here. - Central Florida Chapter Association of Legal Administrators

ISSUE 1
VOLUME 2
SUMMER 2014
 COMMUNITY CONNECTION:
CFCALA OUTREACH PROJECT
TO BENEFIT UNDERPRIVILEGED
CHILDREN ........................... 1
 SCHOLARSHIP WINNER IN THE
SPOTLIGHT: BE SURE TO
CONGRATULATE COLLEEN
THOMAS! ............................ 2
 HAVE YOU HEARD?: ANNUAL
CFCALA CHAPTER
NOMINATIONS TO BE
SOUGHT ............................. 3
Administrator
focus
Community Connection promises
sunshine, good memories to underprivileged kids
By Lisa Mills
HR Manager, Baker Hostetler
Remember when you were a kid
and although summer was ending too
quickly, you were excited about going
back-to-school shopping? You couldn’t
wait to get your new clothes and really
cool jeans, the latest greatest shoes,
unused
crayons,
maybe
a
new
backpack or hairstyle?
You always
looked forward to seeing your friends
after the summer because it was
exciting to hear about their summer
vacations, the fun things they did and
the exotic things they saw! Most of us
will agree that although we didn’t
really want to return to school, we
have fond back-to-school memories.
For some children though, there are no
good back-to-school memories. There
is nothing exciting about going back to
school. For them, it’s just another day.
They worry... about adult things...
They have to grow up too early! Will
we get dinner tonight? What about
tomorrow? Will the lights stay on this
week? Will kids make fun of the holes
in my shoes? Why try to do well in
school when I don’t have food or
clothing, and I don’t even have school
supplies. I can’t be like the other kids.
How can I get mom to stop drinking?
Why won’t dad stop doing drugs?
Though we don’t like to talk about it,
these types of things are harsh
realities for the kids in the Fairvilla area.
While we can’t change everything, we
can bring some sunshine to this group of
children. We can help them have some
good memories.
This year our chapter is helping Fairvilla
Outreach with their Back-to-School
Event benefiting the children in this
impoverished area. The drive will be
held on Saturday, August 9, 2014, from
1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Consider partnering
with us and being a hero to these
children.
Ways to help:
•
Volunteer at the event on August
9th
•
Adopt a child by donating shoes,
clothing and supplies; help that child
be excited about going back to
school
•
Raise money – host a jeans day at
your office or a bake sale
•
Contribute individually or get your
firm to contribute
•
Contribute
nonperishable
food,
toiletries, and school supplies
Let’s spend time together as a chapter
helping these kids.
Let’s make their
Back-to-School Event one they will
never forget! You’ll be very glad you
did!
Fairvilla Outreach helps those less fortunate who are
homeless and living in the woods or in a short term
housing mobile home park located in the Fairvilla
area. In addition to helping with food, clothing and
shelter, the ultimate goal of the outreach is an
attempt to transition the families that are homeless
to the short term mobile home park and those in the
mobile home park to more permanent housing.
President’s Message:
2014 CFCALA
Lynn Osteen Wolfe
Memorial
Scholarship
Lorrie Bearden
Zimmerman, Kiser & Sutcliffe, P.A.
lbearden@zkslawfirm.com
Happy Summer-time to all! I hope that many of you are enjoying this summer
and are able to take a little time for yourself. Things always seem a little slower
in the summer; guess it’s the heat. With that said, I am sure excited about all
that is going on with your ALA chapter. Everyone is working really hard to plan
and present our members great opportunities for connecting you to each other
and to educational resources.
For those that were not able to attend our recent June luncheon, I want to
reiterate how very special it was to witness the presentation of the annual Lynn
Wolfe Memorial $1,000.00 Scholarship. This year’s recipient, Colleen Thomas,
daughter of Theresa Thomas of the Baker Hostetler firm, was absolutely fabulous
and so deserving of this award. Colleen will be working towards her Masters and
will most certainly make a difference in the lives and futures of many children.
Colleen’s vision matched well to our upcoming Community Outreach project and I
will not be surprised if she is present on August 9th from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, as
our chapter teams with the Fairvilla Outreach to host a special day for children in
desperate need of items – and caring adults.
I hope you all have a chance to visit the National ALA website and learn about the
upcoming Fall Business of Law Education Sessions. Your current board is working
hard at finding ways to make it easier for interested members to attend. Take a
moment to visit www.alanet.org for information about sessions offered in
Portland, Chicago, Fort Worth and Philadelphia. Topics include profitability and
productivity models, staffing best practices, strategic planning, leadership and
professional development - and much more. Reach out to me if you have any
questions and/or an interest in attending these or the other specialty
conferences. We have a group of 5 members attending the CLI (Chapter
Leadership Institute) in a few weeks in San Antonio. Be watching for information
they will be sharing upon their return.
And speaking of conferences, our chapter will soon have access to all of the
sessions presented at the recent National ALA Conference hosted in Toronto. I
must say that one of the common threads running throughout this conference
centered on being and staying engaged. I know that as Administrators, many of
us deal with the challenge of getting and keeping our attorneys and staff
engaged. Shoot, to be honest, I deal with staying engaged myself. I feel
fortunate to have heard several outstanding speakers share insight on building
engagement. One outstanding speaker, Stephen Friedman, reminded the
attendees that what contributes most to being engaged is the need for trust and
the need to feel hope. By fairly and honestly communicating expectations to
others while allowing them to connect to and believe in their own abilities, you
provide the motivation necessary to get and keep others engaged. This speaker
shared that people will live up to even the highest expectations you have of them
if you speak to them in a manner that says you believe they can. You have to
communicate your trust.
I am excited that I will be able to share this particular speaker with you at this
year’s Managing Partner’s Breakfast and Associates Luncheon! STEPHEN
FRIEDMAN has agreed to be our featured speaker. You can visit his website at
www.stephenfriedman.ca to learn more about what he has to say! NOTE: this
year’s MPB events presented by our Business Partner, SUNTRUST, will be held on
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23RD . Mark your calendar now and put it on your
managing partners and associates calendars!
I look forward to seeing you all at one or more of our upcoming Summer Fun
events! In the meantime, stay “cool”!
We are pleased to announce the 2014 recipient of the
CFCALA Lynn Osteen Wolfe Membership
Scholarship is...
COLLEEN THOMAS
Colleen is a 2008 graduate of Lyman High School, and
entered the University of Florida with 27 credit hours
through advance placement exams. She majored in
psychology and in 2012 graduated from the University of
Florida. In August Colleen will be awarded a Master’s
degree in Clinical Community Psychology from the
University of North Carolina Charlotte where she has
assisted in a program with the Women’s Health Project.
Within the same month she will start a Ph.D. program in
Counseling Psychology at Florida State University.
Dr. Fary Cachelin, Colleen’s thesis advisor and research
mentor at UNC writes that, “Colleen has stood out as
one of the best Research Assistants on the team. She is
a quick learner and has demonstrated excellent clinical
skills, sound judgment, a high level of professionalism
and a compassionate style of interacting with others.”
Colleen ultimately plans to join a multidisciplinary team
at a research clinic focused on treating adolescents and
emerging young
adults who are
emotionally and/
or behaviorally
disturbed. She
writes “I plan to
empower
adolescents and
young adults with
adaptive coping
strategies so that
they may
successfully
navigate both the
joys and the
sorrows of this
beautiful life.”
Colleen’s parents
are Paul and
Theresa Thomas.
Her mother,
Theresa, is
employed at
Baker Hostetler.
Colleen Thomas, right, with
Scholarship Committee Chair,
Debbie Smith.
Chapter Nominations Sought
The Presidents Council would like to open up nominations to the chapter
membership.
The same eligibility criteria as last year will
be used for the Professionalism Award:
•
Nominees must have ten years of
experience in legal management;
•
At least five years of membership in
CFCALA; and
•
Is a current or recently retired member
of CFCALA.
Survey Monkey will be used to solicit
nominations from the entire Chapter’s
membership and will include a listing of
eligible members.
Each member can
nominate up to three individuals, but will be
requested to briefly explain why they chose
each person nominated. The selection committee, consisting of the President, Vice
President and Presidents Council Chair, will select a winner based on the
nominations.
The Chapter is also seeking nominees for a new award called the Rising Star Award.
Nominations for this award will be made in the same Survey Monkey survey as the
Professionalism Award above. This award is intended to honor someone newer to
the profession and/or the Chapter who has taken initiative to get involved early and
shows great potential for both personal and professional growth. The Presidents
Council will select the winner from the list of nominees.
Annual Salary, Benefits Survey
The 2014 Salary & Benefits Survey is in the works!
MON., SEPT 1st: Survey mailed for
completion
TUE., SEPT 30th: Completed Surveys due
to Averett Warmus, CPAs, for
tabulating/producing final Survey Report
FRI., OCT 25th: Survey mailed to
members for use in year-end financial
planning meetings for 2015!
The value of the Survey increases with an
increased quantity of participants. We hope
everyone takes time to weigh in during SEP for
the benefit of all Chapter members!
CLM Exam Just around the Corner
It’s easier than ever to become a Certified Case Manager (“CLM”) now that ALA offers the exam online at Pearson Vue testing sites in
Orlando, Altamonte and Gainesville. With the next application deadline just around the corner, be sure to find out whether you qualify to
take the test.
Eligibility Requirements
Interested participants must meet requirements in four areas:
(1) Employment
You must be currently involved in the full-time work of managing a legal
organization, such as a private law firm, legal clinic, governmental agency,
corporate legal department or court system, or have been working in such full-time
employment within 24 months of the date of application.
(2) Experience
If you are a principal administrator, you must have at least three years of
experience as an exempt-level principal administrator or as a branch office manager
of a law firm or legal department. If you are a functional specialist, such as the
manager of Human Resources, Finance, Facilities, Information Systems, or
Marketing, you must have at least five years of experience, three of which must be
in a supervisory position.
(3) Education
Given that not all competencies are conducive to a multiple-choice test setting,
evidence of familiarity with these areas is completed through the education
prerequisites as follows. All candidates must complete at least 120 minutes of
coursework in each of five management categories: writing skills, communication
skills, self-management skills, information technology and organizational
development. Coursework may include workshops, seminars and conference
programs offered by ALA, law-related associations, other professional associations
and organizations, professional training companies, or colleges and universities. All
coursework must be completed in a period of 24 months prior to the application
date.
Applicants who are functional specialists (HR, Finance, Facilities, etc.) must
complete an additional 15 hours of coursework in designated areas other than their
field of specialty. All coursework must be completed in a period of 24 months prior
to the application date.
(4) Ethics
Participants will be required to affirm in writing that they endorse the Association of
Legal Administrators.
And just how much will a
CLM certification cost me?
Exam fee for ALA members: $505
Exam fee for non-members: $625
Annual maintenance fee:
$45
Recertification appl fee:
$160
Remember: CFCALA has scholarship/
reimbursement contributions available.
Upcoming Test Dates
Exam Date
Nov. 10, 2014
May 4, 2015
Nov. 9, 2015
Appl Deadline
Sept. 10, 2014
March 4, 2015
Sept. 9, 2015
Upcoming Summer Events
July 9, 2014
12:00 p.m.
Chapter Board Meeting - July
Location: Zimmerman Kiser Sutcliffe, 315 E. Robinson Street, Suite
600, Orlando, FL
Brown Bag Lunch. Chapter Board Meetings are open to all members of the
Central Florida Chapter Association of Legal Administrators. If you are interested in
attending a meeting and would like more information, please email Lorrie Bearden.
July 30, 2014
12:00 p.m.
Chapter Monthly Luncheon
Topic: “What can the OCBA do for you?”
Speaker: Chelsea Sloan, Orange County Bar Association
Location: Citrus Club, 255 S. Orange Avenue, Suite 1800, Orlando, FL
Tickets: $25.00
Aug. 7, 2014
12:00 p.m.
Large Firm Administrators Group
Aug. 7, 2014
3:00 p.m.
Webinar
Aug. 9, 2014
1:00 p.m. to
5:00 p.m.
Topic: TBD
Location: Foley & Lardner, 111 N. Orange Ave. Suite 1800, Orlando, FL
Topic: “Legal Secretaries: The Future of Law Firm Staffing”
Location: Wicker Smith, 390 N. Orange Ave., 10th Floor, Orlando, FL
Fairvilla Community Outreach Back-to-School Bash
Location: Execu-Tech Business Systems, 1829 Silver Star Road,
Orlando, FL
Aug. 12, 2014
12:00 p.m.
Small Firm Administrators Group
Aug. 13, 2014
12:00 p.m.
Chapter Board Meeting - August
Topic: “Hiring, Retention, Employee Appraisal Forms, and
Discipline/Termination”
Location: Broussard & Cullen, P.A., 445 West Colonial Dr., Orlando, FL
Location: Zimmerman Kiser Sutcliffe, 315 E. Robinson Street, Suite
600, Orlando, FL
Brown Bag Lunch. Chapter Board Meetings are open to all members of the
Central Florida Chapter Association of Legal Administrators. If you are interested in
attending a meeting and would like more information, please email Lorrie Bearden.
Aug. 19, 2014
12:00 p.m.
Juris Users Focus Group
Aug. 27, 2014
12:00 p.m.
Chapter Monthly Luncheon
Sept. 10, 2014
12:00 p.m.
Location: Zimmerman Kiser Sutcliffe, 315 E. Robinson Street, Suite
600, Orlando, FL
Topic: “It’s Techy Time!”
Speaker: Adriana Linares, LawTech Partners
Location: Citrus Club, 255 S. Orange Avenue, Suite 1800, Orlando, FL
Tickets: $25.00
Chapter Board Meeting - September
Location: Zimmerman Kiser Sutcliffe, 315 E. Robinson Street, Suite
600, Orlando, FL
Brown Bag Lunch. Chapter Board Meetings are open to all members of the
Central Florida Chapter Association of Legal Administrators. If you are interested in
attending a meeting and would like more information, please email Lorrie Bearden.
Sept. 24, 2014
12:00 p.m.
Oct. 2, 2014
5:30 p.m. to
8:30 p.m.
Oct. 23, 2014
7:30 a.m.
12:00 p.m.
Chapter Monthly Luncheon/Membership Drive
Topic: “Diversity”
Speaker: Eddy Moratin, Lift Orlando and Lifework Leadership
Location: Citrus Club, 255 S. Orange Avenue, Suite 1800, Orlando, FL
Tickets: $25.00 Member Registration, $0.00 Guest Registration
Professional Legal Management Week Event
Location: Quantum Leap Winery, 1312 Wilfred Drive, Orlando, FL
Business Partners at Bronze level or above invited
Managing Partner Breakfast
Topic: ”Leadership”
Speaker: Stephen Friedman
Location: Citrus Club, 255 S. Orange Avenue, Suite 1800, Orlando, FL
and
Associate Luncheon
Location: Gray Robinson, 301 E. Pine Street, Orlando, FL
The Central Florida Chapter of the
Association of Legal Administrators was
chartered in 1977 and currently has over
80 members. The Chapter's diverse
membership represents private and
corporate entities ranging in size from solo
practitioners to large, international firms.
The CFCALA hosts monthly luncheons
which feature speakers addressing a full
range of topics directly relating to law
office management and administration.
Additional educational seminars are
provided during the year along with many
wonderful networking opportunities.
Perhaps one of the most important
functions of our Chapter is to provide a
forum for members to foster friendships
and to harness our collective talents and
abilities in support of the legal community
and the community at large. Please feel
free to contact us with your comments,
story ideas, and membership inquiries.