2023-09 In Brief

NEBRASKA PARALEGAL ASSOCIATION

FROM THE PRESIDENT: Andria Bell, ACP

It is September already! Time to get the kids ready to go back to school. I hope you had an awesome summer and made wonderful memories. The good news is that we still have lots of wonderful weather ahead before that ugly four-letter “s” word comes to visit! A summer highlight was going to the NALA conference in Boston. It was my first in-person conference and it was amazing! NALA plans the venues years in advance, so I encourage you to see where the upcoming conferences are and pick the one you want to go to most and make plans to get there. I met a lot of wonderful paralegals from as far away as Alaska.

The CLE Committee put a wonderful Fall Seminar together that was held at the Scott Conference Center in Omaha on September 20th & 21st. The Annual Membership Meeting was on September 20th. We inducted the new board and Jessica McArdle as the new President! There were so many great sessions and I know I left feeling well-informed by the presentations. We gave away awesome S.W.A.G. from our sponsors and so many cool door prizes. Day one of the Fall Seminar was hybrid, but we had most of our attendees in person! We look forward to seeing everyone at our future events!

As you are making plans to get out now that the weather is more pleasant, make sure to come to one of the district luncheons. Be purposeful about meeting new people; especially those in NePA. A simple conversation can turn into a great friendship or a great resource. Step out of your comfort zone and do something you have always wanted to do, but never had the time or nerve to do it. We can’t move forward if we always stand still.

Stay safe and see you soon!

REGISTER FOR EVENTS AT:

http:// nebraskaparalegal.org

UPCOMING BOARD MEETINGS

(6:00-7:30pm):

October 10, 2023 (Board Retreat)

January 2024

March/April 2024

June 2024

August 2024

FROM THE EDITOR

2

We are always striving to improve the benefits of your membership, and our publications are no exception. If you have an idea for an article or story, or would like to write an article for the In Brief, we welcome your input!

**If you’d like to attend a board meeting, contact Andria Bell at President @NebraskaParalegal .org for details.

As always, feel free to reach out to any of our board members with questions, suggestions, or concerns. If you have corrections regarding this issue, please forward them to me at publicationseditor@nebraskaparalegal.org.

PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Kim Brown, ACP - Chair

Casey Grennan, CP

Kim Hansen

Amber Roberts, ACP

Carol Powers

Susan Willis

RELAY FOR LIFE of GREATER OMAHA by Teri Gibbons, Team Captain

NePA once again sponsored the Legal Beagles team for the 2023 Relay for Life of Greater Omaha. Funds raised benefited the American Cancer Society and will go towards research, transportation for patients to appointments, advocacy, education, and other patient services. This year’s event was held on Saturday, July 8, 2023, at Stinson Park in Omaha and we couldn’t have asked for better weather!

The theme was “One Small Step for You, One Giant Leap For a Cancer Cure.” I was thrilled to have several teammates attend the event this year including Andria Bell, Amber Roberts, Kim Clayton, Michele and Dan Walker, and Kayleigh Mashek and her family. A big shout out to those who drove all the way from Lincoln to support our team!

Following the opening ceremony and the Survivor and Caretaker Laps, Relay participants took to the path and enjoyed the exercise, camaraderie, and music from the band High Heel…not to mention the delicious treats from the food trucks. The Luminaria Ceremony was held about 9:30 and is always a moving end to the evening. It was announced that this Relay raised over $88,000! The Legal Beagles raised around $2,800 plus $500 from a company match program. Additional funds will be added once the results of the silent auction are calculated. We had a super soft and lovely purple shawl that was donated for our silent auction item.

Thanks again for your support of this community event. NePA should be proud of our ongoing commitment to give back to our community and to those who are in the fight of their lives. We already have plans for fundraising efforts for next year including some fun items at the Fall Seminar in September. Please also plan on joining us next year at this wonderful event!

RELAY FOR LIFE IN PICTURES

NALA: THE PARALEGAL ASSOCIATION - NALA CONFERENCE & EXPO 2023

The 2023 NALA Conference & Expo was held at the Westin Copley Place in downtown Boston, Massachusetts July 12-14. We had a handful of NePA Members attend. It was within walking distance to the Freedom Trail, Boston Public Library, shopping malls, and several restaurants.

There were a wide variety of sessions. Ethical Considerations in Criminal Law Cases, 5th and 14th Amendments, Police Use of Force, Roe v. Wade, A Paralegal’s Guide to Best Billing Practices, and Post Pandemic Real Estate Paralegal to name a few. There were also several CP Review courses for attendees preparing for the CP exam.

Catherine Sanderson, PhD was the Keynote Speaker and was amazing. She is a nationally recognized speaker, author and professor. She spoke on the power of emotional intelligence and strategies for achieving success. It was a very interesting topic and I think everyone enjoyed this session.

Wednesday was full of meetings and exhibitor booths. There were several exhibitor booths this year, and they handed out some great swag and door prizes. Lots of other exhibitors passed out pens, post-its, water bot-

tles and candy. One of our NePA Sponsors, Tom Woodrome from Capital Services, had a booth. I even won some Beats Studio Buds from The George Washington University. We had our Affiliate booth set up at the Opening Night Reception on Wednesday night. The event was really well attended, and people were lined up before it opened. We handed out band aid holder/ pill boxes and everyone loved them. We also had some fun stickers. As usual, all the Affiliates showed up with great swag!

The Annual Meeting & Awards was held during lunch on Wednesday and the Affiliate Associations Annual Meeting was the last session of the day where Andria Bell accepted her Affiliate Award. Andria has been a great asset to NePA these last few years and it was nice to see her receive this award.

Thursday and Friday were full days of CLE sessions. Thursday evening was the Installation of Officers where our very own Bridget M. Stuhr, ACP was installed as an At Large Director and Kelly S. Elder, ACP was installed as the Professional Development Committee Chair.

NALA: THE PARALEGAL ASSOCIATION - NALA CONFERENCE & EXPO 2023

Our charity this year was the Center for Law and Education which focuses on helping schools articulate what they need to ensure that all children receive a high-quality education.

The Conference in Boston this year was great. There were a variety of CLE sessions to attend. I love meeting paralegals that are also passionate about their careers. Andria and I did a little sightseeing and even a Harbor Boat Tour on Saturday before we headed home. I’m looking forward to attending the Conference in Louisville, Kentucky next year. Mark your calendars for July 11-13, 2024. We hope to see many NePA Members there.

It has been my pleasure to serve as NALA Liaison this past year. Please contact me at angel.younger@kutakrock.com with any questions you may have regarding NALA. Thank you. ~ Angel Younger, ACP, 2022-2023 NALA Liaison

NALA-THE PARALEGAL ASSOCIATION - NALA CONFERENCE & EXPO 2023

Generational Differences — by Amber Roberts, ACP

I recently went to the Wichita Riverfest. I was so excited because it was the first time in nearly 20 years that I’d been in my hometown during the event and the first time I was able to take my kids. This is a wonderful two weeks of celebrating all things that make Wichita, KS special. It was the second to last night of the festival and I was willing to purchase the Riverfest button for $15 along with two buttons for my kids at $5 each to simply get access to the food court so I could get an $8 funnel cake…I really like funnel cakes! With the button, however, we also got access to so many other things that night including the cultural festival going on, Clydesdale horses meet and greet, and kids’ zone.

As we were enjoying ourselves in the kids’ zone, I was looking around and spied someone wearing the tell-tale red jacket and white pants of Admiral Windwagon Smith. The nostalgia is strong for me with the Riverfest and there are few things more associated with this event than the admiral. Every year a community member is honored with the title. They serve as representative and host at a myriad of events during Riverfest and are tasked with getting out in the community and bringing joy. Growing up, the admiral was always an older white gentleman, typically with white

or silver hair, and frequently a beard. This is what the admiral looks like in my memories.

What does the admiral look like to my girls? She is a tall, beautiful black woman. She’s charismatic and friendly. She’s fun and relatable. And suddenly there were tears in my eyes…because I realized that this is hard proof that the world is changing, and my kids will have totally different viewpoints on the world based on their experiences that are so much different than mine.

I remember growing up wishing I could be the admiral and thinking it wasn’t for me. In fact, Kaye MonkMorgan is only the third female Admiral Windwagon Smith (and first black woman). The first was Linda Davidson in 1999 and the second was 18 years later in 2017 when Wendy Johnson was honored with the title. Now, this is not to say that the other admirals over the years weren’t deserving of the title. The men were all upstanding community leaders to my knowledge and did Wichita proud in the role. From a little girl’s perspective, however, I didn’t see me in them and couldn’t imagine a time that I’d see a woman in the red coat, white pants, and big hat.

Generational Differences Continued

So, what does this have to do with generational differences? It’s one example of the three different effects that explain all societal change. The first is Lifecycle Effects. These are attitudes and beliefs that have to do with our age and not the generation we were born into. Articles frequently say that Baby Boomers are conservative and resistant to change…but it is likely they will say the same thing of Millennials and Gen Zers when we are the same age. It is typical to grow more conservative and risk adverse as we age. The same generation that fought for Civil Rights and experienced the Moon Landing were leading the call for societal change during their heyday.

The second is Period Effects. These are events that affect everyone alive and in the country, region or area affected. Examples are wars, economic crisis, or pandemics. When COVID-19 hit, everyone in the world was affected in some way. The very young might not remember specifics, but everyone else will remember a before and after as well as what the “new normal” is and how it differs from what we had before. COVID-19 impacted how we will move forward into the future and many behaviors will be changed forever. Another example is the Great Depression. Living through that and having to scrimp and save just to get by and survive in a lot of instances, had a profound effect on

people of that time and influenced their behavior the rest of their lives.

The final is Cohort Effects. A new generation is different than the ones before at the same age and will stay different forever. This is what I experienced while at the Riverfest. My children, part of Generation Z (Zoomers) and Generation Alpha, will never know what it’s like to not see themselves in Admiral Windwagon Smith. They will never be able to say, that’s not for me. It will forever influence them, hopefully in a positive way.

Other examples of the Cohort Effect are generational relationships with smoking. I grew up with smoking in restaurants and having to walk through the smoking section to get to the non-smoking section. Later generations can’t even imagine that. Zoomers and Generation Alpha grow up knowing the harmful effects of smoking and as a generation, they are far less likely to smoke at the same age as when Baby Boomers were in their 20s.

The same could be said for Mental Health Disorders and whether they are seen as something to be ashamed of and hidden, or rather that a person who recognizes they need help and seeks that help is seen as courageous and supported. While there is still a stigma surrounding mental health, it is lessening over time. Later generations will benefit from this and be able to lead happier and healthier lives.

Reflecting on my time in Wichita with my girls, I’m hopeful. It was yet another reminder that the world is ever-changing, and I need to do my part to make sure it’s going in the right direction. Fighting for more diversity, inclusion, and equity is not only something that I think we should all be doing, but something I truly feel is imperative to make sure the future is as bright as it can be for the generations to follow. What are you passionate about changing for future generations and what will you do to see that change come about sooner rather than later?

Admiral Windwagon Smith XLIX (49th)

Kaye Monk-Morgan

NALA-THE PARALEGAL ASSOCIATION—Planning Ahead

September 27, 2023, 12:00pm CST

Corporate Compliance: Contract Review, Management, & Administration

This session will provide tools and resources to walk through the ins and outs of corporate contract review, management, and administration.

September 28, 2023, 12:00pm CST

To Thine Own Billing Be True

This course will explore how unsuspecting legal professionals engage in the unethical practice of overbilling and the costly mistakes that follow.

October 4, 2023, 12:00pm CST

Human Trafficking: Understanding the Smooth Operator

This course will dive into the crime of human trafficking. Valencia will present both Florida and federal law on human trafficking and share her experience prosecuting a human trafficking case through trial and sentencing

October 11, 2023, 12:00pm CST

Transform Your Relationship with Time: Achieve More with Less Stress

Do you fee like you lack the time to do everything you need to do? Join attorney Jamie Spannhake to discovery how to think about time differently, use your time more successfully, and delegate effectively.

October 12, 2023, 12:00pm CST

Mental Health and Cultural Awareness

This webinar discusses how cultural/religious differences can play a role in mental health.

For information about NALA’s Awards Program, please

visit:

https://nala.org/about-nala/nala-awards/

Newly Nebraska Certified Paralegals

CONGRATULATIONS to the newly certified paralegals from Nebraska!

Rylee Hall, CP

Kelsey Skey, CP

The Certified Paralegal (CP) certification is a key to success, respect, and opportunity throughout the legal profession. Here’s why:

• Known as a national professional standard for paralegals

• Acknowledged by the American Bar Association as a mark of excellence

• More than 47 paralegal organizations acknowledge the CP as the definitive paralegal certification

• Responsive to the needs of paralegals and the fact that this form of self-regulation is necessary to strengthen and expand the development of this career field

• A positive, ongoing, voluntary program to encourage the growth of the paralegal profession, attesting to and encouraging a high level of achievement

For over 45 years, NALA’s Certified Paralegal Program has been recognized both nationally and internationally. It has received recognition from both the National Commission for Certifying Agencies and the American Bar Association. On April 30, 2014, the NCCA granted accreditation to our program, making us its only accredited Certified Paralegal Program. Our CP credential has also been acknowledged by the American Bar Association as a mark of high professional achievement. With our acknowledgments, we pride ourselves on our professionalism, while still maintaining lasting relationships with our Certified Paralegals.

For more information on the NALA Certified Paralegal program: Certification – NALA

Do you have any STUDENT NEWS? Please send any news to Kim Brown, In Brief Editor, at publicationseditor@nebraskaparalegal.org

College of Saint Marry

Academic Calendar

October 9-13 Midterm Week

October 16-20 Fall Break No Classes for Undergraduate Students

October 27 Undergraduate Midterm Grades Due

November 6-9 Registration Opens for Spring and Summer 2024

Questions about the Paralegal Program at College of Saint Mary’s? Visit the site here.

Metropolitan Community College News

Academic Calendar

November 20 Classes End

November 23-24 Thanksgiving Day Recess / College Closed

December 2 Classes Begin

December 23-January 1 Holiday Recess

Questions about the Legal Studies & Paralegal Program at MCC? Visit the site here.

CP Scholarship Recipient—Amy Gausman

Stay tuned for more information!

NePA will email information to its members in the coming weeks!

INTERESTED IN A SCHOLARSHP?

Are YOU interested in advancing your career with the Certified Paralegal or Advanced Certified Paralegal designation? Visit NePA’s Scholarship page at https://nebraskaparalegal.org/ scholarships.php for more information!

NEPA held a donation drive for Partnership 4 Hope at the Fall Seminar on 9/20 & 9/21. Partnership 4 Hope recently presented at one of the District Luncheons regarding their nonprofit that provides college-bound mentoring and goal-setting programs to Omaha’s youth.

Currently, Partnership 4 Hope needs the following items:

-Bathroom cleaner

-Toilet bowl cleaner

-Laundry pods

-Dish soap

-Dishwasher pods

-Glass cleaner

We will need some help dropping off donations. If you are interested in assisting in drop offs, please contact Kayleigh Mashek at kmashek@remboltlawfirm.com. If you would prefer to provide a monetary donation, you may provide a cash donation at the seminar or donate via the links below:

Venmo: @Partnership4Hope

Paypal: partnership4hope@gmail.com

Please be sure to tag NEPA in the comments if you donate via the above links so we can keep track of how much we have raised.

Additionally, Partnership 4 Hope has a current need for volunteers conducting their “Truck Brigades” delivering furniture to young adults on Friday mornings. This opportunity runs every Friday morning from 8:30 to 11:00 a.m. If you are interested in volunteering, you can reach out to Morgan Rye-Craft at 531-389-7551.

Want to become a member?

The Nebraska Paralegal Association ("NePA") is a growing organization that always welcomes new members. You'll find a vibrant community of paralegals who benefit from each other's expertise and the resources that only a committed group can provide. NePA is committed to building a strong community of paralegals in Nebraska.

How We Support Our Members

NePA supports paralegals through continuing education programs. We disseminate information about the profession, offer a job bank for employers and those seeking employment as paralegals and publish an e-zine, the In Brief. We hold regular membership meetings featuring educational programs and social events. NePA fosters communication among paralegals and serves as a forum for the exchange of knowledge and ideas. Our association promotes the educational, professional and ethical standards for paralegals. We provide networking opportunities for members, as well as legal assistant students and other legal professionals.

Learn More About NALA

NePA is an affiliate of NALA, The Paralegal Association ("NALA"). NALA is composed of over 18,000 paralegals, through individual members and through its 90 state and local affiliated associations. NePA supports NALA's certification and advanced certification program (Certified Paralegal and Advanced Certified Paralegal). NALA offers continuing legal education almost daily through its NALA Campus Live! program and it also hosts an annual Convention, Institutes & Exhibition each year. Please visit NALA's website for more information relating to each of its programs.

NOT A MEMBER YET?

Check out all the details and download an application at: https://nebraskaparalegal.org/join.php

Ending with a little humor….. Hope you have a wonderful Summer!