precedent - Indiana Paralegal Association, Inc.

PRECEDENT
The Official Newsletter of the Indiana Paralegal Association, Inc.
President’s Message
Volume 192
Do you have a New Year’s
Resolution yet? Most of the
people that I talk to make personal
resolutions: they want to lose
weight, save more money, take a
vacation, etc.
Welcome 2014!!!
your career. Attend an IPA monthly
meeting and introduce yourself to
someone whom you don’t know.
5. Volunteer on a pro bono
project. Does your firm offer pro
bono opportunities? If not, contact
IPA’s pro bono chair (yours truly)
and get connected with a project
that is of interest to you.
P
Have you considered a resolution
for your career / professional life?
Here are some popular career
resolutions.
1. Add a skill. Update your
resume and make note of any new
skills, education, etc. Are you
missing a skill set that’s important
in your area of practice? There’s
always room for improvement. If
you’re not sure, check out CLEs,
workshops and program agenda
that cover your area of practice.
The subjects discussed should
give you an idea of the hot topics
in your practice area. Pick one and
learn all you can about it.
2. Learn a new technology. Does
your firm have resources that you
do not currently use? Take the
time to learn more about it.
3. Learn new tips and tricks for
current software. The majority of
us use Microsoft Office on a daily
basis. Are you a proficient user?
Do you know all the latest tips and
tricks to work more efficiently?
Check
with
your
training
department or check the Internet
for the latest in Microsoft Office.
4. Network with other paralegals.
Developing and maintaining your
professional relationships is an
important part of the growth of
6. Mentor a new paralegal. I
recall those days early in my
paralegal career when I thought,
“What have I gotten myself into?!”
Being a mentor is an opportunity
to share your knowledge and skills
with up and coming paralegals.
7. Take a leadership role in
a local association. There are
opportunities with IPA, IBA’s
Paralegal Executive Committee
and the ISBA Affiliate Membership
Committee. Participation in any
of these associations will provide
leadership skills and networking
opportunities that will stay with
you for the rest of your career.
8. Organize your office, to do
list, email, etc. Spring cleaning
is always a popular resolution for
your home, but don’t forget about
your workplace (“your home away
from home”). For your work, it’s a
great beginning to revisiting your
workload and priorities.
9. Keep up with the latest articles
and blogs for your practice area.
Staying current with the latest rule
changes and legal trends will keep
your mind sharp. Not to mention
that it will also provide great banter
January | 2014
for all that networking you’ll be
doing this coming year.
10. Make sure that your goals
are realistic. Don’t overcommit
yourself this year. Success can
only be obtained by setting goals
that are realistic. You can certainly
shoot for the moon as a long range
goal, but make sure to include
short term goals that you can
check off your list along the way.
As you check off the goals on your
list, you’ll be encouraged to stick
to the path. Be prepared to change
and adjust those goals along the
way.
I hope that each of you has a
wonderful 2014!
Monica is a litigation paralegal
at
Benesch
Friedlander
Coplan
& Aronoff, LLP. She is currently
serving as President of the Indiana
Paralegal Association.
In this Issue
(Click On Link)
2 Board/Section Chairs
3 Health Update
4 NFPA/IPA Roundup
5 CLE
6 Holiday Lunch Recap
7 Tia Jackson
8 Indy Bar Paralegal Committee
9 Thanks to our Sponsors/Job Bank
10 Board of Directors Meeting
11 Electronic Board Meeting
The Precedent
The Precedent is the official publication of
the Indiana Paralegal Association (IPA) and
is published monthly. The subscription rate
is included in the membership dues. Articles
written by individuals express the view of the
author and are not necessarily those of IPA.
Additionally, IPA’s policy is not to endorse any
advertisement. Therefore, publication of the
advertisement does not constitute endorsement.
Original items printed are the property of IPA
and may not be reproduced without prior
written consent. Letters to the editor are
encouraged, but must be signed in order to
be published. The editor reserves the right to
edit material for clarity and space. To submit
correspondence, articles or orders, write:
The Precedent
c/o Indiana Paralegal Association
125 W Market Street, Suite 300
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Or email:
newsletter@indianaparalegals.org
NFPA Information
Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, NFPA
is a non-profit professional organization
representing more than 11,000 paralegals in
the United States. NFPA is the national voice
and the standard for excellence for the paralegal
professional through its work on the issues of
regulation, ethics, and education.
Indiana Paralegal Association
2013-2014
Board of Directors
President
Monica Dabio
mdabio@indianaparalegals.org
Education
Nancy Noble
nlnoble2@gmail.com
Monthly Meeting
Wendy Stokes
stokesgwendolyn@msn.com
Vice President
Lauren Jones, RP®
ljones@joneswallace.com
Ethics
Linda Howard
linda@golitkodaly.com
Newsletter
Lottie Wathen
lwathen@cohenandmalad.com
Secretary
Arlene Morris
amorris@lewis-kappes.com
Fundraising
Raven Earley
ravenearley424@gmail.com
NFPA Primary Representative
Angela Hopson
ARHopson@csmlawfirm.com
Treasurer
Edna Wallace, RP®
emw@whzlaw.com
Job Bank
Julie Johnson
jjohnson@boselaw.com
Parliamentarian
Marnie Hamlet
mhamlet@comcast.net
Continuing Legal Education
Cathy Canny
ccanny@beneschlaw.com
Marketing
Joanne Alexovich
JAlexovich@csmlawfirm.com
Technology
Tracey Woolsey
twoolsey@bgdlegal.com
Section Chairs
Change of Address
If you have a recent change of mailing
address, please update that information
with IPA as soon as possible so your IPA
and NFPA mail and emails will reach you.
Members can login and update their contact
information online at any time at www.
indianaparalegals.org. Changes made
online automatically update the online
membership directory and any future emails
sent by IPA will be sent to your new email
address. Members may also log in to the
NFPA Website at www.paralegals.org and
update their contact information as well
as preferences. The first time you login,
you must request a password by entering
your email address associated with your
membership and click “I need a password.”
An email will be sent to your email address
with your password.
Membership
Everlla Savage
esavage@psrb.com
Alliance
Cathy Canny
ccanny@beneschlaw.com
Intellectual Property
George Gray
George.Gray84@gmail.com
Paralegal Credentialing
Angela Woodlee, RP®
awoodlee@kdlegal.com
Bankruptcy
Robin McGraw
robin@rubin-levin.net
Legislation
Bonnie Lewis
Bonnie.Lewis@btlaw.com
Probate/Tax
Arlene Morris
amorris@lewis-kappes.com
Corporate
OPEN
Litigation
OPEN
Elections
OPEN
Marketing/PR
Jessica Norfleet
jfleet826@gmail.com
Pro-Bono
Monica Dabio
mdabio@indianaparalegals.org
Employment/Labor
OPEN
Family Law
Lottie Wathen
lwathen@cohenandmalad.com
Health Law
Karen Bruner Stroup
kstroup@iu.edu
Real Estate
OPEN
NFPA Secondary
Laura Thirion
lthirion@bgdlegal.com
Regulation
Edna Wallace, RP®
emw@whzlaw.com
Non-Traditional
Melody Schulz
melody.schulz@us.endress.com
Student Section
Everlla Savage
esavage@psrb.com
Anyone interested in serving on the Board of Directors should contact IPA’s President,
Monica Dabio, at president@indianaparalegals.org. Or call 317-686-3141.
2
Health Law Update
Compiled by Karen Bruner Stroup, Health Law Section Chair
Law and Biosciences
Center for Law and Biomedical Sciences/S.J.
Quinney College of Law-University of Utah:
http://www.law.utah.edu/center/bioscience/
New Law and Biosciences Journal to Launch in
2014:
h t t p : / / c m l a w l i b r a r y b l o g . c l a s s c a s t e r.
net/2013/11/05/new-law-and-biosciencesjournal-to-launch-in-2014/
Law and Biosciences Digest (A daily digest of
legal opinions featuring cognitive neuroscience
and behavioral genetics):
http://lawandbiodigest.com
Stanford Law School/Law and Biosciences Blog:
http://blogs.law.stanford.edu/lawandbiosciences/
Healthcare
HIPAA Legal Tools:
The U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services has released the following new guides
related to the Health Insurance Portability
and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).
1. HIPAA Emergency Preparedness Planning and
Responses
4. Health Information of Deceased Individuals
5. Student Immunizations
6. Model Notices of Privacy Practices for
Healthcare Providers and Health Plans
7. Patient Safety Rule Penalty Inflation
Adjustent Notice
Source:
http://www.cdc.gov/phlp/news/current.html#legal2
Amish exempt from ACA, Amish communities
continue to pay for care
As U.S. struggles with health reform, the Amish go
their own way
NBC News (10/06/2013) Daniel Kelly
Voluntary relabeling of cold medicine may
lead to law and policy changes
Warnings on children’s drugs found to help curb
misuse
New York Times (11/11/2013) Catherine Saint Louis
Nonprofit Hospitals:
Community benefit state law issue
brief. The Hilltop Institute’s Hospital
Community Benefit Program has
released a second issue brief related to its
online resource, the Community Benefit
State Law Profiles. This brief, Hospital
Community Benefits after the ACA:
Policy Implications of the State Law
Landscape, describes state community
benefit requirements organized into
eight categories that largely reflect either
pre-existing federal community benefit
standards or additional requirements set
forth in §9007 of the Affordable Care Act
(ACA). It also compares and contrasts
various states and discusses the policy
implications of the findings. http://www.
hilltopinstitute.org/publications/Hospi
talCommunityBenefitsAfterTheACAPolicyImplicationsIssueBrief7-Sept2013.
pdf
Source: http://www.cdc.gov/phlp/news/
current.html#legal2
Source:
http://www.cdc.gov/phlp/news/current.html#brief5
2. Statement of Delay in Enforcement of HIPAA
Requirement for Certain Clinical Laboratory
Improvement Amendment (CLIA) and CLIA
Exempt Laboratories to Revise their Notices of
Privacy Practices
3. The HIPAA Privacy Rule and Refill Reminders
and Other Communications about a Drug or
Biologic Currently Being Prescribed for the
Individual
Conferences
2014 Public Health Law Conference. The 2014 Public Health Law Conference will take place October 16 and 17, 2014, in Atlanta, Georgia, and will gather
public health and legal experts from across the country to examine and discuss today’s critical challenges in public health law. Find more information here:
https://www.networkforphl.org/events__webinars/conferences/2014_public_health_law_conference/
Source:
http://www.cdc.gov/phlp/news/current.html
3
IPA Event Roundup
Contributors:
NFPA Website
http://www.paralegals.org/
The October/November 2013 issue of
the National Paralegal Reporter is
available in either a .pdf or flash
electronic version for your viewing
pleasure at the NFPA website:
www.paralegals.org.
Login to the website, choose
Publications, and then choose National
Paralegal Reporter Electronic Issues. The
Flash version is a page-turning version
that looks like a real magazine.
Logging into the website is just two
clicks away: click on Member Sign-in
on the right hand side of the screen,
enter the e-mail that you use for IPA in
the space located in the middle of the
screen and your password, then click
sign in. If you do not have a password,
click on the “I need a password!”
button to request one and an email will
be sent to your email address on file.
The National Paralegal Reporter is
located under Publications, third
option from the left.
This is part of NFPA's "Going Green"
initiative. Happy browsing!
If you have any questions regarding
the NFPA website contact:
Angela R. Hopson
IPA’s NFPA Primary
ahopson@csmlawfirm.com
Lottie Wathen, IPA Newsletter Editor;
Nancy Noble, IPA Education Director;
Angela Woodlee, RP®, IPA Credentialing Ambassador; and
Everlla Savage, IPA Membership Director / Student Section Chair
If Henry David Thoreau (American Essayist, Poet and Philosopher, 1817-1862)
was correct that “Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking
for it,” then the members of the Indiana Paralegal Association should be quite
successful as the month of December was incredibly busy!!
December 3, 2013 – Paralegal Panel – Marian University
IPA members have had several opportunities to serve as panelists for paralegal
students this year (at Marian University and IUPUI thus far). On December
3rd, Marian University held its second legal professional panel (the first being on
November 19, 2013) which provided current paralegal students an opportunity
to meet and ask questions of legal professionals. The twelve member panel
consisted of attorneys and paralegals. The IPA was represented by Jamie Collins,
Denise Bowlby, Marnie Hamlet and Nancy Noble. There were also four attorneys
from different disciplines and four additional paralegals. The paralegals came
from a wide range of employers including large law firms, small law firms, public
domain and corporate legal departments.
Eighteen Marian University paralegal students were in attendance; six of the
eighteen will graduate in May 2014 and the other twelve have just started their
paralegal studies. The students were provided with biographies of the panelists
prior to the session, and developed questions for the panelists. The questions
asked ranged from, “What tasks make up your daily routine?” to, “How do
you handle a difficult client?” to “What advice do you have for a new paralegal
entering the field?” Most of the discussion was in round table style, with each
panelist providing their insight into the questions.
Marian is planning to host another panel in the early spring and panels are also in
the works for Ivy Tech and Ball State. Anyone who is interested in participating
on any of the upcoming panels is invited to contact IPA’s Education Director,
Nancy Noble at education@indianaparalegals.org.
December 3, 2013 – Credentialing Reception – Krieg DeVault, LLP
Also on December 3, 2013, the IPA held a Credentialing Reception for those
paralegals who were successful in their pursuit of credentialing in 2013. The event,
hosted by Krieg DeVault LLP, with Angela Woodlee, RP® acting as our hostess,
recognized Jennifer Jeffries, CRP™, Blaise Taylor, CRP™, and Whitney Babbitt,
CRP™, who became CORE™ Registered Paralegals in 2013. Also recognized were
Julia Kleinschmidt, RP®, Angela Woodlee, RP®, Jillian Szalankiewicz, RP®, Angela
Meyer, RP®, and Diane Prosser RP® who celebrated becoming PACE® Registered
Paralegals in 2013. The newly credentialed paralegals who were able to attend
the reception participated in pinning ceremonies and received scarves providing
4
IPA Event Roundup
tangible evidence of their success. The pinning ceremony for the CORE™ registered
paralegals was sponsored by EcoScribe Solutions and Xact Data Discovery sponsored
the pinning ceremony for the PACE® Registered paralegals.
Attendees of the Credentialing Reception were treated to a lovely dinner, festive
decorations, door prizes and time to chat and catch up with peers not seen on a regular
basis. A slide show of interesting quotes (“In order to succeed, your desire for success
should be greater than your fear of failure,” Bill Cosby) and tidbits of information,
including the fact that Indiana leads the nation in the number of Pace Registered
Paralegals with 54, created perfect conversation topics for those who met new peers
for the first time. The Indianapolis skyline made for a lovely backdrop to the event.
The much anticipated announcement of the winner of the Recommind-PACE
Scholarship for 2013–14 also occurred at the Credentialing Reception. Six applications
were received for the scholarship and the judges had their work cut out for them. All
of the applications were very good making the decision a difficult one. April Aldridge,
a litigation administrative assistant at Krieg DeVault LLP, who works in the areas of
product liability defense, commercial litigation, healthcare and appellate work, was
the lucky winner. April will receive a scholarship from Recommind to pay for the
Advanced Paralegal Institute Online Review Course, a PACE® Study Manual, an
online Practice Exam, the PACE® Application Fee and the PACE® Examination Fee.
Congratulations to April and a huge thank you goes to Recommind for funding this
scholarship. Thank you also to Krieg DeVault LLP for hosting the event.
December 17, 2013 – Vendor Reception – Plews Shadley Racher & Braun, LLP
In addition to our fabulous Holiday Luncheon held at the Conrad Hotel on December
17, 2013 (see Joanne Alexovich’s Holiday Luncheon Recap on page 6), a reception to
thank our vendors for all they do for the IPA throughout the year was also held that
evening. Sponsored by Plews Shadley Racher & Braun, LLP, the event was held in one
of their buildings, a fabulous historic mansion that has been tastefully converted to
office space, which provided a spectacular venue. The evening event featured food,
wine and camaraderie. The IPA Board of Directors and Section Chairs turned the
tables on the Vendors at the reception, this time putting the Vendors’ business cards
into a pot to be drawn for door prizes. It was a lovely event organized by an ad hoc
committee (Everlla Savage, Angela Woodlee, April Aldridge, Wendy Sotkes, Monica
Dabio, Nancy Noble, Raven Early and Marnie Hamlet) who did an amazing job. Thank
you to the committee members and especially to Plews Shadley Racher & Braun, LLP
for their generosity and graciousness.
CLE Resources:
NFPA
(www.paralegals.org)
has
partnered with the American Institute for
Paralegal Studies (AIPS) to provide online CLE Seminars for credentialed and
working paralegals. The seminars range
from practice tips to substantive law
topics and are offered fully on line. Each
seminar runs for two weeks facilitated
by an instructor in a collaborative,
interactive, environment. The CLE
seminars are 12 contact hours and equal
1.2 Continuing Education Units.
Also check out www.aips.com the
American Institute for Paralegal Studies
offers several on-line seminars. Oneline courses run two (2) weeks, and
completion of each course generates a
certificate of completion with associated
CLE credits.
w w w. p a r a l e g a l g a t e w a y. c o m :
ParalegalGateway.com is dedicated
to continuing the development and
education of paralegals throughout the
United States. Developed in partnership
with LegalSpan, their catalog of online
seminars represents a compilation of
the highest quality continuing legal
education seminars offered through bar
associations nationwide. Please take
a look at the many seminars listed in
various subject matters.
www.dtci.org: Check out the web site
for information
There
are
www.lorman.com:
many seminar and teleconference
opportunities. Also check out their
Paralegal Bookstore Products.
Cathy Canny
5
IPA CLE Director &
Alliance Section Chair
2013 Holiday Luncheon
and Silent Auction
Over 150 IPA members and their
on ASI can be found at its web-site:
guests celebrated the season with
www.autismsocietyofindiana.org.
IPA’s annual Holiday Luncheon and
Silent Auction on December 17, 2013
As a holiday gift, attendees received
at the Conrad Hilton. Janese Truver,
a thermal/cold tumbler with IPA’s logo,
a talented keyboardist, entertained
selected by the marketing committee.
the group with seasonal songs while
Eight of IPA’s supporting exhibitors
colleagues had a chance to visit with
attended the luncheon and provided
one another and also to bid against
door prizes. A big round of applause
each other for the Silent Auction items.
goes
This year’s event raised $2,640.50
Meeting Director, who coordinated
for IPA’s Charitable Partner, Autism
the event. Thank you also to the firm
Society of Indiana.
sponsors for the luncheon:
The Fundraising
to
Wendy
Stokes,
Monthly
Endress
Committee, chaired by Raven Earley,
+ Houser, Bose McKinney & Evans,
selected this year’s charity and did
Lewis & Kappes, P.C., Hovde, Dassow,
a great job in coordinating the Silent
& Deets and to RICOH for printing the
Auction.
programs.
The Autism Society of Indiana (“ASI”)
Our
was founded in 1998 and has worked
(scheduled for February 19, 2014) will
to raise awareness about autism.
be held at Barnes & Thornburg rather
Dana Renay, Executive Director for
than at the Regions Bank Building.
ASI, spoke to the group and shared
Our speaker on February 19 will be
that on a weekly basis ASI receives
Deborah B. McGregor, Director of
dozens of calls from people around the
the Master of Jurisprudence Degree
state looking for guidance, information,
Program at the IU McKinney School of
support, and resources to help them in
Law. The March monthly meeting will
the growth and support of an autistic
return to the Regions Bank Building.
February
monthly
meeting
child. She explained that ASI assists
families in implanting social skills,
finding support groups, and sharing
information on resources specific to
each individual child. ASI sees its role as
allies for parents. In addition to directly
helping families, ASI provides support
Joanne Alexovich
Marketing and Public Relations Director
and education to law enforcement
officials, first responders, teachers, and
government officials. More information
6
Getting to know........
Tia Jackson, RP®
likes the least; anyone who has
ever tried to decipher a physician’s
handwriting can relate to Tia’s
situation.
Tia Jackson, RP®, knew that she
wanted to be a paralegal from an
early age. While she cannot recall
exactly why she decided on that
career path, she distinctly recalls
having the job in sight in high
school as she placed “becoming a
paralegal” as a 10 year goal. That
goal was put on paper in 1987 and
became reality a short four years
later.
Tia has been working as a paralegal
for 22 years and has experience
in civil litigation, family law,
criminal defense, personal injury
and appellate work in private,
government and corporate sectors.
Tia is presently employed as an
insurance defense / collections
paralegal for Noel Law in Kokomo,
Indiana. While Tia enjoys preparing
medical record chronologies (and
likens it to putting the pieces of a
jigsaw puzzle together), she also
finds that obtaining those same
medical records can be the most
challenging part of her job. Getting
records from medical care providers
can often be just as difficult as
collecting money from debtors.
Once she actually receives the
medical records, reviewing them
is often the part of her job that Tia
Tia, a Hoosier at birth, actually
began her paralegal career in Rapid
City, South Dakota. She and her
husband, Scott, relocated to Indiana
14 years ago to be near family,
and they now live in Galveston,
Indiana (roughly 10 miles north of
Kokomo). Tia and Scott have been
married for 25 years and have one
daughter, Kaycee, who is four years
old. Having a child after more than
20 years of marriage has been both
a challenge and a great blessing for
Tia. Being a mom to Kaycee is a
great joy and Tia spends much of
her spare time on homeschooling
her daughter. Tia also enjoys
gardening, bowling and massage
therapy. In addition to being a
member of the IPA, Tia is also a
member of the American Massage
Therapy Association and, were she
not a paralegal, Tia’s dream job
would be as a massage therapist.
Tia’s professional and personal lives
are both sources of great pride for
her. Receiving her RP designation
in 2006, is (thus far) the highlight
of her professional life. Tia is also
very proud of her 25 year marriage,
her daughter and of the life that she
and her husband have built; a life
that includes farming and raising
animals (hens, quarter horses, goats,
cats, dogs & a calf). Tia believes
that many people will be surprised
that her life includes more than 70
animals, but she truly enjoys the
farming aspect of her life.
Thank-you, Tia, for agreeing to be
our featured Member for January!
Meet the Members
Each month, with the hope of getting to know our fellow members better, the Meet the
Members section will feature an IPA member. If you are interested in being “introduced” to
the 300+ members of the IPA, please contact Lottie Wathen, Newsletter Director, via email at
newsletter@indianaparalegals.org or by telephone at 317-636-6481, ext.228.
Lottie Wathen
IPA Newsletter Director &
Family Law Section Chair
7
News from the Indy Bar Paralegal Committee
By: Debi Binkley, RP®
Greetings from the Indianapolis Bar Association’s Paralegal Committee! I hope that all of you had a wonderful
holiday season and have started your New Year on a good note. If you did not have the opportunity to attend the
2013 Holiday Party and Bears on Patrol event, you missed a lovely event. Here is a summary to entice you to join
us next year!!
2013 Holiday Party and Bears on Patrol
On December 6, 2013 paralegals and their guests were treated to a spectacular event
at the Columbia Club. The lovely décor made for a festive scene and the sounds of the
Center Grove DebTones entertaining us helped to set a w onderful holiday mood .
Most importantly, more than 5,700 bears were donated to the Bears on Patrol
program! In the fifteen (15) years that the IndyBar Paralegal Committee has been
involved in this project, this is the largest collection ever.
One of the most enjoyable parts of this project is the annual “Teddy Bear Challenge”.
Firms and legal departments were invited to join in collecting teddy bears and small stuffed animals (which are
then presented at the luncheon to representatives of our public service agencies) and to compete against rival firms
for bragging rights of having collected the most animals. The final count for the 2013 Teddy Bear Challenge was
5,738 stuffed animals. Frost Brown Todd, LLC was recognized as collecting the largest number of animals (1,583)
and, for the second year in a row, the Law Firm of Elizabeth A. Justice from Crawfordsville was recognized for the
largest number of donations per employee (137) which figures out to 45.6 per employee in a 3 person firm!
In addition to Frost Brown Todd, LLC and The Law Office of Elizabeth A. Justice, the following law firms also
participated in the collection efforts: Bose McKinney & Evans LLP; Hill Fulwider, P.C.; Hall, Render, Killian Heath
& Lyman, PC; Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP; Price Waicukauski & Riley, LLC; Ice Miller LLP;
Bingham Greenebaum Doll, LLP; Barnes & Thornburg, LLP, Cohen & Malad, LLP; Lewis & Kappes, P.C., and
Cantrell, Strenski & Mehringer, LLP.
Joining us as our special guests for the luncheon this year was Commander Randal Taylor from the Indianapolis
Metropolitan Police Department; Sheriff John Layton and Chief Deputy, Colonel Eva Talley-Sanders with the
Marion County Sheriff ’s Department; Chief Brian Sanford and Captain Rita Reith with the Indianapolis Fire
Department; and Dr. Andrew Stevens, Deputy Medical Director for Indianapolis EMS. They were extremely
gracious and grateful for the efforts put forth by the IndyBar Paralegal Committee.
A special thank you to the Holiday Luncheon sponsors: Modern Information Solutions (Gold Level), and Xact
Data Discovery, Connor Reporting and QDiscovery (Silver Level). Also recognized were other key sponsors of the
Paralegal Committee throughout 2013: IST Management Services who produced the Indianapolis Bar Association
Paralegal Committee’s 20th Anniversary booklet as well as Hill Fulwider, P.C. and Bose McKinney & Evans LLP.
Thanks again to everyone who participated.
Thank you to all of the paralegals and firms in attendance at the 2013 Holiday Luncheon of the Indianapolis Bar
Association Paralegal Committee on December 6, 2013 and who contributed to the “Bears on Patrol” program.
8
January Sponsors
IPA offers a number of ways for individuals, paralegal employers, legal service providers, continuing education providers and paralegal
schools to become involved with IPA.
IPA members include more than 350 paralegals and paralegal students from across Indiana. IPA’s
mission is to establish good fellowship among association members and members of the legal community; to encourage a higher order
of ethical and professional attainment; to further education and training among members of the profession; and to cooperate and foster
working relationships with bar associations and other professional organizations. For more information about marketing and sponsorship opportunities with IPA, contact us at info@indianaparalegals.org.
IPA Job Bank
The Job Bank is one of the many benefits provided to IPA members at no charge. The most current listing is located on the IPA website
under Members Only Section, Paralegal Career Center, IPA’s Job Bank.
The Job Bank, updated weekly, is available 24/7 for your employment needs.
If you would like to submit an open position for the Job Bank, write a brief description and send to:
Julie H. Johnson
IPA Job Bank Director
jobbank@indianaparalegals.org
Disclaimer: Only ads received directly from the hiring company and containing a job description considered appropriate for the skill set of a paralegal will be
considered for posting.
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Board of Directors’ Meeting
Minutes of the meeting of the Board of Directors of the Indiana Paralegal
Association, Inc., held on Tuesday, November 12, 2013 at The Corydon
Group, 125 West Market Street, Suite 300, Indianapolis, Indiana.
CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order by President, Monica Dabio.
PRIOR MINUTES
A draft of the October 8, 2013 Board Meeting Minutes and the
October 18, 2013 Electronic Board Meeting Minutes were
previously e-mailed to each Board member. A motion was
made, seconded and carried to accept the October 8, 2013
Board Meeting Minutes, and the October 18, 2013 Electronic
Board Meeting Minutes as prepared.
The October financials were submitted to the board for Officers Present:
approval. Monica Dabio confirmed that the tax returns
were signed and mailed. A motion was made, seconded and
carried to accept the October financials as submitted.
Directors Present:
Wendy Stokes reported that the October luncheon went
really well. She has received confirmation from Barnes
& Thornburg to use their facilities for some of the 2014
luncheons.
BOARD MEMBER TOPICS
Annual Report
Monica Dabio
President
By teleconference:
Monica Dabio and Rachel McKay reported that there were
a couple of things to do to complete the annual report, and
that it should be done in the next week or so for the 2013
fiscal year.
Ad Hoc Comittee
Lauren Jones
Vice-President
Absent with Notice:
Monica Dabio
Arlene Morris
Edna Wallace
Cathy Canny
Nancy Noble
Joanne Alexovich
Everlla Savage
Lottie Wathen
Angela Hopson
Marnie Hamlet
Tracey Woolsey
Lauren Jones
Raven Earley
Julie Johnson
Gwendolyn Stokes
Robin McGraw
Linda Howard
The Ad Hoc Committee has met relative to the 35th Year
Anniversary. They are looking at September 14th and will have
something to the board soon. It is possible that it may be a north
side location, and Lauren Jones is working with an event company.
Monthly Meetings
Wendy Stokes
Monthly Meetings Director
Wendy Stokes presented the 2014 calendar for the monthly luncheons to
the board. In 2013, there was a conflict in October this year because of
Boss’s Day celebrations. After a review, the board has decided to move
the October, 2014 luncheon to October 22, 2014. Wendy will check with
Susan Jacobs and Rachel Elliott of the Indiana State Bar Association relative to
meeting dates for 2014. All other dates will remain the same.
Charitable Partner Request
Wendy Stokes discussed the inquiry received by Raven Early from our 2013 Charitable
Partner, Autism Society of Indiana. They have 6 staff members that are interested in attending
the Holiday Luncheon and Silent Auction on December 17, 2013. Three of these members are
on the Board for the Autism Society of Indiana, with 2 of them being Attorneys and the remaining 4
people are actual staff. It was pointed out that the IPA normally pays for 2 people from the Charitable
Partner to attend the luncheon at no cost. After discussion, it was decided that the 4 additional staff
members who would like to attend will be allowed to attend at the member rate of $30.00 per person. Raven
Early will register the staff for the Charitable Partner and issue an invoice for the remaining staff members.
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President
Secretary /Probate/Tax
Treasurer/Regulation
CLE/Alliance
Education
Marketing
Membership
Newsletter
NFPA Primary Representative
Parliamentarian
Technology
Vice-President
Fundraising
Job Bank
Monthly Meeting
Bankruptcy Section Chair
Ethics
Board of Directors’ Meeting
The Autism Society of Indiana also wants to have an exhibitor table at the Holiday Luncheon. It was discussed that this would be a great idea and
would allow attendees who did not want to bid on any items to still give a donation to the Charitable Partner.
For the Good of the Order
Wendy Stokes discussed the e-mail that she had sent to the board relative to the Indiana University Law Program. Lottie Wathen and Nancy Noble
will coordinate and present an article for The Precedent. Deborah McGregor of the IU Law Program will be the speaker at the February 19, 2014
luncheon and will be given 20 minutes to talk followed by questions from the attendees. The article promoting this luncheon will be in the January
edition of The Precedent so that attendees will have an opportunity prior to the luncheon to come up with questions.
Monica Dabio advised that the Legal Studies Advisory Board of Ball State University met and wants to know if IPA will sell its mailing list so that
Ball State can get survey information. Ball State is willing to pay for the list. When the list is purchased, it will just be for the survey. The charge
for the rental of the list is $150.00. A motion was made and seconded to allow Ball State University to purchase the mailing list for the purpose of
conducting this survey. Monica also advised that Ball State will be doing a panel discussion on March 14, 2014 at Ball State University.
Monica Dabio also reminded everyone that if there is a committee meeting scheduled, it needs to be on the calendar and members should be able to
see everything on the website so that they can join in.
Everlla Savage reported that there would be a panel discussion on November 19th, 2013 at Marian University.
Everlla also stated that there is also a meeting on November 12, 2013 to discuss a reception for our vendors to be held around December 19, 2013.
Raven Early will get a projected budget figure and let everyone know the cost. An e-mail will be sent to the board and section chairs to see who is
available for this function.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.
Board of Directors’ Electronic Board Meeting
The
following are Special Minutes of the Board of Directors of the Indiana Paralegal Association held on November 20, 2013 via electronic mail
where the following topic was presented, discussed and voted on.
Directors participating via email:
Angela Hopson
Arlene Morris
Edna Wallace
Raven Earley
Lottie Wathen
Wendy Stokes
Everlla Savage
Nancy Noble
Marnie Hamlet
Linda Howard
TOPIC – Motion to Approve IPA hosting a reception on December 17, 2013 from 6:00-8:00 pm to thank Vendors. Plews, Shadley, Racher
& Braun, LLP has agreed to finance this reception, which will include the Officers, Directors and Section Chairs of IPA. The motion was
carried by a vote of 10 to approve and accept that Everlla Savage, is authorized to plan this reception on December 27, 2013
Arlene L. Morris, Secretary
Indiana Paralegal Association
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