Registration Open for the 2022 NALA Conference & Expo - July 14-16
Early Bird Registration is open for the 2022 NALA Conference & Expo! Join hundreds of paralegals both virtually and in-person in Phoenix, AZ, from July 14-16. This three-day educational event is developed specifically for paralegals and other legal professionals. Attendees will have the opportunity to earn up to 15 hours of CLE with more than 30 sessions to choose from. Engage with leading legal experts and develop new skills and techniques to help advance your career.

You can learn more about our virtual and in-person options and download the brochure by clicking here.

NALA President-elect, Debra L. Overstreeet, ACP!
Congratulations to NALA President-elect Debra L. Overstreet, ACP! The NALA Board elected Debbie during March’s board meeting to take on the prestigious position for the 2022/2023 term. Current President Melissa J. Hamilton, ACP, honored Debbie with the president’s pin, which will remain upside down until Debbie is officially sworn in at the NALA Conference & Expo in Phoenix, AZ, in July.

Founders' and President's Awards Nomination
Deadline – April 1
Only TWO WEEKS remain to submit nominations for both the Founders’ Award and the President’s Award. Nominations are due no later than April 1, 2022.

• The purpose of the Founders’ Award is to recognize extraordinary or outstanding contributions to the growth and future of the paralegal profession that impacted or affected the paralegal profession in a positive manner for a significant period of time.
• The purpose of the President’s Award is to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of NALA members and their contribution to the future of the paralegal profession.

To submit a nomination and learn more about the award, please visit the NALA website by clicking here.

LAST DAY to Declare Your Candidacy – 2022 NALA Board Elections 
TODAY is the last day to submit declaration of candidacy forms to run for NALA office! Open Board positions include the following: Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and three Area Directors. For a detailed explanation of each role, please click here.  

All candidates must complete a Declaration of Candidacy form and provide a high-resolution photograph to NALA. You can submit this form electronically to pvanstraten@nala.org, or by mail, no later than March 15, 2022 (postmarked or received). Declarations received after the deadline will not be accepted. You can download a Declaration of Candidacy form by clicking here. 

NALA Volunteer Spotlight – Richard Hahn, 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 Richard Hahn, ACP. Please click here to read the March Volunteer Spotlight!

Image Source Library of Congress

March DEI - Patron Saint of Paralegals
Did you know St. Patrick is the Patron Saint of Paralegals? Adrienne Berry, CP, explores more about St. Patrick and the legacy of Irish-American heritage in March’s DEI article.To read the article, click here. 

[Must Read Article!] Straight Talk About Skills Needed to Work Remotely
For many people, it appears remote work is here to stay. According to the Washington Post, by the end of 2022 up to 25% percent of Americans will work remotely. Technical enablement specialist June Hunter gives NALA members a look at the skills needed to shift to remote work. Read the full article here.

[Paralegal Voice Podcast 🎧] Modern Legal Project Management: Agile and Scrum Processes
By default, many paralegal professionals serve as project managers, keeping cases on track, and knowing when the next filing is due. But is traditional, linear project management best for all cases?

Agile project management has been around in other business sectors for 20 years, but the legal field has been cautious and slow to adapt.

Guest Alicia Mitchell-Mercer is an expert in applying the modern Agile project management philosophy to legal cases and how the Scrum processes fit. Scrum team? Product owner? ScrumMaster? If you’ve been curious, even baffled, by these terms, you won’t get a better 30-minute introduction. Learn how modern project management fits today’s legal needs.

From start to finish, Agile project management can help track legal projects and review results, then apply lessons learned to future projects. Mitchell-Mercer explains how applying these principles could help your firm work more efficiently, improve outcomes, and better serve clients. As a bonus, there isn’t a high barrier to entry for ScrumMaster certification (and it could add to your personal market value).

Plus, some insights on how COVID’s push to remote meetings has changed, perhaps forever, legal project management. Listen Now!

Navigating Paralegal Burnout and Fatigue
March 16  |  12 p.m. CT  |  CLE: 1  |  Non-Substantive
As a paralegal, when you are experiencing exhaustion at unprecedented levels – whether you are running on fumes, putting out daily fires, worried about the overwhelming demands of your projects, attorney matters, deadlines, juggling childcare and schoolwork, pet care, parent care, client care, and employee care – you may wake up one morning and find you have nothing more to give. So, you keep giving the only thing you have left – yourself.

As the environment continues to shift beneath your feet, the old way of dealing with fatigue and burnout may no longer be effective. This webinar will discuss paralegal fatigue and burnout. You will have the opportunity to learn, listen and share experiences with other paralegals who are on the same journey.

How to Craft Your LinkedIn Profile
March 23  |  12 p.m. CT  |  CLE: 1  |  Non-Substantive
Are you maximizing your online professional profile? Do you think LinkedIn is only for those looking for work? LinkedIn is a career management tool that allows you to stand out amongst your peers. In this interactive session, you will learn some quick tweaks on maximizing your online profile for 2022.

Preparing the Excerpts of Record for Federal Appeals
March 24  |  12 p.m. CT  |  CLE: 1  
This course will provide an overview of designating the record and preparing the Excerpts of Record for federal appeals. Preparing the record is critically important to success on appeal, but is often overlooked by attorneys who may come to their paralegals shortly before the briefing deadline. Both attorneys and paralegals should be aware that the process is time-intensive. Not only that, but now that the courts have entered the digital age, the courts require the Excerpts of Record to conform to demanding technical specifications. This is a daunting undertaking by both the paralegal and the attorney, and paralegals can be of tremendous value by understanding the process and encouraging their attorneys to plan ahead.

Cultural Empathy & Impact
March 30  |  12 p.m. CT  |  CLE: 1  |  Non-Substantive
Cultural empathy is the way we embrace diversity in our personal and professional lives. Understanding and respecting that each of us brings a unique perspective to “culture” is the first step in showing empathy for each other. Through empathy, the impact we have on each other, our work, our families and our communities is boundless.

CP Examinees

• As promised, our testing delivery method has changed. Scheduling for the Knowledge Exam reopened February 23! If you are eligible to schedule the CP Exam, click here to review the step by step instructions for scheduling your exam through the PSI network. (These instructions are also included in your Authorization to Test and Testing Ticket emails from NALA.)
• Online testing (remote proctoring) is here! Examinees now have three ways to take the Knowledge Exam:
  • PSI testing center. Click here to view the process.
  • Place of employment (business), college or military base.
  • Online. Click here to view the process and rules.

Certification

• March certificants! Enter your 50 hours of CLE, including five hours of legal ethics, and not more than 10 hours non-substantive areas so that you can recertify before 3/31/2022! Here is the PDF Recertification form that you may email to cle@nala.org or click Recertification Affidavit and fee to recertify online!
• If you have not accepted your digital badge, please login to your Credly account and accept it. It is a great way to display and share your NALA achievements online!

As a NALA member, you receive exclusive local and national discounts on hundreds of products and services. To access these deals, go to the NALA homepage and click Login in the upper right hand corner, then go to the Affinity Discounts page on our website. 

Unwrap Winter Savings with Avis and Budget
In need of a winter escape? Make the experience safe and comfortable with deals from your Avis and Budget Car Rental Savings Program. With the Pay Now feature, members can save up to 35% off base rates on every rental, plus receive additional offers like a free upgrade or dollars off.

More Ways to Save:
Skip the counter and paperwork at many locations and go straight to your car for faster pick-up and drop off when you sign up and use your complimentary membership in the Avis Preferred® or Budget’s Fastbreak Rewards Program. Plus, members earn points towards free rentals, accessories and upgrades.

To make a reservation with Avis, visit: www.avis.com/en/association/B155180 and use your Avis Worldwide Discount (AWD) number B155180.

To book with Budget, visit: //www.budget.com/en/association/R584780 and use your Budget Customer Discount (BCD) number R584780.

Sign up for Text Alerts: Don’t miss out on special offers! Get exclusive offers sent directly to your phone by texting NALAABG to 833-344-0228.

NALA Volunteer of the Year Award Winner!
Congratulations to Terry L. Wright, ACP, our 2022 Volunteer of the Year Award recipient!

“I’m passionate about the paralegal profession and am grateful to have the ability to pay it forward at this stage of my career!” - Terry L. Wright, ACP

You can read more about our Volunteer of the Year Award winner in the upcoming May 2022 issue of Facts & Findings.

NALA Rising Star Award Winner!
Congratulations to Brooke Brown, CP, our 2022 Rising Star Award recipient!

"Thank you so much for this incredible opportunity. I am so honored and humbled to have received the NALA Rising Star Award. I will cherish this award for the rest of my career and will do my best to continue to promote the paralegal profession in any way I can.” - Brooke Brown, CP

You can read more about our Rising Star Award winner in the upcoming May 2022 issue of Facts & Findings.