AALS E-News

Court Approves Serving Lawsuit Via Facebook

2009-03-19T10:46:00.000-07:00

Better take a close look at all those "friend" requests you've been getting. One of them might be a process server.

This week, an Australian court approved a lawyer's request to serve two defendants with a lawsuit by sending them a message through Facebook. Mark McCormack said he had been trying for weeks to serve Gordon Poyser and Carmel Corbo with a foreclosure notice after they defaulted on a home loan. Courts have previously approved service by email and even text messages, if a plaintiff can show that regular measures have not succeeded. Having noticed that defendants had Facebook profiles, McCormack persuaded the court to authorize service that way.

The order attracted publicity immediately, however, and by the time McCormack's documents were ready to go, the Facebook profiles were no longer public.

An Associated Press reporter was able to find Poyser at home (and somehow get him to answer the door). He declined to comment, except to say that the couple was despondent about possibly losing their home, and to insist that he had restricted the Facebook pages only because he knew media attention was likely. Otherwise, he said, "I'd get every man and his dog having a look."

Facebook itself was quite pleased with the ruling. "We're pleased to see the Australian court validate Facebook as a reliable, secure and private medium for communication," the company said, obviously through a trained spokesbot. "The ruling is also an interesting indication of the increasing role that Facebook is playing in people's lives." Yes indeed -- once Facebook was merely helping people stay in touch with friends, but now it's helping evict people from their homes during the Christmas season.

NALSNET.ning.com

2009-02-14T11:04:00.000-08:00

Please click on the link below and visit the *NEW* NALS community. Theold NALS Community will dissolve this month, so don't wait until thelast minute.
http://nalsnet.ning.com

Don't know what NALS community is? It's a networking tool designed toenable NALS members to get in touch with other members all over the U.S.It's a wonderful way to find a roommate for a national meeting, or findout how to serve a non-party subpoena in a state other than your own, orfind an attorney in a specific area of law. Need a reference for aprocess server in another state? Tune to the NALS community and let yourfellow NALS members help you out!

E-FILING DO'S AND DON'T'S

2009-01-27T11:56:00.000-08:00

1. DO NOT ATTACH PROPOSED ORDERS TO MOTIONS. Proposed orders should be filed under “Proposed Orders” and not e-mailed to the judge and not attached to the motion.

2. Attachments and/or exhibits should be scanned individually, identified, and then attached to the motion so the judge can locate and view as a single document. Do not include as additional pages to a motion.

3. Responses should be filed as a response, not a new motion. (except, if the original motion was paper filed.)

4. Cross-claims and Third Party Complaints are separate documents and should not be filed with the Answer.

5. Do not e-file summary judgment motions and paper file exhibits.

6. Discovery is filed under a separate button.

7. Do not e-file AND paper file a motion. One or the other.

8. Do your best to properly describe the motion. It really helps.

9. Don’t call the judge or the clerk to see if a motion has been ruled on.

10. You do not have to sign and scan a document. It can be downloaded directly from the computer. Do not scan motion cover sheet. It is automatically generated.

11. If you file for a default and you have a specific order you wish to have entered by the judge, you must file it as a proposed order. Otherwise, you will only get an order that says “default is granted”.

12. Explore your options when choosing the type of motion. “Other” is overused as a type (i.e. Motion to Alter, Amend or Vacate can be styled “Amend” or “Vacate or Modify”)

13. Do not file subpoenas as discovery. Anything filed under discovery is not seen by the clerk or
the judge.

14. Look under your “miscellaneous” tab. You can file all sorts of wonderful things here.

15. Any matter that requires a ruling by the Judge should be filed under motions. Filing it anywhere else will place it in the electronic file, but it WILL NOT go to the Judge.

16. Do not try to slip in a document that requires a fee without paying. The document will be flagged and it may be denied for such failure.

17. DO NOT e-file a document, then send the Judge or Clerk a “Complimentary” copy.

18. Always be as specific and descriptive as possible when labeling motions and proposed orders.
19. If you file a document requiring a fee, and do not receive a receipt indicating payment, contact the clerk’s office. DO NOT REFILE. In refilling you may be charged twice.

20. WHY IS THERE NEVER ENOUGH TIME TO DO IT RIGHT BUT ALWAYS ENOUGH TIME TO DO IT OVER?

Winter Board Meeting at Atmore

2009-01-26T05:56:00.000-08:00

AALS Members,

I have just returned from the AALS Winter Board meeting which was held in Atmore, Alabama. If you did not make it - you really missed out on a great meeting, some of the best CLE we have ever had, awesome fellowship with statewide members, good food and fun! Briefly recapping the CLE - the amended and revised Rule 32 of the Alabama Rules of Judicial Administration which became effective January 1, 2009 (child support guidelines) was very enlightening, especially at a time when our economy is in such peril.. Alacourt Plus turned out to be a great feedback forum for many of the members that do e-filing and we are certain to hear more about this as more changes in e-filing take place in the months to come; Lethal Laptop was an "ah ha" moment and innovative presentation for a courtroom jury. On Saturday morning, Justice Lyn Stuart outlined the Alabama Supreme Court and procedures for filing appeals and how cases are assigned to the Justices; L.D. Holt shared the U.S. history regarding the native Americans and how gambling is allowed on Indian Reservations when it is not permitted in other jurisdictions in the State of Alabama; and, Grantt Culliver, the Warden at Holman Correctional Facility spoke about the Corrections Facilities in today times. There were plenty of door prizes and the chinese auctions items were the best! AALS also elected new officers that will be installed in late April at the Annual Meeting.

On Friday after the CLE ended - many of the members headed over to the Wind Creek Casino for the evening and others parted and went different ways! The group I was with had dinner a local catfish restaurant but dropped in at the casino afterwards - it was very impressive... although the grounds are still under construction, the Wind Creek Casino itself (I'm sure you have seen the TV commercials - you know "there is something in the wind...") is everything they describe it to be!

So... needless to say, you really missed out! But, you've got another opportunity coming up soon at the end of April...! You will be receiving more details soon about the 2009 Annual Meeting which will be held at Children's Harbor near Alexander City on Lake Martin! www.childrensharbor.com - a meeting you will not want to miss! Please check your emails for more info and the "all inclusive" weekend you can spend with us at Children's Harbor in late April!

M. Dawson

Paying It Forward

2008-11-24T07:02:00.000-08:00

The concept of paying it forward is amazingly simple. All we need is inspiration and our ability to tap into the universal consciousness to pay forward a good deed.

The feeling of paying something forward is one of the best we can experience as a human being. It is empowering to see how we can make somebody else happy by giving them something unexpected.

Be inspired and start paying it forward.

The following ideas will help to get you inspired on how you can pay it forward to others with the help of some money. Naturally, you can also pay it forward with love, work, services and many other things that will enlighten other people’s lives.

Think about the power of your smile!

But for those of you who have some spare cash to make a strangers day, here you go:

$0 – $100
A few dollars can do so much in terms of making a difference in another persons life.
Offer to do the shopping for an elderly neighbor
Invite a homeless person for a meal
Pay gas for the stranger in the car next to you
Buy presents and take them to a children’s hospital
Buy a pet for a lonely person
Pay a family’s tab in a restaurant
Help locals in need
Baby sit for new parents and shout them a night at the movies

$ 0 - Free
Paying it forward for free makes all the difference. We don’t need money to show others how much we care:
Smile at every person you meet today
Walk up to a stranger and hug them while saying “I am thankful to have met you”
Offer to do the gardening for an elderly person
Cook for a person in need
Read stories in a children’s hospital
Visit elderly people in an old people’s home and spent some time listening to their stories
Volunteer for your local pet shelter or homeless shelter
Raise money for a person who lost their home to natural disasters or fire
Hold a garage sale and give the proceeds to an organization who helps others
Donate your unwanted household goods to the Red Cross or some other charity.

AALS Jackets Now Available

2008-11-03T05:26:00.000-08:00

Dear AALS Sisters,

For those of you that missed the AALS Fall Board Meeting in Dothan this past weekend, the Ways & Means Committee announced that we will be selling fleece jackets in royal blue with AALS (with the scale) stitched on one side in white stitching and your name stitched on the other side in white stitching. For Sizes S-2XL it will be $40.00 and for a 3XL it will be $45.00. When ordering your jacket, please let me know how you would like your name on your jacket. The name I get is the name that is going on the jacket. I don’t know who all have the special initial behind their name and who doesn’t, so if you want it on there, please put them behind your name.

We want to make sure that everyone has an opportunity in ordering one and having your name placed on it, therefore, we are pre selling the jackets. The deadline to order a jacket is November 14th. If you would like a jacket, I need your order and check (made payable to AALS) no later than November 14th. We will be passing out the jackets at the Winter Board Meeting in January. If you are unable to be at the Winter Board Meeting, whoever is present at the meeting of your chapter, we will give the jackets to them to bring back to you. If for some reason you can not get your order and money to me by November 14th, we will be ordering extras and will have them at the Winter Board Meeting as well, they just will not have your name on it.

If you have any questions about the jackets, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Julie Nims
Legal Assistant to Kenneth R. Raines
Wilkins, Bankester, Biles & Wynne, P. A.
P. O. Box 1367
Fairhope, AL 36533
251-928-1915 (phone)
251-928-1967 (fax)

ELECTION DAY IS FAST APPROACHING

2008-10-29T14:08:00.000-07:00

Election Day is fast approaching. If you are uncertain about which poll you are supposed to vote at or if you have moved it is very possible you did not change your voting location. Also many areas of our state have been redistricted since the last presidential election and if you have not voted in more than three or four years - it is very likely that the poll you should vote in on Tuesday may not be the one you voted at last time you voted.

The State has provided the following link to confirm your voting location... It only takes a minute to confirm your location and most definitely will save yourself a lot of grief and frustration if you show up at the wrong poll on Tuesday.

So, check this link and confirm your voting place. https://myinfo.alabamavotes.gov/
Please pass this link on to firm, your family and your friends.

2008-10-27T09:19:00.000-07:00

AALS Fall Board Meeting was THE BEST!!!!!!!!

2008-10-25T20:24:00.000-07:00

It was an awesome weekend in Dothan with AALS members!

The education was wonderful and the FELLOWSHIP with statewide members was the reward for the weekend! We had many "first timers" AND of course, Vickie and Harriett was there! A meeting without them is not even a good meeting!

Education included Workman's Comp Cases; Introduction to Employment Law in Alabama; Guardianships & Conservatorships (let me add here - very important info); The Automatic Stay in Bankruptcy; The Sweet Green Elixir of Green Cash (wake up and don't be stupid); and, Being an Informed Consumer: Avoid Predatory Lendors and Others After Your Money.

All of the CLE at the Fall meeting was exceptional... do you really know the maximum and minimum caps on compensation - and the diffferences based on pay scales??? What about employment law - do you know the difference in discrimination and harrassment? How about bankruptcy - the in's and out's of bankruptcy is strategic and complicated - many choices and many outcomes. Also, being an informed consumer really explained to us who our predators are - title pawn companies, soliciting credit card companies etc... But, L. D. Holt, explained to us the the Sweet Green Elixir of Cash - WOW... REAL..REALITY.... (I don't want to say to much about this... I really would really like for him to be at the Winter and/or Annual Meeting for everyone else to hear him tell it again... he was definitely "the slick in the shine" this CLE weekend and if you were not at the Fall meeting - you missed some of the best CLE ever!!!!

The door prizes and Chinese auction was exceptional. Baldwin County also performed for us ... it will be posted shortly (sorry, wanted to post this - but will transfer video later).

The conference ended about 3:00 on Saturday - the weather was absolutely perfect for the ride home to five o'clock somewhere!

It was a very much needed weekend for me - my almost 20 year old daughter, Mary Rose, was home from college for the weekend to take care of the horses and my "sweet" jersey cow named "HONEY" so I could get away! I talked to her a couple of times on Friday evening - but when my oldest brother called me during the middle of the first CLE on Saturday morning about the ICE raid in my neighborhood the night before - parent mode kicked into desperate concern when Mary Rose did not answer the phone when I immediately called to check on her (thankfully...she was in the shower). She didn't even know about the ICE raid, even though there were a couple hundred police officers, many on foot searching the woods with flashlights for fleeing hispanics, dozens of police cars, and a few helicoptors swarming the block we live in. She said she had heard a helicoptor and some sirens but thought there was a car accident nearby - which happens often. I use to live in a very nice part of Alabaster on Highway 119, next to a dairy farm - the Publix, Walgreen, NBC Bank, US Post Office, and Regions Bank are just a few blocks from my home now - and it's only a 5 minute walk from my house to STARBUCKS!!! ALSO, let's mention the three small churches within rock throwing distance of my house, and then there is the "blue trailer park" RIGHT across the street from my house. (See the B'ham News article below)

Illegal immigrants taken into custody in Alabaster Saturday, October 25, 2008

Thirty-one illegal immigrants were taken into custody Friday night at an Alabaster business.
The 31 were detained by federal authorities after detectives and agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement searched the business on Elder Drive, which is off Alabama 119, said Alabaster Deputy Police Chief Curtis Rigney.

Rigney refused to identify the business or the type of business. He said he could not say where the people in custody were taken. ICE spokesman Temple Black of New Orleans said further details about the investigation could be available today.

The search warrants were executed as part of a joint ongoing, two-year investigation by ICE and Alabaster. "The focus of this investigation is on companies and individuals that employ illegal immigrants in their work forces," Rigney said.

Rigney said ICE was called in after police started the investigation two years ago.
Malcomb Daniels --

Chapter Historians... check here for your history books

2008-10-21T15:08:00.000-07:00

Find It Online

Everything-About-Scrapbooking.com www.everything-about-scrapbooking.com At Everything-About-Scrapbooking.com, the motto “simple scrapbooking for beginners” is right on the mark. This site includes plenty of resources if you want to try scrapbooking but don’t know where to start. The Getting Started link provides steps to begin putting together a scrapbook page, while the Ideas, Layouts, and Techniques pages help you continue your creative hobby. On the Submit Your Layout page, you can showcase your scrapbook pages for fellow scrappers and cultivate ideas from the pages they share.

Scrapbook.com www.scrapbook.com Scrapbook.com is, as the Web site states, a “friendly community of scrapbookers.” Scrapbook.com offers lots of useful resources for the avid scrapbooker. The Superstore has a great selection of scrapbooking supplies that you can use to create memorabilia. You can search for supplies by theme, brand, category, or color. The Forums link connects you with fellow scrappers to discuss beginning scrapbooking, techniques, tips, and publishing. The Gallery contains tons of layouts that can spark your own creativity.

Scrapbooking Supply Store www.scrapbookingsupplystore.com The Scrapbooking Supply Store has everything you could ever think of to help you create one-of-a-kind scrapbook pages. You can browse the store’s categories and choose to search by supplies, from embellishments, die cutting machines, and cutters to idea books, markers, and organizers. You can narrow your search results by price or when particular sales end. Beginners are sure to find all the supplies needed to start capturing their memories in a unique way, and advanced scrappers will love the huge selection that will help them continue scrapbooking distinctive pages.

Scrapbook Your Kids www.scrapbookyourkids.com One of the most popular scrapbooking subjects is children. If you need scrapbooking supplies for documenting the exciting lives of your children, visit this site. You’ll find an endless supply of child-themed papers, stickers, and embellishments. Themes include baby boys and girls, growing up, birthdays, toys, college life, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, and family. You can purchase scrapbooking albums in different sizes, shapes, and colors.

Unique Scrapbook www.uniquescrapbook.com If you find your scrapbooking habits to be unorganized or simply don’t have the time to devote to your hobby, consider getting a Unique Scrapbook. The Unique Scrapbook is a quick and easy scrapbooking method that works much like a photo album, with photo-protected pages in a three-ring binder. The Unique Scrapbook comes with a bundle of multicolored card stock that you can use to spice up your album and to write memories to accompany your photos. The Unique Scrapbook also comes with storage for extra pictures and photo CDs to help you keep organized so you don’t lose important photos or materials and is available on the Web site for $34.95.

Scrapo www.scrapo.com Scrapo is a digital online scrapbooking Web site that lets you share your scrapbooks with your friends and family free. When you sign up, you get one free scrapbook that you can customize with photos, backgrounds, clip art, and text. You can then use the simple drag-and-drop interface to create a fun design. Scrapo’s community features include private messaging called Scrapo Mail, which is a personal friends list that helps you keep track of your favorite scrapbooks, and a shared library that lets you share photos with others. Scrapo also provides members with a Personal Journal Blog that you can use to talk about your scrapbooking habits and favorite techniques.

Scrapblog www.scrapblog.com Scrapblog is an easy, fun way to create a digital online scrapbook. It’s free to use, and you can create your scrapblog before you register. Scrapblog is very versatile—you can add pictures and videos and then reposition them, and you can also edit pictures by cropping, recoloring, and shaping them. There are tons of ways to personalize your scrapbook, including adding backgrounds, shapes, stickers, videos, and more. You can share your scrapblog with friends and family directly from the site or on major social networking sites, such as Facebook and MySpace, and on photo-sharing sites, such as Flickr and Picasa. Compiled by Kris Glaser Illustrated by Lindsay Anker That’s News To You Finding the appropriate online group to match your interests can be a monumental task. So each month, we scour the Internet to bring you the friendliest forums and most interesting bloggers the Web has to offer. This month, we delve into the world of Simply Sweet Designs and share how scrapbooking can be easy and enjoyable.

Simply Sweet Designs www.simplysweetdesigns.blogspot.com Simply Sweet Designs is a fun scrapbooking blog that offers tips and tricks for fellow scrappers. With its eye-catching color scheme and casual, friendly atmosphere, Simply Sweet Designs can make anyone want to start digital scrapbooking. Kim Bowcut, designer and author of Simply Sweet Designs, says she created the site after her sister and co-designer Kelley Howe introduced her to digital scrapbooking. They wanted to share their designs and pages with others, and after some brainstorming, they created Simply Sweet Designs. The venture has been rewarding for Bowcut, who says, "It makes me feel good knowing I have helped even one person figure something out and create a memory for their family. That is very satisfying.”

Bowcut sees digital scrapbooking as a way to preserve family memories in an easier, more efficient way. “There is no mess or waste of space for storage; things are saved just as you would like them, it is less expensive, and there is no aging or destruction [of the project] over time,” says Bowcut. Bowcut admits that beginning digital scrapbooking can be overwhelming—even she had trouble designing pages that she thought were meaningful and mature. “I didn’t know where to start, and I felt like all my layouts looked childish, but the old saying ‘practice makes perfect’ is so true,” she says.

Share The Wares Some of the best apples in the online orchard are the free (or free to try) programs available for download. Each month, we feature highlights from our pickings. This month, we share with you a fun scrapbooking tool that lets you create beautiful scrapbook pages with an easy drag-and-drop interface. Scrapbook Flair www.scrapbookflair.com If you’re looking for an easy-to-use scrapbooking site to help you commemorate your best friend’s wedding, your beloved pet, or your children, Scrapbook Flair offers several resources that can help you succeed, such as its free scrapbooking software.

Scrapbook Flair can help beginning scrapbookers find their way with tips, techniques, and free scrapbooking software. Likewise, advanced scrapbookers will find all the materials they need to continue their hobby.

Scrapbook Flair incorporates simplicity and fun all in one, and scrappers of all levels will find the software useful and enjoyable. You’ll find Scrapbook Flair’s software on the Downloads page. You can download the software to your hard drive from the site, or order a CD (you must pay $4.95 shipping) that adds additional backgrounds, graphics, and embellishments. With its drag-and-drop system, Scrapbook Flair is user-friendly and makes creating unique scrapbook pages quick and easy. You can begin by using one of Scrapbook Flair’s templates or with a blank project that lets you choose all aspects of your scrapbook page. Scrapbook Flair has plenty of tools to make your scrapbook page a delight to look at. You can add pictures and crop them into shapes, and you can add caption bubbles and stories using the text tool. Using the built-in editing tool, you can crop, size, brighten, and add effects to your photos.

The ease of each customization option makes Scrapbook Flair’s software a great place for beginners to start learning about digital scrapbooking. Beginners can also find help on the Scrapbook Flair Web site, where resources help spark creativity and learn technique. On the Galleries page, you can search through other members’ public scrapbook pages to get ideas for your own projects. Other resources on the Scrapbook Flair Web site include the Downloads page, where you can download additional backgrounds and embellishments, as well as design templates.

ANNUAL MEETING 2009 AT CHILDREN'S HARBOR

2008-10-12T15:36:00.000-07:00

ANNUAL MEETING 2009 AT CHILDREN'S HARBOR

Big plans are being made for Annual Meeting 2009 - you will not want to miss this educational conference! Make plans to join AALS at Children's Harbor for a very laid back and relaxing weekend of education, fun and networking with the legal gals statewide!!!!!!!!!

BLSA and TCLPA are going to "Light the Way" for you!!!!!!!!!!!

More details will follow! Please take a look at the video below for a short tour of the facility.

2008-10-08T16:43:00.001-07:00

2008-10-08T16:39:00.000-07:00

Powerful Woman's Motto
Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the floor in the morning, Satan shudders & says ...'Oh shit .... she's awake!!!

2008-10-08T07:46:00.000-07:00

Why are you so anxious to see God with your eyes closed? See him with your eyes open- in the form of the poor, the starved, the illiterate and the afflicted. Hindu to a Christian

2008-10-07T06:19:00.000-07:00

It is not what men eat, but what they digest that makes them strong; not what we gain, but what we save that makes us rich;not what we read, but what we remember that makes us learned;not what we preach or pray, but what we practice and believe that makes us Christians.~ Frances Bacon

Alabama State Bar Launches Campaign to Assist Homeowners Facing Foreclosure; Lawyers Will Provide Free Legal Advice

2008-10-07T06:16:00.000-07:00

Montgomery, Ala., October 6, 2008 – In response to the mortgage foreclosure crisis, the Alabama State Bar and Legal Services Alabama have joined in a unique partnership with a plan to help Alabama homeowners remain in their homes. Under the public awareness and education campaign announced today (Ocotber 6), homeowners facing foreclosure can call a toll-free hotline (1-877-393-2333) and be connected with a legal aid attorney who will advise them about the various stages of the process and furnish free legal assistance. Such assistance can take the form of limited representation, negotiation or litigation, if necessary.State Bar President-elect Thomas J. Methvin of Montgomery (Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.), who chairs the Mortgage Foreclosure Task Force said, "Help is available. Homeowners need to know there are options but the key to a successful outcome is early intervention and I can't stress that enough. If you are having a problem making your monthly payments and believe foreclosure is imminent you must act now."Initially, the campaign will have a staggered rollout throughout the state with the Huntsville/Madison County area being targeted first because of the high number of reported foreclosures.Working in cooperation with the state Broadcasters Association, the state bar has produced a series of broadcast messages that will begin airing on radio & TV in Huntsville and surrounding areas. In addition, the bar has available a public information pamphlet that provides answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about foreclosure. Copies may be downloaded from the bar's Web site: www.alabar.org and then click on the words "foreclosure resources."Methvin said, "We are very concerned about people losing their homes. We are also concerned about other related effects of foreclosure such as reducing property values, creating blight with vacant and abandoned properties in neighborhoods, diminishing the local tax base which often supports important services, and straining court dockets."

He explained that Alabama allows for two kinds of foreclosure proceedings; judicial and non-judicial. Non-judicial foreclosures are actually more common and are the ones that can occur in such a short time frame, 21 days. This is why it is crucial for homeowners who have missed making even one monthly mortgage payment to call the hotline immediately. At no cost, legal aid attorneys will interview homeowners by phone and may write a letter on their behalf to the lender for example, or, depending upon the circumstance, they will try to negotiate a work-out of the mortgage. In some cases, the attorney may represent the homeowner in various stages of foreclosure litigation, including mediation, but this option is limited to low-income individuals."We are committed to assisting consumers who are facing the difficult prospect of losing their homes or filing for bankruptcy," Methvin said. Legal Services Alabama is a non-profit organization providing free civil legal and law related services to low income Alabamians in all 67 counties.

The 15,700-member Alabama State Bar is dedicated to promoting the professional responsibility, competence and satisfaction of its members, improving the administration of justice and increasing public understanding and respect for the law.

WHY AREN'T THEY MEMBERS?

2008-08-29T05:33:00.000-07:00

I have been wondering why certain people I know aren’t members. I just could not figure it out. I know of a person in my own law firm that I have been personally asking to join or attend some of our local meetings and CLE opportunities, but she just never has done so. I wondered why. I know this person works very well with her two attorneys. I know she is excellent and very knowledgeable in the law practiced by these attorneys. Why would she not want to be part of a group that networks, has legal education monthly and just has a lot of fun? I found out just a few days ago. When she turned in her application, I told her how excited I was that she was joining and asked what changed her mind. She told me that she was looking through the Basic, Advanced and West Paralegal Today books I had on my desk and had no idea that we really were into education. She has joined to become part of our study group.

I have also been approached by someone who does real estate title searches and processing serving. He works for one law firm primarily. He has told me that he would like to become a member. He has been part of our local study group and has enjoyed the education so much that he has now decided to become a member. Instead of encouraging him, I just said okay and I would get him an application and let him know how much it would be. Why was I being so hesitant? Was it because he did not fit into my “Membership Box?” A member can be any legal secretary, legal assistant, paralegal, law office administrator, court reporter, librarian or clerk in any public or private office engaged in work of a legal nature. Educators, judges and attorneys may become associate members and students are known as student members. Why was I not more encouraging? Was it because I am married to this newest member?

Please ask yourself, “WHY AREN’T THEY MEMBERS.” Could it be they don’t understand all that we have to offer? Could it be they are not being encouraged? Could it be that you are being territorial? Could it be that they don’t fit YOUR “Membership Box?” We have so much to offer! WHY AREN’T THEY MEMBERS?

As you sit at your computer during the work day, take a moment to look around. To whom in your world could you explain membership? To whom could you encourage membership? Think outside your “MEMBERSHIP BOX” and welcome all.

Barb Hanley

NALS Online Study Group Schedule

2008-07-20T18:50:00.000-07:00

The NALS Online Study Group is set-up to assist those preparing to take a NALS Certification Exam and is open to the public and offers wonderful information for all legal professionals.
The Online Study Group has been revamped to make it easier and more inclusive for everyone taking a NALS Certification exam. There will be fewer sessions with more coverage of all parts of all three exams. These sessions will include information for the ALS, PLS, and the Professional Paralegal (PP) exams and they will wrap up with reviews specific to each exam and a general session with test taking tips. Click on the link to go directly to the Study Group: http://www.nals.org/onlinestudygroup/index.html

For AALS Members

2008-07-20T17:58:00.000-07:00

Please feel free to post comments and information regarding your local chapter and upcoming events... share your chapter news and pictures! If you have any questions, please email us at aalsinfo@gmail.com