Leading the Way - June 2009
Excellence: NALS Members in Print
by Marsha Watson-Smitherman, PP, PLS
I have
once again been prevailed upon to write a column on behalf of the NALS Text
Development Committee, and because of the nature of the work we are doing
this year, I am reminded how many of our members commit themselves to print
each year and how huge their contribution is. You may not be aware
how much writing is actually going on out there, so let me update you:
To toot
the Text Development Committee’s horn and get it out of the way, this national
committee each year updates one of the NALS textbooks, the Basic Manual
for the Lawyer’s Assistant or the Advanced Manual for the Lawyer’s
Assistant. A thorough review process including technical review
by attorneys and other qualified individuals to assist in keeping our content
current and careful proofreading by the committee keeps these books fresh
and valuable for those who seek certification or merely information about
work in the legal workplace.
The NALS
Education Committee cranks out an incredible volume of materials every year. The
Educational Seminars subcommittee has brought forth Nuts & Bolts of
Grammar, the PP review seminar (a monster piece of work constituting
about 500 pages of material, counting the lesson plan, slide shows, and
mock exams), and the Case Management/Trial Preparation seminar. The Educational Products
subcommittee continually updates the NALS mock exams for ALS, PLS, and PP,
as well as maintaining the Resource Manuals for all three certification programs
and other NALS educational products. In addition to these, an incredible
number of outlines are generated and regenerated each year to support the
Online Study Group and Online Learning Center programs, by members of the
Education Committee and others who are dedicated to maximizing the online
resources available to NALS members.
The editorial
team for @Law provides an important link with NALS leadership, as
well as attorney- and judge-written articles on contemporary legal topics
that may impact the legal workplace, all presented in a professional print
format comparable with any of the national legal magazines, and all of it
delivered to the NALS member’s mailbox. The national committees generate
articles for Leading the Way and e-news, both available
on the NALS website. The NALS website also features the publication e-Learn@NALS,
with helpful articles on a variety of topics, sometimes member-written, sometimes
provided by an attorney or other member of the legal community.
And please
allow me to say a word for the members of the Certifying Board who each year
labor in silence to maintain the NALS certification exams, with an incredible
effort to keep each question readable, current, legally relevant, politically
appropriate, and error-free.
However,
it’s easy to forget that all of this really comes from the roots of NALS
in the state and local communities. State and local associations have, over
the years, generated mock exams and study guides for their members. Study
group instructors have generated lesson plans and outlines. Local and
state associations have leaped into the modern world of desktop publishing
to provide beautiful color productions including membership photos, association
news, and very worthwhile articles by attorneys, judges, and members.
It’s a rare privilege to work with so many literate and creative people in the legal industry, and I’d like to offer a tip of the hat to all of the people who have kept us in print on so many levels and will continue to do so in this and every year to come. It’s just another testimony to the many ways in which NALS and NALS members bring quality and excellence to the legal community in America.