Become a member of the NALS 2009-2010 Leadership Team!  Have you often wondered what it takes to be part of the NALS Leadership team, but were afraid to ask?  NALS the TIME to participate!  If you want to be part of this extraordinary Association and share in the excitement of NALS, simply fill out the form and return it to Julie Abernathy, PP, PLS.  Taking an active role in NALS enhances your member equity, makes it more rewarding for you personally, and is an outstanding way for you to maximize your potential!  

Dedication and a flexible schedule is a must! Hours vary in accordance with committees or projects, but you should expect to put in a minimum of one hour each month and may be asked to volunteer additional hours as necessary.

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If you are certified and are interested in administering the ALS, PLS, or PP examination, we need you!  The following cities have candidates scheduled to take their examinations in March (first Saturday).  If one of these cities is close to you and you are willing to be an exam administrator, please contact Diana Price at 918/582-5188, ext. 12 or by e-mail at price@nals.org immediately.   As a reminder, exam administrators can earn up to 8 hours of CLE credits.

Testing Site:

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NALS wants to know a little more about the readers of @Law magazine. This will help us get a better understanding of what you like and dislike as well as what you would like to see more of. We are also gathering some demographic information to help us get a better understanding of where you are coming from and how NALS can better serve you!

Click Here to Participate
Thank you for your participation!

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Do you want to be a Hollywood star? We've planned a special day for NALS members to go to Hollywood in conjunction with the 58th Annual Conference in Irvine, California, October 8-11, 2009. Join us on Monday, October 5 as we head for Hollywood. A private coach will pick you up at the hotel in Irvine for the drive to Hollywood, where we'll take a 1.5 hour tour of some of Hollywood's most famous sites, followed by time on your own for lunch and souvenir shopping. Then it's on to Sony Studios for a 2-hour tour where Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune are filmed (among other shows and movies). We'll head to Santa Monica Pier for dinner at Bubba Gumps before heading back to Irvine. We plan to leave the hotel at 10 a.m. and will not return until 8:30 p.m. This is an all-day event and the cost is $125, with the exception of souvenirs and lunch.

Detailed information on the trip will be provided shortly, but we are trying to get an idea of how many members and guests are seriously interested in participating in this trip so we can arrange for bus transportation. Please note this is not a bus tour and you will have to do a considerable amount of walking. Responding to this message does not guaranty you a seat; we just want to find out how many buses we need to reserve. Please check on the "yes " button and hit submit if you are interested in going on this trip.

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It's time to start thinking IRVINE!
If you take a week off work you can vacation in sunny California and attend the NALS Annual Conference in Irvine.  Join us October 8-11, 2009 for education, networking and fun, and tack on a few days before or after the conference for fun in the sun. We learned in Norfolk last year that rooms do sell out quickly, so make your reservation today!   Call 949-975- 1234 or 800-233-1234.  Rates:  $115 single/double, $140 triple, $165 quad.  Conference rates are good from October 2 - October 15, 2009 based on room availability. 

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If you are a Local Membership Chair or a State Membership Chair, be sure to check out, and utilize, the NALS.org information in the Leadership area of the NALS website.  There are many great ideas for membership recognition and retention.  With the beginning of a new year, now is the time to remind members to put aside that $10 a month to pay for membership, or to thank their employer for providing this important membership to them.  Attend the NALS Professional Development and Education Conference in Tulsa.  This conference offers guidance to new LMCs or SMCs as well as ideas and solutions for increasing and retaining your membership.

Members, check out the new NALS website with updated communication links like Facebook, NALS blogs, Linked In, and others.  Be a part of a leadership team—sign up today for a committee through the NALS website form. There is a wealth of information on the website home page for members to read and use.

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Attention all Chapters, States and Regions! Are you ready for March 1st?
Be sure to set some time aside to prepare and submit your Grant application before March 1st -- our next grant deadline. The NALS Foundation will be receiving Grant applications until March 1 on programs that cover Education, Membership, Marketing, Certification, and Technology.
Do you have a unique project planned for this year that could use some extra funding? Then don’t waste time, put your project ideas and plans into the application and submit it. It really is easy – you can mail your application OR you can email your application to Jennifer Reed at the NALS Resource Center at reed@nals.org.  The application is available online at http://www.nals.org/foundation/grants/application.html. 
The Trustees look forward to working with Chapters, States, and Regions and granting your requests for financial assistance for applicable programs. 

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OREGON 
As a follow-up to the December 23, 2008 E-News submission, the Oregon State Bar House of Delegates voted against establishing a paralegal certification program at the November 7, 2008 Annual Meeting http://www.osbar.org/_docs/leadership/hod/2008/08HodResults.pdf. The next House of Delegates meeting will be held November 6, 2009. 

CALIFORNIA
A commission appointed by the California State Bar has drawn up a proposal that would allow paralegals to assist people outside of court with simple divorces, landlord-tenant disputes, and personal bankruptcies without the supervision of a lawyer.

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Thomson West

Westlaw Legal Calendaring, from West, a Thomson Reuters Business

Westlaw Legal Calendaring is a Web-based, rules-based calendaring tool that automatically calculates your litigation deadlines based on the applicable federal, state and local court rules – then adds the information directly to your Microsoft Outlook calendar. As dates change, you can recalculate accordingly – and repopulate your calendar with the updates.

In addition, Westlaw Legal Calendaring with Court Calendar Tracking offers court calendar integration, providing access to the court’s calendar for a specific case, along with full-text dockets and Docket Tracks.

Access Westlaw Legal Calendaring at www.litigator.westlaw.com or click here to view a product flash demo.
Product demo link: http://west.thomson.com/westlaw/litigation/calendaring/demo.aspx?

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