In Brief - June 2023

JUNE 2023

JUNE 2023 NEBRASKA PARALEGAL ASSOCIATION

IN THIS ISSUE:

IN THIS ISSUE:

From the President .....1

From the President .....1

From the Editor ...........2

From the Editor ...........2

2023 Spring Seminar Recap .........................3

Save the Dates...........2

NALA News.................3

2023 Diversity Event Recap .........................7

District I News.............4

Relay for Life .............11

District II News............6

Law Day Recap........14

Get to Know .................

NALA Webinars.........18

New Members...... 7/15

NALA Affiliate

Article: .......................8

Award........................21

Article: COVID..........16

Student News............22

Student Education Award........................23

College of St. Mary Student Forum Recap ...26

District Updates ........30

Save the Dates .........30

FROM THE PRESIDENT: Andria Bell, ACP

MMXXIII, ISSUE 1

I love this time of year because it puts everyone in a great mood by being outside and enjoying the sunshine, the green grass, and flowers! Speaking of being in a great mood, at Christmas time, another volunteer organization with which I am involved, Good News Jail & Prison Ministry, handed out gifts to the inmates and Corrections Officers at the Douglas County Correctional Center here in Omaha. The smiles that we received were priceless. As a bonus, we got in over 6,000 steps! My point is that you will never know how much your simple act of giving will touch someone’s life. It may seem like nothing to you, but mean the world to them. Even getting out, taking a walk, and smiling at everyone you pass is a great way to boost your spirit. I hope you make sure that you are taking time out of your busy schedule to take care of yourself.

Don’t get wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of your job and other obligations all of the time. Schedule time to do the things that relax you and make sure that your “me time” doesn’t only happen when you’re at the grocery store or doing some other chore by yourself. Please stay safe, enjoy your family, cherish the important things, and be blessed!

REGISTER FOR EVENTS AT:

http:// nebraskaparalegal.org

UPCOMING BOARD MEETINGS

(6:00-7:30pm):

August 1, 2023

October 10, 2023 (Board Retreat)

FROM THE EDITOR

1

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

2023 SPRING SEMINAR RECAP

NePA held its Spring Seminar at the Mahoney State Park Conference Center on April 14, 2023. Even though we had multiple technical difficulties, our speakers and crew adapted and moved forward with the day!

Hunter Traynor Esq., Rembolt Ludtke — Corporate Transparency Act: Who, What, When, Where and How? Congress enacted the Corporate Transparency Act (the “Act”) in January of 2021. At its core, the Act is Congress’s attempt to combat money laundering and related illicit activities through the disclosure of businesses’ “beneficial owners.” The Act will impose reporting obligations on most small businesses and their owners. Most important for paralegals, though, is the Act’s implication for those who assist businesses with entity filings, both upon formation and afterwards. Hunter covered the birth of the Corporate Transparency Act, the types of businesses who are required, and not required, to report, the information to be reported, who is considered a beneficial owner, who is a company applicant and its meaning, when reporting obligations begin, the potential penalties for non-compliance, and how paralegals can help ensure compliance with the Act. Hunter’s presentation drew many questions from corporate paralegals as well as others!

Dawn Rockey, Executive Director, CASA, Lancaster County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) is a not-for-profit that recruits, trains and supports community volunteers who advocate for the best interests of abused, neglected, truant and ungovernable youth (ages birth to 19) in Juvenile Court. Dawn Rockey, Executive Director of CASA for Lancaster County, gave an overview of the CASA program, its mission, the needs of the children, the training and supervision of volunteers and the impact of their advocacy on the lives of children and youth in the system. The session included information on how CASA volunteers advocate for permanency and needed services, how to look through a resource lens versus a deficit lens, abuse and neglect risk factors, as well as prod the child welfare system to work as intended.

Mark McQueen, Esq., Baird Holm New Rules: NLRB Swings Hard Left

Mark McQueen has been representing employers in matters before the National Labor Relations Board for over three decades. His presentation explained the Biden Administration’s impact on the NLRB, and the game changing consequences both union and non-union employers are experiencing as a result. He also provided insight on how Board policy and enforcement strategies dictate employers’ personnel and human resource decisions.

2023 SPRING SEMINAR RECAP, cont.

Leslie Donley, Esq., Assistant Attorney General, Nebraska Department of Justice Leslie Donley provided a comprehensive overview of Nebraska’s public records law including definitions and exceptions to disclosure, the process for requesting and producing public records, the fees allowed for photocopies of the records, confidential records (FERPA, medical records, trade secrets, work-product, etc.), exceptions to confidentiality provision, response times, and remedies available to individuals who believe they have been denied access to public records.

Mark LaPuzza, Attorney, Pansing Hogan Ernst & Bachman, LLP Mark LaPuzza advises businesses and their owners and managers on corporate structure and operations. He also devotes a portion of his practice to real estate development, which he used to bring to us our very own Homeowner’s Associations 101 course. His presentation focused on the definition of an HOA, the purpose of HOAs, membership in an HOA, which documents are controlling, who are the HOA “players,” HOA dues, assessments, and fines, HOA covenants enforcement standards, HOA requests regarding improvements review, and examples of various homeowner’s disputes. Mark finished his presentation with providing numerous practice pointers and resources for paralegals.

Overall, each speaker provided a wealth of knowledge needed for all paralegal practice areas. We are lucky to have great speakers who are willing to share their wealth of knowledge with us. A big thank you to Jessica McArdle and her CLE Committee who work so hard in planning a great event and also for delivering all of the drinks, food, and snacks for the day. Without NePA’s CLE Committee, we would not have such great CLE opportunities. Thank you!

2023 SPRING SEMINAR RECAP, cont.

Some pictures to round out our recap!

Diversity Event Recap - Aging is Just a Number: Removing Barriers and Taking Advantage of Differences

Wow! That about sums up how great this year’s Diversity Event was. We had 90 attendees register for the event and a great group of sponsors, including Great Plains Reporting which stepped up as the event’s Platinum sponsor. Tina Mauch joined us at the event with great giveaways and door prizes. We couldn’t have put on such a wonderful event without all of our sponsors!

The day started off with a fantastic South of the Border lunch buffet and anyone who has been to the Scott Conference Center knows their food can’t be beat. There were excellent conversations and networking occurring during lunch. Then we moved on to our first panel of the day, Aging in the Law, with panelists from Baird Holm.

Including the moderator, Heidi Guttau (Gen X), there were representatives from four generations. Jon Breuning represented Baby Boomers, Sara McCue represented Millennials, and Addison McCauley represented Gen Z. The discussions and insights provided from the panelists on changes in the law over time were incredible. I was very interested to hear their takes on specific cases that had shaped the law during their time or made them want to become lawyers. Cases like the OJ Simpson trial to the Oklahoma City Bombing trial brought back a lot of memories.

We next heard from Ken Wentz and Caitlin Ellis of Jackson Lewis. They provided a Legal Update on Age Discrimination and Other Topics. I found it particularly interesting to learn about the CROWN Act which passed in Nebraska in 2021 preventing employers from discriminating against employees “based on traits historically associated with race, including hair texture, hair type, and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists.” We also covered changes in what is considered professional appearance through the generations, touched on non-competes, and had some fun with AI generated images.

Our next speaker was Amber Roberts, former President of NePA and current Treasurer. She covered Generational Differences: Understanding & Overcoming Stereotypes. The presentation was great with how it built on previous discussions we’d had throughout the day and offered more insight into why we have conflict between the generations. She covered the three types of effects that can explain all societal changes including Lifecycle, Period and Cohort effects. What usually gets blamed on Generational Cohorts, like resistance to change, is actually more likely explained as being more risk adverse as we get older and will affect most people as they age, regardless of what generation they are in. We also had fun with ChatGPT and all the memes...so many giggles were heard!

We closed out the day with a final panel on Emerging Trends in a Post-COVID World moderated by our own Andria Bell. She did a great job leading the discussion with Erin

Cihal of Legal Aid of Nebraska, Abbey Moland of McGrath North, Amber Svajgl of Mutual of Omaha, and Rebecca Perry of Kutak Rock. They discussed a lot of changes that occurred during and after the pandemic, some that are here to stay and others that we’re starting to see roll back some. Mutual of Omaha has had great success offering remote work. Others see that a hybrid model works as well but all agreed that flexibility with employees was key and needed to continue into the future. McGrath North has seen early career/new attorneys craving more social interaction and mentoring which requires them to be in the office and accessible.

Legal Aid sets themselves apart in the recruiting arena by touting the great work they do and the impact they have on so many lives. Younger generations are looking to make a difference and find work where the values of the company align with their own values...and Legal Aid is taking advantage of that. All agreed that compensation is top of mind during hiring discussions and they are working hard to make sure to take that into consideration with retaining current employees as well.

Mutual of Omaha and Kutak Rock also mentioned that they are seeing applicants from other professions since the pandemic started including teachers. Mutual of Omaha is specifically offering upskilling and reskilling to its employees to allow them to retain them when work in their original department may have gotten slow. That way they were able to move employees around without having to do layoffs. All in all, I thought the panel was very insightful and offered great areas employers could focus on as the pandemic is slowing down and we’re returning to “normal.”

The entire day was wonderful and I left re-energized to go out into the world and have these discussions with others in a respectful and collaborative way. And I can’t wait for next year’s focus of Neurodivergence...it should be a fantastic one!

A big THANK YOU to our sponsors of the Diversity Event:

Great Plains Reporting

Baird Holm

Kutak Rock

Fraser Stryker

McGrath North

Koley Jessen

Nebraska State Bar Association: Diversity Section

Co-hosted by NePA, OBA, and new this year, Midlands Bar Association

Committee:

Amber Roberts, Kim Brown, Kris Krupka, and Andria Bell - NePA

Dave Sommers - OBA

Korey Taylor - Midlands Bar Association

Pictures of the Diversity Event

2023 RELAY FOR LIFE

NePA has again chosen to sponsor a team for this year’s Relay for Life event for the American Cancer Society. This year’s event will be held on July 8, 2023, from 5:00 to 10:00 p.m. at Stinson Park, 2285 South 67th Street, Omaha, NE. The theme is “One Small Step for You, One Giant Leap for a Cancer Cure.” To join the Legal Beagles Team, make a donation to the Team, or purchase a luminaria, click here and find our team.

New members may ask “What is Relay for Life?” Relay is an event sponsored by the American Cancer Society that mobilizes communities across the country to celebrate survivors, remember loved ones, and raise money to support the mission of the American Cancer Society, a day when not one more life will be lost to cancer. At Relay, the teams gather and team members take turns walking around a designated path. Each team is asked to have a member walking at all times because cancer never sleeps. Relay welcomes all cancer survivors to take part in the Survivors’ Victory lap and dinner. Their courage and strength help the community see that cancer survivorship is real – that we are making progress in the fight against cancer. We encourage you to invite survivors you know to take part in the Survivors' lap and/or to join our team. We hope you join our Relay team, although you don’t have to be a team member to attend. There will be lots of fun activities at Relay. At the end of the night, a luminaria ceremony is held with hundreds of luminarias lighting the path to remember those lost to cancer and to honor those fighting cancer and those who have fought the battle and won. The light of the luminarias shine as a symbol of the hope and perseverance to continue the fight.

Fundraising doesn’t have to be difficult. You can raise $100 much easier than you think –send a quick email to 10 friends asking for $10 each; ask your employer for a matching gift; post a link on your Facebook page; ask family, friends, or coworkers to dedicate a luminaria ($10) in memory or honor of a loved one. Luminaria can be ordered online here. You can also coordinate purchases of luminaria through Teri Gibbons at Koley Jessen. We’re currently at over $2100 with a company match and I know we can get to $2500!

If you have any questions, please contact Teri Gibbons at teri.gibbons@koleyjessen.com

2023 LAW DAY - Cornerstones of Democracy: Civics, Civility, and Collaboration

Each year the OBA provides a wonderful lunch to celebrate Law Day, traditionally held on or around May 1st. This year, along with the Law Day Poster Contest sponsored by NePA, the OBA held the 5th Grade Mock Trial contest and the 8th Grade Essay Contest, surely fan favorites of the event. The OBA also recognized Community Alliance as recipient for its Public Service Award, Tom Riley as recipient of the Robert M. Spire Award, Tenant Assistance as recipient of the Smith Camp Award, Mark Jacobs as the Ellick LRS Award, and Mike Mullen with a Lifetime Achievement Award. The event started off with Jay Jackson as the keynote speaker. Please see the OBA’s story covering each of these awards here: https://issuu.com/omahabarassociation/ docs/2023_oba_law_daw_newsletter. Omaha is blessed to have individuals such as these dedicating their lives to the Law.

Since 1989, NePA has helped coordinate the OBA Law Day Poster Contest for 5th Grade students across the Omaha metro area. Once again, area 5th graders and their teachers answered the call for poster submission on the Law Day Theme, with the top submissions garnering recognition and prizes for their creators.

NePA awarded first place to Michael Weberg of Stacy Schlautman’s class at Mary Our Queen. Michael’s poster was displayed on a billboard at 84th and L, visible to southbound traffic for the month of May. Michael received $125 cash, and a oneyear family membership to the Durham museum. Second and third place went to Presley Hall and Natalia Flakes, both of

Kathleen Cannon’s class at Anchor Point Elementary. Presley received $100 cash and Natalia received $75 cash. This year, NePA awarded Honorable Mention Honors to Zienna Nelson and Allison Roberts of Anchor Pointe Elementary.

Andria Bell, Amber Roberts, and Kim Brown helped coordinate the soliciting, collection, and judging of the posters. Below is a photo of Andria and Amber with one of NePA’s longest running sponsors and honorary guest judge, Tom Woodrome of Capitol Services!

1st Place (above): Michael Weberg of Stacy Schlautman’s class at Mary Our Queen

2nd Place (above): Presley Hall of Kathleen Cannon’s class at Anchor Pointe Elementary

3rd Place: Natalia Flakes of Kathleen Cannon’s class at Anchor Pointe Elementary

Honorable Mention: Allison Roberts & Zienna Nelson of Anchor Pointe Elementary

NALA-THE PARALEGAL ASSOCIATION - Planning Ahead

August 22, 2023, 12:00pm CST

Real Estate Part 6—Communication Complications

This course provides examples of communication complications, which may help the attendee better understand how differences between what a speaker says and what a listener hears can occur.

August 30, 2023, 12:00pm CST

Copyright Law: A Primer for the Legal Professional

This presentation deals with copyright law issues including but not limited to expression, fixation, originality, ownership, notice, registration, duration, fair use, web-based concerns, and case law/statutory authorities related to the subject.

September 13, 2023, 12:00pm CST

Mental Health Law: Understanding Race, Ethnicity, and Bias in the Legal Profession

This webinar discusses diversity, inclusivity, and identifies the skills necessary to compassionately self-reflect on personal biases and explore what it means to value collaboration and diversity of thought, experiences, and perspectives.

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.

NALA-THE PARALEGAL ASSOCIATION - NALA CONFERENCE & EXPO 2023

The NALA Conference & Expo is the largest gathering of paralegal professionals across the country each year. You won’t want to miss this years’ program!

Please see the information on the next page for registration information.

NALA-THE PARALEGAL ASSOCIATION - NALA CONFERENCE & EXPO 2023

NALA AFFILIATE AWARD

This year’s NALA Affiliate Award goes to NePA’s President, Andria Bell. In the nomination submitted to NALA, NePA explains, “Andria Bell has been a wonderful volunteer since I first met her at our local Relay for Life event a few years ago. I told her then we were going to be good friends and asked her if she'd thought about joining the board. She hadn't at the time, but shortly thereafter, we had her volunteering on a committee or two and then she joined the board as Secretary. It wasn't long before we all saw her leadership capabilities and she was tapped for the President-Elect position. In that role, Andria took on the responsibilities of Chair of the Continuing Legal Education committee planning both the spring and fall seminars. She did this with efficiency and excellence. This year she's been serving as our President and leading the organization as we "get back to normal" from COVID. Her ideas and guidance are helping all of us rise to a new level and provide our members with the best experience possible. I highly recommend Andria Bell for this award and look forward to many more years of her leadership and service to NePA. “

For more information about NALA’s Awards Program, please visit:

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

STUDENT NEWS

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

August 23 Undergraduate Classes Begin

September 4 labor Day Holiday

September 20 Early Alerts Deadline

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

July 4 Independence Day/College Closed

July 11 Classes End for First 5-week Sessions

July 12 Classes Begin for Second 5-week Sessions

August 15 Classes End for Second 5-week and 10-week Sessions

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

The NePA Student Education Award Winner for 2023 is:

Sayra Sandoval, Paralegal Studies, 2026 College of St. Mary

The 2023 NePA Student Education Award Winner is Sayra Sandoval of Martell, NE. Ms. Sandoval is majoring in Paralegal Studies and recently completed her first year of studies at College of Saint Mary in Omaha. Ms. Sandoval’s goal after graduating from College of Saint Mary is to work as a Paralegal and eventually earn a law degree.

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!

COLLEGE OF ST. MARY PARALEGAL FORUM RECAP

Thank you to all who attended NePA’s Paralegal Forum at College of St. Mary on April 27, 2023! Our panelists Andria Bell, Casey Grennan, Sara DeFranscesco, Bridget DeLeo, and Stephanie Watton did a fantastic job led by our moderator, Amber Roberts. NePA provided dinner and gift-cards to those in attendance!

All of the panelists gave a brief introduction of their history, and also answered questions such as:

• If you could go back in time, is there anything about your career journey you would change and why?

• What are the benefits of being a member in NePA and getting involved?

• What are a few key skills you think are imperative to being a great paralegal?

• Do you have formal education to be a paralegal? Has it helped you in your career and if so, how?

• What advice would you offer new paralegals entering the field?

DISTRICT I & II UPDATE

March 23, 2023 - Partnership 4 Hope -

We heard from David James & Lisa Frye from Partnership 4 Hope at the luncheon. David and Lisa spoke about the importance of their organization and the unwavering support they provide for youth who have aged out of the foster care system by providing them with household items, mentorship, and general guidance. They collaborate with many different agencies in the State of Nebraska to provide a Youth Mart, which is a donation center for young adults under age 26 who have aged out of foster care, have foster care experience, or may be otherwise unconnected. Youth Mart carries household essentials including furniture, kitchen items, housewares, bedding, clothing, food, hygiene items, cleaning products, and children’s items/clothing up to size 5T. Young people may shop with their case worker from one of the collaborating agencies for items to set up their home. If you have items that you would like to donate, please contact Lisa Frye, Youth Mart Manager, 531-389-7551 or at youthmart.p4h@gmail.com.

Previous Luncheons:

January 2023 - Brent Bloom: Criminal Practice in State and Federal Courts

February 2023 - Michael Sholes: Estate Planning and Real Estate in Small Town NE

May 2023 - Tom Corey: Media Mystery - Paper or Electronic?

July 8, 2023: Relay for Life (Stinson Park)

September 20-21, 2023: Annual Meeting and Fall Seminar (Scott Conference Center) (CLE)

October 2023: District Luncheon Date and Location TBD

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!