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From the President

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Finding a New Career is a book that will be published by Ferguson Publishers, a 70-year-old New York-based publisher well known for its books in career education.

If you are a member who changed careers to become a legal secretary and is currently employed as  such, the publisher would love to speak to you. To assist in creating gender and geographic balance in the book, the publisher would prefer a male candidate from the Midwest or Southwest, if possible, but this is not an ironclad requirement.

The interview would be conducted by email and will consist of the interviewee’s answers to these four questions:

1. What were you doing before you decided to change careers?
2. Why did you change your career?
3. How did you make the transition?
4. What are the keys to success in your career? 

There is a suggested 300-400 total word limit for the answers to the questions. The interviewee will receive the edited version of the interview and have an opportunity to make any additions or corrections as necessary.

This section of the book will give publicity to NALS and offer an opportunity to recognize one of NALS members who changed careers and is currently employed as a legal secretary. The individual will be named in the book, his or her general job title and home base will be mentioned, and NALS will be recognized in the acknowledgments.

Please reply to this E-News posting by emailing Jay Moore at moore@nals.org.

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NALS Education Conference & National Forum - Irvine, California

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Let's give something back to the community!  NALS members give something back to the community in which our annual conference is held each year.  As we travel to Irvine, California for the 58th NALS Annual Conference, we'll help Knots-of-Love. Knots-of-Love is dedicated to creating hand-made knitted and knotted (crocheted) caps for people in need of some kindness and love.  All Knots-of-Love creations are given free of charge to people who are battling cancer or other life threatening illnesses or injuries. 

If you can knit or crochet, we need your help!  Patterns for these caps can be found at http://www.knots-of-love.org.  There are a variety of caps you can create, including caps for babies.   Please note that only certain types of yarn are accepted (Caron Simply Soft, Lion Cotton Ease, Naturally Caron Spa, Knit Picks Crayon Boucle, Plymouth Jeannee, TLC Baby Amore, TLC Cotton Plus, Red Heart Carefree Cotton).   The caps must be new, must be hand made with love (which is a given if they come from NALS members), must be washable, and no wool or wool blend yarns.  Please attach one of these forms to your cap(s) so they know what type of yarn was used: http://www.ondemandwebsite.com/myadmin/webpage/u/302_form_for_chemo_cap_donations.doc.

If you can't knit or crochet we still need your help!  You can donate yarn (see list above) for knitters to use.  Should you wish to make a monetary donation, make your check payable to Knots-of-Love. 

Get out those knitting needles and crochet hooks and put them to good use and make a few caps for Knots-of-Love.  You can bring your donations to Irvine or you can ship your donations to the NALS Resource Center by September 1 and NALS will take your donations to Irvine. 

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Certification

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Certification’s colors are bright and beautiful like the rainbow of persons who reach for these credentials.  Since we’re a colorful lot, NALS has designed a certification “color” to fit everyone’s needs.  Pick one that’s right for you.  Whether it’s the ALS, PLS, or PP, you’ll be the miracle of a rainbow with certification behind you. 

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Text Development

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Trying to think of a good gift for a very special coworker?  Why not get him or her their own copy of Basic Manual for the Lawyer's Assistant or Advanced Manual for the Lawyer's Assistant?  Basic is a great reference for any legal support professional just starting out in the profession.  Advanced offers information and perspectives on a broad variety of legal practice for more seasoned legal support staff.  Not only that, it's a great beginning on a library that can help them attain their ALS, PLS, or PP certification.  Here's how to order them:

Contact West Publishing, 1-800-328-9352 or www.west.thomson.com

Basic Manual for the Lawyer’s Assistant, 9th Ed.
ISBN-13:9780314966476
When ordering, use title:  “NALS Basic Manual for the Lawyer’s Assistant”

Advanced Manual for the Lawyer’s Assistant, 9th Ed.
ISBN-13: 9780314975058
When ordering, use title “NALS Advanced Manual for the Lawyer’s Assistant”

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Marketing

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You asked for, you got it!  Students enrolled in legal secretarial programs and legal assistant/paralegal programs are just waiting for our chapters and states to get them involved with NALS.  On the "leadership" page of the NALS website, you'll find a new marketing presentation as well as the student presentation, both in PowerPoint.  You'll also find a list of schools in your area and the programs they offer.  The Marketing Commitee has provided all the tools you need to contact schools in your area and make presentations to students and instructors. The only thing missing is you! 

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Regulation/Certification

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Please let the Certification/Regulation committee know if you are serving on your state bar association’s Paralegal Committee or if your state has a membership for Paralegals, let us know that as well. The Cert/Reg committee would love to get updates from those that are either on a committee or a paralegal member of the state bars. We will share whatever information you have on regulation/certification updates with the rest of the committee and membership in NALS.

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Strategic Planning

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Environmental Scan #2 is now available.  Please take a few minutes and complete the survey.  The information assists the NALS Strategic Planning Committee in planning for the future. 

A recap of the first Scan results is now available at http://www.nals.org/scan/SurveyResults.html.  The link appears on the sidebar on the main survey page. 

And now a word about Focus Groups.  Per Wikipedia, "a focus group is a form of qualitative research in which a group of people are asked about their attitude towards a product, service, concept, advertisement, idea, or packaging.  Questions are asked in an interactive group setting where participants are free to talk with other group members."

NALS will hold two focus group sessions at the Annual Educational Conference and National Forum in Irvine, California this October.  Here are this year's topics:

1. The Economy, the Changing Law Firm Environment, and the Role of the Modern Legal Professional
Saturday, October 10, 2009, 10:30 am – 12 noon

The economic downturn has taken a huge toll throughout the country contributing to a changing law firm environment.  All who are part of the legal industry are increasingly being asked to do more with less.  As small, medium, and large law firms throughout the country are re-evaluating every nook and cranny of their firms in terms of “value,” what is the role of the modern legal professional?  What changes are being made and how are legal professionals adapting to increased expectations?  What does the law firm of the future look like?

2. The Lean, Mean, “Green” Machine
Saturday, October 10, 2009, 2:00-3:15 pm

Environmentalism has been around since before the Industrial Revolution.  Even Benjamin Franklin petitioned the Pennsylvania Assembly in 1739 to stop waste dumping and remove tanneries from Philadelphia, PA.  Though the proponents of the environmental movement have often been viewed as fanatics, “going green” has now become a fashionable lifestyle choice which is gaining in popularity.  What are you doing or being asked to do to be more environmentally friendly?  What are modern law firms doing to go “green”? 

 States and chapters are encouraged to conduct focus group sessions on these topics in their area.  For more information, please email NALS President-Elect Patricia E. Infanti, PP, PLS, at infanti@ballardspahr.com.

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Nominations & Elections

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Calling all members!  The call for nominations for NALS 2010-11 Officers and Directors has been announced. Believe it or not, it is now time for YOU, the members of NALS, to nominate YOUR leaders for next year. Please consider making a nomination of one or more of your fellow NALS members for the following positions: President-Elect, Secretary/Treasurer, Certification Director, Education Director, Marketing Director, Membership Director, and all eight Regional Directors. The Official Call for Nominations can be found in the summer issue of @Law or on the NALS website at www.nals.org/board/nominations/. All nominations must be postmarked or faxed to the NALS Resource Center or submitted online by August 1, 2009.

Think Big! Change your association by nominating your future leaders! Change yourself by running for NALS Board!

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NALS Foundation

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Most days I absolutely love serving as a Foundation Trustee.  Today, not so much.

Oh, don’t get me wrong.  I have no qualms about showing up bald, making a monkey of myself, or appearing as Elvis to benefit the NALS Foundation.  I find it totally exhilarating working with our members whose generosity is incomparable.  Members helping members is the cornerstone of NALS and the NALS Foundation.

So what’s the problem you ask?  The Trustees concluded their review of the June 1 grants and I found myself having to tell some of the applicants that their grant application was not approved. (I even offered some of the Trustees “Twenty Bucks” to do it for me, but was turned down!)

It was announced in Tulsa and again in an earlier e-News that this year, the focus of the Foundation grants would be Education and Certification—two areas that will benefit members and non-members alike.  Several of the applications did not meet the criteria.

What was more disheartening was to tell an applicant that the request was not approved because the Report of Grant Application Project was not completed and returned.  This is a short, one-page questionnaire that provides the Foundation with some insight into the project and also provides us with information which could be beneficial to another Chapter/State/Region who is thinking of doing a similar project.  Okay, enough of the Pity Fiesta!

The NALS Foundation has fun things in store for you in Irvine and it’s time to focus on the glitz and glamour of the Purple Carpet Gala.  Have you, your chapter, your state association or your region “purchased” a Foundation Trustee, Board member or Past President to dress as a star? Don't miss the biggest and best event Hollywood has to offer!

EXTRA, EXTRA. The NALS Foundation is offering you the opportunity to participate in a special drawing to be held in Norfolk during the National Forum.  The prize is $100.  All you have to do is send your silent auction item to Jennifer Reed at the NALS Resource Center before August 1st.  Your name will automatically be entered in the drawing—winning is just that simple.

Faynell Poe, PP, PLS
NALS Foundation Chairman

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maximizing your potential!

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NALS is dedicated to enhancing the competencies and contributions of members in the legal services profession.
NALS Resource Center | 8159 East 41st Street | Tulsa, Oklahoma 74145 | 918.582.5188 | 918.582.5907 (fax)