BUILDING COMMUNITY . . . . . . . . . . 1

COMMUNITY / New NCBA Paralegal Division President Yazmeen Gadalla outlines priorities

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landed her first law firm job at Waldrep in Winston-Salem, starting as an administrative assistant in 2017. She immediately enrolled in the paralegal program at Guilford Community College, graduated, and went on to become a North Carolina Certified Paralegal.

“The firm had a client who owned several assisted living facilities in North Carolina was looking for an administrative assistant with health care experience,” Gadalla said. “Later, I began working in bankruptcy and fell in love with it.”

She was assigned to Chapter 7 and 11 cases and thrived.

“I try to make the process as painless for clients as possible, and make our clients feel at ease with the process,” she said. “We have had many clients come through the process, relieved they took that step.”

After moving from Winston-Salem to Raleigh with her then-husband, she landed a corporate paralegal position at Smith Anderson, one of the largest law firms in the state. She stayed for a year before going back to her small-firm roots at Hendren, Redwine, and Malone. And she resumed her work as a bankruptcy paralegal. It’s a firm she calls “amazing.”

“I love the people I work with, and I have the flexibility and encouragement to get involved in professional organizations,” she said. “The attorneys appreciate my leadership goals, and when they found out I had been elected to chair the Paralegal Division, they posted it on social media and congratulated me in public, and that made me feel great.”

For Gadalla, who says she is not always outgoing at social and networking events, the journey to professional leadership was deliberate. She set her sights on joining the Paralegal Division Council, but other leaders steered her toward committee work, first co-chairing the Scholarship Committee, a role that included judging the Division’s annual scholarship contest, which she called “inspiring.”

Then the Division needed someone to chair the Communications Committee, so she volunteered to do that too. She also co-chairs the Long Range Planning Committee, the Membership Committee and is a member of the Pro Bono Committee.

“Within the Paralegal Division, I have found a lot of great role models and colleagues, and I enjoy being around them because I know that they make me a better paralegal because they are so passionate about the profession,” she said.

Among those paralegals are Rachel Royal, inspiring for her passion about pro bono work. S.M. Kernodle-Hodges, Tina Dadio, Debbie Harris, and Katie Riddle who have all inspired her to get involved in many committees and leadership roles.

“My journey through the Paralegal Division has been amazing, because I have experienced professional and personal growth that I don’t know I would have had without being involved in leadership,” she said.

She is also focused on giving back.

Whether her efforts are through NCBA pro bono programs such as Wills for Heroes, Drivers’ License Restoration, or her personal work with the Food Bank of Eastern North Carolina, volunteering is a big part of what makes her happy.

And if she’s not working, leading meetings, or volunteering, she most enjoys spending quiet time at home with her two cats, exercising every evening, watching old television shows and true crime documentaries while doing cross-stitch or embroidery.

She also enjoys her role as a fierce advocate for the paralegal profession and the NCBA Paralegal Division.

“I think the best best thing paralegals can can do for themselves is become a part of Paralegal Division,” she said.

And all are welcome even paralegals who are not members. The Division is a welcoming environment.

“If you’re not a member of NCBA and don’t plan to join, that’s fine,” she said. “We still want you to join us for some networking and socializing, hang out for a while, get a free drink or appetizer and have a good time.”

‘If paralegals can attain a limited law license, it will be a huge change in the way paralegals work in North Carolina,’ says NCBA Bar Association Yazmeen Gadalla said. Photo/Provided

LEADERSHIP / Meet the Paralegal Division’s leadership team

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gal studies and advanced certifications from NALA and the North Carolina State Bar. She was the recipient of the North Carolina Bar Association’s 2018 Distinguished Paralegal Award. Her professional involvement includes serving as chair of the North Carolina State Bar Paralegal Certification Committee (2017-present), treasurer for the NCBA Paralegal Division (2022- present), council member for the NCBA Paralegal Division (2019-22), item writer for the North Carolina State Bar Paralegal Certification Committee (2014-16) and member of the NCADA Paralegal Division and NALA.

Shawana W. Almendarez, immediate past chair

Shawana W. Almendarez is a North Carolina native with 22 years of legal experience. She earned her associate degree in Paralegal Studies from King’s College in Charlotte in 2000. She obtained a B.S. in business administration with a concentration in legal studies from Strayer University in 2013. She has a demonstrated history of working in state and local government administrations. Employed by the Office of the City Attorney’s Office in Charlotte as a litigation paralegal in 2015. She worked as a Family Court case coordinator in the Mecklenburg County Family Court Administrator’s Office. She dutifully served as an Absolute Divorce Clinic facilitator for the 26th Judicial District Self-Serve Center. Her skill set includes coaching, consulting, event planning, grant writing, legal research, teaching, and team building. She is a freelance paralegal and owner of North Carolina Paralegal Consulting Services, which provides administrative support services to Social Security Disability representatives, family law attorneys, and small business owners. She serves as a child custody advocate for the Council for Children’s Rights and has volunteered for various pro bono statewide projects. She is a co-contributor and member of the North Carolina Justice for All Project. In 2015, Shawana joined the North Carolina Bar Association’s Paralegal Division and has dutifully served the division as chair,

secretary, and treasurer. This year she is the Immediate Past Chair, and she continues to serve as the Chair of the Nominations Committee and Co-Chair of the Executive Leadership Training Committee.

Looking into the Future Bar Year

On Aug. 12, 2022, the NCBA Paralegal Division’s Council met for the first time in the 2022-23 bar year. The Council held a three-hour Strategic Planning Meeting, where all of the executive team, council members, and committee chairs/co-chairs met to brainstorm possibilities for the upcoming bar year. As a result, there was a lot of positive discussion as to what our Division would Sarah White like to achieve for the upcoming year, including: • More networking and member events throughout the state and via Zoom; • Revisiting our ethics as paralegals and encouraging discussion on the same; • Creating technology videos about our profession and our people; • Surveying our membership in a variety of areas; • Providing events to discuss career enhancement opportunities; and • An exciting Annual Meeting event.

Shawana Almendarez