On December 13th, 2017, The Researching Paralegal published a new Blog entry, “South Carolina Legal Blogs – The Cream of the Crop.” As an experienced paralegal and blogger, she took the time to review several South Carolina Legal Blogs. “For my paralegal friends in South Carolina, here’s the top legal blogs in South Carolina sorted by popularity. There’s a little bit of everything here, and several caught my eye…”
Thank you to our keynote speaker, Meliah Bowers Jefferson, Esq.! She is the Chairperson of the SC Bar Paralegal Certification Program
Our 12th Annual Educational Seminar is under way! Thank you to our keynote speaker, Meliah Bowers Jefferson, Esq.! She is the Chairperson of the SC Bar Paralegal Certification Program.
CALA’s 12th Annual Educational Seminar hosted by Magna Legal Services was a great success!
Our hearts and minds are so full! CALA’s 12th Annual Educational Seminar hosted by Magna Legal Services was a great success! Thank you for hosting our event and allowing us to use your beautiful facilities!
We also want to say a huge thank you to all of our seminar speakers: Meliah Bowers Jefferson, Esq., Chairperson of the SC Bar Paralegal Certification Program, Lindsay Mazell of AppleOne Employment Services, Ross Suter of Magna Legal Services, Chris Quick of Quick Group, LL…C, Katie McElveen, Esq. of Richardson Patrick Westbrook & Brickman LLC, William Slater, Cpt., JA, Dana Fields, Esq. of Fields Law Office LLC, and Sarah Miller, Esq. of Butler & College Law Firm. They all did a tremendous job, and we continue to receive incredible member feedback!
This year, we decided to integrate fundraising for Susan G. Komen into the seminar, and we could not have done it without the support of our local businesses! For all the generous raffle item donations, we want to convey a HUGE THANK YOU to Accent On Wine Park Circle, Barre South, Café Paname IOP, Carolina Ale House – Charleston, Charleston Stage Company, Five Loaves Cafe, HōM Charleston, The Indigo Road Restaurant Group, Reverb Charleston Richardson, Patrick, Westbrook & Brickman, LLC, Sesame Burgers and Beer, Soul Yoga + Wellness and South of Broadway Theater. Your generosity is invaluable and you’ve helped to contribute to a great cause!
We would also like to thank our corporate vendors: Palmetto Surety Corporation, Magna Legal Services, Herald Office Solutions, and Perri Smoak of DTI for their time, services and raffle item contributions.
Saturday, we had another incredible day! AWR Court Reporting & Litigation Solutions hosted a Race For The Cure party for our team, Para Tatas! We had a wonderful time racing for The Cure and refueling at their beautiful office on Daniel Island! Dana Fields of Fields Law Office has graciously offered to sponsor and cover 100% of costs to CALA from our custom Race For The Cure Para Tatas Team t-shirts! Please do hesitate to contact us if you would like one and/or if you submitted prepayment! Thank you so much for your generosity!!!
And finally, David Aylor Law Offices generously agreed to match CALA’s Race For The Cure contributions of $1,125 as of seminar day!!!
In total, with the help our sponsors, local business supporters and members, we raised over $2,400 for Susan G. Komen South Carolina! Well over our goal!!!! CALA has had an amazing year, and it would not have been possible without our amazing paralegals and our incredible sponsors and local businesses! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
-Barbara Carter, President 2014-2017
CALA 12th Annual Educational Seminar SC Bar Approved/Accredited CPE Sponsor!
Dear CALA Members,
We are proud to announce that The Charleston Association of Legal Assistants and The Palmetto Paralegal Association have both been recently approved by the South Carolina Bar as accredited CPE (Continuing Paralegal Education) Sponsors. CALA meets the CPE Standards set by the Bar and additionally, we have received confirmation that the 12th Annual CALA Educational Seminar CLEs have all been approved by the South Carolina Bar. Attendees can obtain credit from both NALA for required CLEs and from the SC Bar for required CPEs to maintain both current National and SC State level certifications.
I also want to say thank you so very much to all of our current board members! This was a goal that we have worked so hard to achieve; a necessary first step to the overall benefit of our members, colleagues, and students. So congratulations to CALA and to The Palmetto Paralegal Association! While it’s a small step, it will most definitely be the first of many more to come!
Please don’t forget to register for the 12th Annual CALA Educational Seminar on October 20, 2017. You can register via the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/charleston-association-of-legal-assistants-14246453954 Additionally, The Palmetto Paralegal Association is holding their Annual Half-Day Seminar on October 27, 2017. Please visit the following link for more information: http://ppasc.org/cgi-bin/20140601/site.cgi?request=home&action=&sl=ppasc.org&sf=&cc0=&cc1=&cc2=&ic=page_title[0]&pg=&ut=member&ou=&id=
October 13, 2017 South Carolina Upstate Paralegal Association Annual Educational Seminar!
The South Carolina Upstate Paralegal Association is having their annual Educational Seminar on October 13, 2017! Please see below for the specifics as to content and schedule:
“Our all day seminar package includes continental breakfast and lunch, and offers the opportunity for paralegals to earn five or more CLE credits.
We also offer a half-day option, or simply join us for lunch!
To register for the 2017 Seminar, click here: Registration
Early bird registrations save $30 if submitted by September 15th, and qualify the individual for a $100 cash raffle prize.
If you have any questions about the packet, please do not hesitate contact Paula Allamong, CP at seminar@scupa.org.”
2017 SEMINAR SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
8:00-8:55 am: Seminar Check-In
Breakfast, Mix and Mingle with Vendors
9:00 AM ETHICS TOPIC – GENERAL SESSION
“Ethics: From Potential to Payout” with Attorney Jamie Demint
10:15-11:30 BREAKOUT #1 CHOICES:
“What is Elder Law?: The Nuts and Bolts of an Elder Law Practice” with Chad Groover
or
“Dockets, Decisions and Discovery: Key Paralegal Functions of a Case in Common Pleas” with Will McKibbon
11:45-12:00 LUNCH BEGINS
SCUPA Acknowledgements
Vendor Presentations and Prizes
12:45 – 1:45
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: GENERAL SESSION
Judge Robin B. Stilwell
“Case Management: A Journey”
2:00 – 3:15 BREAKOUT #2 CHOICES:
Protective Proceedings: Guardianships/Conservatorships/Special Needs Trusts with M. Allison Moon
or
“Navigating the Workers Compensation Waters” with Calvin Harmon
3:30-4:45 BREAKOUT #3 CHOICES:
”Criminal Defense: The Important Role of the Paralegal” with Rob Ianaurio
or
Antitrust Law: The Laws of Competition with Jessica Fisher
http://www.scupa.org/seminar.html
Online Registration for CALA’s 12th Annual Seminar-no additional fees!
As paralegals we can all appreciate convenience and saving some time. CALA has enabled online registration and payment options for our 12th Annual Seminar at no cost to you. Check out the following link to register and we hope to see you there!
https://www.eventbrite.com/o/charleston-association-of-legal-assistants-14246453954
Compuscripts Puts Words Into Action!
CompuScripts Court Reporting 1825 Gadsden Street Columbia, SC 29201 888-988-0086 compuscripts.com
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release For more information, contact: phone: 888-988-0086 fax: 803-988-0094 ddusseljee@compuscripts.com
CompuScripts Puts Words Into Action Court Reporting Firm Pledges Donations Following Natural Disasters
COLUMBIA, South Carolina – September 13, 2017 CompuScripts Court Reporters has launched “Words Into Action,” allowing clients to direct the company’s next two months of increased charitable giving, President Deborah Dusseljee announced yesterday.
“CompuScripts prides itself on the accurate transcription of words during depositions, and now we are turning words into action.” Dusseljee said. “We have all been affected by recent stories of human suffering across the globe, but it can be hard to know how to help. With our clients’ guidance, CompuScripts will make $10 donations to any of ten charitable organizations.”
Through November 15, 2017, with each deposition that is scheduled and invoiced, clients may choose one of ten charities to receive a $10 donation. The charities are listed on the company’s blog and encompass food and water relief, animal rescue, and general recovery efforts in areas rocked by hurricanes, earthquakes, and famine. Two cancer research foundations are also included on the list. Each charity has received a four-star rating with Charity Navigator.
“The legal industry has a history of partnering with charitable organizations in times of crisis,” Dusseljee said. “We feel certain that our clients will find charities on our list that reflect their desire to help.”
CompuScripts offers services in court reporting, legal videography, and videoconferencing across South Carolina and nationwide. Since its founding in 1993, CompuScripts has supported charitable organizations based on both mission and method. To learn about CompuScripts’ history of giving, visit its Community Partner page.
The South Carolina Bar provides local resources to paralegal organizations (CALA) & more!
The South Carolina Bar has been making extensive progress with regard to the voluntary Paralegal Certification program and applicable resources. We are proud to notify you that the Charleston Association of Legal Assistants is listed as a go to local resource on the South Carolina Bar website: https://www.scbar.org/lawyers/bar-programs/paralegal-certification/paralegal-organizations/
Yes, I will admit that the alphabetical order of the list is to our benefit! CALA is pending approval as a South Carolina Bar Accredited Sponsor and hopes to ultimately offer South Carolina Bar Continuing Paralegal Education Credit hours at our October 20, 2017 12th Annual Educational Seminar in addition to authorized CLEs through the National Association of Legal Assistants.
I hope that you have time to check it out and stay tuned!
Legal Writing Tip for Paralegals: “Using Intensifiers is a Very Bad Horrible Writing Habit”
As Paralegals, we must be vigilant with regard to having consistent writing skills in the workplace. Any seasoned Paralegal can attest: To gain and keep the trust of the attorneys that you work with, it’s essential to be as consistent as humanly possible (we all have and will make mistakes) when drafting documents and correspondence at work.
Below is a link to a useful informative article that we wanted to share:
http://www.michbar.org/file/barjournal/article/documents/pdf4article3187.pdf
Thank you so much for joining us last night at the Blind Tiger and for your generous donations towards Race for the Cure! We raised $90.00 thanks to all of you!
Good Morning CALA Members!
Thank you so much for joining us last night at the Blind Tiger and for your generous donations towards Race for the Cure! We raised $90.00 thanks to all of you!
The Race is such a fun event and I hope you can participate with us on October 21st. Susan G. Komen is a wonderful cause.
You do not have to be a member of CALA to join our team so please register your spouses, significant others, co-workers and friends! We are looking forward to the after party at AWR as well.
Below is the direct link with instructions to register. If you have any questions or trouble registering, please let me know.
Thanks again! It was so good to see all of you last night!
To join the Para Tatas team, click the link below:
Best Regards,
Jackie Wood
Charleston Association of Legal Assistants, Corresponding Secretary
P.O. Box 1260
Charleston, SC 29402