The 2010-11 New Year’s Challenge!

New Year’s is always a time of natural beginnings. We reflect on the previous year and resolve to change things in the next. Perhaps it’s the all-time favorite, the promise to lose 10 lbs. or simply to eat healthy. Perhaps it’s a promise to get your financial life in order.


Or perhaps it is the determination that this year you’ll step up to the plate and take on a project worthy of your time, creativity, and energy. I have an outlet for you. A New Year’s resolution you can finish within a year. A project which is worthy of your precious hours, your inventiveness, and your ingenuity.


I challenge you to THINK BIG! and join a national committee for the 2010-2011 year. Other than periodic evening meetings in the Online Learning Center, the work of the national committees is completed on your own time and at your own pace, online or via e‑mail. Physical presence at a meeting is not a prerequisite. You can expend your energy and find an outlet for your creativity at 2 a.m. if that suits you (with your fuzzy slippers on and a quart of your favorite ice cream next to you).


Interested? Because NALS could use your help. Review the Committee Preference Sheet (http://www.NALS.org/download/NALSPreferenceSheet.pdf), complete page 3, and send it me. All of NALS will appreciate your willingness to give of your time and talents to further the mission and goals of NALS.


Happy New Year!


Patti

Patricia E. Infanti, PP, PLS
NALS President-Elect

On Being Snowed In

Snow is so beautiful, covering the ground and making everything, including my rusty old shed, look pristine and clean.

I had the opportunity during the weekend before Christmas to enjoy a major snowstorm – a “record breaker” in my area. Being snowed in always brings out the domestic in me. I make pancakes in the morning, bake cookies during the day, and pop popcorn in the evening, all while watching the silent accumulation of snow. Luckily, my family was safe and snug in the house with me.

NALS is like that too, a special family that worries about its members, particularly when economic storms set in. NALS supports you in a way no other professional association supports its members. Have you utilized the NALS Career Center www.careers.nals.org? If you are out of work, have you applied for the one-year waiver for your national dues www.NALS.org/download/NALSdueswaiver/pdf?

Have you taken advantage of the one year national dues waiver offered when you recruit five new members (of your class of membership) within a one-year period beginning November 1, 2009 www.NALS.org/download/waiverduesfiveNMs.pdf? That's a $98 savings just for recruiting five new members!

What about the free Online Learning Center sessions and the free Online Study Group (beginning January 5, 2010, to prepare for the March exams)? Have you taken advantage of the WebEd offerings? NALS webinars are provided to you at a reasonable price (check around – NALS’ webinars are a bargain!). The next WebEd on Federal Rules of Civil Procedure presented by Chris Gierymski (DLA Piper, LLP) is scheduled for January 13, 2010, at 7 pm CT.

This is just the tip of the snow drift. As you dig through the layers of NALS services and products, don’t forget that NALS is there for all of us, supporting us while the storm of life rages all around. Don’t break your back shoveling the stuff that is of no use to you in your professional life. Be safe and snug in your NALS family.

Happy Holidays Everyone! Be safe and warm.

President-Elect Patricia E. Infanti, PP, PLS

(Feel free to leave a comment to this post.)

Happy Holidays! Don't Miss These Important Dates

I along with NALS want to wish each of you Happy Holidays and safe travels. The NALS family is so special and I want to thank each of you for being a part of it. You are what makes it so special. I had a vendor once comment on how loyal and giving our NALS members are, how they are always there to help each other and support each other. I think that is only one of the many reasons why our NALS family is so special. We here on the NALS Staff want to thank each of you for your support, and we want you to know that your comments are important to us. So please let us know what we can do to make your NALS experience even better this coming year.

We are already hard at work on some new opportunities for our members so be watching in the months ahead. We do hope you are planning on being in Tulsa this coming March and in Branson in October for our NALS Conferences. Both conferences are going to be great! We already have a very special Leadership Training Session with David Horowitz planned for Thursday morning, October 21st, in Branson. You won't want to miss it! For those of you that were at this past year's Region 7/8 Conference you know what a great motivational and educational speaker David is and we would love it if any of you would like to share in the comments below what you learned or enjoyed about David's session this past summer.

The registration deadline for the March conference is January 15th so don't delay make your plans today to join us. Pam Hemann, CAE will be joining us and will be delivering the keynote address as well as holding a special session with our membership chairs and our presidents. Pam has worked with NALS in the past and is a powerful speaker. Pam is also a past Chairman of ASAE, in NALS terms the past president of ASAE.

For those of you planning on setting for a NALS Certification exam remember your registration deadline is: JANUARY 1st. And you can even register for a special cram course being held in Tulsa right before the NALS Conference on March 10th and take your exam the following day right before the NALS PD Conference begins. This is a great opportunity for you to combine your cram course, testing and NALS Professional Development Conference in one trip. And you can celebrate your completion of the exam with a trip to Top Dollar on Thursday evening or with a special dinner with friends.

Jan 13th at 7:00 pm Central there will be a special webinar on changes to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Have you taken part in one of NALS new webinars? Is this a subject you would like to learn about? Register and attend this special session. Additionally, if there are other subjects you would like to see special webinars offered on please comment and let us know what those subjects are so we can include them in the plan for the coming year.

Don't miss out on the NALS Professional Development Conference

The 2010 NALS Professional Development & Education Conference is rapidly approaching. It seems like just yesterday current NALS President Julie Abernathy, PP, PLS was being sworn into office and I was working my second Tulsa conference. In just three short months, Patricia Infanti, PP, PLS will be the new NALS President and I will add another conference to the list.

Those who have been to the Professional Development Conference know what is in store for them when they arrive in Tulsa. Those of you who haven’t been to Tulsa, get ready for a lot of fun and networking with exceptional CLE offerings.

New this year is a certification cram session on Wednesday, March 10, 2010. This will include study sessions for the ALS, PLS, and PP certification exams. The price for the cram session is $99. On Thursday, March 11, there is the opportunity to sit for the exam of your choice. Once the exam is finished, hop on a shuttle to go the Top Dollar Jewelry! Top Dollar Jewelry will be shuttling attendees from the DoubleTree to Top Dollar Jewelry throughout the day with a private after hours wine and cheese reception that night with a prize drawing.

The conference starts on Friday, March 12, 2010 with our opening keynote speaker Pam Hemann, CAE. Professional Development and Education sessions run throughout the day with a break for lunch and the installation of the new NALS board and president that afternoon. On Saturday, March 13, more Professional Development and Education sessions kick off the day as well as the popular NALS University. That evening is the Networking Dinner where a DJ has been booked, so get your dancing shoes ready!

The DoubleTree Warren Place is once again the host of the conference and rooms are $99 a night for singles, doubles, and triples. The room block is filling up quickly so make sure to book your room soon. The deadline for reservations at the NALS rate is February 1. (918) 495-1000

The next registration deadline is January 15, 2010. If you haven’t made your conference registration yet, the rate is $279. This includes two days of CLE, networking and lunches. The networking dinner is a ticketed event and can be purchased for $45.

Register now for the NALS Professional Development & Education Conference and be ready for a fun and enjoyable time with the people around you!

Give Yourself the Gift of Education

This is the time of year that many of us are rushing around buying gifts for others to celebrate the holidays but have you ever thought about giving yourself a gift...the gift of education? Whether you are already certified or are thinking about becoming certified, education is a gift that keeps on giving. NALS has a variety of ways to become better educated. Whether you choose to participate in the On-line Learning Center chats held on most Wednesday evenings or you choose to participant in a scheduled webinar, each offers a unique new opportunity to learn and engage in dialogue with other members of the legal profession.

For those who are interested in becoming certified, NALS is furthing its educational offerings by hosting a Cram Course just prior to the Tulsa Professional Development Conference in March. This all-day cram course will offer a full review for the ALS, PLS, and PP certification exams. Interested participants will want to book their hotel room and make flight arrangements to be in Tulsa for this March 10th offering.

I encourage you all to check out the many educational offerings NALS provides and to give yourself something great this year.....the gift of EDUCATION.

Many wishes to you for a safe and happy holiday season!

Exactly What You Ask For

Imagine that – getting what you asked for.

When I was young, one Christmas fondly remembered is the one where I got exactly the present I asked for (no, I won’t tell you what it was – it was a long time ago!).

Children everywhere ask Santa for exactly what they want and parents everywhere scramble to make it happen.

There is a direct correlation to be drawn from the asking and the getting, and here it is: one of the best things that NALS has going for it is that NALS listens to its members.

Have you noticed that there is a “Suggestions” link (www.NALS.org/suggestions.html) at the bottom left corner of the NALS web site home page? You can: provide a new idea, make a suggestion, tell NALS about a problem, send a note of praise, or ask a question. There are options to direct your comment to specific areas, such as a general comment, conferences, marketing, corporate sponsors, students, etc. Then enter your comment(s), click the Send My Comments button, and your suggestions are received by the Resource Center staff. It is a fabulous way for YOU to impact upon NALS. How can NALS do it (whatever that may be) if NALS doesn’t know what you want?

I challenge you to Think Big! and change your association; change yourself. Post your suggestions and comments. Who knows, perhaps YOUR idea may be the next latest and greatest service NALS will offer its member.

Imagine that! Getting what you asked for . . .

President-Elect Patricia E. Infanti, PP, PLS