Register Now for the Conference @ Home!
Have you joined the 1,000+ individuals who have registered for the 2021 NALA Conference @ Home? If not, there is still time!

The 2021 NALA Conference @ Home featuring our digital exhibitors will showcase dynamic speakers discussing relevant and timely topics for paralegals. We will gather virtually for all sessions and meetings, including the NALA Annual Meeting and NALA Affiliated Associations Annual Meeting.

• Virtual conference registration: $199 for members, $249 for non-members, and $149 for student members, which includes education sessions and public meetings.
• Public meetings: access to the NALA Annual Meeting, NALA Affiliated Associations Annual Meeting, both NALA Board of Directors meetings, both Virtual Candidate Forums, and the NALA panel discussion is free to everyone. (Please note to attend the public meetings, you must register; however, if you register for the full virtual conference, you do not need to register for both.)

Cancellation Policy: Refund requests received on or before June 25 will receive a full refund. Any refund requests from June 26 until the time of the event will be subject to a $75 cancellation fee.
 
Please join your fellow paralegals and other legal professionals July 22-24 for this top-notch online educational event. We hope you are as excited as we are. 

BOD Virtual Candidate Forum - Tomorrow!
The first live-streamed NALA 2021 Board of Directors Virtual Candidate Forum is tomorrow June 16, at 2 p.m. CT!
 
Those who registered (by June 14) for either the full 2021 NALA Conference @ Home OR the Public Meetings Only (which is free for all to attend) are able to join the first Virtual Candidate Forum. NALA will be emailing those individuals the link and instructions.
 
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.
 
NALA is hosting a second live-streamed Virtual Candidate Forum on July 21, 2021, at 5:45 p.m. CT. Those who wish to attend must be either registered for the full conference or the public meetings only.
 
The Virtual Candidate Forums are superb opportunities to not only meet the candidates, but also ask them questions. We hope you will join us for at least one of these important events.

June NALA Volunteer Spotlight - Debby J. Sawyer, 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 Debby J. Sawyer, ACP, who has been a NALA member since 2003. Please click here to read June’s Volunteer Spotlight!

NALA Board of Directors Election – Voting Opens June 30
NALA Active type members have the exclusive privilege to vote in the NALA Board of Director elections, as well as vote for any proposed bylaw amendments. Online voting will open June 30 at 7 a.m. CT and close July 21 at 11:59 p.m. CT. Election results will be announced during the Annual Membership Meeting on July 22, 2021.
 
OPEN NALA BOARD POSITIONS
Officers to be elected are: Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. These officers are elected for one-year terms and may serve a maximum of two consecutive terms.
 
Two seats are open for At Large Director positions. At Large Directors are elected for a two-year term and may serve a maximum of two consecutive terms.
 
Want to get to know the candidates better to help you determine who would best represent you and your interests on the NALA Board of Directors? NALA has provided resources to help you make the most informed decision possible.

• Candidate profiles: candidates’ professional qualifications are listed under their picture on the NALA website.
• Candidate responses to the 2021 Candidate Question: candidates were asked the following question: What are three values you think you demonstrate as a leader? Candidate responses can be found alongside their profiles on the NALA website.
• Candidate videos: candidates had the option to record a YouTube video with their own personal message to voters. You can find the link to candidate videos under their profiles on the NALA website.

Please take advantage of these resources to help you decide who is the best candidate to represent you in your association. For more information about NALA Board of Director elections, including detailed information about the proposed bylaw amendment, please visit our website.

NALA Office Closed – July 5th
NALA would like to wish each of you a very happy Independence Day! In observance of the holiday, the NALA office will be closed on Monday, July 5, 2021. We hope you enjoy celebrating our nation’s birthday!

June DEI – Pride Month and the Black National Anthem
In this month’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion article, NALA member Nancy L. Jordahl, ACP, shares the fascinating history of the Black National Anthem. She writes about its lasting legacy and powerful impact to this day, as well as a special tie to the legal field. To read her article about “Lift Every Song and Sing,” please click here.
 
Additionally, NALA would like to recognize June as Pride Month. NALA DEI Committee Chair Peonca S. Grier, CP, encourages members to seek out Pride Month activities virtually or in their local areas and continue to advocate for inclusivity. She also wrote a wonderful Pride Month social post, so please visit NALA Commons today to read it!

CP Applicants:

• Are you unsure of whether or not you meet the CP Exam eligibility requirements? If you send your transcript to us, we are happy to review it at testing@nala.org.
• 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.

CP Examinees:

• Examinees who submitted a Student Waiver form during the January 2021 through May 2021 testing windows, your final transcript or letter of completion is due no later than June 30, 2021, by 5 p.m. CT.  For faster delivery, you may email it to testing@nala.org.
• If you prefer taking your exam at your job, college, or military base instead of a PSI testing center, click here. More details are listed under the Testing Center Qualifications & Forms section.
• The results from the April 2021 Skills Exam have been posted in your NALA accounts. (Please note: If you submitted a student waiver form and have not yet submitted your final transcript, your results were not posted. Your final transcript is due no later than June 30, 2021, by 5 p.m. CST.)

Certification:

• June CPs and ACPs!  Don’t let your CERTIFICATION and DIGITAL BADGE expire!  Enter your CLE and submit the online Recertification Affidavit and fee or the PDF Recertification form to cle@nala.org before 6/30/2021!

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. 

New NALA Affinity Partner – EZ Doc Request
NALA is excited to share that EZ Doc Request is a new NALA Member Affinity Benefit!

EZ Doc Request helps make the trial Discovery process more efficient. Prepare requests for Production of Documents to prove economic damages in just two minutes! Members can select from 545 CPA requests tailored to specific occupations or customize their own from the company’s database of 330 records. Members also receive the reasons for requesting each document to provide compelling explanations to the trial judge. Using comprehensive documentation based on occupation can help paralegals find the one document that could change the case entirely.

NALA members receive a 20% off discount by using the EZ Doc Request service through NALA.

Want to test out the product to see if it is a good fit for your firm? EZ Doc Request is offering NALA members the opportunity to use their service TWO TIMES FREE in June. All you need to do is log in to the NALA Affinity Benefits page, click on the EZ Doc Request link, create an account, and use the NALA code to utilize your two free services! No credit card information is needed for the free trial. After the free trial is over, you may use your NALA code to receive the discount each time you use the EZ Doc Request service.

For more information about this brand-new Affinity Benefit, visit our website. Before using the service, we encourage members to watch the tutorial located along the top menu of the EZ Doc Request webpage, which can be accessed through the NALA Affinity Benefit page.

New NALA Affinity Partner – RLI Insurance Company
NALA is also excited to announce its partnership with RLI Insurance Company as the newest NALA Member Affinity Benefit!
 
RLI Insurance Company is a United States-based, A+ rated specialty insurer that offers a diverse portfolio of insurance coverages and surety bonds. RLI is the 19th largest Surety company in the United States and one of the nation’s leading notary bond writers, writing more than 30,000 notary bonds last year alone.
 
NALA and RLI have partnered to simplify the notary bonding process for you. RLI offers affordable notary products with easy online ordering through the company’s exclusive agency, RLI Underwriting Services, Inc. NALA members benefit from discounts of up to 20% as well as custom notary supplies. The discount code can be found after members login to their NALA account and access the Affinity Benefits page.
 
Whether you are looking for a notary bond, notary supplies or a complete package, RLI can help!  Simply login, select your state, and RLI’s system will ensure the state’s notary bond and supply requirements are met. It is that easy! Please note that notary packages are currently offered in six states with more states to come, so check back soon!
 
For more information about this brand-new Affinity Benefit, visit our website.
 
Special promotion: Purchase your notary products through NALA’s partnership site before August 31, 2021, and be entered for a chance to win a gift certificate for your choice of Maui Jim® Sunglasses*!
*Non-prescription sunglasses only