Take
an active role in the future of NALS, reach your own
personal and professional goals and share in the excitement
of being an integral part of NALS. MAXIMIZE
YOUR POTENTIAL and join the 2007-8 NALS
Leadership Team. If you want to share in the
excitement of NALS, simply fill out the attached form
and return it to Kathy J. Siroky, PP, PLS. Taking
an active role in NALS enhances your membership, makes
it more rewarding for you personally, and is an outstanding
way for you to reach your own personal goals of professional
development! You'll have a great time and you'll
get to know NALS members from around the country.
Committees
and task force members are encouraged to meet at the
Professional Development Conference in Tulsa in March
and the National Forum in October. Frequent communication
is the key to the committee’s success and most
of the NALS committees hold monthly meetings in the
NALS Online Learning Center, which is one of the most
economical ways to function as a committee.
What
are YOU interested in?
@Law: This committee oversees the
publication of NALS' quarterly magazine and the monthly publication,
e-Learn@NALS. The committee’s responsibilities
include identifying and securing suitable authors for articles,
proofreading articles, proofreading full magazine text, and
preparing monthly editions of e-Learn@NALS.
Certifying
Board: This committee consists of at
least nine NALS members who serve for at least two
years and who must be PLSs in good
standing. Two non-NALS members also serve on the
Certifying Board. Although a PLS may fall
under the category of "voluntary recertification," she
or he must recertify in order to serve on the Certifying
Board. In order to receive exam-related training
(including statistics and exam preparation), it
is imperative that, during the two-year term, Certifying
Board members are available to attend each Professional
Development conference held in Tulsa in March. The
Certifying Board is responsible for all issues
directly related to the certification examinations.
Education: This
committee provides educational programs for NALS members,
including legal training courses and certification
study materials. There are two (2) subcommittees
that fall under the Education Committee umbrella: (1)The
Education Seminarssubcommittee develops, updates, and
maintains materials that can be purchased by chapters/states/regions/law
firms/schools. (2) The Education Products subcommittee
is responsible for preparing Mock Exams and Resource
Manuals for various NALS certifications. Some
of the projects the Education Committee is responsible
for include: arranging for both education and professional
development track sessions, keynote speakers, and roundtable
speakers at the Professional Development Conference;
arranging for education and keynote speakers at the
National Forum; and coordinating the NALS CLE Award,
Basic and Advanced Legal Training Courses, and the
Online Study Group.
Marketing: The
Marketing Committee is responsible for coordinating
the NALS newsletter, Leading the Way. Marketing
also coordinates E-News, the bi-weekly newsletter sent
to NALS members via email. Promotion of the various
NALS programs is key, and Marketing assists with the
promotion of the NALS Award of Excellence, sponsors
the Jett Awards which showcase state and chapter achievements,
and other programs to promote public awareness of NALS.
Membership: The
Membership Committee’s responsibilities include
assisting state and local membership chairmen in recruitment
and retention of NALS members. The Membership
Committee promotes membership in our multi-level association,
develops a bi-annual membership plan, prepares and
reviews all membership brochures and materials, promotes
student membership, and promotes diversity in the membership
of NALS.
NALS
Foundation Board of Trustees: The
NALS Foundation is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit educational
foundation dedicated to improving the value of
the legal professional through education, research,
and other activities. Foundation trustees
are responsible for internal and external fundraising
and developing collaborative support for its programs. The
NALS Foundation funds keynote speakers at educational
conferences (Professional Development Conference
and National Forum), awards grants to local chapters,
states, and regions, and sponsors the Scales of
Justice Awards.
Regulation/Certification
Committee: This committee monitors
regulatory activity across the country and keeps
NALS members up to date on what various states
are doing in the regulation arena. Regulatory
activity means either state legislation or
rules proposed or adopted by state bar associations
or state courts that would regulate how legal support
professionals do their jobs, and in some instances
who may work in a position with a certain title,
such as paralegal.
Text
Development: This committee is responsible
for drafting, reviewing, and revising the Basic
Manual for the Lawyer’s Assistant, the Advanced
Manual for the Lawyer’s Assistant and accompanying
workbook materials and instructors’ materials.
Download
the Personal Data Form
Kathy
J. Siroky, PP, PLS
NALS President-Elect
