantage of early bird conference registration rates!
 
Registering tonight by 11:59 p.m. CT confirms your access to the exclusive early bird bonus. Only those who register and pay by the end of today, May 15, 2021, will receive a complimentary, exclusive 2021 NALA Conference @ Home care package. This year's care packages will feature epic swag that will enhance your virtual conference experience.
 
Don’t forget - Only those who register by the early bird deadline will have EXCLUSIVE access to preorder the official, limited edition 2021 NALA Conference @ Home t-shirt! Only early birds are guaranteed access to the conference shirt, and you do not want to miss out on this year’s bold design. If you have registered and paid for the full conference, and would like to preorder this year’s conference tee, please click here. Since the t-shirt will arrive in your care package prior to the Conference @ Home, early bird registrants who order the t-shirt by May 15, 2021, will also get FREE shipping!

Would you like to learn more about the NALA members running for a position on the Board of Directors?
NALA will be hosting a live-streamed Virtual Candidate Forum on June 16 at 2 p.m. CT. Candidates will be separated into the Board position for which they are running. Those positions are:
- Vice President
- Secretary
- Treasurer
- At Large Director

Do you have a question you would like answered by the candidates during this live forum? Please address your question to one of the groups above and email it to pvanstraten@nala.org by June 4. The moderator will ask as many member questions as time allows. 
 
You do NOT need to attend the Conference @ Home to vote for your NALA Board members. However, if you will not be attending or if you have not yet registered for the conference by June 16 and you would like to attend this live-streamed event, you DO need to register for the Public Meetings Only portion of the conference no later than June 14. There is no cost to register, and it also provides you access to all public meetings that will take place during the 2021 Conference @ Home.
 
This candidate forum will be recorded and will be available to all members, regardless of conference registration, at least one week before voting opens on June 30.

May's NALA Volunteer Spotlight - Deana Waters, ACP
In each monthly newsletter, an outstanding NALA volunteer is featured in the NALA Volunteer Spotlight. This spotlight includes the volunteer’s professional achievements and fun facts about them. We hope you enjoy this opportunity to get to know your fellow NALA members on a more personal level!
 
In this month’s spotlight, we would like to introduce you to Deana Waters, ACP, who has been a NALA member since 2003. Please click here to read May’s Volunteer Spotlight!

Free NALA On-Demand Webinar
Didn’t get the chance to attend the complimentary “Stay Healthy as a Leader: Learn Your Stressors” live webinar? Don’t worry! It is now available as an on-demand webinar and is FREE for all NALA members! Attendees can earn one hour of non-substantive CLE credit for this course taught by instructor Skot Waldron.
 
The webinar addresses how we handle stress in our daily lives, particularly focusing on individual tendencies under moderate and extreme stress. Mr. Waldron provides suggestions on how to stay mentally healthy when times are tough, as well as tools to help attendees become aware of their own tendencies so they can be more empowered.
 
To register for this on-demand webinar, please click here.
 
NALA places great emphasis on the well-being and mental health of our members. We sincerely hope each member will take advantage of this free on-demand webinar to learn more about handling stress during these turbulent times.

May DEI – Mental Health Awareness Month
In this month’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion article, NALA member Yolanda Garcia discusses the observance of May as Mental Health Awareness Month across the United States. Yolanda writes about why this month is so important, especially with the pandemic’s heavy toll on mental health across our nation, as well as resources for mental health awareness.
 
Please click here to read Yolanda’s timely article.
 

Write for NALA's Facts & Findings Magazine
Would you like to write for NALA’s award-winning magazine, Facts & Findings? Compose either a 600- or 1,500-word article and send it to editor@nala.org. Not only is this a great opportunity to become a published author, but it is also a resume booster. Another bonus – Certified Paralegals can earn CLE credit if they submit an article for Facts & Findings and it is approved for publishing.
 
If you are skilled at certain technology, a subject-matter expert or are experienced in a specific branch of the legal field, please consider sharing your knowledge with your fellow paralegals through an article in the publication. The magazine features all kinds of timely and relevant subjects in the legal field.
 
To find out more about article submission and style guidelines, please click here.

Top 10 Tips to Improve Your Legal Writing
May 18  |  12 p.m. CT   |  CLE: 1
Effective communication skills are critical to a paralegal's success. Do you want to take your legal writing to the next level and become an indispensable member of your legal team? Join Legal Research & Writing Professor, Pamela Hollern, for “Top 10 Tips to Improve Your Legal Writing”.  

In this quick, one hour webinar, you will take away tangible tips to immediately improve your legal writing.

Advanced Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) Compliance Techniques For Paralegals
May 19  |  12 p.m. CT  |  CLE: 1 
Join a discussion geared around the Advanced Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) Compliance as it pertains to Personal Injury Cases. 

The webinar addresses Medicare in personal injury cases with attorneys and the paralegals that work for them.

Paralegal Role for Body-Worn Cameras
May 20  |  12 p.m. CT   |  CLE: 1 
This webinar explains the utility of body-worn camera footage for the prosecution of criminal cases. Discussion includes:

• Usage of the system and why certain information is shielded
• Turning over system information to the defense and requisite documentation
• Demonstrations of how to shield information and presenting footage in court as part of the prosecution's case

Technology Rollouts 2021
June 8  |  12 p.m. CT  |  CLE: 1  |  NON-SUB
A look into what is new and cool in tech for 2021. What software and software updates occurred as well as estimated roll-out dates for some newer implementations.

CP Applicants and Examinees:

• The CP Exam application fee does NOT include fees charged by PSI or non-PSI testing centers.
• The Paralegal student fee is for paralegal students currently in the last semester or quarter of a Paralegal program and who do not currently qualify under category 1, 2, or 3. 
• The results for the April 2021 Skills Exam are expected to be released in mid-June. An email will be sent to all examinees when scores are available.

Certification:

• May CPs and ACPs!  Don’t let your CERTIFICATION and DIGITAL BADGE expire! Enter your CLE and submit the online Recertification Affidavit and fee before 5/31/2021!
• If your certification expiration date was 11/30/2020, you received an extension to meet the recertification requirements. The extension deadline is 5/31/2021. Please enter your CLE now and return the PDF Recertification form and fee to cle@nala.org.
• NEW! To help you stay on top of your certification deadlines, two months prior to your certification expiring, you will now receive a certification renewal postcard as another reminder of when your recertification is due.

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. 

Milestone Membership Anniversaries
NALA members are at the core of NALA’s success. Each quarter, we will honor those who have reached MILESTONE membership anniversaries with NALA. To see who, in 2020 and the first quarter of 2021, reached 5 years, 10 years, 15 years, 20 years, and 25 years (Honorary Membership status) of continuous NALA membership, please click here.
 
Want to be a part of this special recognition? If you continue your NALA membership – without lapse – for the number of years mentioned above, you will be eligible to receive one of our complimentary, exclusive membership anniversary pins. Don’t forget to stay up to date with your emails to ensure your NALA membership does not lapse!
 
Thank you to the longtime members who have been recognized this quarter. You are truly appreciated!