Message
From Cathy Hankins, PP, PLS, 2006-2007 NALS
President
NALS
can't spell S CCESS without U and the success
of NALS depends on YOU!
You
have probably noticed that my column in @LAW is
called Communicate and Participate. This
year's NALS board is committed to keeping the lines
of communication open among all of the members,
whether it is by letter, phone, e-mail or carrier
pigeon. We are always available to listen
to your comments and suggestions, and encourage
you to let us hear from you. You can call
us or send us an e-mail message or call us on the
phone. We even love to get mail the old fashioned
way. Do you have a question you need an answer
to? Is there something you don't understand? Then
ask us. We are doing our part to communicate
with all of the members and will continue to make
our members aware of what's going on in NALS.
Participation
in NALS is a commitment on each member's part and
the extent to which you participate and support
our association is up to you. We all have demands
on our time and it's often difficult to balance
those demands. Some members have more time to contribute
to NALS than others, but that doesn't mean we can't
all participate and take advantage of the programs
that NALS offers.
YOUR
participation in NALS will keep you on top of the
latest trends in the profession. If you haven't
been to a local chapter or state meeting, make
a special effort to attend the next one. If
you haven't been to a regional or NALS conference
lately, mark your calendar NOW and make plans to
attend one of our eight regional conferences this
summer or the NALS Annual Conference in Reno this
October. Don't think about the past - think
about the present and the future. We continue
to make changes to our programs and conferences
and have geared them more to what YOU, the members,
want. Our members want more legal education and
certification and less pomp and circumstance, and
that's what we are providing. Our members
want more free time at conferences to explore the
area, and we continue to rearrange our conference
schedules to accommodate your requests. Our
members want more networking opportunities and
we continue to provide more time for you to connect
with other legal support professionals from around
the country. Come to a NALS conference and see
the changes we've made for yourself!
Everyone
has time constraints, but all it takes is four
nights and three days in Reno for you and your
career. Don't delay! Mark your calendar now! Then,
send in your registration by June 1 to take advantage
of a discounted registration rate. We know
there is some expense involved in attending conferences,
but why not ask your employer to pay the registration
for you to attend? Worse case scenario is
they tell you no, but you'll never know until you
ask. Let your colleagues and employer know
that YOU belong to a professional association and
YOU are a committed professional.
YOUR
participation as an active member also includes
reading the professional magazines YOU receive
as a benefit of YOUR membership. Don't stick them
on the bottom of the pile in your bathroom library
or stash them in a stack on the back of your desk
to read when you have nothing to do (that will
never happen), and for heaven's sake don't throw
them away before you read them! Take a few
minutes each day before you start the day or during
lunch and read an article from @LAW. Share
that information with your employer and after you're
finished reading these publications, put them in
your office lobby or employee lounge for others
to read. These publications contain a wealth
of information that will keep you up-to-date on
what's going on in the legal profession - YOUR
profession.
Don't
be afraid to get involved and PARTICIPATE!
