march-april wspa newsletter

March/April 2010 Volume 25 Issue 2

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Findings & Conclusions

ContentsPresident's Corner 1

Management Directory 2

WSPA Board Nominations Form 3

Management Reports 6

Military Outreach 11

WSPA Annual Award Nomination 15

Professional Development 20

President's Cornerby Brian Haberly, RP

www.wspaonline.org

Index to Advertisers Advertiser Page

713 Training 13CourtsOnline 9T-Scan Corporation 14Unisearch 13Watkins Court Reporters 10Advertising rates and information: page 6

Springtime is traditionally the time of rebirth andrenewal. Daffodils and our much beloved tulipshave poked their heads up a bit earlier this yearthan normal, thanks to the warmer than usualwinter we’ve experienced here in the northwest.Make sure that you visit Mt. Vernon’s breathtak-ing tulip fields and bring your camera! Around

Western Washington, many fruit trees have already come intobloom – much earlier than expected — causing some to alreadylose their blossoms in the recent storms!

Springtime is also the time that the Washington StateParalegal Association gets to celebrate our yearly ritual of rebirth inthe form of our Annual Officer and Director elections! Nomina-tions are now being accepted for WSPA Officer and Directorpositions for the 2010-2011 term of office, which runs from June 1,2010 through May 31, 2011. All WSPA Officer positions (Presi-dent, Vice President of Membership, Vice President of Profes-sional Development, Secretary and Treasurer) are up for electioneach year. Director positions are two-year terms and severalpositions will be open for nomination in this current election cycle.

Participation as an elected or volunteer Leader in yourprofessional organization is a great addition to your resume, andwill help you build skills and confidence that you can use in yourjob! A description of the positions up for election this year isavailable elsewhere in this issue along with a Nominationform. Completed Nomination forms must be received by SarahSawyer, our 2010 Nomination Coordinator, no later than Friday,April 16, 2010 and elections will be held in late April.

Nominations for our 2010 Paralegal Awards are nowbeing accepted! Award categories are: Paralegal of the Year;Lifetime Achievement; WSPA Volunteer of the Year; Paralegal ProBono Award; Paralegal Community Service Award; and ParalegalStudent Scholarship Award. Award recipients will be honored atthe 2010 Annual Members Awards Luncheon, which is set totake place with the Spring CLE program on Friday May 7 at theRed Lion Hotel in Seattle. More information on the Spring CLE canbe found at: http://bit.ly/aTCu3V. In addition to these awardcategories, WSPA members will be honored for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 ormore years of membership, AND the new WSPA Board andDirectors will be presented. This is an excellent way to recognizeWashington paralegals for their achievements and get connectedwith WSPA! We hope to see you there!(continued page four)


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2009 - 2010MANAGEMENT DIRECTORY

In-State: (800) 288-WSPA (9772) E-Mail: [email protected] Site: http://www.wspaonline.org

OFFICERS

PresidentBrian Haberly [email protected] & AdministrationSue [email protected] DevelopmentDonna [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Past PresidentTheda Yandell RP

NFPA REPRESENTATIVESNFPA Primary RepresentativeSue [email protected] RepresentativeJeanenne [email protected] AmbassadorLaura [email protected]

DIRECTORS

East King Co. DirectorTami [email protected] DirectorMichelle [email protected] DirectorJeanenne [email protected] Puget Sound DirectorBarbara [email protected] [email protected] WA. Chapter [email protected] Co. ChapterDirectorSarah [email protected] King CountyDouglas [email protected] Chapter DirectorAmy [email protected] At-Large, [email protected] At-Large, WestBrenda [email protected]

COMMITTEE CHAIRS

CLE Approval CommitteeChairStephanie [email protected] Bank Committee [email protected] Program ChairJennifer [email protected]/Issues [email protected] Bono CoordinatorDebbie [email protected] Coordinator/EditorJay [email protected] Paralegal CoordinatorJeanenne Rutherfordmilitary-paralegal-support@[email protected]

ADMINISTRATORDiane BevinsAssociation Services, Inc.P.O. Box 58530Seattle, WA 98138-1530(206) [email protected]


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WSPA 2010 Board and Officer Nominations Now Being Accepted

WSPA is now seeking applicants for its 2010 open Officer and Director positions.

Officers are elected to serve one-year terms, while Chapter Directors serve in staggered two-yearterms. All Officers and Directors must be current and renewing voting members of WSPA. Officers andDirectors form the voting Board of Directors of the Washington State Paralegal Association. The term ofoffice runs from June 1st of each year through May 31 of the following year.

The WSPA Board conducts regular and special board meetings approximately 6-8 times throughoutthe year, meeting both in person and telephonically. In addition, the Board participates in an annual planning conference and board retreat, during which time the annual budget is approved. Attendance atboard meetings is necessary to insure that a quorum is present and association business canbe accomplished.

Nominations for Officer positions are now being accepted for the following positions: President,Vice President of Membership & Administration, Vice President of Professional Development, Secretaryand Treasurer. President: As principal executive officer of the Association, the President is primarily responsible forthe Management of the Association and serves as a representative of the Association throughout the state.The President oversees all of the business and affairs of the Association as well as the local chapters andcommittees, plans, prepares the agendas for and presides over all meetings of the Board of Directors. ThePresident also serves as the primary contact between the Board of Directors, Committee Chairs, members,and independent contractors performing services for the Association, reviews and signs contracts,documents, or other instruments on behalf of the Association. The President appoints, with Board approval,all appointive Officers, Standing Committees and Ad Hoc committees, Committee Chairs, and Coordinators.The President will also draft President’s Corner for the newsletter every other month.

Vice President of Membership & Administration (VPMA): Vice Presidents shall attend WSPABoard meetings and be prepared to step in as chair at meetings in the absence of the President. VicePresidents shall assist with committees or in such other areas as required or directed by the President orthe Board. The VPMA oversees the Administrator, membership, CLE applications, marketing, vendorrelations, student liaisons, and the Job Bank.

Vice President of Professional Development (VPPD): Vice Presidents shall attend WSPA Boardmeetings and be prepared to step in as chair at meetings in the absence of the President. Vice Presidentsshall assist with committees or in such other areas as required or directed by the President or the Board.The VPPD oversees the NFPA delegates, the educational conferences, sections, events, pro bono, PACEand the Positions and Issues Committee.

Secretary: The Secretary will attend, take roll, and take minutes for all meetings of the Board of Directors,and prepare board meeting summaries for inclusion in the newsletter, keep a correct recording in apermanent notebook of the minutes of each Board meeting, send e-mail notification of impending Boardmeetings, maintain any and all important letters and/or records coming to the Association that may begiven to the Secretary for safekeeping, and deliver these and all minute books to the new Secretary (continuednext page)

Washington State ParalegalAssociation


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(President’s Corner continued from page one)

Our Spring CLE program is right around the corner! Make plans now to attend the WSPA Spring CLE andAnnual Members Award Luncheon on Friday, May 7, 2010 at the Red Lion Hotel in Seattle. This programfeatures four special 90-minute CLE breakout sessions, covering such topics as eDiscovery, Legal Ethics/UPL issues, Legal Writing, and a close-up look at CT Summation. Attend for either a full day, half day, orjust join us for some networking during the delicious Annual Awards Luncheon Buffet! (6.0 WSPA CLECredits if attending all sessions.) Just added! Theresa Prater, NFPA VP of Professional Developmentwill present our Luncheon Keynote Address!

2010 is the 35th Anniversary of WSPA’s founding. Make a promise to yourself to get reacquaintedand re-engaged with WSPA in 2010. You’ll be glad you did!

upon leaving office, maintain records to include the Bylaws, Articles of Incorporation, Annual Reports toSecretary of State, and other corporate documents.

Treasurer: The Treasurer is the chief financial officer responsible for maintaining the budget and booksof the Association. The Treasurer will receive all monies for the Association from the administrator, makedisbursements and keep an accounting of all receipts and disbursements, work with the Association’sCertified Public Accountant in preparation of tax filings, prepare a draft budget and present it to the Boardof Directors at the annual retreat, give Treasurer’s report to the Board of Directors at all regularly scheduledmeetings or whenever requested and balance the budget.

Nominations for Director positions are now being accepted to serve as our Central Washington ChapterDirector, East King County Chapter Director, Seattle Chapter Director, Snohomish CountyChapter Director, Spokane Chapter Director, and our At-Large Eastern Washington Director (Allother Chapters Directors are elected in 2011; Please contact Brian Haberly, WSPA President [email protected] for more information about serving in one of these positions). Chapter Directorsmust live or work in the chapter area they direct. Chapter Directors are voting WSPA Board membersand are responsible for organizing regularly scheduled social and educational meetings of the chapter.

For more information about nominations, including self-nominations, please contact ourNomination Committee, Sarah Sawyer at [email protected] or Brian Haberly [email protected].

Additional WSPA Leadership OpportunitiesIn addition to the Board and Officer Nominations we are now accepting, we are also looking for WSPA

members to serve as our Volunteer Coordinator, as Newsletter Reporters and Writers, as Educational ConferenceCoordinators, as the Electronic Litigation Section Chair, and a variety of other positions.

These are great opportunities for you to become a leader in your profession and to add to your skill set! For more information on any of these opportunities and to learn how you can make an important contribution

to both our association and to your profession, please contact Brian Haberly, WSPA President via emailat [email protected].

WSPA 2010 Board and Officer Nominations Now Being Accepted(continued from previous page)


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I hope everyone is enjoying the small bits of spring we are trying to have. At least theflowers have not paid to much attention to the cold!

February: My firm was heavily involved in the representation of Salim Hamdan, aGuantanamo detainee tried for war crimes. In December a CLE was created regarding thepreparation of the trial of Hamdan, which was presented live in December and then madeavailable via the Perkins Coie web site.

I really wanted to share this with my chapter but the length (An hour and a half) was toolong for a noon time brown bag. It finally dawned on me that it could be an on line chapterpresentation. This was well received by both the chapter members and their attorneys (forthem it was worth 1.5 hours of ethics credit and free). The presentation is still available, sodrop me a line if you would like to see it.

March: Who needs lunch? It was time for a meet and desert meeting for the Seattle Chapter! We hadlots of sharing on job resources and vendors, along with a tour of the WSPA and NFPA website, while indulgingPie, cheesecake and more.Upcoming events:April 10, 2010 – Pro Bono Opportunities in Washington State, with Leah Medway, Perkins Coie’s Pro BonoCounsel.May 13, 2010 – Volunteer Advocates for Immigrant Justice, with Julie Bildhauer Director at Volunteer Advocatesfor Immigrant Justice/ABA

Seattle Chapter ReportJeanenne Rutherford, Seattle Chapter Director

Management Reports

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Contact [email protected] for additional ad-vertising information.

Findings and Conclusions is the official publicationof the Washington State Paralegal Association andis published six times per year. Letters to the Editor,articles, advertisements or correspondence shouldbe submitted to:

WSPA Newsletter EditorP.O. Box 58530Seattle, WA 98138Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

All submissions are due the 20th of each odd num-bered month for publication the following month. Arti-cles may be submitted on disk in Word format or viaEmail.

The Editor reserves the right to edit material for clar-ity, space or advertising.The articles published hereinexpress the opinions of their authors and, unless ex-pressly stated, do not necessarily reflect those ofWSPA


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Management Reports

South King County Chapter ReportDoug Wright, SKCO Chapter Director

The newly reorganized WSPA South King County Chapter met on the evening of April 1, 2010 at the KingCounty Library in White Center. We had about 20 people present to for a great evening of information sharing, pizza,and networking.

The evening was focused around the theme of Tips for Job Hunting in the current economy. Our speakers wereDonna Zimmer, WSPA VP-Professional Development; Brian Haberly, RP, WSPA President; Will Chargualaf, Law Dawgslegal recruiting; Faye Hutsell, Robert Half legal recruiting; and Moifair Chin, a paralegal with the FAA.

Donna gave some tips on positive mental attitudes and goal setting. Brian Haberly spoke on the importance ofleveraging social networking tools like LinkedIn and Twitter to build your personal brand and to enhance your jobsearching abilities. Will spoke about interviewing tips and resume writing do’s and don’ts. Faye talked about thecurrent trends she is seeing in paralegal hiring and how to set yourself apart from the competition. Moifair described theprocess of seeking a paralegal position with the Federal Government. A brief resume review session was part of theevening as well.

Everyone agreed that the evening was a great example of sharing information and resources and the memberspresent said they were looking forward to the next meeting of the chapter, which will likely be in June. If you would liketo help in the planning of our next meeting, please contact me at [email protected].

East King County Chapter ReportTami Day, EKCO Chapter Director

The East King County Chapter met on the March 30th at Panera Bread Bakery in Redmond. Our guestspeaker was Rick Braa and he spoke on career development and “The Power of Engagement”.

Rick described his career in the food service industry, and the importance of taking responsibility for thesuccess of an organization. He presented a very insightful program and shared a “Ladder of Self-Responsibility”where people are at one of eight steps ranging from a Victim mentality of being unaware and unconscious ofproblems, moving up through blaming others, and saying “I can’t” and eventually becoming Accountable, andowning problems, finding solutions, and making things happen!

The East King County chapter is always looking for good ideas for potential new speakers or topics. Ifyou would like to help in the success of the East King County Chapter, please contact me at [email protected].

Wll Chargualaf Fay Hutsell

Moifair Chin


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Management Reports

Snohomish County ReportSarah Eisenhauer, Snohomish County Director

The first meeting of the year was held, March 24, 2010 at the Everett Library’s Evergreen Branch. It wasa new space and it worked out very well for the presentation about “Searching WA Court Records” given by JimCronin, MPA, CFE.

Jim Cronin is an Industry-recognized leader in online investigative information with 38 years of investiga-tive experience and 17 years specialization in insurance fraud investigation and litigation support. His investiga-tive work has been featured in many regional and national news and trade sources.

He gave a very informative look at various sources, both free and subscription based, that he uses to lookup court case information in the State of Washington. We were amazed at the amount of information that isavailable online. He also has a wealth of information regarding investigating in a public folder located at http://cid-792925325d4d05eb.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/JIM%20CRONIN%20CFE%5E4S%20PUBLIC%20FOLDER.

The next meetings will be in June and September. Keep checking the WSPA calendar and an announce-ment will be sent out around May 1st for the June meeting. If you have an idea for a topic for the upcomingmeetings, please contact me at [email protected].

Wow! We had our very first meeting for the Vancouver Chapter of the WSPA. All of us who attended are soexcited to be getting things going in our area and seeing more people become involved. We are working on a datefor our next chapter meeting and will have that posted as soon as we can. Please feel free to contact me with anyideas, suggestions or requests for topics at upcoming meetings. I am looking forward to getting a strong groupgoing and networking with everyone here in Clark County and beyond. Welcome Spring!Amy RugerDirector Vancouver Chapter [email protected]

Vancouver ReportAmy Ruger, Vancouver Chapter Director

Original items printed here are the property of WSPA.We ask that National Federation of Paralegal Associa-tions (NFPA) member associations who reprint articlesfrom Findings and Conclusions, credit the article andprovide WSPA with a copy as reprinted. Others may notreproduce original material for any purpose without prior,written consent of the WSPA Newsletter Editor.Publication of any advertisement does not imply endorse-ment of the product/services offered. WSPA reservesthe right to reject advertisement due to content or spaceconsiderations.

Findings and Conclusions is the official publication of theWashington State Paralegal Association and is publishedsix times per year. Letters to the Editor, articles, adver-tisements or correspondence should be submitted to:

WSPA Newsletter EditorP.O. Box 58530Seattle, WA 98138Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

All submissions are due the 20th of each odd numberedmonth for publication the following month. Articles maybe submitted on disk in Word format or via Email.

The Editor reserves the right to edit material for clarity,space or advertising.The articles published herein expressthe opinions of their authors and, unless expressly stated,do not necessarily reflect those of WSPA


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WSPA's Mission: Toenthusiastically support and promote theparalegal profession in the State ofWashington.

We are dedicated to the enhancement of theparalegal profession.We strive for personal and professionaldevelopment.

We will encourage increased utilization ofparalegals to broaden employment opportunitiesstatewide.

We advocate high quality paralegal educationalprograms in preparation for entr y into theprofession.

We hold our members to high standards byrequiring 10 Continuing Legal Education creditsper year to retain full voting status or to hold anoffice in the Association.

We will monitor proposed state and federallegislation affecting paralegals and willpar ticipate in the legislative and regulatoryprocess to represent our Members' views.

Management Reports

Sue Beichley, Vice-President MembershipMembership Report

Spring is here. I hope you have all renewed your memberships. If not, it is not too late. Please visithttp://www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaID=190985. As we head into spring, please check theWSPA calendar for upcoming events. WSPA’s individual chapters will continue to offer many su-perb social and educational opportunities throughout the year. Contact your local chapter directorfor more information.We currently have 76 Voting members; 55 Associate members; 7 Non-Profit/Government Votingmembers; 21 Non-Profit/Government Non voting Members; 66 student members and 1 Sustainingmember for a total of 226 members as of March 26, 2010.

I would like to extend a warm welcome the following new members who joined WSPA:

Paul Alleva Maureen AndersonMary Jane Arial Matthew BarilettiAngela Barnes Jennifer BeckerPaula Beckner Mark BellerLauren Bickle Kimberly BorgardtsCassandra Braget Kris CanadayJack Chadwick Colleen ClarkTamela Cole Jeff CookRae Ann Cornell Thema CrenshawDineal Crowe David CrumKimberly Cutting Nicole DyalCharity Edwards Liasmarie EmeryFabian Fereshtehfar Kimberly FosterLacey Georgeson Sarah GetchmanIshita Ghosh K. GiesingGeorgia Gullick Candace HathawayIrene Hartzell Lani HearneSharzad Hedayat Mehr Shannon HenryDanielle Hermann Susan HeuerHarry Higgins Angie HouckPatricia Inderhees Brooke JacobsonMonserrat Jauregui ‘ Sharon JohnsonPatrick Judkins Tara KaseMary Knight Shannon LaliberteElissa Leavitt Lisa LindstromLeigh Mari Allyson MartinLaura McCulloch Jael MejaNicole Miller Karen MillerTerry Mosvold Courtney MullinsPatricia Murphy Pandora Neiland

Disclaimer

Unless otherwise indicated, the authors of the submissions contained in Findings & Conclusions are paralegals. All reports, profiles,summaries, checklists, articles, or other submissions are provided for informational purposes only, and are not intended as legaladvice and should not be relied upon for that purpose. All opinions expressed in any submission are the authors’ sole opinionand should not be taken as the opinion or position of the Washington State Paralegal Association.


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Management Reports

CONGRATULATIONSWSPA’s 2010 Longevity Award Winners!

5 Year 10 YearBrandi S. Gaines Paula McmillianKathie Hales Cynthia BryanElizabeth C. Fuhrman Kelli K. WilcoxAmylyn Riedling Karen E.Y. BoothHenry E. Szymonik John IkiBeatrice Brown Bonnie FruikJoan M. Schmeichel 15 YearSusan L. Braunberger Leslie Kodish20 Year 35 YearDarlene Klister Fran ChappleJudy ColensoAward winners will be recognized during the Annual Members Awards Luncheon, to be held in conjunction with the SpringCLE on Friday May 7 at the Red Lion Hotel in Seattle. Visit www.wspaonline.org for more information about attendingthe Spring CLE or Awards Luncheon.


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Military Outreach

HELP WSPA SUPPORT MILITARYPARALEGALS AROUND THE WORLD

The Washington State Paralegal Association is a founding member of the NFPA Military Paralegal Outreach program. Thisprogram seeks to unite paralegals serving overseas in the US Armed Forces with local paralegal associations by sendingperiodic “Care Packages” of non-perishable food, snack, hygiene and other miscellaneous items (books, games, stationery,etc.) to bring them a little bit of home while away from their loved ones.

WSPA was one of the original 8 paralegal associations across the country that participated in the very first group mailing toactive duty Military Paralegals serving overseas back in February 2006. In the first year of this program, NFPA memberassociations supported 29 Navy Legalmen and Military Paralegals. WSPA is proud to have supported six militaryparalegals since this program was first begun. Jeanenne Rutherford is now accepting donations (cash and food items) inthe Seattle area. You can reach her at [email protected].

Suggested Items:

Hygiene: Food:Antibiotic Ointment Single Serving Pasta LicoriceChapstick/lip balm/Carmex Ready to Heat Soups Sunflower SeedsSunscreen (Bull Frog is good) Lunchables Aqua DropsBug Repellent (with deet) Ramon Noodles GumFace cleaner Powdered Power-Aide/Gator-Aide/ Peanuts in a shellEye drops/Saline Koolaid/Tang Rice Krispy TreatsLiquid hand sanitizer/Baby wipes Granola Bars/Cereal Bars Snack CakesFoot/body powder (Gold Bond) Fruit Roll-ups Misc:Misc:Misc:Misc:Misc:Deodorant Raisins CondimentsShampoo/Conditioner Beef Jerky (no pork) Lemonade/Ice Tea MixTooth Brush/Toothpaste Applesauce Cough DropsNose spray/nose drops Fruit/Pudding Cups Stationery/envelopesHand/Body Lotion Cereal (individual Servings) Stamps/PensBand-aids, Mole Skin Chex Mix Dice/Travel GamesSoap Tuna Kits Individual Instant CoffeeMouth Wash Snacks:Snacks:Snacks:Snacks:Snacks: Books/MagazinesNail Clippers Hard Candy (no chocolate-it melts) Tylenol/IbuprofenDental Floss Snack Mix Allergy MedicineTums/Rolaids Chips/Cookies/Crackers/Microwave Ziploc BagsTylenol/Aspirin Popcorn/Pretzels Instant CamerasQ-Tips Pop Tarts RainX


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Recently, NFPA has adopted a differentapproach to sponsoring the Legalman project.NFPA is now asking associations to commit to acertain number of care packages per year, and as-signing an overseas JAG office instead of individualLegalman. There are two reasons why NFPA hasmade this shift: #1 to increase support to ourLegalman overseas in a timely manner; #2 simplythat the Legalman were serving their tour and rotat-ing out and we are notified that the individual hadreturned home, unless they corresponded with us.We are now being assigned a JAG office so anyLegalman assigned to the office can benefit fromour comfort package.

We recently have sent two packets to NavyLegalman or Military Paralegals (one to Bagram,Afghanistan, the other to the US Embassy inBagdad, Iraq) currently serving overseas. Unfortu-nately, we have not heard back from them yet. Theinformation will be posted as soon as we do!

Our paralegal equivalents are going to needour support more than ever. The US Commanderin Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, hasbanned American and NATO troops from eating fastfood. Yes there are (or were) some fast food out-lets (Burger King and Pizza Hut for example) thathave business’s on or near the bases. Did I men-tion that General Stanley runs 13k every morningand only eats one meal a day? They are also go-ing to see a reduction in first-run movies. [Seearticle at http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/03/31/2861692.htm?section=Justin]

To learn more about Legalman (and seecommentary from Steven DiStephano, NFPA’sArmed Forces Coordinator) go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWRBoeNbCtw andhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYfcSmCYFPg.

We always need donations! See list oursuggestion list at www.wspaonline.org and searchfor military.

TIPS FROM A SOLDIER’S MOM:· Send sauce packets (like Arby’s sauce). Iam told this can make any MIC’s taste good.· Send cards and email/snail mailso soldiers can say thank you.· Holiday cards, photos and stories of theeveryday things at home are priceless.· Some of the favorite letters are about walk-ing the dog, the kids holiday show and local sports,even if it is not their family it helps you know thatlife goes on.

LEGALMAN NOTES

Military Outreach


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Nominations are now being accepted for WSPA’s Annual Awards! Awardcategories are:

· Paralegal of the Year· Lifetime Achievement· WSPA Volunteer of the Year· Paralegal Pro Bono· Paralegal Community Service· Paralegal Student Scholarship

Awards recipients will be honored at the 2010 Annual Members AwardsLuncheon, which is set to take place with the Spring CLE program on FridayMay 7 at the Red Lion Hotel in Seattle. More information on the Spring CLE canbe found at: http://bit.ly/aTCu3V. In addition to the above award categories, WSPA members will be honoredfor 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 years of membership, AND the new WSPA Board andDirectors will be presented. This is an execellent way to recognizeWashington paralegals for their achievements and get connected withWSPA! We hope to see you there! Award descriptions and nomination materials are attached. Please [email protected] with any additional questions.

WSPA ANNUAL AWARDS



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Definition of a Paralegal – as defined byNFPA and WSPA

A Paralegal is a person, qualified through education, trainingor work experience to perform substantive legal work thatrequires knowledge of legal concepts and is customarily, butnot exclusively, performed by a lawyer. This person may beretained or employed by a lawyer, law office, governmentalagency or other entity or may be authorized by administrative,statutory or court authority to perform this work. Substantiveshall mean work requiring recognition, evaluation,organization, analysis, and communication of relevant factsand legal concepts.



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WHAT IS A GOAL?A goal is a purpose toward which an endeavor is directed – an objective. The aim at which our endeavor isdirected.HOW DO WE INTERPRET MEETING OUR GOAL?Ø SuccessØ FulfillmentØ ConfidenceØ StimulationØ Dignity

HOW DO WE INTERPRET NOT MEETING OUR GOAL?Ø ShameØ EmbarrassmentØ Decreased self worthØ GuiltØ Anger

HOW DO WE MEET OUR GOALS?Ø StrategyØ PlanningØ Writing down our goalsØ Placing a time frame to meet our goalsØ Looking at our plan every day and following it____________________________________________________________

We all want to be successful. We all want to feel good about ourselves and have confidence in our ability toperform our jobs and succeed in our careers. Setting goals to succeed in our careers is one of the mostimportant keys to professional development and success.It is no different than deciding to run a marathon. When deciding to run a marathon, it is very important to seta goal. Setting a goal can and will make the difference between success and failure. Imagine waking up onemorning and saying to yourself, “You know, today I am going to run a marathon, 26 miles, 385 yards.” Youthink to yourself, “I have some running experience. Remember that time in 10th grade when I was in track andbeat that other kid in the 5K? I can run a marathon, no problem.” The only problem is, without having a goalin place as to how you will finish this marathon, you will just take off, wandering aimlessly, not knowing whereyou are going, not knowing if or how you will finish. Will you collapse at mile 18? Will your knees give out?Will you break an ankle? Or will you finish in less time than a regular marathon runner? You really have noidea. However, setting marathon goals, having a plan in place, will help you finish the marathon the way youhad planned –

Ø I will finish the race running, walking, or a combination of the two.Ø I will finish the race without walking at all.Ø I will finish the race with a specific time and a specific pace.Ø I will finish as a competitor and try to win the race.

(continued next page)

Professional Development

Paralegals: Meeting Our ProfessionalGoals

by Donna Ziegler


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Taking charge of your profession as a paralegal is no different than the marathon runner setting his or her goal. Itis the same thought process. You must determine in the beginning the type of professional you want to be.Ø Do I want to sit at the computer all day doing 9-5 work, forms, divorces, bankruptcies, Wills?Ø Do I want to work for a trial attorney and be in court all the time?Ø Do I want to work in a corporate law firm or for a very large company such as Microsoft orBoeing?Ø Do I want to work for a small firm or a sole practitioner?Ø Do I want to work in the courthouse or for the county or state?Ø Do I want to freelance or do contract work?Ø Do I want to work for the plaintiff or the defendant?

There are many options available to paralegals and deciding what your goals and plans are is the first step tosuccess.

SETTING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GOALS –

Taking charge of your professional growth is up to you. Start off by joining associations such as:

Ø WSPA – Washington State Paralegal AssociationØ NFPA – National Federation of Paralegal AssociationsØ NALA – National Association of Legal Assistants / ParalegalsØ WSAJ – Washington State Association for Justice

Keep up to date and apprised of recent cases, case law, changes to any state or local rules. Get close to a SeniorParalegal at work, have him/her teach you the tricks of the trade. Attend as many seminars, CLEs, workshops,and annual conventions as you can. Get others in your workplace involved so your managing attorney will see howimportant it is to the company.

Training and self study are very important to meeting your goals and increasing your development. Subscribe to 1or 2 paralegal magazines or newsletters and READ THEM !! Read one book at least once a month related to yourspecific job, related to the paralegal profession, or just related to professional development. Read the attorneypublications and newsletters which are incredibly helpful and will keep you up to date on current cases andhappenings in your legal community. Some good publications are:

Ø WSPA NewsletterØ National Paralegal ReporterØ Paralegal TodayØ Trial NewsØ WSAJ Magazine

Taking courses online or at the local community college are great ways to continue your education and add to yourprofessional development, plus additional education looks great on a resume. You can always continue yourparalegal education by obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in your chosen field, or even another field. Some greatclasses are:

Ø Spanish or some other foreign languageØ Any computer technology classØ AccountingØ MarketingØ Business ManagementØ Public Speaking and CommunicationØ Oral and Written Communications or any writing class



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As previously mentioned, joining professional associations is a great way to network and learn more about theparalegal profession. Another great way to network and get to know others in your profession, as well as yourcommunity, is volunteering. Last year the WSPA did a volunteer project in Tacoma, Washington called PaintTacoma Pierce Beautiful. A group of paralegals gathered together, spending approximately one month, paintingthe home of a young family whose father was disabled. It was a great experience and was a lot of fun gettingtogether with other paralegals, sharing experiences, chatting about life and work, and helping a family in need.Volunteering also shows your commitment to your profession.

Other good ways to continue to develop your career and stay at the top of your game are:

Ø Network with your peers, have lunches, meetings, even drinksØ Attend Chapter Meetings and CLEsØ Attend Annual Conferences as often as possibleØ Offer to speak at meetings, CLEs or conferencesØ Submit articles to your associations newsletter or magazine

The overall goal of your professional development is to stick to it. Continue to better yourself daily. Keep yourmanager and boss apprised of your goals. Share your goals with them. Tell them what your plans are, what yourthoughts are, and what your goals are to better yourself and your company. They will be very impressed with yourinitiative and will hopefully support your endeavors.

And remember, if you are not happy in your current position or at your current place of employment, you can alwayslook for other jobs and advance your career. Below are a few websites that are helpful.

Ø www.lawjobs.comØ jobs.lawinfo.comØ www.lawcrossing.comØ www.paralegaljobs.comØ www.legalemploy.comØ www.careerbuilders.comØ www.monster.com

ALWAYS REMEMBER, however, to never burn bridges, because good references are very important to careeradvancement.

Joan Benoit Samuelson, 1984 Olympic Marathon Winner


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