Carolina Paralegal News

North Carolina

Alamance County Paralegal Association

Upcoming events:

• Regular membership meetings on the third Tuesday of every month at 12:20 p.m. at Carver’s on Elm in Graham.

 

Asheville Area Paralegal Association

Upcoming events:

• Monthly membership meetings occur the first Thursday of each month at 12 p.m. at a downtown Asheville restaurant. Visit www. aapaonline.net for meeting details and locations.
• Topics vary from meeting to meeting. They are posted online at www.aapaonline.net. RSVP with menu selection is needed.

Notes:

• Buncombe County Chief Resident Superior Court Judge Alan Thornburg has asked Bill Christy to pass on to the members of the 28th Judicial District Bar that he is in the process of reviewing the local Rules of Court for superior court. He requests that any comments or suggestions for changes be sent to the trial court administrator, Marc Shimberg, via e-mail at marc.shimberg@nccourts.org.
• AAPA welcomes its members to submit articles of interest for potential posting to the association’s website. Send your submissions to Jenny Iaquinto, chair of the publicity committee, at jiaquinto@roberts-stevens.com.

 

Legal Support Staff of Asheville

Upcoming events:

• Monthly meetings will be held at 5:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at the law offices of Northup, McConnell & Sizemore, 123 Biltmore Ave., Asheville. No membership necessary to attend. Contact Susan D. Austin at sda@northupmcconnell.com for details.

 

Catawba Valley Paralegal Association

Upcoming events:

• Monthly meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. at various locations. Membership is open to paralegals, legal assistants, legal secretaries, attorneys, students enrolled in paralegal programs of study, paralegal educators, employees of judicial entities and other recognized legal agencies.

For more information, visit http://www.catawbavalleyparalegalassoc.org.

Notes:

• For membership inquiries, contact Cyndy Adams at cadams.nccp@lewwaddelllaw.com or Leah Poovey at lpoovey@PHD-LAW.com.

 

Cumberland County Paralegal Association

Upcoming events:

• Monthly membership meetings: Second Thursday of each month at 12:30 p.m. at various locations. Visit www.ccpara.com for details.

 

Guilford Paralegal Association

Upcoming events:

• GPA meets on the second Tuesday of every month in either Greensboro or High Point. Meetings are open to any attorneys, legal support staff and others connected to the legal profession. Visit GPA’s website at www.guilfordparalegalassociation.org for information on meetings, events and local continuing education opportunities.

 

Metrolina Paralegal Association

Upcoming events:

• Monthly membership meetings: Second Thursday of each month at 12 p.m. at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 115 W. 7th St., Charlotte.

Notes:

• MPA is now on Facebook and LinkedIn.

 

Raleigh-Wake Paralegal Association

Upcoming events:

• For 2011, RWPA membership meetings will occur bi-monthly. Meetings will take place from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of February, April, June, August, October and December at the Holiday Inn, 4100 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh. Featured at each luncheon are guest speakers from a variety of practice areas and local businesses.

Notes:

• Any questions about RWPA can be directed to Sherry Grady at sherry.grady@klgates.com.

North Carolina Bar Association Paralegal Division

Upcoming events:

Notes

• Visit www.paralegaldivision.ncbar.org for information about news and information about upcoming meetings and CLEs.

 

North Carolina Paralegal Association, Inc.

Notes:

• The NALA exam is computer-based and will be available through Jan. 31. E-mail jacqueline.thurman@yahoo.com for details.
• The NCPA is sponsoring its annual Student Scholarship Program. Any paralegal student enrolled in an accredited N.C. paralegal educational program is eligible. Win a cash scholarship, free one-year membership to NCPA and a free registration to the 2011 annual meeting. Check out www.ncparalegal.org for details.
• For those who are interested in taking the CLA/CP exam, the CP Review Manual from NALA is now available. Visit the NCPA website and click the “NALA News” link for more details.
• Any paralegal association that is interested in becoming an affiliate of NCPA may contact affiliates director Teresa Stacey at tas@vernonlaw.com.
• NCPA is on Facebook and MySpace. Contact Beverly King at bev@tissuelaw.com if you have trouble locating NCPA on Facebook. For MySpace questions, e-mail Erin Galloway at eburris@earthlink.net.

 

N.C. Advocates for Justice Paralegal Division

Upcoming events:

• March 16: NCAJ Spring Seminar for Paralegals at the Embassy Suites hotel in Concord, N.C. More information is available on the CLE calendar at www.ncaj.com.

 

Research Triangle Paralegal Association

Upcoming events:

• The Research Triangle Paralegal Association meetings occur the third Wednesday of June, August and October. A holiday meeting will occur in December.

Notes:

• RTPA regularly supports Interact of Wake County (www.interactofwake.org) and challenges you and your firms or companies to get involved. Please visit our website at www.rtpanc.org for additional information about upcoming meetings and events.

 

 

 

South Carolina

 

 

Charleston Association of Legal Assistants

Upcoming events:

• Membership meetings are held the third Wednesday of each month. Attendees can earn CLE credits for their participation in the luncheons.

Notes:

• CALA is now on Facebook. Log in to the website and enter “Charleston Association of Legal Assistants” to access the page.

 

Legal Staff Professionals of Greenville

Upcoming events:

• LSPG’s regular membership meetings are on the third Wednesday of every month from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at the Poinsett Club. The meetings offer educational speakers and one half-hour of CLE credit. For reservations, contact Myra Culbertson at 864-239-5959 or at mculbertson@wcsr.com or Laura Harling at 864-232-8722 or at laurabharling@yahoo.com.

Notes: 

• For membership inquiries, contact Laura Harling at 864-232-8722 or laurabharling@yahoo.com. Please visit www.lspg.org for updates and additional information.
• Members who are interested in receiving the Greenville Bar Association’s newsletter can contact Melinda Davidson at gbarnews@charter.net to be added to the distribution list.

Legal Staff Professionals of South Carolina

Upcoming events:

• Jan. 29: Overview of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 in Columbia at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, 1320 Main St., 17th floor. Registration ends Jan. 24. No walk-in registration for the program is available. Contact Jamie Early at (803) 422-6813 or earlyjamie@yahoo.com with questions.
• April 29-30: LSPSC annual membership meeting, Hilton Head Island.

Notes:

• LSPSC is continuing to support the S.C. Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. Donated items may include paper towels, toilet tissue, paper items, cups, plates, napkins, utensils, envelopes, stationery, personal items, bars of soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrush, sanitary products, diapers and baby wipes.
• For LSPSC information, please contact Tara Jean Prevatte at (864) 271-7940 or visit www.lspsc.org.

 

Legal Staff Professionals of the Lowcountry

Upcoming events:

• Regular membership meetings are held on the third Monday of every month at 6 p.m., Sunfire Grill & Bistro, 1090 Sam Rittenberg Blvd, Charleston. The meetings offer educational speakers and one hour of CLE credit and a short business meeting. For reservations or additional information, contact Jennifer Cook at (843) 724-1115 or cookjnny@aol.com.

Legal Staff Professionals of the Midlands 

Upcoming events:

• Regular membership meeting on the second Tuesday of each month at 1 p.m., 1320 Main St., Meridian Building, 17th Floor, Columbia. A presentation by a legal education speaker will earn members a half-hour of CLE credit. A short business meeting will follow. Bring your lunch and a friend. For additional information, contact Jamie Early at (803) 422-6813.

 

 

Palmetto Paralegal Association

Upcoming events:

• Regular membership meetings on the third Wednesday of each month from 12:30 to 2 p.m.

 

 

S.C. Upstate Paralegal Association

Upcoming events:

• Educational luncheon meetings are held on the second Thursday of the month at 12:30 p.m. at the Poinsett Club, 807 E. Washington St., Greenville.

 

 

S.C. Association of Roster Administrators

Upcoming events:

• Regular membership meetings on the third Tuesday of each month from 1 to 2:15 p.m. at various law firms in Columbia. Visit www.scrosteradministrators.org for more details.

 

 

National

 

National Association of Legal Assistants

Notes:

• NALA Campus LIVE provides online educational courses for paralegals. The courses are offered during two sessions per year. Twelve of the 44 courses offered through the program are recommended as preparation for the certified paralegal examination.

For more information, visit www.nala.org.

• The NALA certification exam is now computer-based. The new exam format will be available at all NALA testing centers nationwide.

 

National Federation of

Paralegal Associations, Inc.

Upcoming events:

• A calendar of upcoming events and webcasts can be found at http://www.paralegals.org/calendar.cfm.

Diana Smith, Staff Writer National Association News, NC Association News, PARALEGAL ASSOCIATION NEWS, SC Association News Add new tag, association news

By Diana Smith, CPN Managing Editor

diana.smith@nc.lawyersweekly.com

With fall in full swing, many people are donning their long-sleeved sweaters and warmer dress slacks when they head into work each morning.   

But that’s not the case at every law office.

Paralegals say the skirts are getting shorter and the clothing more casual these days – and some don’t like it.

Wearing suits or dresses is a way to convey professionalism right from the outset in the workplace, no matter what the setting, said Cyndy Adams, president of the Catawba Valley Paralegal Association in North Carolina.

“In my office, whenever our paralegals go to court, we wear suits or well-coordinated outfits that match the circumstances,” she said. “To me, you’re in a situation where you need to show respect, both to the court and your client. The way we do that is by dressing appropriately.” 

It doesn’t have to be designer fashion, but it shouldn’t be picnic wear, either, according to most Carolina paralegals.

“Our attorneys say if you can rake in it, you can’t wear it,” said Raleigh, N.C., paralegal Jennifer Watford. “Now, that may not have one ounce of a reflection on my work product. But if I saw somebody looking disheveled, I’d think, ‘Hmm. Are they taking as much care with my stuff as they did with their professional appearance?’”  

Fashion could also make or break a paralegal’s ability to land a job.

That’s because the first thing that any employer notices about a job candidate is their attire, said California-based Chere Estrin, editor-in-chief of KNOW, a magazine for paralegals. 

Estrin told Carolina Paralegal News that a daily work wardrobe consisting of casual polo shirts and khakis was “great in the ’90s and the dot-com era, but it doesn’t hold water anymore.”

 ”These are tough times, and you have to look better than you’ve ever looked simply because of the psychological impact that a well-put-together person conveys to somebody else,” she said.

However, finding the fashion balance can be difficult to strike in law offices, particularly those without some sort of dress code.

But Vicki Swaringen of Charlotte, N.C., said the paralegals she knows have the common sense to know what’s appropriate.

“On days we have clients come in, I might choose to wear a suit, but usually it’s something that’s comfortable like a blouse and slacks,” said Swaringen, and estate and tax paralegal with Robinson Bradshaw & Hinson.

Swaringen’s firm’s dress code prohibits attire such as sandals, “short” short skirts and sleeveless tops, she said. There is also no “casual Fridays” policy.

When the seasons warm up, the staff also receives a reminder alerting employees of the dos and don’ts of fashion at the firm, Swaringen added.

But from what Watford has seen, not all paralegals seem to get the memo.

Skimpy office attire hasn’t been as prevalent, but Watford told Carolina Paralegal News that overly casual attire is common.

“I’m always surprised at CLEs where people dress as though it’s their day off,” she said.

Among the faux pas she’s seen: one woman dressed in a sweatshirt, yoga pants and a scarf. Another sat Indian-style on the floor with her shoes off, scratching her feet.  

That type of attire could have damaging effects for a line of work that has been striving for years to prove its professionalism, cautioned Estrin.

“In the paralegal field, there’s no hierarchy,” she explained. “It’s ‘once a paralegal, always a paralegal’ in most of these firms. There’s no vertical climb up a ladder. It’s a horizontal climb, so you need to do everything you can to be successful.”

Paralegals are not the only people who could plead guilty fashion crimes.

“What has concerned me is the standards for incoming lawyers, especially females, seem to be very lax,” said Debbie Reynolds, a paralegal with Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough in Greenville, S.C. “I see very short skirts, low tops, sometimes even a midriff showing. I don’t seem to see too many of the staff folks dressing that way, but it does seem to be unaddressed with the attorneys.”

But that’s no excuse for paralegals to get sloppy, Estrin said.

“Lawyers are not an example,” said Estrin. “Paralegals are still looking to be defined, still looking for upgraded assignments and people are going to give it to the people they think are most successful. How are you going to portray that image?”

Even on days when she’s not wearing a business suit, Reynolds said she keeps a nice jacket at her desk in case she unexpectedly gets called into a meeting with a client.

“It’s something to pull on just to dress it up a bit,” she said. “It’s not a power suit, but always neat and professional.”

And it need not be expensive to look the part.

“It is hard to buy an Ann Taylor suit, times seven, on a paralegal salary. I get that,” said Watford. “But you can still dress nicely.”

And what to do with those plunging V-necks and relaxed fit jeans?

“Save it for your social hour,” said Estrin.

Diana Smith, Staff Writer News, NEWS & FEATURES Add new tag, office attire, paralegal, professionalism, promotions