Lillian began her membership in May 1967 in her local chapter, Union-Essex Legal Professionals Association, a chapter of the New Jersey Association of Legal Secretaries. Leary Ann, her twin and best friend, was her travel companion at NALS meetings and their bond was unmistakable. One member, Lynette Gilliland from Minnesota, enjoyed a lifelong friendship with Lillian and her sister. From the initial comments I received, which you may have seen on Facebook, I learned the sisters were fun, they liked to sing, had a zest for life, and enjoyed conversations of any type. I also learned that even after some pretty heated discussions relating to topics Lillian was passionate about, at the end of the day, she was ready to party with everyone. She may not have always agreed with you, but Lillian always encouraged you.

Lynette met Lillian in July 1980 during a trip to New York to receive her recently earned PLS certificate. Lynette was very young, fairly new to NALS, and was attending her first national meeting. At the first timer’s event, Lillian introduced herself to Lynette and an immediate connection was made. Lillian introduced Lynette to a host of other members and officers, making her feel part of a national organization. Before meals, tablemates would hold hands and Lillian would sing a blessing. During the national meeting in Minnesota, Lillian met Lynette’s husband and family. He became Lillian’s sweetheart and she loved the children like they were her own. Lynette will always remember Lillian’s kindness to her as a new member and their friendship through the years.

If you attended NALS meetings, you looked forward to seeing Lillian and Leary Ann and you knew they would just “be there.” To many, seeing the twins was a highlight of NALS meetings. They were always there, quietly listening, offering words of encouragement, being leaders their way. The twins were fastidious in their appearance, always in suits, and not a hair out of place. They were very refined in both manners and etiquette, leading and contributing by example to NALS.

Lillian was a very religious person and would sing praise and prayer every chance she got. In 2009, Julie Abernathy was installed as NALS president and was serenaded by the twins. They stood at the stage, reached up to take Julie’s hands, sounding like angels on earth as they shared their quiet voices. Many members recall getting a telephone call from Lillian on their birthday and Lillian would sing birthday greetings. She had a beautiful voice and it was true harmony when she sang with her sister.

Lillian enjoyed quiet conversations but was also at ease when speaking at the microphone during meetings. She was so encouraging and a wealth of information on any subject. She may have been small in stature, but she had the ability to make things happen—quietly and diplomatically. During a time in the history of this association there was much discussion about changing the association name. Miss Lillian was not a fan of the name change and spoke at the microphone to let us know how she felt—democracy in action!

At an educational conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma, one March, several members from Minnesota went to dinner at a downtown restaurant with Lillian. During dinner it started to snow. When dinner was ending Lillian asked the restaurant to call a taxi for the group. The taxi service had closed due to the snow. The hotel service had closed as well, but the restaurant was trying to figure out how to get the group back to the hotel. After half an hour, Lillian called the hotel herself and, in her stern way, informed the hotel there were five or six guests stranded, and the hotel figured out how to get everyone back to the hotel! Lillian did not take NO for an answer in most things. Resourceful and firm, Lillian was leading in her unique way!

Lillian and Leary Ann were known for enjoying life and having a good time when business was concluded for the day. One year, during a NALS meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, Susan Turner remembers a dinner boat cruise with a ventriloquist for entertainment. He selected Leary Ann from the audience to assist him by filling the role of his “dummy” and she was hilarious! Susan is certain that is the night her husband fell in love with Leary Ann.

What was Lillian’s huge impact on NALS? She taught us the value of encouragement, of laughter, of enjoying life to its fullest, to dance like no one is watching. But we were always watching and learning from her unique style of leadership. She taught us to try new things (Sambuca in your coffee, anyone?), to be ourselves, to stand firm in our beliefs, to open our hearts to others. Why, you might ask? The memories of her kindness and uniqueness bring a smile to our lips and joy to our hearts. It is Lillian’s face we see when we hear that name.

Lillian: a mentor, an inspiration, and a friend. She is resting in peace with her sister Leary Ann and they are singing in Heaven’s choir. Their memories are alive through the many friends they made throughout the association. She is still leading in unassuming ways.

The 2020 NALS Volunteer of the Year is Donna Dendy, PP, PLS, TSC-RE, from Waco, Texas.

Donna Dendy, PP, PLS, TSC-RE, is a Paralegal at Pakis, Giotes, Page & Burleson, P.C. in Waco, Texas. She specializes in Estate Planning, Elder Law, Probate, and Real Estate. Donna grew her career from Legal Secretary to Legal Assistant/Office Manager/Bookkeeper to Executive/Legal Secretary to Assistant President/Legal Counsel to Legal Assistant – Litigation to Paralegal in Real Estate, Oil & Gas to where she is now.

Carlie C. Gause, Esq. of Pakis, Giotes, Page & Burleson, P.C. says, “Donna’s area of law primarily focuses on Estate Planning and Probate. These areas of the law require not only a dedicated and thorough person, but also one with empathy and compassion. Donna personifies these qualities. She is also one of the most giving people I have ever met. She is consistently giving her time, knowledge, compassion, and friendship to all those in need. She gives of herself professionally, personally, and in the community. In our office, all of the attorneys go to Donna not just for legal work, but personal advice.”

Attorney Gause continues, “Donna is an outstanding legal professional, mentor, and person. She has raised many baby lawyers in her tenure in the legal field. Every attorney she has worked with, including myself, has said on more than one occasion that they ‘cannot function without her.’ Being in the legal field is often more about counsel than it is about the law. While Donna shines in both areas, with a depth of legal knowledge and understanding, she goes above and beyond in her ability to counsel.”

Donna is a mentor. What started as a vision to grow as a person and as a legal professional became the opportunity to mentor others on the job and throughout NALS. It is because of what NALS has given Donna that sparked her to grow this vision into giving back and helping others pursue their legal careers.

Donna has been a NALS member for a long time. The reason she joined NALS was because of the opportunity to network with others in the legal field and to learn and improve her skills as a legal professional.  She says that what she has gained from NALS includes the ability to prepare presentations and speak in public, improve her legal professional skills, and have friends throughout the nation. 

Donna has volunteered to serve on almost every committee there is – local, state, and national –some several times. Sometimes she was the Chair of these committees. In her local chapter, Waco Legal Professionals Association, she served as President (several times) and focused her committee service on Education, Certification, and Director. She is Director again this year. 

Waco Legal Professionals Association’s motto is “Professionalism plus education equals excellence.”  From her commitment to the local and state chapters to national NALS, this could be Donna’s motto too.  She worked hard to be certified by NALS and has earned NALS’ Certified Professional Legal Secretary (PLS) and Professional Paralegal (PP) certification.  Along the way, Donna has served individual members of NALS to help them become certified too.

For her state chapter, Texas Association of Legal Professionals, Donna is a Past President and served on several committees, including Strategic Planning, Bylaws/Standing Rules, and Certification. She was also honored as the Texas Legal Secretary of the Year in 1986 and is currently the chapter’s Meetings Coordinator. Andrea D. Griffin, PP, PLS, 2019-2020 President of Texas ALP, says, “Donna is an inspiration and mentor to everyone who meets her. Over this past year, Donna was my rock through my year as Texas ALP President as we ventured through new areas. We all learned together on handling the changes we had never thought possible. No matter the challenge, Donna spread positivity and encouragement to us all. All three levels of our association are incredibly blessed to have someone as special as Donna, not just as a member but as a friend.”

For NALS as a national organization, she is a Past President (1996-1997), NALS Officer (1991-1997), Certifying Board Chair (twice) and is currently the Chair of the Certifying Board, where she has served as a member numerous times. Donna is also a current member of the Leadership Identification Committee.

Further, Donna has developed several projects for NALS. She was asked to serve on the NALS Certifying Board Task Force in 1990 to develop the first Accredited Legal Secretary exam (ALS now the ALP). She was in Anaheim, CA, in 1992 when the first ALS exam was given, and participated in presenting those in attendance with their new ALS pins. Donna describes this experience as “certainly a highlight in volunteering.” In the early 2000s, Donna was asked to serve with four other members on the NALS Certifying Board Task Force to develop the first Professional Paralegal (PP) exam. She has felt such satisfaction to see those who have sat and passed the PP exam and said, “Now I have the opportunity as Chair of the NALS Certifying Board to continue improving, developing, and moving the certification exams and program to the future.”

Donna reports that “I have been fortunate, as my husband promoted in his career, to be a member of four local NALS chapters. In each chapter, certain members prodded and encouraged me to be certified and to run for leadership positions in my local, state, and national associations. Beth Walker, Amarillo LSA, pushed me to grow personally and professionally and to run for national office. This tri-level association has given so much to me – how could I not give back!”

Donna’s family also represents the law; her husband Kirby is a Retired Chief of the Texas Rangers. Their daughter, Andrea DeLaCruz, is married to Simon DeLaCruz, Texas State Trooper, and has three fabulous children, Caleb, Alyssa, and Ashton. Their son, Travis Dendy, is a Texas Ranger married to Amy Dendy, a nursing supervisor, with two great children, Kayden and Regan. Even with a big family, Donna finds time to spend with her children and grandchildren, serve her church, read, and volunteer for NALS and her community.

“I see fewer and fewer people giving of their time to volunteer than in years past. I love volunteering for many reasons: helping others; mentoring others, encouraging others, and feeling like I am contributing to society, my church, and my professional associations. When you volunteer, especially with other people, you build friendships and a satisfaction of a job well done to help others.”

Attorney Carlie C. Gause says, “Donna is the kind of person that we all want to emulate. She is not only outstanding professionally, but also personally. She is always available to lend an ear or a hand and is constantly doing things for others. I could write much more on the subject of how important Donna Dendy is in my life and the lives of all who know her, but I will end with this: while many attorneys have good people they work with, I am thankful every day that I have Donna.”

Agenda:
1. Introduction of the NALS Board
2. Introduction of staff team
3. NALS in 2020
4. Report on first 60 days of 2020
5. Update on rebate payments
6. NALS Board Minutes and Financial Statements
7. 2020 Annual Education and Networking Conference
8. Next 60 days
9. Q&A

Click to register for this Zoom meeting - https://www.nals.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1327516&group=
If you are unable to attend live the meeting will be recorded and all material online at https://www.nals.org/page/NALSBoardMinutes.

As discussed with the membership during the NALS Board meeting in November 2019, the Board of Directors has been in talks with an association management company to help us with NALS’ day-to-day operations. We have finalized that agreement and we’re all set to begin working with Raybourn Group International (“RGI”) effective immediately.  

This decision was not made hastily. The NALS Board met several times in addition to our monthly meetings. We also talked almost daily about how to move our association forward. NALS membership surveys were conducted and committees were formed to gain feedback about how the members want to see NALS in the future. As a result of these surveys and committees, the Board decided to make the needed changes.  

We understand that change can be difficult, but we fully believe this is a great step for the new year!

We intend to host another virtual NALS Board meeting with membership in March and during that time, we will introduce you to our new staff. Maria Easterly will continue to serve as our Certification-Education Manager with RGI.

NALS has experienced many changes over the past year, and the Board anticipates even more changes in our near future. We are committed to hearing the voice of our members and implementing changes as quickly as possible. Making sweeping changes comes with its challenges, but we are hoping to work through the proposed changes with as little disruption as possible.

While the Board explores the various methods of restructuring, Maria Easterly and the Board are running the day-to-day functions of NALS. We humbly ask for your continued patience and, most of all, your support. 

A few changes we would like to highlight are as follows:

GOVERNANCE TASK FORCE.  The Board’s formation of the Governance Task Force was emphasized at the conference and members in attendance were encouraged to meet with the Task Force and express their ideas, comments, and concerns in person. Th e goal of the Governance Task Force is to propose changes to the current system that dictates how the organization is governed. The Board recognizes that members have expressed a lack of confidence in the current system and would like every member to have the opportunity to express their concerns. . Please reach out to Kathie Amirante, the Governance Task Force Chair, at prezkathie@gmail.com, to learn about the next steps and processes for making your concerns known.

FINANCIAL REVIEW COMMITTEE.  The Board formed a Financial Review Committee. This Committee will review the organization’s financial statements and create reports to the membership. The Financial Review Committee is in the process of gathering and analyzing information provided to them by the accountant and will begin releasing reports on a regular basis as soon as the analysis is complete. 

BOARD MINUTES.  The Board is implementing the practice of regularly publishing minutes from our meetings.

BOARD MEETING OPEN TO MEMBERS.  The Board understands that change is sometimes difficult and sometimes brings a level of uncertainty. But change can also be good and exciting as NALS begins our next chapter. We want to make ourselves available to answer as many questions as we can. Please join us for our first virtual Board Meeting. It will take place Saturday, November 16, 2019, at 1:00 pm (CST). 

DETROIT 2020.  Laleise has already begun obtaining sponsors for next year’s conference. The Board intends to begin working with the Detroit 2020 Conference committee to expand the education tracks (family law/estate planning, litigation, criminal, etc.), include a retired member track, include a health and wellness track (mental health, coping with stress), as well as add a full day of professional development.  

NALS’ YEAR IN REVIEW – The Board’s “NALS Year in Review” slideshow highlighted:

• The redesigned website;
• Encouraging everyone to join a committee;
• The formation of the Social Media Committee, focused on digital marketing aimed at more than just our members);
• Announcement of the desire to establish the NALS Advisory Council, a body of members who are charged with communicating member concerns to the Board and providing their expertise to keep up with association trends for the Board;
• Announcement of the desire to implement a group membership rate category;
• Announcement of NALS University, a leadership development curriculum which teaches leadership within NALS, the NALS Foundation, and boards within members’ own communities;
• Announcement of an upcoming membership drive; and
• Announcement of the upcoming 20 for 20 in 2020 campaign.

NALS has a strong heritage in the legal field and holds the continued honor of being the oldest association formed for legal support professionals. This year we will proudly celebrate NALS' 90th year at our upcoming Fall conference! 

As the NALS Board of Directors, we recognize the gravity of the commitment that members and stakeholders that have dedicated their time and efforts toward making NALS the success that it is today. Looking forward, we are thrilled to celebrate those volunteers and members during the 2019 NALS Leadership Appreciation Day on July 5, 2019. NALS Board of Directors, along with the Virtual Resource Center Staff, will choose and announce Volunteer Of The Year. Join NALS on Facebook for the announcement at Facebook.com/NALSPage.

Each of you has a role to play in the success and future of this association and ultimately to the legal support profession. Whether you volunteer or attend membership meetings, your role impacts and influences the lives of those interested in this vital part of the legal field. Here are a few highlights coming from our dedicated volunteers: 

NALS 68th Annual Education + Networking Conference

Registration for this event is now open. The conference is being held in beautiful Little Rock, Arkansas, on September 25-28, 2019.

The regular registration period ends August 15, 2019. Members and Nonmembers can still save $40 on the registration fee. Students will continue to receive a great discount rate to attend. Late registrations will be honored until September 10, 2019.

We are excited to be hosting our conference at the Holiday Inn Little Rock Airport Conference Center, 3201 Bankhead Drive, Little Rock, Arkansas 72206. 

As NALS’ exclusive conference guests, you will enjoy the following benefits:

• Earn up to 16.5 hours continuing legal education
• Create and diversify your professional network with legal professionals from across the nation
• Learn and engage with top professionals in the legal industry

Be a part of our 3-day educational event in Little Rock, Arkansas. Expand your experience while exploring downtown Little Rock and the state’s natural landscape. 

The NALS Editorial + Marketing Board and the NALS Board of Directors have worked on providing additional resources to share with your colleagues and employer about the upcoming event. You can learn more at NALS.org/LR19.

National Study Hall and Exam Event

NALS Board of Directors is also working on the details for the National Study Hall and Exam Event in Little Rock. This event focuses on future certification examinees who want to dedicate the time to study for and then take a NALS Certification Exam. This unique event will feature the only opportunity to sit for the paper version of your respective exam. This event will run parallel to the NALS 68th Annual Education & Networking Conference in Little Rock, Arkansas, on September 25-28, 2019. You can find more information and register for your respective event here: Accredited Legal Professional (ALP), Professional Legal Secretary (PLS) or Certified Legal Professional (CLP), and Professional Paralegal (PP).

NALS Chapter Clinic

Don’t forget to register for the Chapter Clinic. NALS is offering a special discount for those that are attending the NALS 68th Annual Education + Networking Conference. This event will be held on September 24 and 25, 2019. The NALS Chapter Clinic is a face-to-face event to assist chapter leadership + volunteers with program creation, group collaboration, and communication clarity and strategy to move their chapter forward. You can find all the details for this event located here: NALS.org/CC2019.

Kathleen Amirante, PP, PLS, and Barry Pickreign, CLP, ALP, have begun work on the Governance Task Force. The Virtual Resource Center Staff liaison for the committee is Morgan Ballou, Membership Services Coordinator. The task force will review, and possibly revise, the structure of NALS for the future. They lead the committed tasked to carefully look at NALS to envision it continuing as a vital legal professional association for support staff into the future. 

Financial Oversight Committee

Melissa Canich has begun work on the Financial Oversight Committee. This committee will review the financial transactions and accounts of NALS, Inc. The goal is to become more transparent with financial matters, while at the same time providing some checks and balances. This committee will focus on the future of NALS' financial state. After the official call for volunteers in the April/May 2019 Docket and through NALS' Member Dashboard, this committee is now working to establish a dedicated strategic plan and on-board its new volunteers. 

NALS 69^th Annual Education and Networking Conference

NALS Board of Directors are in the final stages of choosing an official location for the NALS 69^th Annual Education + Networking Conference. Follow us on NALS Members Dashboard (NALS.org/Login), Facebook Page, Facebook Group, and LinkedIn to stay up to date on the latest announcements and news. 

NALS Family Reunion Events

NALS Board of Directors is working on some exciting events we are calling the NALS Family Reunions. Coming your way in Spring 2020.

Hey NALS Pals!  Here's a quick snapshot of the latest news and updates from events and activities:

NALS 68TH ANNUAL EDUCATION AND NETWORKING CONFERENCE 

Registration Now Open!

New Location With Better Amenities + Rate

The Board, with the efficient assistance of NALS Staff, has found a new location for our conference and 90th Anniversary Celebration. The new site is: 

Holiday Inn Little Rock Airport Conference Center
3201 Bankhead Drive
Little Rock, Arkansas  72206

At this new location we will enjoy:

• A lower room rate of just $99 (for both single and double rooms)! 
• Conference room space adequate to accommodate the large group we anticipate.
• Free breakfast for those who stay in the hotel.
• Free Wi-Fi.
• Shuttle service to and from the airport.
• Shuttle service to downtown Little Rock.
• Outdoor pool.

CHAPTER CLINIC

Don’t forget to register for the Chapter Clinic on September 24-25, 2019!  

The NALS Chapter Clinic is a face-to-face event to assist chapter leadership + volunteers with program creation, group collaboration, and communication clarity and strategy to move their chapter forward. 
 
Chapter Clinic is a professional and personal development event designed to assist your local and state volunteers and leaders with the skills and strategy to move your chapter into the resource your members need. NALS staff and leaders in various roles will be teaching practical ideas and resource access to multiple levels of new programs and materials developed for your use on Day One. Day Two will consist of brainstorming and collaboration sessions that will expose you to new ideas, simpler processes, and thinking on a new level of innovation. 
 
Schedule of Events*
 
Tuesday, September 24, 2019 - 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM (3.5 hours Professional Development)

1:00 PM - 1:30 PM - Introduction to Chapter Clinic 
1:30 PM - 2:15 PM - Amp Up Your Communications: Marketing + Outreach using Social Media
2:30 PM - 3:15 PM - (Certification/Education Topic TBA)
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM - Equip Yo’ Self: NALS.org Question/Answer + Resource Review

Wednesday, September 25, 2019 - 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM (4 hours Professional Development)

8:30 AM - 9:30 AM - (Future Leadership Topic TBA)
9:45 AM - 10:45 AM - (Problem Solving Topic TBA)
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM - Grassroots-Level Think-Tank

* This is a complete list of the current confirmed sessions and schedule. Sessions and schedule subject to change. 

You can register and find full event details at here.

GOVERNANCE TASK FORCE

Kathleen Amirante, PP, PLS and Barry Pickreign, CLP, ALP have agreed to co-chair the Governance Task Force. The task force is being formed to review, and possibly revise, the structure of NALS for the future. They will be asking for input from all members, chapters, and states to tell them how you see a future NALS.  They will be asking you to seriously look at NALS to envision it continuing as a vital legal professional association for support staff for the next 90 years. If you are interested in serving on this task force, please contact Barry Pickreign, at barry.pickreign@gmail.com; or Kathleen Amirante, at prezkathie@gmail.com.

FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE

Melissa Canich has agreed to chair the Financial Oversight Committee. This committee will serve our members by reviewing the financial transactions and accounts of NALS, Inc. A list of criteria and instructions on how to apply for this committee will be provided by the end of April. The Board’s goal is to become more transparent with financial matters, while at the same time providing some checks and balances. 

CONCLAVE 2019

Darlene Howard Holt, PP and Nakia Bradley-Lawson attended the 2019 Conclave hosted and facilitated by AAfPE, the leaders in legal and paralegal education. There were representatives from the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA), the National Association for Legal Assistants (NALA), International Practice Management Association (IPMA), the Association of Legal Administrators (ALA), and the American Bar Association (ABA). 

It was a mission to find common ground and discuss ways of promoting the paralegal profession. Although each organization serves the paralegal community in different ways, we all learned from one another and gained some understanding of how we can better work together. This was the first of these meetings since 2008. The conversation has been reignited! 

Hey NALS Pals!  What a year this has been.  I mean, who could have imagined all the great things that we accomplished this year? Let’s take a peek at some of the fantastic projects developed by the NALS national volunteers and staff in 2018. 

Recognition

With the esteem of the current Award of Excellence to the introduction of several new awards highlighting members of our association for their integrity and dedication, recognition was a big highlight of 2018.

The NALS Award of Excellence is presented annually to recognize outstanding achievement in association leadership and professional development. It is the top honor a member can receive from NALS. In 2018, the Award of Excellence was awarded to Kerie Trindle Byrne, PP, PLS-SC, CP from NALS of Phoenix. You can view more about Kerie here: https://www.nals.org/news/428612/NALS-Announces-The-2018-NALS-Award-of-Excellence-Recipient.htm.

The Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to Paula Steffey, PP, CLP-SC, CWCP from Michigan. This award was established back in 2017, and this is the second NALS member to be recognized for their national volunteer efforts. You can read more about 2018’s winner here: https://www.nals.org/news/407412/NALS-2018-Volunteer-of-the-Year-Announced.htm.

The 2018 NALS Board of Directors recognized that NALS-dedicated members needed to be acknowledged for their work and endeavors that they perform for not only our association but for the legal community as a whole. Out of this realization, a new award was born. The award is given to acknowledge a member whose commitment to NALS embodies the NALS mission statement made up of four words: Engage, Inspire, Enhance, and Promote. The inaugural winner, Susan Mano from Pennsylvania, was announced at the NALS 67th Annual Education + Networking Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. Read more about Susan in the Winter 2018 @LAW Magazine. 

During the October 2018 online membership meeting, Board of Directors and staff select and highlight the contributions of one outstanding member of our association. In 2018, there were two recipients of this recognition. Wendy Carpenter, PP, PLS, from Arizona, was recognized as Outstanding Member during the October online membership meeting and Lisa Cadungug, PP, PLS, from Oregon, was recognized during the December online membership meeting. You can see Wendy’s and Lisa’s announcements at NALS.org/News.

Education

This is the moment many of our members, future members, and educators have been waiting for. A compiling of education materials for the legal support professional that rivals all. This easy-to-use course is only the cost of your membership dues, which vary based on state and local affiliations. This course is free to access by all members, in good standing, for personal or chapter use. The Virtual Legal Training Course (VLTC) is an online learning system created to provide you with preparation for the Accredited Legal Professional (ALP) exam. This course is a fundamental review of materials that can help a person study and guides them into topics and course material that will introduce them to the legal support industry. It provides an overview of the U.S. legal system with an additional focus on the role of the legal profession. Topics will include the operation and structure of the federal and state criminal and civil law systems; federal and state court organization; basic computer, research, and writing skills for the paralegal; resume creation; and a basic introduction of various areas of law. Find out more about this course here: https://www.nals.org/page/LTC.

In 2018, the introduction of SAGEs task force has been pivotal to the expansion of several education and certification benefits for examinees, students, educators, members, and future members. This task force is responsible for preparing study materials and educational resources for our exam candidates. SAGEs stand for Someone who Assists, Guides and Educates, each volunteer on the task force is ready and able to assist with educating up and coming individuals to the legal support field. Two of their achievements have been NALS Study Hall and NALS Study Hall Live events. The NALS Study Hall is an online discussion group that provides any examinee to view resources and materials on the variety of topics that each of our exams covers. Study Hall is free to members and certification examinees. Out of the discussions in the group SAGEs developed the NALS Study Hall Live! Events. These events are live-only webinars taught by a SAGE task force member who is well-versed in the topic presented. The topics are based on the NALS Basic Manual for the Legal Professional (BMLP) and NALS Advanced Manual for the Legal Professional (AMLP) textbooks and resource materials. Many of the sessions hold a question and answer period at the end of the webinar. SAGEs also schedule a full Exam Q&A so that certification examinees and educators can connect and ask questions on the material.

In education, NALS kicked off the year with our Virtual Leadership Course. Many members may have attended the NALS Annual Professional Development and Education Conference hosted in Tulsa each year. This conference provided 8 hours of leadership development for chapter leaders and volunteers. In 2016, NALS converted this conference into an online course + discussion group. This course was developed to provide resources for the NALS leadership teams and in-depth descriptions to systems, processes, and the relationship between state, local, and national levels of this association. If you’re new to leadership and you’re looking for tools to help you succeed, this course is available all year and is updated and upgraded with new content each year. You can find the 2018 course here: https://www.nals.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=998087&group=

An excellent benefit for NALS members is the offering of continuing legal education. Education can be expensive so as a way to help our member to offset the cost, seasonal legal-lympics events were created. Similar to the Olympics, which is typically hosts sporting events, legal-lypmics is a  5-weekday event featuring 5 hours of continuing legal education. Each registrant will instantly receive the links to access their educational ‘event’ for each day. This CLE "challenge" can be viewed on demand, on your own time. Each day's challenge will be wrapped around a specific topic or theme, then require you to take an online quiz that will distribute CLE to your account. Legal-lympics will take place twice a year through NALS.org/Events. You can find the latest one here: https://www.nals.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1159956&group=

Certification 

We continued the virtual education trend by making our exams accessible online. We now offer the Accredited Legal Professional (ALP), the Professional Legal Secretary (PLS)/ Certified Legal Professional (CLP) and the Professional Paralegal (PP) certification exams online. That means you can take our exams anytime, anywhere. NALS Foundation had a significant role in making these online exams possible. NALS Foundation continually stays true to the core purpose of funding quality education projects. The NALS Foundation was able to fund the online exams project FULLY. Anyone who has donated to the NALS Foundation, we say a big thank you to each of you as well! You can register and view information about these online exams here. 
 
Since March, we have had more than 100 successful examinees become certified. Throughout the year, we’ve had nearly 70 people recertify, and about 24 people obtained their Continuing Legal Education (CLE) and/or Specialty Certificate (SC).  Congratulations to you all! View and share the pass list, recertifications, and specialty recipients here: NALS.org/CertRecogs.

NALS Goes Virtual
 
Over the summer, the NALS Resource Center building was sold. All staff converted to virtual offices for NALS and NALS Foundation and have been working remotely to conduct our day-to-day business. Our addresses for billing and general mail have changed, you can see those here: https://www.nals.org/news/405116/NALS-Resource-Center-and-NALS-Foundation-Address-Change.htm.

Things have been going smoothly, and we’ve even started some new business practices. For example, state and chapter member rebates will now be issued by electronic funds transfer (EFT) instead of by paper check. An email to your treasurer will be sent with the member detail on each ACH transfer so you can properly maintain your records. This move is especially handy for your chapters as treasurer changes, and changes of addresses will cut down on time it takes for you to receive your rebates, provided your chapter's bank account doesn't change. Making this process more efficient. 

The NALS @Law is a quarterly magazine that provides its members with valuable information including, but not limited to, educational and substantive law articles, including topics on office trends and ethics.  This magazine is included as part of a NALS membership but is also available for non-members to purchase with a one-year subscription. Past issues of the @Law are also accessible to members only in PDF format. As of June 2018, NALS Board of Directors has decided to move this publication into a digital-only PDF format, with delivery through email following the current quarterly publication schedule. You can find more details here: https://www.nals.org/news/396953/Law-Transition-from-Print-to-Digital-Only.htm.
 
Events + Membership

In September, we hosted the 67th Annual Education and Networking Conference in Phoenix, AZ. There, we reignited our passion for NALS and remembered our #NALSWhy is so important to each of us. The Board held a pre-conference session where we invited everyone to brainstorm their vision and join a national task force, committee, and board. During our closing session, we shared some of our testimonials, and it was a fantastic experience. You can find a conference overview in the Winter 2018 @LAW Magazine.

NALS Resource Center has seen over 300+ members come through the online membership meetings over 2018. This is an incredible resource for members in state and local chapters who need to get the latest details on national events and projects or members-at-large that want to get involved or be included in the discussion. Look for the 2019 online membership meetings at NALS.org/Events. 
 
As you can see, this year has been full of remarkable ways to stay connected, meet new #NALSPALS, and understand the power of being #BetterTogether. The NALS Board of Directors and staff would like to thank our volunteers and members for your efforts in making this year so great. Next year, NALS turns 90 years old, and we’re looking forward to a grand jubilee!

Cheers to the new year!

With the help of our members, Resource Center staff and the NALS Board, we sold the building!  As of July 2018, the Resource Center sold and netted us just over $300,000.  This means that all Resource Center staff will now connect with us virtually.  As you may already know, our association, like many others, has seen a decline in membership numbers within the association.  There’s been a nationwide trend of dwindling and/or disbanding chapters.  While this may be challenging, we have decided to tackle this head on.  Step one was to sell the building so that we could continue to provide our existing members with the best in networking, certification, and education while we explore options to recruit and retain new members to help our association thrive! We understand this is an ongoing effort and we embrace the changes ahead of us. As we transition into the virtual world, let’s celebrate some of our virtual accomplishments.

Certification and Education

Over the last few years, we have developed some great new virtual options such as the amazing Online Study Hall group lead by our Certification + Education Manager, Maria Easterly.  Maria put together the Study Hall for those interested in sitting for a NALS Certifications Exams.  This group helps with study tips, guides, and provides a place for test-takers to share their experiences in preparing for the exam(s).  As an added resource, we also encourage test-takers to purchase flashcards in the NALS store on our website. And we also have partnered with Paralegal Education Group to provide additional study resources and exam prep for the PP exam. 

Speaking of exams, if you haven’t already heard, our ALP and PLS/CLP exams are available online, and we are working on preparing the PP exam to join our other exams soon.  That’s right!  You can sit in the comfort of your own home, in your pajamas, and take a NALS Certification Exam.  There is a $45 cost for this feature on top of the exam fee that covers the cost of an online proctor. 

Membership Benefits

Don’t forget, NALS offers specialty sections.  If you would like to join a group of professionals who share the same types of work experiences, then join the section that best fits your needs.  You will find valuable resources for each area in the sections.

Last week, we hosted another online membership meeting.  If you haven’t joined one in the past, please consider joining the next meeting October 8, 2018.  These meetings give you an opportunity to tell us about your success stories.  We want to know about the study groups you have.  We want to hear about the student members and those who are new to our association.  We also want to know about the great things happening in your state and local chapters.  The online membership meeting is also a great networking opportunity for those who are not able to attend the national conferences.

Supporting Legal Education

Lastly, we are so excited about the wonderful online opportunities that the NALS Foundation has offered.  We have earned medals in the virtual 5k, we participated in the Full Circle 30/360 Campaign and many state and local chapters have received grants for their innovative ideas.  The NALS Foundation has greatly supported our association and we appreciate the donors and each of the trustees.

Let Your Voice Be Heard!

Now, we must take on the challenge as an association of evaluating our association model and what is needed and what we must let go of to have a sustainable future.  We want you to be a part of this conversation. We will begin the discussion in Mesa/Phoenix at our upcoming conference in September. Please plan on attending or making sure your local and state associations are represented. Your voice is important to us. This is our association and we must work together to ensure it is sustainable for many years to come. What does NALS mean to you? Your added voice is an important part to this conversation.

#BetterTogether

The next morning, the conference started with our keynote speaker international speaker, author, and former legal secretary from the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, Cheryl Wood.  Cheryl excited us with her passion and relation to the legal industry.  She reminded us that we’re all winners and that winning was “in our DNA”!  Cheryl talked to us about strengths and weaknesses and how when we rely on others in our weak areas, it makes us better—because we’re better together.

After the keynote, we headed into various CLE and professional development/leadership sessions such as Bankruptcy, Litigation and the Use of Social Media, and Cultivating Leadership to name a few.  We had several other exciting, entertaining, and informative sessions over the next few days.  We also enjoyed a superhero-themed event sponsored by the NALS Foundation where we met some superheroes we already knew and quite a few new superheroes. 

Lastly, just before we wrapped up the conference with our inspiration station and closing session, we awarded the NALS Award of Excellence to Debra Taylor, PP, PLS, and acknowledged and thanked the Norfolk Education Task Force chair, Tara Jean Brown, and her committee for putting together great education.

While 2017 has been a fantastic year, we have some amazing events coming in 2018, starting off with the NALS 2018 Virtual Leadership Course and Education Series in March; Adventure Tulsa, April 6-7, 2018; Leadership Appreciation Day, July 5, 2018; and the NALS 67^th Annual Education and Networking Conference in Phoenix, Arizona, September 20-22, 2018. View our events online at NALS.org/Events.

We hope to see you in 2018!

As you have undoubtedly heard, NALS…the association for legal professionals (NALS) celebrated its 88th birthday on July 5^th with our Leadership Appreciation Day.  Thank you to everyone who registered for this event.  We loved seeing all of the notes in my Facebook feed about the people who received their pins and cards from NALS.  While many things have changed since NALS was started in 1929, a couple of things remain consistent.  One – our members are our most important asset, and two – we work hard to move with the needs of our industry.  Without these two things, NALS would not have stayed around for the last 88 years.

One of the ways that NALS is working toward becoming the association of the future is making sure that we are helping our members have the information they need at their fingertips.  The NALS Networking and Specialty Sections that you have read and heard about are one of the many stepping stones in this never-ending quest to make sure our members have resources that they need to succeed in their jobs.

Currently, we have the following interactive sections for members:

- Criminal Law – hosted by Robert Harmon, PP.  

- Corporate Law – hosted by Carl Morrison, PP-SC, RP, AACP.

- Real Estate – hosted by Lisa Cadungug, PP, PLS. 

The Criminal, Corporate, and Real Estate sections are interactive sections meant to be a place where members who work, or are just interested in, these areas can go to get the latest information, help from a fellow NALS pal regarding a situation, and discuss items that come up in your workday.  Not only will the section hosts be posting information in these groups, the members of these sections are encouraged to post information, ask questions, and help each other survive!  In fact, in the Criminal section, Robert has developed a couple of fun items already.  First, he has Topic Tuesday, where he posts information and hosts a discussion about a case or criminal law topics.  Robert has also introduced Podcast Fridays.  The podcasts he shares have either an interesting story or informative topic. 

NALS also currently has two additional sections that are the beginnings of one-stop resources for those members who work in multiple city, county, and/or state jurisdictions.  These sections will be a never-ending work in progress, but here is a sample of what can be currently found in these sections.

- Resource: Courts In All 50 States – being managed by NALS.  The cost to join this section is $20 a year.

- State Court Resources: Here you will find Court forms and instructions

- State Constitution and Legislation Information

- Judiciary Links For The State: Here you will find links to Court Rules, Court Opinions, and other information from the judiciary for the state

- Regulations and State Agency Information

- Additional State Resources: such as the Attorney General, State Government, Law Library, and Bar Association.

This section is a true work in progress.  Soon NALS will be adding county information for each state.  Members of this section are welcome and encouraged to let us know the links/companies/resources that they use in their state and county, as well as those that they run when they have to navigate into new jurisdictions.  Chances are if they need/use a resource, other members will need to use that information too.

We would like to give a shout out to all of Amylyn's students this quarter for helping add to the county information to the Courts In All 50 States Section.  Your hard work will be added to the sections in the appropriate states in the very near future.

- Resource: Federal Courts – being managed by NALS. The cost to join this section is $10 a year.

This section, like the State Resources section, is all things for federal courts.  It too is a work in progress.  To those of you who practice in federal court, we would love to hear what other resources/information you would like to see included in this section.

Joining one, or all, of these sections is easy.  Just:

1. Sign into your NALS account at NALS.org/Login
2. Go to NALS.org/Sections and click on the sections you would like to join
3. Put the desired section into your cart and check out
4. Be sure to check that you have received the confirmation email, because this is where NALS will send the final notice that you have been added to the section. If you do not receive your confirmation email, send an email to communications@NALS.org. You will receive that notice within 48 hours of purchase.

Once you are a member of any Section, here is how you access that group:

1. Sign into your NALS account at NALS.org/Login
   
2. Click on Groups in the top menu
3. Click on the section and see what is new, post questions/information, etc.

Finally, NALS is in the process of adding more sections, but we want to hear from you as to which sections you would like to have added.  Contact us at board@NALS.org to let us know what you would like to see as future sections.

See one of our amazing volunteers post and follow us on Instagram. . .

 

On July 5, #NALSorg celebrated 88 years of supporting and enhancing the legal support profession. With that we honored our greatest asset, our wonderful volunteers! #Repost @cathyannzackery Thank you for all you do!! #legalpro #legaleducation ・・・ I feel the love! ❤️ #Nalsorg #bettertogether

A post shared by NALSorg (@nalsorg) on Jul 12, 2017 at 5:25am PDT

WHAT’S NEW!

SocialLink

Connect with your NALS Pals (explore #NALSPALS) on a platform that looks and feels like social media outlets we use every day. Our new environment allows you to expand your relationships with and easily connect to other members. You can now share articles, register for conferences, access your Professional Development Journal, catch up on the latest news, and offer encouragement to your community in an arena you will find familiar.

There are a couple of ways to access the new platform:

• Desktop:  Log in to NALS.org just as you always have and then select “My Profile.” You will find a much more user-friendly experience, allowing you to connect to your NALS Pals.
• Mobile: Additionally, you can search for and download the SocialLink app from the iPhone or Android app store. Use your NALS.org log-in credentials to access this new platform.

@NALSorg on Instagram

NALS has a new Instagram account. It is graduation season and we are reaching out to new members of the legal community to offer our congratulations. Join us in showing the Instagram community how much support NALS members have to offer. Follow us @NALSorg.

 NALS Networking, Specialty, and Resource Sections

You asked for it! Sections are here!! You are now able to connect to people and content geared specifically to the practice area you are in or any practice area you are interested in exploring. Section subscriptions start as low as $10 for one year of access. Currently the Corporate Law, Criminal Law, and Real Estate sections are live and ready for you to subscribe. Be on the lookout as more sections roll out in the coming months. Visit: NALS.org/Sections

COMING SOON!

The Basic Legal Training Course—Online!

The Basic Legal Training Course has been revamped and will soon be accessible to members and nonmembers in a new online format. For years this course has assisted individuals in acquiring the skills necessary to become viable legal support professionals. The objective of the online course is to provide access to updated education and study materials so members and nonmembers can prepare for the Accredited Legal Professional certification exam.

Online Exams

NALS is close to launching online exams. Soon you will have the ability to take certification exams from the comfort of your home or office. Why get certified? You will be verifying your skills and demonstrating your knowledge of the legal support practice. This will naturally lead to unlocking new opportunities. Mock Exams are already available for all current members, future members, and students.

DON’T FORGET!

NALS 2017 Virtual . . . Education Series: CLE still available online!

It is not too late to take advantage of the 2017 Virtual Leadership Course and Education Series. This virtual conference allows you to take advantage of education and leadership training on your schedule. Find out what everyone has been talking about. Links: Education Sessions | Leadership Course

National Conference

Our 66^th Annual Education and Networking Conference is fast approaching. Early bird registration ends July 1, 2017. The conference will be in the beautiful city of Norfolk, Virginia, October 4-7. We are proud to present Cheryl Wood as our keynote speaker. You do not want to miss this! Register today!

Webinars and Online CLE

Be sure to review the catalog of online webinars and education series in our OnDemand Library and NALS.org/Store. You have access to 60+ webinars and 100+ presentations and handouts from our most popular conference sessions—most of which are free to you as a NALS member.

These are just a few of the benefits afforded NALS members. NALS is the only place you will find so many resources in one location for legal support professionals. In the real world employers will not provide you with assistance in getting through a tough project; they expect you to just get it done. Let NALS help.

If you are not seeing content that would benefit your career, let us know! We are your professional organization. We are here to work for you.

In addition to spring cleaning, this is also the time of year when people work off those extra pounds they packed on during the holidays.  I am hitting the treadmill a lot more because my jeans just do not fit like they used to. 

Here at the NALS Resource Center, we are spring cleaning too—only this is a little different.  Instead of just cleaning out the office, we are actually planning to “rightsize.”  What does it mean to rightsize?  I am glad you asked.  Rightsizing means to convert (something) to an appropriate or optimum size.  What does that mean for NALS?  Again, I am glad you asked.  It means we are taking this opportunity to move forward and embrace our future.  We are looking forward to finding an office space that is more suitable for our work environment. 

In keeping with the technology trends, our Communications Manager has been doing a fantastic job in her new virtual office as she prepares to move to a different part of the country.  With only three full-time staff members remaining in the building, it is appropriate to find a location that better suits our needs.  In preparation for this transition, the NALS Resource Center building has recently been placed on the market for sale.  We are forever grateful for the ten years’ worth of memories and we look forward to creating new memories in our new NALS home.

The great Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.”  Let’s all spring forward to the right size. 

What does #unshakeable mean to you? 

As legal professionals, we work in a high-level, high-pressure environment, where we always have people watching us and evaluating our skills and abilities.  We all feel the pressure at times, and do not always perform at our best but we must remember not to allow the stress and pressure to shake our confidence—we too can be #unshakeable!  There is also no finish line for our careers as we should always be learning and growing as a legal professional.

One of the best benefits of being a NALS member is the fantastic community we have.  We are always there for each other, whether we need a referral, help in another jurisdiction, a new job, or just for support.  Our NALS Pals are the absolute best!  With the upgrade to our online member community, is has never been easier for us to connect with each other.

NALS also offers CLE, both in person and online.  NALS has webinars for purchase and even webinars that are free to members.  You can use these webinars to learn about a new area of law and get the CLE hours you need to recertify.  You can also use these webinars for your local monthly meetings or to fill a spot for your annual state meetings.  The possibilities are endless!

Don’t forget, the 66th Annual Education and Networking Conference is being held in Norfolk, Virginia on October 4-7, 2017.  The Virginia Task Force is working hard to get quality speakers and education for this conference.  Keep checking back for additional details regarding the education opportunities.  This conference also offers you the ability to network in-person with other attendees, including two new exciting events that are available for you to attend.  Check it out and register at NALS.org/Norfolk2017. 

Remember, the sky is the limit and there is no finish line—we need to challenge ourselves continually to remain legal professionals who excel and are known for greatness.  Let NALS help you!  All of the offerings NALS has either at conferences or online are there to allow all legal professionals to continue to learn, grow, and remain excellent.   Be #unshakeable and join in with all NALS has to offer! 

While Darlene and Nakia were not able to join us in person due to family emergencies, through the wonders of modern technology, we were able to communicate with them throughout the weekend.

Equipment Provided by NALS Foundation through Crowdfunding

Speaking of the wonders of technology, did you happen to catch the Facebook Live video we did on Saturday afternoon?  If not, you can click here to see Carl, Tara, and Amylyn in all of their glory in the midst of a couple of intense days of brainstorming, problem solving, and decision making.  The rest of this blog will expand in more detail the items we highlighted in our video!

If you attended the conference in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, then you know that NALS and the NALS Foundation asked members to help us raise the money we needed to purchase equipment to record and post information and potentially some educational sessions at our conferences. We have only purchased one set of the equipment for now but will continue to raise funds and hope to have at least one more set by the time we are in Norfolk this October. 

Without the generosity of the NALS Foundation and our members, we would not have been able to purchase this equipment.  Thank you again to everyone who donated to help make this happen and to allow NALS to move forward  into the future of providing video clips, information and educational offerings for our members and the legal industry.  You can still donate to the equipment crowdfunding campaign. The NALS Foundation can always use your support. 

Please consider clicking here and making a tax-deductible donation to Foundation.

Facebook Live

Your NALS Board meets at least once a month to discuss the status of the association, projects, committee work that is taking place, and future endeavors of NALS.  This year, we want to make sure you, the member, have the most up-to-date information available.  Therefore, after each of these meetings, one Board member will do a Facebook Live session to let you, the members, as well as those in the legal industry, know what we are doing at NALS.  We will announce these live sessions a couple of days in advance, in case you want to join for the live broadcast.  However, if you cannot attend the live broadcast, you can always watch it at a later date.  Please ask us any questions you may have, comment, and share the video with your fellow NALS members in your chapters.  We want to make sure you know what is going on in the association, because it is OUR association.

You will also see a Board Blog within a few days after the Board meetings. These Board Blogs will expand upon the information provided in the Facebook Live sessions and provide you with links to the information.

Virtual Conference

Last year the members were asked if they wanted one or two conferences per year.  The majority stated one conference, so NALS listened.  However, we know that our members still want the help to excel as leaders for NALS, they want professional development sessions, and they need ways to get CLE credits for their certifications.  Out of these needs comes the Virtual Conference.  Here are some specifics for you on the conference:

What is it?  The Virtual Conference is a way for you, the member, to gain education to help you (1) be an effective NALS leader, (2) gain professional development skills, and/or (3) earn CLE credits for recertification of your ALP/PLS/CLP/PP.

Attendees can earn up to 22 hours of CLE.  If you purchase both the leadership and the CLE tracks, at the price of $299, you are essentially paying $13.60 per CLE credit.  What a deal!!  If you do not want or need the leadership portion, you can purchase just CLEs for $199.  NALS is offering 14 CLEs for $199!  That means that you are only paying $14.22 per CLE credit! When is the last time you paid under $15 for an hour of CLE?   You will receive a unique link to the CLE sessions for your use throughout the year. This means you can get the education and CLE credits that you need while sitting in your pajamas!  You get to put these sessions into your schedule instead of having to move your schedule around the times the CLEs are offered.

There are three launch dates for the materials for the conference, February 15, March 20, and April 1.  Access to the leadership materials is made available to you after your registration and you have access to them for 30 days.  After April 1 all the sessions will go on sale separately but at an increased cost, so take advantage of the conference rate and register prior to April 1 to get the best deal. Please note that the information you receive in the leadership portion has been enhanced with videos and links on where to find tips and tricks to enhance your members’ experience with NALS.  If your chapter used to encourage your leaders to attend the Professional Development conference in Tulsa, then your chapter and leaders should consider purchasing the leadership materials portion of the conference. 

For more information on the professional development and educational CLE sessions that are being offered, visit NALS.org/Virtual2017.

NALS 66th Annual Education & Networking Conference

You may have already noticed that the registration for our October conference in Norfolk is open.  Make sure to take advantage of the early bird registration. Also, last year’s hotel room block sold out way in advance of our cutoff date.  If you are planning on attending the conference, make sure to get your room reservation made!  For more information on how to register for the conference and the hotel contact information, visit here.

This year, NALS will be providing two fun, inexpensive events for attendees on Thursday and Saturday nights.  Thursday’s event will be based on the Escape Room theme in a table format.  Due to the nature of this event, we will have to limit it to the first 50 people who sign up.  Saturday’s event will be a scavenger hunt designed to get you out of the hotel and to see some of the items in the nearby area. 

The registration for Norfolk will be updated in the very near future with the information for the two added evening events. We will post online when those are added and remember the Thursday night event is limited to 50, so you will want to get your registration in asap to reserve your slot. 

Certification Exams and Study Materials

The Board would like to congratulate everyone who sat for any of the NALS exams this month.  If you are currently studying for one of the exams, we want to remind you that we have many materials out there to help you in this endeavor.  One of the newest study aids is one that NALS has been working towards offering for quite some time!  Thank you again to the NALS Foundation. Because of their dedication to NALS, we have the ability to offer mock exams for people who are studying for all three exams!

The funding from the NALS Foundation allowed NALS to purchase the Learning Management System (“LMS”) that makes these mock exams available. This is also the system that was used for the online leadership conference.

When you purchase access to the mock exams, you are purchasing access for either 30 or 60 days.  If you miss a question while taking a mock exam, you will have information provided to you with citations and references on where you can learn more about the information in each question.  The LMS system allows you to take the mock exams over and over again during that time period and will give you the questions in a random order.  This will help you know if you are truly studying the materials and understanding them, instead of just knowing the answers to a mock exam.  You can purchase access to the mock exams by following this link.

National Industry Certification Update

As you know, our certification recognition among the industry is very important.   We wanted to share with you some exciting things that recently occurred. First, the South Carolina Board of Paralegal Certification has met and voted on recommending to the Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court, the PP certification as an appropriate basis for applying for the South Carolina Certified Paralegal program.  This is GREAT news!  A lot of hard work went into making sure NALS was equally recognized.  A special thank you goes out to the NALS Industry Certification Task Force and members in South Carolina in helping us see this through!

Other exciting trends include the Washington State LLLT program, which is in the process of expanding into Estate and Healthcare law. They are working to develop a testing procedure concerning these new areas. Also, the Utah Supreme Court has approved the creation of the Limited Paralegal Practitioner program, very similar to the LLLT program in Washington State.  Currently it will cover Family law but they will be expanding into Landlord tenant law. The Oregon State Bar has also restarted the conversation of the creation of their version of the LLLT program. We share this information with you so that you can see that these governing entities for these new paraprofessional roles all equally recognize the PP as a method to demonstrate a paralegal’s core competency. More work is to come on making sure our certifications are weighted equally across the country, so we will need your help!

The November 1981 issue of Management Review contained a paper by George T. Doran called There's a S.M.A.R.T. Way to Write Management's Goals and Objectives. It discussed the importance of objective goals and the difficulty in setting them.

The SMART method can be applied to setting professional development goals. SMART is a mnemonic device for remembering five characteristics of a desirable goal. The exact word that corresponds with each letter varies, but a common variant is:

• Specific –  What are you going to do? Why is this important? What do you want to ultimately accomplish?
• Measurable –   If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. Establish a concrete criteria for measuring progress.
• Attainable –   You will feel a little stretched, but with real commitment you should be able to do this!
• Realistic –   Be clear on how what you’re doing is going to benefit you. It will go a long way to keep you motivated.
• Timely –   By when? “Someday” is not an answer. Establish an end date. Hold yourself to it.
  

As the economy fluctuates and business priorities change, funding for employee professional development is often the first to be cut. It is no secret professional development allows us, as employees, to function more efficiently and prepares us for future roles.

NALS continues to recognize the importance of professional development and we’re very excited to offer a new way for you to have access to the wealth of knowledge our membership holds. The Ed on Demand Task Force is diligently working on an NALS 2017 Virtual Leadership Course and Education Series. You are now able to invest in yourself and your career whenever it is convenient for YOU. Our goal is to equip you, our members, with the skills to keep up with the changing trends in the legal support profession, perfect your current skills, learn new skills to align yourself with new job opportunities, and learn tips and tricks to make your NALS chapter more successful.

Dale Smith Thomas, our keynote speaker at the 2016 NALS Murfreesboro Conference, very clearly advised, “Any goal that isn’t written down is a wish.” Having a place where you can create a list of things you want to accomplish, track your progress, and hold yourself accountable is the recipe for success! Now that you know what you want, let us help you get there. Register today for NALS’ first ever online leadership course and education series and take the first step to reaching your professional development goals!

References: 

http://community.mis.temple.edu/mis0855002fall2015/files/2015/10/S.M.A.R.T-Way-Management-Review.pdf  

 
According to an article in Forbes, there are five benefits to volunteering that many do not often realize are possible,:

1. Volunteering time makes you feel like you have more time.  Surprisingly, research has shown that individuals who give time to a cause outside of their regular work or personal routines often feel as if they have more time. We know there are only 24 hours in a day, but wouldn’t it be nice to feel you are not as rushed because you are remarkably accomplishing more in that time frame than you thought possible?
   
   
2. Volunteering your skills helps you develop new skills. Before you volunteered, did you know how to organize a big fundraising event or lay out a newsletter or build a website?  Learning new skills is just one of the many benefits of volunteering.  Employers and organizations have found the technical and leadership skills that people attain through volunteering to be beneficial, and thus many have begun to invest more in those programs and in the people who seek out volunteer opportunities.
   
   
3. Volunteering your body helps you have a healthier body.  When you volunteer, you increase your physical activity level and some have even been able to combat depression through social activity.  Studies have even shown that volunteering can lower your risk of heart disease.  This sure sounds easier than going on a strict diet, doesn’t it?
   
   
4. Volunteering your experience helps build your experience.  This may seem like a no-brainer statement, but many who have taken time to volunteer have gained enough experience to make a career switch or bolster their résumé enough to advance beyond their current positions.  Have you been looking to expand your role at work, make more money, or broaden your experience base?  Volunteering can help you do just that!
   
   
5. Volunteering your love makes you feel more love.  Studies have found the more people volunteer, the happier they are.  “Volunteering builds empathy, strengthens social bonds and makes you smile.”  Disneyland may arguably have the right to call itself “the happiest place on Earth,” but shouldn’t you also be able to make your heart the “happiest place” anywhere?  Volunteering with friends helps get you to that place.
   

NALS has many opportunities for volunteers.  No job is too big or too small when many people get together to do their little bit to advance the greater mission.  

• Are you afraid to try something new?  Well, we have awesome and skilled volunteer leaders and staff who can help you whenever you have questions.  
  
  
• Don’t have too much time to give?  NALS has task forces and committees which can offer smaller opportunities to contribute for limited periods of time or engagement.  
  
  
• Not sure where to look to volunteer?  Look no further than our website for opportunities big and small, short- and long-term.  And if you are confused as to where you think you might fit in, you can always reach out to a board member (email us at board@nals.org) or to any NALS Resource staff member, and we will be happy to talk to you about your interests and find a place for you.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW NALS VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

If you missed the 2016 National Education Conference and Forum, you missed a celebration!

We kicked the party off with a wine and cheese reception, then on to pajama parties in the bar.  The next night there was a meet and greet in the Golda Suite.  We also had some "celebrities" who attended the Friday night Foundation event: Dolly Pardon, Naomi and Wynona Judd, folks who saved horses and rode cowboys, and Sugarland too.  The final night was the Nashville Nights & Lights tour of beautiful downtown Nashville, Tennessee.  Thanks to the Nashville task force, there was tons of education.  The speakers gave us tools to take back into our work environments and the exhibitors were awesome!  The NALS Foundation sweepstakes was a hit as usual and some pretty cool prizes were won.  This year the Board wanted to show their appreciation to the committees by inviting the committee members to breakfast.  We are so thankful to have such dedicated members to serve on various committees at the national level.  We wrapped up the party with awesome roundtable discussions where the members shared their feedback about our association. 

During the forum and throughout the conference, members shared suggestions, which we encourage you to do at any time.  One of those suggestions, which we have heard often, was to offer the conference sessions online for those who cannot attend.  You asked, we heard and, with the help of the NALS Foundation, the Board set of goal to raise $5,000 to purchase recording equipment.  There is still an opportunity to donate to this project.  Please visit the NALS Foundation at http://www.nals.org/?page=foundation for more information.  Also, be on the lookout for future sessions available in digital format.

The Board would like to encourage states and chapters to invite surrounding states and chapter members to your conferences and meetings.  There are several chapters in need of new ideas on member recruiting and other helpful suggestions.  If your chapter is thriving, tell us what is working for you.  Share that information so we can help those chapters in need.  We also encourage you to cross-market.  Do not limit the association to just those in the legal community.  Tell everybody!

Click here to view the photo gallery.

So, bring your good times and your laughter too.  We're gonna celebrate and have a party with you!  We want to hear from you and we definitely want to see you in Norfolk, Virginia, for the 2017 National Education Conference and Forum.

As always, we look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,  The NALS Board

At the February 24, 2016 meeting of the Board of Directors of NALS … the association for legal professionals (the “Association”), a resolution was proposed and approved by the board. Click here to read the full resolution.

- 2016 NALS Board of Directors

2016 has arrived and we have an exciting year ahead. Just around the corner is the final NALS Professional Development & Education Conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma. You will not want to miss it! Ensure you have made your hotel reservations at the Doubletree Warren Place to get the NALS special rate. The room reservation deadline of February 10 is fast approaching. The NALS rate will only be available until the block is full or February 10, whichever comes first. 

We hope you will also make plans to attend and be a part of the Grassroots-Level Think Tank (GLTT). The GLTT will be held at the conference on Thursday, February 25, at 9:00 a.m. The GLTT will meet with the NALS Board of Directors to brainstorm and develop the purpose and direction of the association. Our facilitator will again be Jay Moore. To learn more and sign up for the Grassroots-Level Think Tank, please visit: www.nals.org/GLTT 

NALS Adds Specialty Areas to Its Specialty Certificate Program

NALS is pleased to announce the addition of seventeen new specialty topics to its Specialty Certificate Program! Featuring a new total of twenty-one specialty offerings, the NALS Specialty Certification program will be even better designed to assist legal professionals who wish to go above and beyond, set themselves apart from the competition, and make their area of expertise known! By providing these additional specialty options, NALS is allowing a wider range of professionals to demonstrate their expertise in specialized areas of law and obtain recognition for their efforts. A full list of Specialty Certificate options are below: 

Any individual currently holding a NALS Professional Paralegal (PP) or Professional Legal Secretary (PLS) certification may obtain a specialty certificate after earning a minimum of 50 continuing legal education (CLE) hours in one of the specialty tracks designated by NALS within their five-year certification validity period.

- NALS 2015 Board of Directors

WE Asked and YOU Answered!  

As NALS leaders, we have asked a lot of the entire membership over the past couple of years.  We asked you to consider the future of our association as you voted to change our governance structure to a five-member board.  After that measure passed, we have asked you to answer multiple surveys and provide continuing feedback to a number of questions we posed on a variety of subjects.  We have asked and you have answered time and time again.  We ask you to continue to engage with us so that we can continue to bring you products and services which provide value to you as a NALS member and to your career as a legal professional. 

NALS Award of Excellence

Three very deserving members were selected as finalists for NALS’ highest recognition, the Award of Excellence.  Kathleen R. Amirante, PP, PLS; Ruth Schaub, PP, PLS-SC, AIC; and Kathy Sieckman, PP, PLS-SC, ACP rose to the challenge by going through the rigorous process leading up to the announcement of the 2016 Award of Excellence recipient.  We congratulate Kathleen R. Amirante, PP, PLS, our 2016 NALS Award of Excellence recipient!  You and both of our finalists are outstanding in your accomplishments and should be recognized for all that you have done and continue to do in performance of your jobs and in service to NALS members and the legal community at large.  Bravo!

Grassroots Level Think Tank (“GLTT”)

Beginning in March 2015, this group of forward-thinking individuals, which included members, chapter leaders, and national volunteers began to meet to discuss the future of the association.  The GLTT gives members and leaders the opportunity to gather together and share experiences, find bright spots, spark innovation, and design solutions for the future—all in hopes of making NALS work better for its members and the legal community.  As a result, we have begun to discuss what is—and what is not—working within our organization and start the process of brainstorming potential improvements that will meet the needs of our members at all levels.  As we shared with you in the May 2015 issue of the NALS docket, the GLTT identified four topics that are most critical to NALS members and to legal professionals:  time, cost, value, and identity.  Most of what the Board and NALS committee members have been working on in recent months has centered around these topics.  

But this conversation is not over.  We are still inviting everyone to be a part of this continuing dialogue.  The next in-person meeting of the GLTT will be in Tulsa at the Professional Development & Education Conference in late February.  You can sign up to participate on our website at www.nals.org/GLTT.  We hope you will join us so we can hear from you.

Conference Survey Recap 

We know the value of your time and your money is very important to you.  Because of this, we asked NALS members and other legal professionals to answer a survey dealing with conferences.  The purpose of this survey was to take the pulse of where people stand, what people want, and what is most important to conference attendees.  Here are some of the highlights of what respondents said:

64% want to attend a conference once a year

65% prefer to attend a conference in the fall

43% want to attend either a two-day conference on Friday and Saturday or a three-day conference on a Thursday through Saturday

67% say they prefer one event containing both CLE and leadership opportunities

38% would prefer to attend a conference where half a day is spent on education and the other half on leadership/professional development

52% said that hotel room rates are more important than destination

63% want social networking events and luncheons included in the cost of registration

As a result of your input and engagement when we asked the questions, we have been able to answer with a variety of changes to our products and services.  And that action has not and will not stop.  We are committed to continuing to serve the needs of the legal professional through the delivery of quality legal education, offering and promoting professional certifications, and providing opportunities for networking and continuous learning.  We are thrilled to announce some of the following additions and changes to NALS products and services, all for your benefit.

New Specialty Certificates

Beginning in January 2016, NALS will begin to offer a total of 21 specialty certificates in the following areas:

With the addition of these specialty areas, we have answered the requests of many members for NALS to provide more opportunities for members’ certifications to stand out.  A specialty certificate is perfect for the certified PLS and PP who seek to go above and beyond—setting themselves apart from the competition—and making their area of expertise known!  We encourage everyone to look at obtaining a specialty certificate as an opportunity to further enhance your careers and NALS certifications.  

NALS Mock Exams—Online!  

With advances in technology, and in response to the stated desires of students and those teaching and studying for NALS certification exams, it is time for our association to “get with the times.”  You have asked for it and we are answering.  Thanks in large part to a grant from the NALS Foundation and the hard work of dedicated committee volunteers, NALS is pleased to announce it will soon be rolling out a new, robust LMS (learning management system) which will give us the ability to provide mock exams online and later, even certification exams!  By the spring of 2016, we will be in beta-delivery mode of mock exams for the ALP (Accredited Legal Professional) exams, with later releases of the other certifications’ mock exams as they are developed.  As each stage of this developing project is ready for launch, we will continue to update you.

Partnering with Related Legal Associations 

Adding value to your membership with NALS is just one of the many things your Board is committed to achieving.  Acting on the suggestions of the GLTT, the Board has been actively pursuing partnerships with related legal associations, such as the Association of Legal Administrators (ALA), the American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE), and others.  Our hopes are that, as we continue to build relationships with the many players in the legal industry, NALS will be better positioned to serve the needs of legal professionals throughout the entire country and beyond.  That being said, the process is ongoing.  As more comes out of these continuing conversations, we will be sure to let you know.  Promoting you as a professional and as an indispensable asset to employers and the legal community is just a part of our mission.

NALS Conferences

It is no secret that it has been getting more difficult and more expensive for members to attend two conferences each year.  Often, you have been forced to make the choice between one or the other—either because of time concerns, financial strains, or other considerations.  An overwhelming majority of those we have polled have responded they think only one conference a year is needed and/or possible given their limited means.  Because of this, and after careful consideration of the results of the conference survey (discussed above) and the fact that we have had declining numbers at the annual Tulsa conference in recent years, the Board has voted to offer only one dynamic and comprehensive education and leadership conference each year in the fall.  

Consequently, this makes our upcoming NALS 2016 Professional Development & Education Conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the last one to be offered in the late winter/early spring.  This is not sad news, we say, but an opportunity to answer the needs of many.

What does one conference a year look like? Merging a robust professional development and leadership-training track into one fantastic multi-track education conference is the vehicle which will take us into the next outstanding chapter of the association’s future.  NALS will continue to offer superior continuing legal education alongside opportunities to obtain the skills, qualifications, and experience that allow you to make progress in your career.  We are confident we have nothing to lose and everything to gain by delivering what you and your peers have been asking for.

Free Certification Exams  

Yes, you read that right.  Aside from the prospect of joining us to celebrate the next chapter in NALS conference offerings and kicking off a new NALS leadership term, the NALS Board has voted to offer certification exams—completely free of charge—at the final Tulsa conference in February 2016.  If you have been holding off on taking a NALS certification exam or retaking parts of an exam, now is the time to take advantage of this limited-time offer.  Free exams will be offered to anyone who is fully registered to attend the 2016 NALS Professional Development & Education Conference—this is a savings of anywhere from $40 to $225!  

The exams will be offered on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at the DoubleTree Warren Place (6110 South Yale Avenue in Tulsa) prior to the regular conference scheduling. This will give you the ability to take advantage of the full conference education, committee orientations, or the opportunity to participate with the Grassroots Level Think Tank (GLTT), if you are so inclined.  

To participate in this free examination opportunity, you must be registered and paid in full for the NALS 2016 Professional Development & Education Conference. There is a ticketed event called “NALS Certification Exam” listed on the registration form. Once your registration is fully processed and the “NALS Certification Exam” ticketed event option is selected, the NALS Resource Center staff will send you a promo code via email. Once this promo code is received, you may then complete the application process for the exam of your choosing for the March 2016 exam period, listing the NALS 2016 Professional Development & Education Conference as your test site. The promo code will reduce the amount due to zero once you reach the payment page. The deadline to apply for this free examination opportunity is January 15, 2016. To view full details, please visit: www.nals.org/news/258237

We know that this is a lot to digest and take in and we are sure that you will have more comments and suggestions you would like to share with us as we go forward.  Please remember you can always reach us by email (board@nals.org) or through our NALS website contact forms.  Our Resource Center staff is also available to answer questions.  We are always listening and doing what we can to answer your concerns.  So keep engaging!

Until next month ….

- NALS 2015 Board of Directors

Last year during the NALS 2015 Professional Development & Education Conference, NALS introduced the Grassroots-Level Think Tank (GLTT), a diverse group of volunteer leaders interested in sharing experiences, finding bright spots, creating new innovation, designing solutions for the future, and making this association work better for its members and the legal community. 

Due to the success of the first GLTT meeting, NALS will be bringing this event back! The second in-person meeting will be held at NALS 2016 Professional Development & Education Conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Thursday, February 25, 2016, at 9:00 a.m. Make plans now to be part of the decision-making process for the future of your association! NALS encourages last year’s GLTT participants to attend and is again extending an open invitation to ALL! NALS highly encourages state and local chapters to send representatives to participate. Students, members-at-large, and members who are NOT involved in chapter leadership are encouraged to attend as well. Our only requirement is that you are passionate about the future of NALS and desire to make a difference. If this describes you or someone you know, then this Think Tank is the perfect fit! This significant Think Tank will meet with the NALS Board of Directors to brainstorm and develop the purpose and direction of the association. To learn more and sign up for the Grassroots-Level Think Tank, please visit: www.nals.org/GLTT.

Volunteer Opportunities Coming Soon! 

The NALS Board of Directors is actively engaged in analyzing the challenges and opportunities for the association and they need a great team to join them as they begin to shape the future of NALS. That is where YOU come in! Start thinking now about your volunteerism for the year ahead. NALS will soon be seeking volunteers for the 2016-2017 year. Whether you join a project-based task force or a year-long standing committee, your level of involvement and participation is up to you! 

You will have FUN getting to know and working with other NALS members from around the country. Additionally, you will gain a sense of pride and accomplishment seeing your work come to fruition. Watch future publications for more details about how to engage, inspire, enhance, and promote NALS by accepting the challenge to make a difference! 

- NALS 2015 Board of Directors

And with diversity comes the inherent need for constant change. Our national association has undergone changes in the areas of governance, technology, as well as in the way we deliver products and services to the legal industry. We have delivered a new website, with many useful features like our forums, which have proven to also be a tremendous association management and networking tool. The value of a NALS membership is increased through our offering of a discount program through Your Membership Rewards. With help from the NALS Foundation, NALS was able to deliver a new “version 1.0” mobile app, NALS2GO, giving people access to NALS while on-the-go and on a variety of mobile platforms. NALS has also updated our Career Center to assist members and their employers to easily and affordably match available jobs with qualified job seekers. And the list goes on and on . . .

The flowing landscape of the legal industry is naturally no different than our association by way of initiating changes to benefit the legal community. As you may or may not have already heard, in 2012, the state of Washington became the first to approve a new “class” of legal professional—the Limited License Legal Technician (LLLT). Just this June, seven people passed the examination to become LLLTs in the state of Washington. Other states, like California, have also taken notice of the actions of their neighbors to the northwest and have begun exploring this trend as a possibility in their states.

Why is this important to mention to our members? Well, did you know that there is still a window of time for a “limited waiver” of the education prerequisites for taking the LLLT examination? Until December 2016, and in lieu of the required education, individuals who have passed the NALS Professional Paralegal (PP) certification exam, are current and active on their PP certification, and can provide proof of 10 years or more substantive law-related experience (within the 15 years preceding the application) may be eligible to take the LLLT exam. If approved for a waiver, the individual will have until December 2018 to sit for the exam.

Even for individuals who do not live in the state of Washington, this is still an opportunity for advancement and enhancement of your career and is even more proof that while the industry evolves, so must we as an association and as individuals. Being competent, qualified, and knowledgeable in our careers is just one of the many spices we add to our lives. NALS strives to engage, inspire, enhance, and promote the legal industry, its members, and all members of the legal community. We hope you are as excited as we are about the constantly evolving nature of things in our association and our industry.

- NALS 2015 Board of Directors

We have obtained feedback from some who would prefer that NALS transition to one conference per year. Please tell us what you think. Would you prefer one conference per year? Would you prefer two conferences per year? What time of the year would be best for you to attend a NALS conference? Is there particular programming you would like to see at at future conference? Please share your thoughts with us! Send your comments to: board@nals.org. Your feedback will be used to formulate a more in-depth survey, which will then assist us in gathering the necessary data to make decisions for future conference structures. 

- NALS 2015 Board of Directors

Time is precious and there are many things in our lives competing for our time—work, family, volunteering, vacationing, social media, educational demands, etc. NALS must be respectful of time commitments and constraints upon the lives of legal professionals. Costs of products, services, meetings, and conferences must be examined to deliver a return on investment of time and cost, which will deliver an appreciated value that we can use in our busy lives and will be considered a benefit to us in our legal careers. And finally, without widespread understanding or recognition in the legal community, there is confusion about the identity and purpose of NALS. To address these important issues, the Board is serious about making NALS the place people want to spend their precious time and money. NALS wants YOU to benefit from the valuable certifications and educational opportunities and network with like-minded people in this great association for legal professionals. 

The Board is discussing many different options for the future of NALS, and with the new NALS website, we will be able to provide additional value for all members. We are reviewing methods for making online practice tests and exams available, expanding our career center to assist members and employers, creating a buyers’ guide, and offering valuable mentoring opportunities. We are also examining partnerships to offer online platforms for CLE and specialty legal education, the location and frequency of national conferences, and the structure in which education is presented online and at national conferences. NALS’ focus and purpose is to provide certification, education, and networking for legal professionals in a vibrant and valuable manner, which will strengthen the legal community and continue to grow NALS in the future.

The Board of Directors heard the membership at the GLTT. We wish to continue to hear from you and encourage you to complete a survey concerning conference needs and desires, which will be available in the coming months in the NALS docket. Please feel free to contact the NALS Board of Directors at board@nals.org with any concerns, questions, or comments. Thank you for your dedication to NALS!

- NALS 2015 Board of Directors

The NALS Board encouraged the members in attendance to explore the up and coming “Generation Y” and change their chapters’ current way of thinking and views on their local and state levels. There were numerous Generation Y NALS members in attendance who were able to share great insights, ideas, and opinions on the future of our association. The NALS Board invited the membership to read the book “Knowing Y.” This book shares various ideas and explains the mindset and many views of Generation Y.

Great CLE and leadership sessions were presented at the 2015 NALS Professional Development and Education Conference that allowed those in attendance to gain up to 12.5 hours of CLE credit. 

Please take the time to register for the 64th Annual Education Conference & National Forum to be held October 8-10, 2015, in Las Vegas, Nevada! Additionally, mark your calendars for next year’s Professional Development and Education Conference to be held February 25-27, 2016. 

- NALS 2015 Board of Directors

We must evolve; the behaviors and choices of younger generations have historically been an indicator of the future workplace, consumer and economic trends. If we ignore the shift, we do so at our own peril. 

So how do we engage Generation Y? How do we adapt to what they need for the future? What changes will we see in our office structures and how we accomplish our jobs? We challenge you to read the book Knowing Y: Engage the Generation Now by Sarah L. Sladek and then share your thoughts with us. What is your perspective on the solutions or recommendation you can make for your office, your profession, and your association? Be a resource to your employer on the emerging trends. You can send your comments to board@nals.org. We look forward to hearing your perspective on what is needed to prepare for a strong future for yourself, your office, your profession, and your association. Watch for more information and your feedback in future issues of the NALS docket.

We also recommend you make plans to join us in Las Vegas on October 8-10 for the NALS Education Conference. Plans are already underway to make this a wonderful education and networking experience. Get involved with your association at all levels!

- NALS 2015 Board of Directors

Below is a video from the Board regarding this exciting news. Please watch and share with others!

- NALS 2014-2015 Board of Directors

We began the conference with our keynote speaker, Courtney Clark, who shared with us how to gain perspective.  We gain perspective by i) giving back; ii) understanding that no matter how low you are someone still needs your help; and iii) when we are under a lot of pressure, we hit a greater height.  We left this amazing, thought-provoking, life-challenging session knowing that It's About How You Deal, Not What You're Dealt. After the keynote speaker, there were four concurrent sessions to choose from every two hours over the three days of sessions.  The speakers ranged from a certified graphoanalyst sharing with us the Seven Significant Signs of a Serious Liar, to a session on the Workflows with Acrobat XI, to ethics and estate administration, to learning exactly What the Frack is Fracking and so much more.  HALP did a fabulous job at recruiting wonderful speakers!

On Thursday during the Exhibitors’ Luncheon, we had the pleasure of hearing from each exhibiting company who was present at the conference.  This is always a treat because you get to hear exactly what each sponsor has to offer.  It is great for us because even if we do not need their services at the time, we have the opportunity to share their services with others in the legal industry. Wrapping up Thursday evening was the NALS Welcome Party. It was a fabulous time and we were able to wind down from the day’s CLE sessions, meet new attendees, spend time with old friends and, of course, dance the night away!

This year we also had the opportunity to network with attendees in our particular area of practices at the Networking Lounges.  We hope you had an opportunity to network with other attendees at this conference. As we know, networking is a valuable asset of attending a NALS conference and the Networking Luncheon on Friday gave everyone in attendance the ability and opportunity to network with attendees, exchange contact information, and enjoy each other’s company.

The NALS Foundation Gala-Houston Hoedown on Friday evening proved to be a wonderful night! Everyone came dressed in their best western attire and learned new line dances. The highlight of the evening ended up being a "Jail and Bail" fundraiser where over 40 people were "arrested" and forced to either pay bail, do their time in jail, or have fun and participate in one of the activities that eventually produced their freedom.  It was a great night and the NALS Foundation raised $805 at this event!! There were some fabulous live auction, silent auction, and sweepstakes items to be won and acquired over the course of the conference as well, and Leslie Keys did not disappoint us with her live auction skills! Overall the NALS Foundation raised a whopping $14,153. 

Every year during the Recognition Luncheon on Saturday afternoon we recognize NALS volunteers, certified attendees, and present the prestigious NALS Award of Excellence. Doris T. Compton, PP, PLS-SC (AR), Nancy M. Gates, PP, PLS (MS), and Tara Hughes, PP-SC, ACP (AZ) were the three finalists for this year's AOE. Each of these ladies have made amazing contributions to NALS and to the legal industry as a whole.  Tara Hughes, PP-SC, ACP of Arizona was announced as the 2014 NALS Award of Excellence recipient! Congratulations to these fabulous ladies; they are all winners! 

Finally, after all the CLE sessions, networking events, lunches, and dinners, everyone had the opportunity to join the NALS Board for an Open Forum.  During this session, the Board shared information regarding the new NALS website which launched on September 1, the new NALS App—which is in the final approval stages—and the new opportunity to pay conference fees in two installments, with the first installment due by the Early Bird Deadline and the second installment due by the Regular Deadline. The Board also shared that NALS is seeking volunteers, who are interested in being at the table and who understand the value of the grassroots-levels of NALS, to participate in a brand new Grassroots-Level Think Tank! NALS is better because of YOUR input and suggestions.  The formation of the Grassroots-Level Think Tank will bring members and leaders together to share their experiences, their bright spots in their local chapters, the ability to create new innovations, and allow NALS to work for its members and the legal community.  If you are ready to participate, click here to read more about the GLTT and sign up today!  To help attendees offset some of their conference expenses, the NALS Foundation is offering a select number of $150 scholarships.  If you are interested in receiving a scholarship to participate in the GLTT and attend the NALS 2015 Education Conference & National Forum in Tulsa this February, please complete and submit the Scholarship Application before Saturday, November 15. Two videos from the Board are below. These videos highlight and further explain some of the announcements listed above. Please watch and share with others!

After the NALS Board shared their updates to members in attendance at the Open Forum they opened up the floor to the members who voiced their opinions, asked questions, and brought their concerns directly to the Board. We want you to know that we heard you then and we continue to listen to you now. All items that were discussed during the forum will be discussed amongst the board. Be watching this blog for additional news/updates from the Board. If you have any questions or concerns at any time, please email the NALS Board at board@nals.org. 

In the end, the NALS 63rd Annual Education Conference & National Forum was a huge success! Attendees left with a wealth of continuing legal education, friendships new and old, and many memories. Be sure to check out the Houston conference photos to see what you missed! Please note, you must be signed into the NALS site as a member in order to view the photos. We are looking forward to seeing you at: 

2015 NALS Professional Development & Education Conference
February 25-28, 2015

DoubleTree Warren Place

Tulsa, Oklahoma

AND the

64th Annual Education Conference & National Forum

October 8-10, 2015

Riviera Casino & Hotel

Las Vegas, Nevada

- NALS 2014-2015 Board of Directors

Sign Me Up! NALS is important to me! I want to be part of the decision-making process for the future of our association. I will be in attendance and participate on Thursday, February 26, 2015, at 8:00 a.m. at the NALS Professional Development Conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma. If this describes you, fill out the interest form on our website: www.nals.org/?page=GLTT, or email board@nals.org, providing the following information:

• Name
• Chapter/State
• Address
• Email
• Cell Phone

Through a generous grant from the NALS Foundation, a few lucky recipients may now receive financial assistance—in the form of a scholarship—to attend the NALS 2015 Professional Development & Education Conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma! A limited number of $150 scholarships will be awarded to individuals wishing to participate in the NALS Grassroots-Level Think Tank (GLTT) scheduled for Thursday, February 26, 2015. Scholarship applicants will be vetted to ensure that a diverse representation of NALS members are selected. The purpose of this diversity is for NALS to achieve optimal results during the GLTT discussion. A scholarship is NOT required in order to participate in the NALS Grassroots-Level Think Tank, and it is our hope that many members will be able to participate regardless of whether scholarship funds are awarded. The Scholarship Application is available at www.nals.org/?GLTTscholarship. The deadline to apply is November 1, 2014.

- NALS 2014-2015 Board of Directors

• Network with fellow members through forums. 
• Track your continuing legal education hours online. 
• Download webinars on demand. 
• Register for events from the device of your choice. 
• Investigate a myriad of legal industry-specific website links. 

We hope you will take the time to explore the website and become more familiar with what it can offer you. NALS merged information from more than one source into this system and, as a result, we would like you to review and update your information as needed. If you require assistance to correct data you are restricted from changing, please submit a contact form at www.nals.org/contact and a member of NALS staff will be in touch with you. 

Utilize the NALS forums to reach your network of peers regarding your questions or open a dialog on issues you are facing in your job or association work. Take the time to navigate through the site and think about how you can best utilize its functions to your advantage. We will be creating how-to videos in the coming months on how to best utilize the different features of the site. 

Additionally NALS premiered the NALS2GO app version 1.0 in Houston and it will be available in just a few short weeks! It is currently in the submission process with the Apple, Google, and Kindle stores. More information will be shared as soon as it is available for download.

- NALS 2014-2015 Board of Directors

From time to time, we all should share what we are doing in NALS with our employers. Especially since they are the ones that will ultimately make the decision to support our membership in NALS. What is your employer’s “soft spot”? What fits in with their direction? Find the NALS benefit that aligns with their “soft spot” and share it with them. 

Every now and then we need to challenge ourselves to share what we have learned at a conference, a lunch and learn, or simply from another member with our legal administrators, attorneys, and our coworkers. Next time you return from a meeting and regroup from being away from the office, ask if you could share some of the information that you gained with the other legal professionals in your office. If your employer is currently supporting you, they will see their dollars at work through you. If you are looking to gain their support, they will see the value you are gaining from the meetings and hopefully will realize that you are fertile soil to plant their dollars. Let them see the value of NALS. 

Thinking of value in NALS, did you realize that we have some great Affinity Programs? This could also be a selling point to your employer. For instance, if you are in an office that does not have a FedEx or UPS account, ask if you could use the NALS Affinity Program discount. Share with them that as a member of NALS, you receive up to a 16% discount on domestic letters, which includes the letter and legal envelope packages. If you have a package that would normally cost $15 to overnight, with your NALS discount, it will only cost you $12.60—a savings of $2.40. If you overnight at least six packages a week for a year, your NALS membership will have saved your company over $720 a year. Hmm!! That’s a benefit worth letting them know about! If it can be saved, it can be allotted towards your NALS participation. 

What about student members in your legal community? What if you created an internship program that would give a student an experience within your law firm and, in turn, will help the law firm with certain tasks and needs during this period of internship? What if at the end, your employer realized how valuable this program has been to both the student and the law firm and decides to hire the student after he or she graduates from the paralegal or secretarial program? What if your employer then decides to continue the internships? You have engaged your firm to become proactive in allowing students to gain valuable experience and, in turn, your firm has gained talented employees. 

Sometimes we have to invest our time, shake up the normalcy, and show them that we are committed to NALS. 

- NALS 2014-2015 Board of Directors