april 2013 edition of the paralegal pipeline.pdf

Brevard Paralegal Association Chapter

Paralegal Association of Florida, Inc.

The Paralegal Pipeline

Inspiring professional growth...one paralegal at a time

April 2013

IN THIS ISSUE

State News 2

April Annual Meeting 3 April Panel Discussion 3 National News 4

E-Filing 5

Galleria 6

Community Service 7

2012-13 Board Listing 8

Sponsors 9, 10

Follow us! Search

“Brevard Paralegal

Association” and join!

We list useful links,

information regarding

upcoming meetings

and events!

It feels like it was yesterday when I

decided to run for President of our

Association. Now my second term is

coming to an end. Where did time

go?

It has been two years of hard work.

Meetings to organize, meetings to

attend, reports to be prepared, trips

made to the various PAF's Board

Meetings...

I'm grateful for the opportunity you

gave me and I have taken every chal-

lenge to heart.

If you asked me to choose one word

to describe what I'm most grateful for

in the past two years, that word

would be friendship. You don't lead a

group of people alone, you need

many faithful people to walk with you

so the job can be done. In the proc-

ess of working together, you get to

know people, their stories, and

friendships are formed.

I leave BPA's presidency with many

friends not only on the chapter level,

but also on the state level. I got to

also work with PAF's Board and got

to know the amazing group of people

who work hard to make our profes-

sion known and respected.

Thank you BPA's Board, Committee

Chairs, and all those of you who do-

nated your time to serve the associa-

tion. I could not have done IT with-

out you.

This next term I will become your

Immediate Past President. I'm looking

forward to working under the new

Board’s leadership. In addition, I will

be joining PAF's Board. I'm honored

to have the opportunity.

Please make sure to attend BPA's

Meeting on April 11 at Suntree Coun-

try Club. Our topic for next month is

“A Paralegal Panel Discussion: Attor-

neys Clients, and Peers – Effective

Communication." Also, we will be

having BPA's Annual Meeting. If you

are an active member and you can't

attend please send your proxies

ASAP.

Best regards,

Silvia

Silvia Cowan,

Brevard County Legal Aid

Monthly Message


CORNER

Annual renewals for FRP’s are now

due! Need credits? The Florida Bar

is offering CLE’s. A listing of

courses available can be accessed at

www.floridabar.org/cle.

If you are not a registered Florida

Paralegal the Florida Bar website has

as information pertaining to qualifi-

cations, fees, and a Q & A fact

sheet. Please take a few minutes to

review the information and consider

applying.

PAF QUICK

REFERENCE

Paralegal Association of Florida, Inc.

466 94th Avenue North

St. Petersburg, FL 33702

www.pafinc.org

PAF’s Spring Seminar, “Branching Out Growing, Growing in New

Directions is scheduled for May 17 - 18, 2013, at The Hotel Duval

Tallahassee, Florida. The seminar will be hosted by the Big Bend

Chapter. The seminar is approved by NALA for 10.5 hours of CLE

credit, including 3.0 hours of Ethics. The registration deadline is May

3, 2013. Registration fee is $150.00 for members and $180.00 for

non-members. A full description of workshops being offered, regis-

tration form, and informa-

tion pertaining to the ho-

tel is available on-line at

www.pafinc.org.

Notable News for the Sunshine State

The Treasure Coast Chapter of the Paralegal Association of Florida,

plans to hold a one day Spring Seminar on April 19, 2013 at the In-

dian River State College Campus. The Seminar is approved by NALA

for 6 hours of CLE credit. Registration fee is $75 for members, $90

non-members, and $30 for students. Workshop topics include:

Client Relations/Management/Effectiveness & Managing

Expectations

How Probated Property Affects Real Estate Transactions

Alimony Reform Bill

Wrongful Death & Litigation Crossover

Temporary Relief

Changes in the Estate Tax Exemption

Mediation

For additional information contact: Kristen Schmidt at (772) 633-

3496 or e-mail: [email protected]

SAVE THE DATE

www.pafinc.org/treasure

APRIL CHAPTER MEETING

ELECTIONS AND PANEL DISCUSSION

THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2013

6:00 P.M. - SUNTREE COUNTRY CLUB


A PARALEGAL PANEL DISCUSSION

ATTORNEYS, CLIENTS, AND PEERS

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Whether you are a seasoned veteran of the paralegal world or have only worked in the field for a short

time, we can guarantee that probably all of you or at least a wide percentage of you have had a “really bad

day” that was the result of communication - normally bad or no communication at all was at the heart of the

problem. It doesn’t matter what field you work in, we are all human beings and communication skills are not

always our strength in or out of a professional setting on a given day. The same holds true for the attorneys

you work for, your peers in the office, the clients your firm serves, and other paralegals and professionals

you deal with on a daily basis. You add to the mix a demanding work load, unclear expectations, stress, per-

sonal issues , etc., etc., and it can get pretty bumpy.

BPA is proud to present at the April meeting a panel discussion on this very topic. This panel was developed

in response to the 2012 Member Survey where members asked for training on this topic. Hear the panel

members experiences and insight on how they handled different situations and what has worked for them on

a daily basis.

Moderator: Roma Molinaro, CP, FRP, Paralegal

Michael Kahn, P.A.

Panelists in Attendance:

Kim Nowakowski, RP, FRP: Kim is Past President, BPA and has been a Senior Corporate Paralegal for

Health First, Inc. since 2005. In addition, Kim is a Member of the Florida Bar Health Law Section and the

Florida Bar Education Committee. Prior to working at Health First Kim was a Paralegal/Office Administrator

for the Law Office of Thomas H. Yardley for ten years.

Silvia Cowan: Silvia earned her law degree from Candido Mendes University of Law in Rio de Janeiro, Bra-

zil in 1996 and passed the bar that same year. Silvia moved to Florida in 2001 and obtained her AS Degree in

Paralegal Studies from Brevard Community College. Silvia is currently the President of BPA and soon will be

serving on the Board of Directors for the Paralegal Association of Florida, Inc. Silvia is a paralegal with Bre-

vard County Legal Aid and her responsibilities include conducting all interviews with prospective clients

seeking dissolution of marriage, child custody, and paternity cases.

Linda Goettsche, FRP, CP: Linda has her B.S. in Business Administration from Tennessee Technological

University and an A.S. in Paralegal Studies from Brevard Community College. Linda works as a paralegal for

Adrienne E. Trent, P.A. The firm primarily works in the area of employment law representing employees

and employers in various types of employment claims including employment discrimination, whistle blower

retaliation, Family and Medical Leave Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, breach of contract, unpaid wage and un-

employment claims.


Award Nominations Due April 15

Nominations for NALA's annual awards at the July Convention in Portland,

Oregon, are due April 15. These tributes are a meaningful function of a

professional association to express esteem for members who excel and to

inspire excellence in others. Nomination forms are available from NALA

Headquarters or they may be downloaded from the NALA website in un-

der the Members Area tab. .

The Founders' Award is NALA's highest award recognizing extraordi-

nary contributions that have affected the paralegal profession for a signifi-

cant period.

The Presidents' Award is exclusively for NALA members, recognizing

achievements in the growth and development of the profession. Recipients

must be members for at least two years and have at least five years of ex-

perience as a paralegal.

NALA Affiliated Associations Awards recognize both affiliates and individ-

ual members for service and outstanding contributions. These awards in-

clude the National Affiliated Associations Achievement Award and the

Affiliate Awards for general recognition of resolute service and valuable

contributions to the members' affiliated associations.

LEAP Applications Due May 15

NALA's Professional Development Committee is now accepting applica-

tions for the LEAP class of 2014. The class members will be announced

this summer at the 2013 NALA Annual Meeting of Members, in Portland,

Oregon. The LEAP curricula is designed to support NALA members who

are also serving as leaders of their state and local NALA affiliated organiza-

tions by reading the latest in association management and developing skills

that support leadership growth. Read more about the LEAP classes on the

web.

Remember, LEAP is open to members of NALA who are also Certified

Paralegals. There is no cost for participating in this year-long, web-based

training, however LEAP class members are expected to attend the NALA

Annual Meeting of Members at the end of their year. LEAP is one of the

best bargains around - and a perfect example of your NALA membership

dues and affiliated association fees at work for you!

Toni-Marie D’Alessandro

Linda Goettsche

Barbara Morrow

Jamie Shreffler

NEW MEMBER WELCOMES

Emily O’Rouke

Kathrine Reinmann

Deborah Tuttle

MEMBERSHIP COUNT

55 Active 2 Associates

14 Students 2 Honorary

They say it’s your Birthday ♫

Happy Birthday to Ya ♫

Notable News from NALA


FOND FAREWELL BPA bids a fond farewell to Nandra Ramnarine, CP who has been a loyal and

dedicated member of the Chapter for many years. Nandra has accepted an ex-

citing opportunity in the corporate environment as paralegal in Tampa, Florida.

Her expertise and years of experience will be valuable assets to her new em-

ployer. Nandra’s contributions to BPA are immeasurable. Through her years in

the organization, she has served in nearly every board position including Presi-

dent. In the past year, Nandra was both Chair, Ways & Means Committee and

editor of The Paralegal Pipeline. We wish her well in her new job and all the joy

and opportunities living in Tampa offers .

DEADLINE FOR MANDATORY E-FILING ARRIVES FOR CIVIL CASES

Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past

or present are certain to miss the future.

John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) Thirty-fifth President of the USA

April 1, 2013 is no joking matter for those of us that work in Civil Law. That is the date for mandatory e-filing. If you

have not already done so please go to myflcourtaccess.com and register your attorneys. I thought I would take a mo-

ment and share with everyone a few tips and reminders.

You are no longer required to submit the original documents after e-filing; unless the original is re-

quired.

Example: Wills are required documents. The Clerk must keep the paper original for 20 years.

All proposed orders must be mailed to the Clerk’s office. You may not submit these through the e-

portal.

Please ensure all information in the caption of your document is correct.

When filing documents for existing cases, please ensure a correct case number is on every document.

Please choose the appropriate title from the drop down menu for each of your documents.

Please attach all exhibits if your document mentions exhibits.

If your document mentions something being attached please attach it.

Example: A "Notice of Filing" states a death certificate is attached. This would be considered one

document not two. You would have to attach the death certificate and submit it as one document.

When filing a new case you will be prompted to pay the appropriate filing fee. You can use your firm’s

credit card or set up your firm’s bank account information, no different then paying a bill on-line.

For a limited time the Clerk’s office will still be accepting documents through the mail and over the

counter. This is an undetermined amount of time.

I hope this information is helpful. This is an exciting time for all and like any new endeavor there will be adjustments. I

am confident if we all work together and are patient in the end we will have a more convenient efficient way of doing

business.

Hope Lutz, CP

Paralegal, Brevard County Clerk of the Courts

http://en.proverbia.net/citasautor.asp?autor=14002


The February meeting welcomed Dr. Louis Jiannine,

Professor and Curriculum Coordinator of Paralegal

Studies at Brevard Community College and his wife,

Rene Jiannine. It was a bitter sweet evening for all given

that Dr. J (affectionately known by his past and present

students) announced his planned retirement at the end

of this year. Many current and former students were in

attendance to hear his presentation on, "Hearsay My-

thology". President Silvia Cowan took the opportunity

to thank Dr. J for his loyal support of BPA through the

years and what that has meant to the organization and

each of the members.

Members had a chance to reminisce about Dr. J’s

“Evidence Take Home” exam.

BPA WELCOMES BACK

DR. LOUIS JIANNINE

REMEMBER APRIL BPA

ELECTIONS


BRANCHING OUT WITH PAF

Toni-Marie D’Alessandro, CP, FCP,

FRP, Community Service Chair

All chapters of PAF have received the following call for help in the form of community service

from Heather Dugan, Community Service Liaison from PAF:

It’s that time of year again . . . Spring Seminar and GIFT BASKETS!!!

We are less than 50 days out from the Spring Seminar and the Big Bend chapter has selected

the Tree House of Tallahassee as their charity. “Since 1986, thousands of abused and ne-

glected children in Tallahassee and the surrounding nine counties have found shelter, com-

fort and a sense of normalcy through a local charity – Tree House of Tallahassee,

Inc.” For additional information, please visit: www.treehouseflorida.org/

whatistreehouse.aspx.

The theme for the Spring Seminar is “Branching Out – Growing in New Directions.” The Big

Bend chapter will be using the Tallahassee Live Oak Trees as their main focus. I need your

help in preparing a gift basket from your chapter to be raffled off at the seminar…...

Jamie Shreffler from Michael Kahn’s Firm has graciously agreed to put the basket together

for us. At the February meeting it was suggested that we think of items that would be used

with wine, i.e. scorescrews, cocktail napkins, good book, etc., etc. If you have any items that

you think you would like to donate, we will be taking donations

at this month’s meeting. If you have any questions, please

contact Toni-Marie and please visit the website for Tree

House of Tallahassee for more information on this most worth-

while cause. Remember, children are our future!

http://www.treehouseflorida.org/whatistreehouse.aspx

http://www.treehouseflorida.org/whatistreehouse.aspx


Newsletter Advertising

Half Page $100/Year

Or $55/6 months

Business Card $50/Year

Or $30/6 months

Special rates available for one-

time ads

Submit business card or ad artwork,

preferably in .jpg or .bmp format to Kim-

berly.Nowakowski@ Health-First.Org or

send it to:

Kim Nowakowski

c/o Health First, Inc.

6540 US Hwy 1

Rockledge FL 32955

The Paralegal Pipeline advertising

reaches people throughout Florida. The

publication’s revenue supports scholar-

ships and various community service

projects, which enables your costs associ-

ated to advertising here to be tax de-

ductible.

Please make your check payable to

Brevard Paralegal Association. Thank

you.

Treasurer’s Report Hope Lutz, CP, Treasurer

Checking $ 4,476.76 Savings $ 3,849.91 As of March 30, 2013

BOARD OF DIRECTORS President

Silvia Cowan

[email protected]

Vice President

Tracy King, FRP

[email protected]

Treasurer

Hope Lutz, CP

[email protected]

Secretary

Linda Goettsche, CP

[email protected]

Immediate Past President

Kim Nowakowski, RP,FRP [email protected]

Parliamentarian

Toni-Marie D’Alessandro, CP, FCP, FRP [email protected]

Director-at-Large

Anne Cope [email protected]

COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Budget Jenny Lawton-Seal, CP, FRP

[email protected]

Bylaws and Standing Rules Maureen “Mo” Martens, CP, FRP

[email protected]

Community Service

Toni-Marie D’Alessandro, CP, FCP, FRP [email protected]

Education/Scholarship

Roma Molinaro, CP, FCP, FRP, MLA

[email protected]

Student Liaison

Debbie Gapsch

[email protected]

Job Bank Coordinator

Kim M. Dexter, ACP, FCP

[email protected]

Local Bar Liaison

Kim Nowakowski, RP, FRP [email protected]

Meetings Sabine Martel

for dinner reservations e-mail bpameet-

[email protected]

Membership

Tracy King, FRP

[email protected]

Newsletter Editor

Anne Cope [email protected]

Publicity Jessica Pauley, CP

[email protected]

Ways and Means


OTHER POSITIONS

Vacant

Historian/Photographer

PAF Website


2012-13 BPA Board of Directors & Committee

mailto:[email protected]




















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april 2013 edition of the paralegal pipeline.pdf

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