Focus Group Responses

information gathered from focus groups held at the 54th Annual Education Conference and National Forum in Buffalo/Niagara Falls, New York.

Two lively focus group sessions were held at the Annual Conference in Buffalo. Marie Ringholz, PP, PLS, facilitated the session seeking input on planning for NALS in the year 2015 and beyond. Members provided great ideas on what they believe we can expect in NALS 10-30 years from now.

Conferences of the future will be much different from what we currently experience, and we will probably be attending conferences in 2015 via video conferencing or webcast. Of course, we’ll still meet at least once a year for the personal interaction and networking opportunities we all crave.

Ten years from now, the way NALS offers education will be much different. NALS will be known as “the association that never sleeps” and education will be offered 24/7 via videoconferencing and CD. Books will be something of the past. If you want legal ed at 3:30 a.m. on a Sunday, you can get it!

When our members want education, they want it now! Short video chats will be the way to go and almost everything will be online, because our members are less willing to give up time for longer sessions. We will need to offer more to those who cannot come to conferences, and for those who do attend conferences, everyone will bring his/her own computer to the conference. Handouts will be delivered to members before coming to meetings via the web and you’ll download the information and review it before you get there. NALS will become bilingual and diverse to reach out internationally to legal support staff.

There will always be a need for certification, and although we know it’s a long and involved process to get there, exams will be offered online. We know that research shows that grades are 70% better when testing online than taking tests in person. Because of changing needs in the legal field, NALS may turn into an institution of education and offer degrees instead of certifications. We will also see more specialty exams. Law firms are specialized, and while there may be general certifications, there will be certifications relating to specific areas.

David Kaufman, Senior Consultant at Weinstein Consulting, facilitated a session that garnered input on generational issues in the workplace and staff satisfaction levels.

There are many factors that affect staff satisfaction levels. We discussed the conflicts we face in our offices that cause stress and possible solutions to them. For instance, one of the biggest conflicts we all share is whose work comes first when working for multiple attorneys. We discussed how different firms handle this, but generally it was the consensus that better communication among partners, associates, paralegals and staff is the key ingredient to developing a workable solution to this problem.

We also talked about how our roles are changing and becoming more diverse and challenging. One such change is new associates are unfamiliar with how to utilize the staff provided them mainly because these attorneys are more technologically savvy than the traditional attorney. They would rather draft their work on the computer as opposed to dictating it and giving it to the staff to work on.

Finally, we discussed rewards and recognition. We learned from the Weinstein Group’s survey last spring that 88% of legal secretaries feel attorneys treat them respectfully. However, it was determined attorneys need to be honest and upfront and communicate performance issues with staff on a continuing basis, not just once a year. We also felt face to face reviews with attorneys would be more meaningful than a paper review and interview with human resources.

The NALS strategic plan is in excellent shape and right on target. The calendar of assignments has made it possible for us to work in a very efficient and timely manner.

NALS continues to listen to your concerns and meet your needs.

Kathy Siroky, PP, PLS
NALS 2007-8 President