summer 2017 ppa is turning forty! summer...act of 1965. summer 2017 2017 is ppa's 40th...

Summer 2017

2017 is PPA's 40th Anniversary and we are celebrating! Join us on Saturday, September 9, 2017, as we cruise the three rivers aboard the Gateway Clipper Queen. There will be a buffet dinner, cash bar, DJ, and dancing along with great door prizes! Cost will be $50 per person and invitations will be sent out soon! We will also be presenting the awards for PPA Paralegal of the Year and PPA Pro Bono Paralegal of the Year. We hope to see you on September 9 to celebrate this milestone in PPA's history!

Inside This Issue President’s Message ................ 2

Professional Development ...... 3

Part of Region IV ...................... 3

Top iPad Apps .......................... 4

PPA Online ................................ 5

From the Kitchen ...................... 5

NFPA Joint Conference ........... 6

Obesity Act of 2017 ................. 7

Pirate Game ............................. 8

Spring Ed Conference ............. 9

Court Reporting ........................ 9

Opinion ..................................... 11

Board Briefs ............................... 12

CLE Certification Online .......... 12

Attached PPA is Turning 40!

Paralegal of the Year Nomination Form

Pro Bono of the Year Nomination Form

PPA Social Networks Find us on LinkedIn Join us on Facebook

PPA IS TURNING FORTY!

PPA AND THE MODERN DAY PARALEGAL Diana M. Roth, RP®

This year the Pittsburgh Paralegal Association (“PPA”) celebrates its 40th Anniversary. In celebrating this milestone, one may ask how PPA and the paralegal profession began. Compared to the nursing profession, the paralegal profession is young. The nursing profession reportedly began in the 18th century with Florence Nightingale. The paralegal profession does not have one hero, but has a strong foundation of paralegals that push for the constant growth of the profession.

The paralegal profession was born out of societal need during the 1960s. If we recall, the 1960s was a time of great turmoil, including the civil rights movement and a rise in poverty since the 1930s. During this time, two Presidents, Kennedy and Johnson, addressed these issues with many social programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid along with housing and education programs, including The Housing Act of 1961 and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.1 In order to carry out these social programs the federal government developed the paralegal profession. Over time the private sector recognized how the government successfully utilized paralegals to perform legal tasks; therefore law firms began using paralegals to complete legal tasks.

Shortly after the paralegal profession began, the American Bar Association (“ABA”) saw the importance of paralegals in helping government and law firms delivery quality legal services.2 Therefore, the ABA formed the Special Committee on Lay Assistants in 1968 which changed names over time to Standing Committee on Legal Assistants,3 and is today known as Standing Committee on Paralegals.4 Furthermore, many paralegals saw the need to organize to continue the growth, education and informing the masses of the profession. As a result, the National Federation of Paralegal Associations was formed in 1974.5 In addition, the National Association of Legal Assistants was established in 1975.6

Moving on to the 1980s and 1990s, the paralegal professional continued to grow with education and the understanding of how to use paralegals in the public and private sectors. Many business schools, colleges and universities offered paralegal education, such as Gannon University (1974) and Duquesne University (approximately 1987).7 To help Universities like Gannon and Duquesne provide quality paralegal programs, the American Association for Paralegal

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Cindy Wirtz, President

Happy Summer 2017! I hope all of my fellow paralegals are having a good summer so far! As you are all aware of by now, the PPA is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year! Our Board has been very busy planning ouranniversary celebration to be held on September 9th on the Gateway Clipper! Additional information regarding this event is included inthis edition of the Parascope and invitations will be mailed out soon. We are also seeking sponsorships and door prizes from our vendors, law firms and anyone interested in helping the PPA celebrate thisimportant milestone. Please contact Christine Boyd ([email protected]) or me ([email protected]) if you or your employer wouldbe interested in sponsoring or donating to this event. I hope to see all of you on board the Gateway Clipper Queen this September 9th as we celebrate 40 years of hard work and dedication fromthe hundreds of paralegals who have contributed to the success of the PPA and the paralegal profession through the years.

Modern Day Paralegal (continued from page 1) Education (“AAfPE”) was established in 1981. AAfPEs mission is to “[promote] quality paralegal education, [develop] educationalstandards and [encourage] professional growth” to ensure students upon completion of a program understand their “role in [delivering]…legal services”.8

The NFPA and ABA are big players with the expansion of the paralegal profession. For instance, the NFPA appointed a representative tothe ABA in 1983.9 A fun fact, PPA attended its first NFPA Annual Meeting in 1980.10 Fast forward to 1996, NFPA accomplished a veryimportant milestone with the profession establishing the PACE Registered Paralegal® program.11 This certification program sets theground work for paralegal regulation.

In the 21st century, the paralegal profession continues to grow with organizations like PPA, NFPA and Keystone Alliance of ParalegalAssociation (“Keystone”). These organizations collaborate to promote the profession with educational opportunities and certificationprograms to continue setting standards for regulation. In 2007, NFPA established the Paralegal Core Competency Exam™.12

Furthermore, Keystone established the Pa.C.P. credential program. All of these certification programs provide opportunities to paralegalsto advance their careers.

Today paralegals work for many establishments, such as banks, hospitals, corporations, vendor management companies, and of course,law firms and government entities. Paralegals are known to work in areas of law including, litigation, family law, real estate, business,and estate planning and administration. Paralegals are performing tasks that at one time were usually handled by an attorney, such asdrafting pleadings, conducting real estate closings, drafting and reviewing title opinions, handling and managing corporate files andminute books, all under the supervision of an attorney. The job title of “paralegal” is not always used in many paralegal positions. Forexample, I am a paralegal working for a title company. My official title is a “Title Examiner”. Moreover, law firms, banks andcorporations hire paralegals, but give the job title of paralegal a different name, such as ESI Manager, analyst, contractsmanager/administrator. Nevertheless, when looking for a paralegal position it’s important to have broad search terms and be open-minded.

The paralegal profession has come a long way in a short amount of time. Many thanks should be given to the Great Society thatPresidents Kennedy and Johnson put together, as we may not have the paralegal profession today. Additionally, the ABA, NFPA, NALA,Keystone and the PPA should be recognized for setting standards for the profession and constantly looking for ways to improve theprofession.

Endnotes 1. Brinkley, Alan. American History: A Survey Volume II: Since 1865. Boston: McGraw-Hill College, 1999. Print. 2. Schneeman, Angela. Paralegals in American Law: Introduction to Paralegalism. New York: Lawyers Cooperative Publishing, 1995. Print. 3. Id. 4. American Bar Association, Standing Committees, https://www.americanbar.org/groups/paralegals.html 5. Id at 2. 6. Id. 7. Gannon University, Legal Studies, www.gannon.edu/Faculty Profiles.aspx?profile=agresti001 and Duquesne University,

http://law.duq.edu/academics/paralegal-institute/about-program 8. American Association for Paralegal Education, Mission, http://aafpe.site-ym/?page=Mission 9. National Federation of Paralegal Association, Milestones, https://www.paralegals.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3280 10. National Federation of Paralegal Association, History, https://www.paralegals.org/files/HISTORY_10-14-14.pdf 11. Id. at 9. 12. Id.

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Christine Boyd

PPA has held many great Professional Development meeting since the beginning of theyear.

On February 15, Dr. Jon Tucker gave a presentation on Cumulative Trauma Injuries. Hiscompany, Tucker Independent Medical Experts, sponsored lunch.

On March 15, Heather Bowser of United Concordia gave a presentation The Journeythrough Senior Care. Lunch was sponsored by CSI Investigations.

On April 19, we had Michael Quatrini, Esquire presenting on Veteran's Benefits. Hisfirm, Quatrini Rafferty, P.C., sponsored the lunch.

On May 17, Jodi Wolk of Precise gave a presentation on Electronic DocumentManagement. Precise also sponsored the lunch.

We would like to thank all of our sponsors for their support in providing interestingspeakers and also for sponsoring our lunches!

We are working on planning the Professional Development meetings for the remainder ofthe year. If you have a topic idea or speaker suggestion, please contact Christine Boyd [email protected].

THE PITTSBURGH PARALEGAL ASSOCIATION IS PART OF REGION IV Michael L. Vertullo, PPA NFPA Primary Representative As an additional benefit to your membership in the Pittsburgh Paralegal Association, you also become a member of the NationalFederation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA). The national organization is divided into 5 regions, and each region is led by a director. NFPA Region IV covers the following states:Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington DC, and West Virginia. As stated on the NFPA website, theRegion Directors are responsible for the "humanization of NFPA" to local associations and are the main liaison between memberassociations and other Board members. Continues on Page 4

NFPA Region IV Delegates Monique Luck – Region IV Director Dinner at the Sharp Edge after a productive meeting day.

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Region IV (continued from page 3) On April 22, 2017, our new Region Director, Monique Luck, along with therepresentatives of the various local associations gathered in Pittsburgh for the 2017Spring Region Meeting. The meeting provided the opportunity to connect or re-connect with fellow members andto map out our projects and goals for 2017. We also discussed how we would like torepresent ourselves to the national organization, including the other four regions. This isimportant, especially when it comes time to review and vote on policy matters at theannual convention held in October 2017. There was also a CLE Presentation given by Kevin Miller of LegalSifter entitled “TheFuture of Artificial Intelligence and the Law”. CLE Presentation by Kevin Miller of LegalSifter

TOP 5 iPAD APPS FOR THE LEGAL PROFESSION By Mary Lide

The Following is from the Planet Depos’ Blog: Your iPad can be used for much more than FaceTime and Netflix. Planet Depos has put together a list of the top five iPad apps for the legal professional. These apps will help make your life easier, andmake your iPad as versatile and useful as any laptop. 1. DocketLaw This free app is handy for figuring out dates and deadlines based on the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. When you enter the date of atriggering event (like a trial date), the app will calculate events based on which jurisdiction you’re in. For an additional fee, you cansubscribe to specific, rules-based calendars for state and federal courts. 2. PacerMonitor This is a great app for staying on top of Federal Court case dockets and filings. A companion to PacerMonitor.com, this app makes it easyto view, download, and email case filings. You can even save the cases that you’re tracking so that they are easy to access. 3. Depending on which service you use, we’ve split #3 up into a two-fer: a. Lexis Advance | b. Westlaw These apps are companions to the best legal research services. You can set up alerts, access and share your research, and view documentseasily. They’re great for staying organized across devices, from your laptop to your tablet and back again. 4. Rulebook This app is good for staying up-to-date on federal and state court rules. It’seasy to navigate through the different rule sets, which do need to bepurchased—and it’s great for accessing the Bluebook. It also has a handymulti-task function for going back and forth between authorities. 5. Adobe Acrobat Reader With all of the documents you need to read daily, a good PDF app isessential. Adobe does it best—you can easily open any PDF, search, zoom,annotate, sign, share, and save documents. We especially recommend it forreading your Planet Depos transcripts, which are always provided in fulland condensed PDFs! In this digital world we live in, it’s important to be able to rely on ourdevices to help us out. These apps are must-haves for any 21st-century legalprofessional—the tools you need are right at your fingertips!

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Did you know…

You have a profile on PPA's web site? You can access it by going to the "member log in" button at the top of the home page andentering your email and password. Once logged in, you will be at the "Member Center Home Page" and will see a "Hello...MyName is"... badge. Under that is a link to your profile. Here you can update your personal information, change your passwordand even add a photo!

You can register to attend any events with just a few clicks. Log into your account and go to our calendar and pull up the event.You will see a link that says "register to attend". Click on that link and all of your information is automatically entered and allyou have to do is click on "submit". It's that easy! You can also add it directly to your Outlook calendar. You will receive areminder of events that you signed up to attend.

You can search for other PPA members? Again, log in to the Member Center and you will see a link to Membership Directory.

If you want to return to the Member Center Home page at any time after logging in, just click on the Member Center tab on theblue bar and then click the "return to member center home page" link.

You can renew your membership with just a few clicks! After logging in, go into your profile. There is a "Renew Membership"button on the yellow bar across the top. Click on the "go" button and the renewal application appears with all of your informationalready filled in! No more long applications! Just hit submit, enter your payment information and you are done!

PPA has a free job bank! You will see a link to the job bank on the Member Center page after you log in. This job bank is freefor all PPA members. Employers can also post paralegal job openings on our job bank at no cost.

Our Member Center has access to our free job bank, our quarterly newsletter, as well our online CLE Verification submissionform.

If you have any problems with the web site, or have any questions, please contact Christine Boyd at [email protected].

PPA ONLINE Christine Boyd

From the Kitchen of Ashley Bournais I love to cook and bake. I’m always searching for new recipes to try. While in pursuit of a new recipe, I stumbled across this a blog called How Sweet Eats (www.howsweeteats.com). On the blog, I found a recipe for Caramelized Honey Mustard Chicken. It’s perfect because it’s healthy, simple, and quick to prepare. Enjoy! Caramelized Honey Dijon Chicken 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 cup honey 1/4 cup Dijon mustard 1-2 tablespoons spicy mustard (I used Trader Joe’s Sweet + Hot) Salt & pepper Heat a skillet on medium high heat and add olive oil. Pat chicken dry with a paper towel so it is very, very dry. Season with salt and pepper generously. Add chicken to skillet and brown on both sides, about 6-8 minutes each, depending on the thickness. In a bowl, combine honey and both mustards. Whisk together well. Remove chicken from the pan, and while it is still hot, brush on the mustard mixture. Serve! .

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WHAT IS THE NFPA JOINT CONFERENCE Michael L. Vertullo, PPA NFPA Primary Representative

The Annual NFPA Joint Conference is a three-day event which focuses on Leadership,Certification, and Regulation in the paralegal profession. This year, the conferencewas held at the Offices of Duane Morris in New York City.

NFPA members presented various topics during the conference ranging from timemanagement, recruitment of members, history evolution of the paralegal profession,the future of the profession, and 0organization of certification study groups.

The joint conference provided the opportunity for members to hear from their peersregarding leadership, certification, and regulation. In addition, several paneldiscussions and interactive activities enlivened the atmosphere.

In addition to the discussions there were continuing legal education events. This yearthe topics presented were Justice Delayed is Justice Denied and Expanded Scope/UPLEthics Session.

The Keynote Speaker for the first day of the conference was the Honorable JonathanLippman, former Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals. Chief JudgeLippman spoke about his many years of work as advocate for access to justice and theNavigator program

The final day of the conference was highlighted by the Keynote Speaker, MartyTankleff, J.D. Mr. Tankeff gave a presentation entitled “Justice Delayed is JusticeDenied – Equal Access to the Courts”. Wrongfully convicted, Mr. Tankleff spent over17 years (precisely 6,338 days) incarcerated. Following his release in 2007, he set towork obtaining a B.A. in Sociology and obtained his J.D. in 2014. Mr. Tankleffdiscussed his case, life experience, and what he went through to gain justice in court.He also discussed how difficult it is for wrongly convicted people to obtain justice.

After spending 17 years in prison, Marty's conviction was vacated by the New York Supreme Court Appellate Division, SecondDepartment, in December of 2007. On July 22, 2008, a judge signed off on a motion by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to dismiss allcharges against Marty. If you would like to learn more about this issue, please go to www.martytankleff.org.

Conference Room at Duane Morris LLP

Group Dinner Friday, April 28, 7:00 pm at Pasta Lover’s near Times Square





Marty Tankleff, Esq. with NFPA Joint Conference attendees.

Judge Jonathan Lippman with members of NYCPA -- Joint Conference Hosts

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WE’VE GOT A HUGE PROBLEM: THE TREAT AND REDUCE OBESITY ACT OF 2017 Ramona Atkins, Full Time Faculty, Kaplan University, School of Social and Behavioral Sciences

It is no secret that the cost of health care keeps escalating while the increase of salaries remains stagnant. Consequently, those who cannot afford health care must do so or be penalized. It's interesting to note the following:

The underlying causes of this massive increase were a combination of government policy and lifestyle changes. The United States relies on company-sponsored private health insurance. The Federal government created Medicare, Medicaid, and other programs to help those who were without insurance. These programs spurred demand for health care services, allowing providers to raise prices. Many other programs designed to reform health care and cut costs increased them instead. Second, was an increase in chronic illnesses, like diabetes and heart disease. They are responsible for 85 percent of health care costs. Almost half of all Americans have at least one of them. They are expensive and difficult to treat. (Source: "7 Reasons for Rising Health Care Costs," Zane Benefits, May 9, 2014.)" (https://www.thebalance.com/causes-of-rising-healthcare-costs-4064878) If people could afford to buy healthier food items, then maybe they would not be in a position to contract heart disease and diabetes. Unfortunately, things like rice, potatoes, and beans as well as noodles, the starches, are cheapest to get by on in many homes.

It's a horrible vicious circle. The good news is though that as of February of 2016, as announced in The New York Times, “The Agriculture Department unveiled new rules [ ] that would force retailers who accept food stamps to stock a wider variety of healthy foods or face the loss of business as consumers shop elsewhere. The proposed rules are designed to ensure that the more than 46 million Americans who use food stamps have better access to healthy foods, although they don't dictate what people buy or eat. A person using food stamp dollars could still purchase as much junk food as they wanted, but they would at least have more options in the store to buy fruits, vegetables, dairy, meats and bread.” Unfortunately, the corporate arena still appears to be running the show while controlling many American's lives as to what they are able to afford or not afford in today's world. Congress has introduced “The Treat and Reduce Obesity Act of 2017.” It has recognized the failing health of Americans and the need for proper tools to bring this epidemic under control. However, in many cases, it is difficult to undo the damage, especially when so many people are unable to be mobile because of the condition. The Campaign to End Obesity released its first-ever obesity report card, “Moving the Needle on Obesity: A Report Card for the 114th Congress,” which gave the 114th Congress a “C” for its work on policy to address the U.S. obesity epidemic. The Report Card found most of the obesity-related work focused on proposals providing more health care infrastructure to prevent and treat obesity and a large number of measures supporting more physical activity. Additionally, it noted a growing effort on Capitol Hill to recognize and attack the U.S. obesity epidemic as a national economic challenge—some $315.8 billion each year is spent by taxpayers to treat obesity and obesity-related conditions. (http://www.obesitycampaign.org/obesity_news.asp)” After centuries of bad eating habits, media encouraging the purchase of high fat and sugary foods as well as diets and prescription pills that have a temporary impact but essentially do not work, we are attempting to restructure life as we know it. Once people have adopted unhealthy and uninformed eating habits, it is difficult to implement an immediate change. It’s more complicated than just saying, “Eat healthier”, or “lose weight”. Further, the big companies that are making money off of individuals’ ignorance are not jumping on the healthy bandwagon for health’s sake, but for money’s sake. Here is what is in progress towards a healthier existence, or at least what the goal appears to be in the various sectors of our society:

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Encouraging parents to encourage their children to exercise more versus being on the computer or hand held devices all of the time. Parents need to do the same and participate and lead by example with their children.

Making stricter requirements for military personnel to be better in shape to be physically and mentally alert for the defense of our country. “For the first time in 14 years, the military is rewriting its body composition standards and the methods used to determine whether troops are too fat to serve” (Military Times).

New research is needed in preventing obesity in infancy Personalized weight loss interventions Encourage doctors to discuss prevention of disease versus just the disease itself wherein, it could be too late at that point. Lack of exercise from sedentary jobs (which is described as those where one sits for eight or more hours a day) costs $67.5

billion dollars a year in health care costs. It’s time to implement employee programs where exercise is part of the daily work routine. “You may be able to "make up" for your increased risk of death due to a sedentary lifestyle by engaging in enough physical activity” (The Lancet).

Researchers are conducting a trial to see if weight loss is instrumental in keeping breast cancer away. “Should weight loss be prescribed as a treatment for breast cancer? Scientists are recruiting thousands of women for a large clinical trial to find out. The plan is to put heavy women age 18 and older who were recently given diagnoses of breast cancer on diets to see if losing weight will keep their cancer from returning” (Houston Chronicle).

Medical and dietary evaluation of children whose weights are above average. Weight loss surgery has helped many keep weight off for up to ten years following surgery (Reuters).

These are just some of the many things that are trying to be implemented, however, there are still problems with racial gaps, and bipartisan funding to cut programs that fight disease. “The bill would cut $112 million from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, dropping it to $1.06 billion. The program, which provides support in tracking chronic diseases and their risk factors as well as offering help for patients to manage and prevent the onset of such conditions, has been imperative in reducing the rate of teen births and smoking” (Modern Healthcare). Further, changing economic conditions (such as job loss) can influence that which is purchased for food consumption as well as educating the public on microbiomes and the impact on our bodies. “Though plenty of researchers have made this claim before, this is the first study to specifically identify the mechanism by which changes in a person’s gut microbes influences the likelihood for developing obesity and metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that include high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol levels” (Newsweek). What it comes down to is education from the beginning. We need to not only work on plans as suggested above for bridging the gap of healthy eating and obesity, but develop lifelong plans starting with this generation. Psychology plays a huge role in getting individuals to change their lifestyle and in general thinking before eating poorly or leading a sedentary lifestyle. Many individuals simply do not think before eating or not exercising because poor lifelong habits become part of their daily lives. If we want to avoid escalating health care costs, as well as take back our lives and enjoy them, we must change the way we are living and thinking in order to enjoy life as a whole. References: https://www.thebalance.com/causes-of-rising-healthcare-costs-4064878 http://www.obesitycampaign.org/obesity_news.asp https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2016-02-16/usda-rules-would-increase-food-stamp-access-to-healthy-foods https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2016/05/28/states-highest obesity/85041028/?platform=hootsuite

Obesity Act of 2017 (continued from page 7)

PPA Pirate Game On Friday, May 19, 2017, an enthusiastic group of PPA members gathered to see the Pirates vs. Philadelphia Phillies at PNC Park. Our group also received a free Pirate hat as part of the group promotion. The Pirates didn't win, but we did enjoy the Zambelli fireworks after the game. Hope to see you next year!

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SPRING EDUCATION CONFERENCE Christine Boyd On Tuesday, May 2, 2017, PPA held itsAnnual Spring Education Conference.Our presenters spoke on topics such asTitle Insurance, the safety and liability ofamusement parks, expungements,international custody and the ethicalissues in collecting counsel fees. We would also like to thank Cal U for sponsoring thebreakfast and lunch for all those who attended. PPA strives to provide great educational opportunities for ourmembers and we thank those that attended this half-dayprogram. We are hard at work planning the Fall Education Conferencewhich will be held on Tuesday, October 3, 2017.

COURT REPORTING: AN UNDER-MARKETED PROFESSION (2017 UPDATE) The following is an article from Planet Depos’ Blog: It’s clear why we need doctors, dentists, teachers, and researchers. But what about the professions that don’t get the spotlight? What aboutthe jobs that require amazing mental processing skills that are often overlooked and, at times, many don’t even know exist? Here at PlanetDepos we ARE such a career path: court reporting. Though I’m not a court reporter, I do support the field through my marketing career. That goes hand-in-hand with making this skill andcareer path known to the uninitiated. This distinguished industry does not get the attention it deserves. Along with lawyers, court reportersare the lifeblood of our business! Throughout this post, we will take a look at the basics of court reporting and the court reporter careeroutlook. Maybe it will give you the desire to pursue this career or encourage someone you know who would be a good fit! What is a court reporter? A court reporter, also known as a stenographer or shorthand reporter, transcribes the spoken word/testimony at court hearings,depositions, trials, arbitrations, or any official proceedings. While there are several types of tools and technology used to record, theprimary method is a steno machine, a word processor with a modified 22-button keyboard, upon which words are “written” phonetically. Why are court reporters so important? When I think of court reporting and its impact on society, I always think of the ride at Disney’s EPCOT. Inside the giant ball, riders aretaken along on a ride of the history of the world. One of the very first things seen is an ancient Phoenician recording history in shorthand. Itjust goes to show how important court reporters are to recording history not just within the confines of legal proceedings, but the world!Talk about performing a public service! Court reporters are an integral part of the legal process. They are responsible for recording and preparing verbatim transcripts ofproceedings to be used by attorneys, judges and litigants. Court reporters also serve the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities by providingrealtime captions for live television programs, as well as one-on-one personalized services in educational and public environments. How long is a court reporting program? Typically, court reporting schools are 2- or 3-year programs, but at times it can take as long as 3 to 5 years to complete the course, and ishighly dependent on the amount of effort put into developing the skill set to become a reporter. Check out the list of certified schools andprograms on file with the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) to find the right fit for you!

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Court Reporting (continued from page 9) Is certification required? In some states, certification is required; in others, not. The most recognized certifications are those offered through the NCRA, beginning with the entry-level Registered Professional Reporter, requiring 95% accuracy at 225 words per minute, and also including the advanced Registered Merit Reporter certification, requiring 95% accuracy at 260 words per minute. According to the NCRA, the highest level of certification available is Registered Diplomate Reporter, which differentiates advanced, veteran reporters as the elite in their profession. What personality traits and/or interests do court reporters typically possess?

The court reporter’s primary responsibility is to record the spoken word as quickly and as accurately as possible, so it’s important to have a passion for words and strong language skills.

Discipline, a strong worth ethic and a quest for knowledge are three key traits among successful court reporters. Court reporting requires a high level of technical performance, so an interest in cutting-edge technology is a plus. If you’re a procrastinator, then court reporting is probably not the direction for you. Great court reporters thrive under time and

deadline pressures. Reporters must be exceptional listeners and have the ability to concentrate for long periods of time. Accuracy and attention to

detail may impact a case and, ultimately, a life. History has shown that playing a musical instrument, particularly the piano, is another commonality in successful court reporters.

What is the earning potential of a court reporter? Just as anything else in life, what you get out of something is a product of the effort you put into it! As of January 2017, the median annual salary for a court reporter was $54,665, with an average range of $39,442 - $71,549. Reporters who have invested in continuing education, advanced certification, and cutting-edge technology typically earn well into six-figure salaries. It is also important to remember that there are different types of jobs for those who master the skills required to become a court reporter. A freelance court reporter is an independent court reporter or one who works for a court reporting firm whose work is primarily recording testimony taken in the discovery part of a case (depositions), as well as meetings, arbitrations and hearings. An official court reporter is typically hired by a court system and works inside the courtroom. Did you ever notice on television the court reporter recording the proceedings of Congress or reporting the State of the Union address by the President of the United States? This is yet another opportunity for those who have the brains and the stamina to make it through court reporting school and to take their career to the greatest heights! And speaking of television, do you know how closed captions are generated? The captions for all live programming are generated by the amazing talents of a court reporter! What is the career outlook? Due to the aging workforce, there is a large demand for new court reporters. According to one expert, due to a 15% retirement rate, there is going to be a need for at least 5,500 new reporters from 2017 to 2022. The areas that are seeing the greatest demand are California, Texas, Illinois, New York and Washington DC. There has long been speculation that technology will take over the court reporter’s job, but until a machine can produce a verbatim transcript with 100% accuracy, with two or more people speaking at once (possibly with foreign accents!) AND be able to ignore side conversations, the profession is here to stay! For more information on scheduling a court reporter, contact Planet Depos at 888.433.3767 or [email protected]. If you are a court reporting student and thinking of joining our team, check out Planet Institute, our court reporter mentoring program.

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OPINION: NEW CLASS OF LEGAL PROFESSIONALS COULD HELP CLOSE JUSTICE GAP Karen Morin, President of the Paralegal Association of New Hampshire

In his article “Help for the Unrepresented: A Look at a New Approach,” published in the Sept. 21, 2016, issue of Bar News, attorneyChuck Douglas advocates for the use of non-lawyer legal professionals to close the justice gap in New Hampshire. In contemplating howto provide low-income, unrepresented litigants with the legal help they need, he suggests that, “Just urging lawyers to take more probono cases is not going to solve the problem…” I couldn’t agree more, and as a paralegal in New Hampshire, I would like to add that many paralegals are already in a position to play arole in bridging the justice gap. Paralegals already handle substantial legal work, and in a limited capacity, we could provide significantassistance to unrepresented litigants. As Mr. Douglas points out, an astounding number of people are trying to navigate the justice system without an attorney because theycannot access representation. They fill courtrooms and clerks’ offices, trying to figure out what forms to fill out, what laws to read, andthe roles of the professionals in the courtroom. They need assistance in obtaining justice. As part of a comprehensive approach, a new class of legal professionals could be instrumental in providing assistance to unrepresentedlitigants. Legal needs are not all created equal. Many legal needs could be addressed by properly trained, non-lawyer legal professionals(NLPs); individuals with experience and skills similar to those of a paralegal, perhaps with some additional training depending upon thearea of law and the scope of their services. Around a dozen states are contemplating or have implemented programs using NLPs to provide limited legal services, includingpreparing and filing forms, reviewing and explaining exhibits and other legal documents, and providing support and guidance. NLPs arenot lawyers and do not represent clients in court. One example of a NLP program is New York’s Court Navigators Program. Volunteers (often college students and law students) aretrained to assist unrepresented litigants in the Housing Court’s nonpayment proceedings. The Court Navigators do not give legal advice.They act as a guides or interpreters, helping unrepresented litigants to access courthouse computers and other resources, and to collect

and organize case documents. They can sit in on conferences with thejudge or opposing party and respond to the judge’s request for factualinformation. They also help secure pro bono attorney services asneeded. In Washington State, Limited License Legal Technicians (LLLTs)have more latitude in their representation. They also have much morerigorous education and training requirements, must be licensed, andmust secure professional insurance. LLLTs can represent clients infamily law matters. They can open their own practices. At this time,LLLTs cannot represent a client in court (though that may come inthe future), but they can help clients prepare legal forms, advise themon documents they will need, explain legal procedures andproceedings, and gather facts and explain their significance to thecase. Research will need to be done to determine how NLPs could helpclose the justice gap in New Hampshire. Personally, I don’t think anLLLT program would be effective in addressing New Hampshire’sjustice gap. With all the costly requirements LLLTs must meet, howcan they charge a significantly reduced rate? I believe a program with less rigorous requirements could serve NewHampshire well in its efforts to close the justice gap. We couldidentify specific areas of law or specific services that are in highdemand, and could tailor a NLP program to help meet the need.Relevant courses, taught by attorneys or other qualified individuals,could provide targeted information to paralegals for handling the needin these areas. Some paralegals may be able to show they have the


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Opinion (continued from page 11) required knowledge by taking an exam. Paralegals could assistlitigants in a limited capacity and at a reduced cost. Paralegals could make a big difference in the lives of theunrepresented litigants that stream into New Hampshire’s courtson a regular basis. Doing so would take pressure off courtemployees, who do their best to guide unrepresented litigantswhile performing their own jobs. It would also help free upattorneys to handle the more complex legal matters that arebetter suited to their education and experience. NLP programs vary, but the programs have a common goal.They are designed to be part of a comprehensive approach tobridge the justice gap. Our justice system is not designed forthose who do not normally operate within it. Concepts andprocedures that are basic and routine to those of us in the legalfield are completely foreign to many others. That’s why peoplehire lawyers and why the growing justice gap has resulted innew programs designed to help those who can’t afford to hireone. _____________________________________ This article first appeared in the New Hampshire Bar News, the monthly publication of the NH Bar Association. Karen A. Morin, RP®is a paralegal working for Sheehan Phinney in Manchester, New Hampshire. She works primarily in Intellectual Property, but she also has experience with liquor licensing and other corporate work. Karen graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Political Science, summa cum laude, from Northeastern University in 2002. She is currently the President of the Paralegal Association of New Hampshire, and has served on the Board since 2014 in various capacities. She earned her Registered Paralegal Designation with the National Federation of Paralegal Associations, Inc. in June, 2015.

CLE CERTIFICATES ARE NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE! If you attended a PPA seminar and your CLE certificate says"pending" CLE approval, you can now print a copy with the CLEapproved date from our web site. Log into the Member Centerand click on CLE certificates. The list of all CLE approvedseminars are there. Click on the link and print out your certificate. Due to the slowness of the approval process, we are alwaysupdating this list. If you do not see the seminar you are looking,be sure to check back. These certificates with the approved dates can be used whenapplying or re-apply for certifications with Keystone Allianceand/or NFPA. Keystone Alliance and NFPA do check with our CLE coordinatorto verify that members did attend the seminars for which they aresubmitting the CLE certificates.

PITTSBURGH PARALEGAL ASSOCIATION BOARD BRIEFS Bobbi Cramer, PPA Secretary January 14, 2017

General Announcements Pittsburgh Aids Task Force sent a thank you letter for ourcharitable contribution to their organization. Laura Babishasked for more information regarding volunteer opportunities atPATF. Mike Vertullo explained what he does as a volunteer forthe organization.

Christine Boyd asked everyone to turn in their CLE’s to Virginia Baumgardner if they were not already turned in.

Secretary Minutes The Minutes of the regular meeting of the Board of Directorsheld on December 8, 2016, taken by were read. A motion wasmade to approve the minutes and was seconded.

Bobbi reported that the 990N-Postcard could not be submittedyet as the IRS website is being updated. A motion was made toapprove the Treasurer’s Report without changes and wasseconded.

Budget The budget was distributed to all and was gone over line by line. Some of the comments made during the review were:

1) Advertising increased this year by a substantial amount.

2) We were able to obtain sponsors for all events but two.

3) We should review what we are asking of our vendors. The 40th Anniversary will be a top priority to direct money to this year.

4) This year Happy Hours will be paid by those in attendance.

5) We will have enough speaker gifts for the year.

6) Items that have not been budgeted for the past two years have been removed from the budget.

PPA Local Association Business General Meetings: We will still be able to have our general meetings at Reed Smith in 2017 at Reed Smith. We are currently looking for speakers for our general meetings.

January 18, 2017 – Kickoff Meeting

February 15, 2017 – Jon B. Tucker M. D. of Tucker IndependentMedical Experts & Cumulative Trauma with speak on Logic vLunacy at the Medicolegal Junction. Lunch will be provided byTucker Independent Medical Experts.

March 15, 2017 – Heather Bowser of Concordia LutheranMinistries will speak on “The Journey through Senior Care”. Asponsor is still needed for this date.

A speaker will be needed for April

May 17, 2017 – Precise with speak on Document Management. Precise will sponsor our lunch on this date.

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Sponsors If anyone has any new ideas for sponsors please let someone know.

Anne Newcomer will circulate a list of sponsors prepared by the Marketing Committee.

Specialty Sections and Committees The following committees are being chaired by board members:

Job Bank-Bobbi Cramer; Marketing- Anne Newcomer;

Mentoring-Cherilynn Morgan; National Affairs-Michael Vertullo, Anne Newcomer

Parascope-Deb Wallman Paralegal Certification Ambassador-Anne Newcomer

Pro Bono-Diana Roth CLE Coordination-Virginia Baumgardner;

Membership-Christine Boyd; Student Liaison-Bobbi Cramer;

Estates/Elder Law-Diane Roth Family Law-Cindy Wirtz;

Litigation-Lakeisha Barker; Real Estate-Diana Roth

Technology-Christine Boyd; Workplace Law-Christine Boyd;

Bylaws-Cindy Wirtz Environmental Law-Vacant;

Paralegal Awards-Vera Mohammed; Special Events-Lakeisha Barker (Pirate Game)

40th Anniversary and Holiday Luncheon-Christine Boyd Holiday Luncheon–Christine Boyd

Social Media-Lakeisha Barker; Nominating-Bobbi Cramer

Animal Law-Stephanie Barber.

We currently do not have a location for specialty section meetings. It is up to the Chairs of each committee to find a location. You will need to prepare your own RSVP form which Christine and/or Anne will place online and in the e-mail blast. Committee chairs are asked to bring sign-up sheets for their meetings to the Kick-Off Meeting.

The procedures manual needs to be updated by each committee chair with a deadline of March 1, for drafts to Christine Boyd. If any member is on a committee without procedures, they will have to make up their own language.

40th Anniversary Party- Discussions were held to make this a memorable event but we would like to ensure we have a better attendance to this event than we have had recently. Former members will be invited.

Holiday Luncheon – Efforts will be made to research other locations and pricing for this event.

NFPA Anne Newcomer reported on the Executive Session of December 19th which discussed things of a private, personal nature, and thatreleasing personal information will cause harm.

The Winter Board Meeting will occur on January 14, 2017 by phone, anyone can participate. The Strategic Plan will be discussed.Monique Luck will be on the call.

On April 22, 2017, Pittsburgh will be holding the Spring Region Meeting. Michael Vertullo said that he has spoken to a vendor to try topossibly have them cover the lunch and possibly speak. The vendor is from Texas and wants to become visible in Pittsburgh. Membersfrom the PPA are welcome to attend.

Joint Conference will go over leadership, certification and regulation. This will be the last week in April 28-30 – Duane Morris.

Anne reported on the Ad Hoc Committee on non-lawyer practice and the Amended Position Statement Regarding Non-Lawyer LegalProfessionals (a hand-out was circulated). The period for Delegates to provide comments to the Position Statement will be a 20 dayperiod. On February 24, the Final Position Statement will be posted and will be electronically voted on by the Delegates. This is a new

Board Briefs (continued from page 12)

We do not have a scheduled date for the Spring Conference but Ramona has agreed to speak on the safety of amusement parks.

Some hot topics were mentioned to think about obtaining speakers for: cyber liability, marijuana, Obama Care, Wells Fargo.

Christine appreciates any help in finding speakers for the remaining dates throughout the year.


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evolving profession paralegals can enter given proper training. The criteria provided is for Oregon, Utah, California and New York.

Keystone Alliance Tabled until the February 9, 2017 meeting.

Other Items

Parascope - Anne Newcomer will prepare questions to the new board members so that they can be introduced in the Parascope to theAssociation. New members will write articles for the Parascope. All Parascope materials will be due by January 20, 2017.

Meeting adjourned at 10:48 am.

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FEBRUARY 9, 2017

General Announcements Lori Perera a former PPA member spoke to the board about the need for volunteers in immigration. Minors arrive in the U.S. and havefamily members but families do not have a lot of money and are in need of help to help them with the immigration process. Loriannounced that she knows of an immigration position that needs to be filled. Cindy said that she has been approached to have anImmigration CLE.

Secretary Minutes The Minutes of the regular meeting of the Board of Directors held on January 14, 2017 were read. A Motion was made to approve andsecond the minutes.

Treasurer’s Report Laura Babish was absent but a motion to approve the Budget for 2017 was made and seconded. Laura will have a Treasurer’s Report forJanuary and February prepared for our March meeting.

PPA Local Association Business

General Meetings: Christine Boyd reported the following:

February 15, 2017 – Jon B. Tucker M. D. of Tucker Independent Medical Experts & Cumulative Trauma will speak on Logic v Lunacy atthe Medicolegal Junction. Lunch will be provided by Tucker Independent Medical Experts.

March 15, 2017 – Heather Bowser of Concordia Lutheran Ministries will speak on “The Journey through Senior Care”. A sponsor is stillneeded for this date.

April 15, 2017 – Michael Quatrini will speak on Veteran’s Benefits and Quatrini Rafferty will sponsor the lunch.

May 2, 2017 is the date scheduled for the Spring Conference. Three more speakers are needed for this date. California University willsponsor the Spring Conference.

May 17, 2017 – Precise will speak on Document Management. Precise will sponsor our lunch on this date.

Speakers and sponsors are still needed for August – November and the Fall Conference.

Christine thanked the members who have been able to help out getting a speaker and/or sponsor.

The procedures manual needs to be updated by each committee chair with a deadline of March 24, for drafts to Christine Boyd.

NFPA Mike Vertullo spoke about the Ad Hoc Committee on non-lawyer practice and the Amended Position Statement Regarding Non-LawyerLegal Professionals. Bobbi Cramer will send out an email for approval.

Keystone Alliance Cher Morgan reported that Keystone Alliance has been quiet.

Other Items

Parascope - The Parascope Committee was commended on the great job that they did on the Parascope for the Winter Issue. The nextdeadline will be April 21st and the issue will go out the beginning of May, around May 12th. Board Members can send articles or otheritems to Deb Wallman after the 21st and they will still be accepted. Michael Vertullo will write on article on the Joint Conference andRegion Meeting. The awards will be discussed in May’s issue also.

40th Anniversary Party - Anyone having any historical items that they would like to share for the 40th Anniversary, please let Christine



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Boyd know. Survey questions will be prepared to go out regarding the 40th Anniversary. Possible items on the survey will be: to hold theevent at a hotel or aboard the Gateway Clipper. Themes mentioned were 1977 Theme, Monte Carlo. Also the survey will include if theevent will be casual or formal, having it on a Saturday or weekday. The question was raised as to how much are the members willing tospend for the event? Someone will formulate the questions and they will be sent out by email. After the survey is sent out a committeemeeting will be held.

Pirate Game - Harris Investigations would like to sponsor although they prefer to schedule it for the Philly/Pirates game in May. ThePirates play the Cubs, June 16, 2017. Lakeisha will ask Michele if they are willing to sponsor the June game

Awards - The criteria needs to be set for the awards. Vera Mohammed will research other organizations’ criteria.

Membership - Christine Boyd announced emails have gone out to non-renewing members.

Meeting adjourned at 12:49 p.m.

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March 9, 2017

General Announcements The IRS accepted PPA’s e-postcard for 2016 taxes.

Stephanie Barber went over the Taste of Chester Fundraiser event and reported that it is a big money maker. She said that we wouldencompass Southwestern PA if we were to hold such an event. It was suggested and decided to think and possibly start planning the eventthis year so that we could have it next year. The consensus was that PPA wants to focus on its 40th Anniversary this year.

Christine Boyd reported via email that she sent out a survey regarding the 40th Anniversary and will report on the results. Once the resultsare in, the committee will meet to start planning.

Secretary Minutes The Minutes of the regular meeting of the Board of Directors held on February 9, 2017 were read. Deb Wallman requested that a changeto the minutes under Parascope be made regarding Board Members being able to hand in articles late. A Motion was made to approve theminutes per the requested changes and was seconded.

Treasurer’s Report Discussions were held regarding obtaining approval from board members for every check written and the need for two signatures on acheck. It was decided that an amount will be voted on to pay an invoice only if the amount is outside of the budget or exceeds the agreedupon budgeted amount. This practice will work going forward, only if the Budget is approved at the January board meeting. A motionwas made for voting on expenses either outside or over budget and was seconded. A motion was made for one signature per check andseconded. A motion was made to approve the Treasurer’s Report and was seconded.


General Meetings: February 15, 2017 – Jon B. Tucker M. D. of Tucker Independent Medical Experts & Cumulative Trauma will speak on Logic v Lunacy atthe Medicolegal Junction. Lunch will be provided by Tucker Independent Medical Experts.

March 15, 2017 – Heather Bowser of Concordia Lutheran Ministries will speak on “The Journey through Senior Care”. Christine Boydreported via email that CSI will sponsor the meeting via email.

April 15, 2017 – Michael Quatrini will speak on Veteran’s Benefits and Quatrini Rafferty will sponsor the lunch.

May 2, 2017 is the date scheduled for the Spring Conference. One speaker is need at the 8:30 am slot. California University will sponsorthe Spring Conference.

May 17, 2017 – Precise will speak on Document Management. Precise will sponsor our lunch on this date. Speakers and sponsors arestill needed for August – November and the Fall Conference. The procedures manual needs to be updated by each committee chair with adeadline of March 24, for drafts to Christine Boyd.

NFPA Michael Vertullo thanked everyone for voting on the Ad Hoc Motion and reported that it did not pass. This will be raised at the nextNational convention. Michael reported that the Region IV Meeting will be Saturday, April 22, 2017 at Meyer Unkovic. All boardmembers are invited. There is a sponsor for breakfast and Legal Sifter will be the speaker and will sponsor lunch. Anyone can attend if amember of NFPA. The meeting will begin at 8:30 am and end between 4-5 pm. The lunch CLE will be on “Future of ArtificialIntelligence and The Law”. There will be an informal Happy Hour and Saturday will be the Region Dinner. Confirm with Michael orAnne Newcomer if you plan to attend. The Joint Conference is scheduled for April 28-30, 2017.



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Keystone Alliance Stephanie Barber reported the Spring Meeting is scheduled for April 1, 2017.

Other Items

Parascope - The deadline for articles is April 21st.

40th Anniversary Party - Survey questions have gone out regarding the 40th Anniversary.

Pirate Game - Harris Investigations would like to sponsor, they would like to schedule a date when the Pirates play the Phillies.

Awards - Vera Mohammed has researched other organizations criteria. She reported that the possible awards that she researched are:Lifetime Achievement Award, Paralegal of the Year Award, Pro Bono Award, Citizen Merit Award. It was discussed and decided thatthe Paralegal of the Year and Pro Bono Award would be the two we will focus on.


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April 13, 2017

General Announcements Resignations of Lily Gamber and Lakeisha Barber were accepted.

Anne Newcomer reported via email that Robson Forensics has signed on for an advertising package on our website.

Diana Roth reported on the Equal Justice Conference on May 4, 2017 at the August Wilson Center for African American Culturebeginning at 6:00 pm. She said that Barb Griffin was looking for Paralegal volunteers to help with the event. Cherilynn Morgan, LauraBabish and Bobbi Cramer volunteered.

The procedures manual updates are due and, as soon as Christine has all updates, a meeting will be scheduled.

Secretary Minutes The Minutes of the regular meeting of the Board of Directors held on March 9, 2017 were read. A motion was made to approve theminutes and was seconded per requested change.

Treasurer’s Report Michael Vertullo motioned to approve the Treasurer’s Report and Bobbi Cramer seconded.


General Meetings: Christine reported that thirty people are signed up for the April General Meeting and we have been moved to a smaller room for thismonth.

Christine reported on future meetings:

May 2, 2017 is the date scheduled for the Spring Conference and the flyer is online.

May 17, 2017 – Precise will speak on Document Management. Precise will sponsor our lunch on this date. The June meeting speakerwill be Robson Forensic and they will provide lunch.

NFPA Michael Vertullo confirmed things are finalized for the Region IV Meeting on Saturday April 22, 2017. Michael asked members toconfirm with either him or Anne Newcomer if they are planning on attending any of the scheduled events. Friday night will be a HappyHour at Ten Penny, Saturday will be the Meeting and lunch CLE. Saturday night will be dinner at a place yet to be decided. The JointConference is scheduled for April 28-30, 2017 in New York City and Michael is planning on attending.

Keystone Alliance Stephanie Barber reported that the Spring Meeting was held in Chester County on April 1, 2017. At the meeting it was decided that allAssociations would share State information. Stephanie will post information on Facebook regarding our Association’s general meetings.Stephanie asked if we should open up our Facebook page. She reported also that discussions were held regarding employment listings onour web site. Since we are a non-profit the listings have to be placed out in the open on the web site. Members disagreed as this is abenefit of being a member of PPA. She reported Lehigh County is part of Keystone and Berks County is interested in joining. Keystoneis looking into Adams County and counties around Gettysburg to join Keystone Alliance in the future. She also mentioned that likeNFPA, Keystone is working on a resolution regarding paralegals and legal work. As soon as Stephanie receives any information she willpass it along to the Board.



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Board Briefs (continued from page 16) Other Items

Parascope - The deadline for articles is April 21st. Ashley Bourniasreported for Deb Wallman that the Board Briefs and Treasurer’sInformation should be included in future issues of the Parascope.

40th Anniversary Party - Christine reported on the proposal sentfrom the Gateway Clipper.

Pirate Game The new date for the game is Friday, May 19, 2017when the Pirates will play the Phillies.

Awards Vera Mohammed sent out the criteria for the awards andnow we need nominations and to decide when to give the awards out,either the 40th Anniversary or the Holiday Party. It was discussed topossibly give a monetary award with a plaque and the money wouldbe donated to the awardees’ favorite charity. A committee will beformed to proceed with the award plans.


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May 11, 2017

General Announcements Christine Boyd announced that National Corporate Research Limitedchanged their name.

A suggestion was made to have a Happy Hour to celebrate ParalegalDay.

Christine Boyd said that once she gets through everything she hasreceived for the Policy and Procedures Manual she will figure outwhat is missing and work on completing the Manual.

A suggestion was made to open Facebook for event purposes.

Diana Roth researched venues for specialty section meetings: Onepossibility is the YWCA – they do charge less for non-profits -$45.00 and $30.00 for a room that seats 20. The Carnegie Librarycharges $30.00 and $70.00 to clean the room. Have to sign alicensing agreement for the library.

Secretary Minutes The Minutes of the regular meeting of the Board of Directors held onMay 11, 2017 were read. A motion was made to approve theminutes and was seconded.

Treasurer’s Report The Treasurer’s Report was reviewed by all and Anne Newcomermotioned to approve the Treasurer’s Report and Michael Vertulloseconded.


General Meetings: Christine reported that there was good attendance for the SpringConference this year and each speaker had people attending theirseminars.

Christine reported on future meetings:

May 17, 2017 – Precise will speak on Document Management.Precise will sponsor our lunch on this date.


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June will be Robson Forensic and they will provide lunch also.

August – December there is a need for speakers.

The Fall Conference is scheduled and one speaker is still needed.

David Slesnick would like to speak on support sometime.

Michael Vertullo suggested that the PA Association of Notary has been revised and thought it would be a good idea to arrange apresentation.

A suggestion was stated to bring back the attorney on medical marijuana because things have changed since he spoke and he did havemore to say on the subject.

Romano to speak on - Victim of identity theft through Facebook.

Virginia Baumgardner is having some issues getting CLE’s approved by Keystone. Stephanie will investigate what exactly the criteria isto approve a CLE from Keystone Board members or someone who can provide this information.

NFPA Michael Vertullo reported that the Region IV Meeting on Saturday April 22, 2017 went well. The policy voting was covered. MoniqueLuck prepared the agenda and did a good job. Preparations are in the making for the convention. Michael attended the Joint Conferencein New York which focuses on Professional Development – Leadership, Certification and Paralegal Regulations. He said that ChristineFlynn gave a presentation on the importance of reporting pro bono hours on the NFPA website. Saturday was on Equal Access to Justiceand was presented by a Judge. Sunday focused on Immigration and Adoption.

Anne Newcomer reported that she participated on a conference call with NFPA members on April 18, 2017. The call was 1-1/2 hourslong. The points covered on the call were: how to increase membership; dual memberships; administrative nightmare on determiningprimary organization for dues to be paid. Some suggestions were made to increase membership by giving new members free membershipOctober-December, June-September 25% off on membership rate. There was discussion regarding new member orientations. Ideas wereshared to encourage new people to attend meetings. Suggestions were made to have Board members call those former members who havenot renewed yet. The idea of using paper for people to see could get more people to join. Place a paper application at every generalmeeting. Take paper applications to student events and free socials. Other topics included: remote meetings, membership committeereach out to non-members that have attended meetings. Use surveys for recommendations. Possibly scheduling student events onSaturdays was discussed. Another topic for discussion was how to run an effective board meeting.

Keystone Alliance Stephanie Barber reported that Keystone is updating their brochure and each Association has to update their own description and keep it at 600 words, down from around 1100. She stated the next Keystone Meeting will be in July.

Other Items

Parascope - The deadline for articles is now June.

40th Anniversary Party - Christine said that the Gateway Clipper has been scheduled for the party. We are hoping for 75-100 people toattend. The committee is working on favors and vendors. Reservations will be due mid-August. Members will have to pay for parking.

Pirate Game - Christine reported that 16 people would attend the game.

Awards - Vera Mohammed reported that the awards would be given out at the 40th Anniversary Party in September. She requested thatnomination forms be included in the next email blast. A plaque will be purchased from Etched in Glass in North Hills and $100 will go tothe winner’s favorite charity.


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Officers: President Cindy Wirtz [email protected]

Vice President Christine Boyd, Pa.C.P [email protected]

Treasurer Roberta Cramer [email protected]

Secretary Laura F. Babish, C.P., Pa.C.P. [email protected]

Representatives: NFPA Primary Michael Vertullo [email protected]

NFPA Secondary Anne Newcomer, RP [email protected]

Keystone Alliance Primary Stephanie Barber [email protected]

Keystone Alliance Secondary Cherilynn Morgan cher16@[email protected]

Directors: Ashley Bournias [email protected]

Carrie Cessna [email protected]

Diana Roth, RP [email protected]

Vera Mohamed [email protected]

Deb Wallman [email protected]

Committees

By-laws/Procedures Manual Cindy Wirtz [email protected]

Christine Boyd [email protected]

Laura Babish [email protected]

Diana Roth [email protected]

CLE Virginia Baumgardner [email protected]

Job Bank Bobbi Cramer [email protected]

Marketing Anne Newcomer [email protected]

Cher Morgan cher16@[email protected]

Membership Admin Saveria Saunders [email protected]

Christine Boyd [email protected]

Anne Newcomer [email protected]

National Affairs Michael Vertullo [email protected]


Newsletter Deb Wallman [email protected]

Ashley Bournias [email protected]


Nominations Bobbi Cramer [email protected]

Paralegal Certification Ambassador Anne Newcomer [email protected]


Pro Bono Diana Roth [email protected]

Cindy Wirtz [email protected]

Special Events Cher Morgan – Happy Hours cher16@[email protected]

Christine Boyd – Holiday Luncheon [email protected]

Student Liaison Bobbi Cramer – Chair [email protected]

Social Media Ashley Bournias [email protected]

40th Anniversary Laura Babish [email protected]

Christine Boyd [email protected] Carrie Cessna [email protected]

Cher Morgan cher16@[email protected]


Mike Vertullo [email protected]

Specialty Sections

Animal Law Stephanie Barber [email protected]

Estates & Trusts Diana Roth [email protected]

Family Law Cindy Wirtz [email protected]

Litigation Stephanie Barber [email protected]


Vera Mohamed [email protected]

Deb Wallman [email protected]

Real Estate Diana Roth [email protected]

Technology/IP Christine Boyd [email protected]

Michael Vertullo [email protected]

Workplace Law Christine Boyd [email protected]


Pittsburgh Paralegal Association 2017 Contact List

Pittsburgh Paralegal Association P.O. Box 704

Pittsburgh, PA 15230 www.pghparalegals.org

summer 2017 ppa is turning forty! summer...act of 1965. summer 2017 2017 is ppa's 40th...

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