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SJPA
P.O. Box 355
Haddonfield, NJ 08033
PARALEGAL PRESS
Special points of
interest: Briefly highlight your point of interest here.
Briefly highlight your point of interest here.
Briefly highlight your point of interest here.
Briefly highlight your point of interest here.
Inside this issue: President’s Message 2 Birthdays and New Members 3 May Dinner Meeting 4 PES Pics 5 2015-2016 Executive Officers Candidacy Statements 7, 8 Nomination & Proxy Forms 9 Installation Dinner 11 Board Bytes 12 NJCP 13 Events, CLE’s, and Job Bank 14
SJPA gratefully acknowledges The MCS Group, Inc., including Scott R. Griffiths (856) 581-8715, [email protected],
for providing gratis color copying services for the SJPA Paralegal Press this year!
Special Events:
Fourth Annual Paralegal Educational Symposium By: Maureen T. Garrett, NJCP
Neither rain, sleet nor snow could stop SJPA from holding its 4th annual Paralegal Educational Symposium (PES) convention on Friday, March 20, 2015! And believe us, the snow did try. However, in spite of some last minute weather, everything went off without a hitch and a great time (educationally and socially) was had by all attendees. We all met up at our usual location at The Enterprise Center at Burlington County College. The facility is state of the art and professional and offers a cozy and warm atmosphere to meet new friends and colleagues and catch up with old ones. The food, of course, was outstanding, with my personal favorite being the flourless chocolate cake!
We had some exciting speakers and timely topics. Highly anticipated and received were topics on social media, police liability, electronic evidence & digital forensics, skills to succeed as a paralegal, pre-litigation paralegal skills, immigration, estate administration, workers comp, and round table discussion re: various paralegal specialties. Our paralegal and attorney speakers for PES were all outstanding and hailed from such well-known law firms as Archer & Greiner; Stark & Stark; Marshall, Dennehey; Parker McCay; and Capehart Scatchard, as well as from more specialized but equally excellent law firms and businesses.
Speaker Lori Patrick, Esq. was back this year to talk about Ethics. One theme she discussed was a comment often heard by both paralegals and attorneys alike from family, friends and sometimes peers. That comment is: “Well can’t you just…. (do this or do that)”. She provided real life examples
from her own and others’ experiences. Lori reminded us that no we can’t unless we want to violate ethics rules.
Of course, we cannot forget about our wonderful vendors and their excellent services. Not only could we not do our jobs without them, but SJPA could not offer this educational opportunity at such an affordable cost. So thank you again vendors! Some of those vendors included: copy and record retrieval services, court reports, investigative companies, law firms, search firms, etc.
Finally, our day ended with various door prizes from SJPA as well as from vendors’ drawings. (Who doesn’t love free stuff?!)
Please know that SJPA committee members and the board appreciate and truly value the feedback of our members regarding this convention. Everyone involved worked hard to make the PES a success because we care about our members as well as the entire paralegal community. A special shout out to Dawn Moskalow, on her 4th year as Committee Chair for her tireless efforts, not only this year, but also in getting South Jersey’s premier paralegal event off the ground and running during that time. Thanks, Dawn and thank YOU to the members for attending and caring so much about our shared profession! See you next year…
Pictures on page 5!
Vol. XX Issue No. 3 May/June 2015
Member of the National Federation of Paralegal Associations
~ May19 ~ Election of Officers
Tavistock Country Club Haddonfield
~ June 23 ~
Installation of Officers Tavistock Country Club
Haddonfield ~ Justice Lee A. Solomon
presiding ~
2014 - 2015 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OFFICERS
Rebecca Reedy, NJCP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . President Doreen Ziccardi, RP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vice President Vacant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Recording Secretary Judith Alvelo, NJCP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Treasurer Rebecca Reedy, NJCP . . . . . . . . . . . . NFPA Primary Rep Nancy Z. Seldomridge, NJCP . . . . . NFPA Secondary Rep
Vacant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Parliamentarian Christi L. Valerio, NJCP . . . . . . . . . . . . Corres. Secretary
Policy Committees
Vacant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Delivery of Paralegal Services Janice Kennedy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Membership Deborah Naglee, NJCP . . . . . . Nominations & Elections Vacant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pro Bono Vacant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Professional Development
Administrative Committees
Vacant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Continuing Education Doreen Ziccardi, RP . . . . . . . . . . Fundraising/Marketing Kristen Brockman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Job Bank Karen Kapsimalis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Meetings Janice Kennedy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Editor, Newsletter Michelle Cona-Diezel . . . . . . . . . . . Programs/Speakers Doreen Ziccardi, RP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Public Relations Dawn Moskalow, NJCP . . . . Paralegal Edu. Symposium
Ad Hoc/Special Committees
Vacant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Military Outreach Program Vacant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Communications Rebecca Reedy, NJCP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .NJSBA Liaison Vacant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Website Vacant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Recognition Program
The Paralegal Press Published Bi-Monthly by
The South Jersey Paralegal Association
PO Box 355
Haddonfield, NJ 08033
EDITORIAL COMMITTEE
Janice Y. Kennedy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Editor
Please submit all articles to the editor at: [email protected]. The deadline for all submissions for the July 2015 issue is June 15!
The opinions expressed in the Paralegal Press are those of the writ-
ers and not necessarily of the Editor or the South Jersey Paralegal
Association.
Copyright©May 2015, South Jersey Paralegal Association. All
rights reserved. No portion of this publication shall be reprinted without the express written permission of SJPA. For reprint permis-
sion, contact the Editor.
Greetings Colleagues, Friends and Fellow Mem-bers. Warmer weather is finally here, and hopefully it’s here to stay. SJPA just had its Fourth Annual Paralegal Educa-tional Symposium (PES) on March 20th. What an incredible event! Thanks again to Dawn Moskalow, NJCP and her Committee for another outstanding job on this monumen-tal task! We are in the midst of electing the new Executive Board Officers for the 2015-2016 fiscal year. The elections will be held at the General Membership Dinner meeting on May 19th at Tavistock Country Club. If you ever thought you may want to get more involved with SJPA, this is your chance. For more information on the elected positions and job descriptions, please see our website. Also, the Board is always in need of assistance with its various com-mittees so don’t hesitate to contact a Board member for more information. Our guest speaker will be Carol Sherman from Peirce College who will be speaking on the topic of “Legal Research”. Professor Sherman is an amazing instructor so you won’t want to miss her presentation on such an im-portant topic! We will also be awarding the SJPA scholar-ship of $1,000 to one lucky student! Don’t forget to add June 23rd to your calendars. This is the final General Membership Dinner meeting of the year, and also when the newly elected officers will be installed by New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Lee Solo-mon. This is another “don’t miss” event. The year is quickly coming to a close and so does my term of Presidency. I thank my fellow SJPA members
for allowing me to serve you for the past two years. It has been an honor. I will now shift to the role of Board Advisor to the incoming President who I know will have lots of great ideas and events for the upcoming year. I must also extend a heartfelt thank you to the Board members and Committee chairs for their dedication and support to SJPA. Going forward, I plan to stay active with the Board. Besides, what else would I do with all my free time. May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face and the rain fall softly on your fields. And until we meet again, may God hold you in the hollow of his hand. ~Irish Blessing
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE By: Becky Reedy, NJCP
Page 15 Page 2
NOMINATIONS & ELECTIONS REMINDER
At our May Dinner Meeting we will be voting for the following Board Positions:
President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Treasurer, NFPA Primary Rep. and NFPA Secondary Rep.
Please refer to the SJPA website at www.sjpaparalegals.org for Board position descriptions and duties. No experience necessary. However, you must be a Voting Member in good standing. Nominations will remain open at the May Dinner Meeting until the Election. If you wish to nominate someone, please contact the Nominations Chair, Deborah Naglee at [email protected].
For more than 30 years DGR has been providing local, national
& international process service to the legal community. We
pride ourselves on customer support, and through our
commitment to excellence and our clients, we have achieved the
reputation we hold today. Now offering investigation services
through On The Lookout Investigations, LLC.
By: Janice Kennedy SJPA extends a warm welcome to our new members and we look forward to your success with our organization and your paralegal career! Kim Bracken—voting Deptford, NJ Henry Weinfeld, Esquire A.A.S. in Paralegal Studies, Rowan College, summa cum laude Deanna Seyler DeFeo - voting Law Offices of Steven A. Flinn, criminal and family A.A.S. in Paralegal Studies, Atlantic Cape Comm. Col-lege Fairfield, CA Donna Ireland - voting Self-employed - litigation A.A.S. in Paralegal Studies, Atlantic Cape Comm. Col-lege Egg Harbor City, NJ Christy Mangone - voting Herlihy and Young, family, estate, criminal, SSDI Paralegal Certificate, Fairleigh Dickinson University Manahawkin, NJ Christine Monsen - student Paralegal Program, Fairleigh Dickinson University Howell, NJ Roxann Navarra - voting Weinberger Law Group, family law Paralegal Certificate, Burlington County College Somers Point, NJ Dan Shanks - student Paralegal Program, Peirce College Philadelphia, PA Nikki Washington - associate PHH Mortgage A.A.S. in Paralegal Studies, Rowan College Williamstown, NJ
NEW MEMBERS
Frederic Burger - 4
Jennifer Samuelson - 9 Patricia Olivieri - 17 Anthony Iannini - 18
Leslie McDonough - 27 Sandra Bernardi - 30
Pamela Tate - 31
Joseph Buonadonna - 7
Sherry Williams - 10 Michelle Cona-Diezel - 13
Nina Rossman - 14 Debra Brigher - 16
Karen Anderson - 22 Ashleigh Ries - 23
Janice Kennedy - 24 Nancy Seldomridge - 29
BOARD MEETINGS DINNER MEETINGS May 12 May 19 Election of Officers Dinner Meeting June 9 at Tavistock Country Club June 23 Installation of Officers Dinner Meeting at Tavistock Country Club
SPECIAL EVENTS May 2 Run For the Bar - 5K run/1 mile walk (www.burlcobar.org) May 5 Law Day Dinner, Indian Spring Country Club, Marlton (www.burlcobar.org)
WHAT’S HAPPENING!
Page 14 Page 3
Burlington County Bar (cont’d) May 28: Drinking, Diving and Dogs: The Hazards of Summer Camden County Bar - www.camdencountybar.org May 19: Legal Issues in Restraining Students & Other Behavioral Issues May 28: Municipal Court Practice Jun 3: Residential Real Estate - Entertaining Education Jun 25: NJ Landlord-Tenant Practice Entry level Paralegal for boutique law firm to assist managing partner and senior paralegal. Legal practices to include Tax, White Collar, Estates, and general litigation. Please send resumes to [email protected] Stark & Stark, a well-known law firm, has an immediate opening in its Princeton office for a certified experienced (3-5 years+) New Jersey plaintiff’s personal injury paralegal. Must be able to handle a large volume of files from client interview through trial; work independently with minimal supervision; shift priorities as needed and work well with other staff. Salary commensurate with experience. Please send cover letter (with salary history) and resume to the attention of Bonnie Brenner at [email protected]. Qualified minorities, females, veterans and attorneys with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
NFPA - www.paralegals.org May 5: The Paralegal’s Role in Handling Medical Evidence for Personal Injury Cases May 7: Documenting Social Security Disability: How Paralegals Can Assist Clients May 12: The Paralegal’s Guide to the Ultimate Trial Notebook May 18: Mergers & Acquisitions: What Paralegals Need to Know May 19: Insurance Defense Litigation for Paralegals: The First 90 days May 21: Working w/Medically Related Cases: A Paralegal’s Guide for PI, Med Mal & Criminal Defense May 27: Receiving & Reviewing Discovery May 28: Estate Administration Jun 9: Class Actions: Critical Paralegal Skills Jun 11: Corporate Paralegal Boot Camp Jun 24: Real Estate Closings Jun 29: Ethics: How Paralegals Can Avoid UPL Jun 30: Advanced E-Discovery Strategies Jun 30: A Paralegal’s Guide to Motion Drafting
Burlington County Bar - www.burlcobar.org May 7: Ethics, Mental Wellness and Substance Abuse May 12: Criminal Sentencing in Federal Court May 20: Special Considerations in Handling a Gov’t Employee Workers’ Comp Claim & New Case Law Blast May 27: Privilege, Work Product or None of the Above?
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING Please take notice that the Annual Meeting of South Jersey Paralegal Association will take place on Tuesday, May 19, 2015 at Tavistock Country Club, Cherry Hill, NJ. Please see insert for flyer and details. The purpose of this meeting is to elect officers of the SJPA for the 2015-2016 Fiscal Year. The officers to be elected are President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Treasurer, NFPA Primary and NFPA Secondary Representatives. Voting members are encouraged to attend this very important meeting!
INSTALLATION DINNER Please take notice that the Installation Dinner of South Jersey Paralegal Association will take place on Tuesday, June 23, 2015 at Tavistock Country Club, Cherry Hill, NJ. The newly elected officers to be sworn in are President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Treasurer, NFPA Primary and NFPA Secondary Representatives. Our very special guest will be performing the swearing in of the officers.
Page 13 Page 4
New Jersey Certified Paralegal (NJCP®) The South Jersey Paralegal Association’s Board of Directors adopted and approved the NJCP (New Jersey Certified Paralegal) Plan in October, 2010. The NJCP credential is a voluntary certification for paralegals who are members of the South Jersey Paralegal Association, and meet the qualifications set forth in the NJCP plan. Please see our website for information and forms pertaining to the program. Christi L. Valerio, NJCP is the committee chair. This is a reminder to all members who hold the NJCP credentials that you need to renew your credentials every TWO YEARS. Reminder notices are emailed to members on a continual basis. If you do not re-new your credentials and they lapse, you are not permitted to use the NJCP initials after your name until you re-apply. Please re-member to send in COPIES of your certificates along with a completed form outlining the courses and CLE hours you have taken. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact any Board member. SJPA has proudly certified the following members for the NJCP credential.
Congratulations to all of our NJCP Members!
Lisa Renee Aberman, NJCP Judith Alvelo, NJCP Denise Andriulli, NJCP Stefanie Bailey, NJCP Barbara Miller Baum, NJCP Beverly Bogdan, NJCP Noreen M. Bratton, NJCP Debra J. Brigher, NJCP Yolanda Costabile, NJCP Brian Darling, NJCP Lynne DeRemigio, NJCP
Stacey M. Devine, NJCP Kate Fitzpatrick, NJCP Maureen T. Garrett, NJCP Anthony J. Iannini, RP, NJCP Donna Kott, NJCP Betsy Lindenberg, NJCP Cheryl LoCastro, NJCP Nancy Mancuso, NJCP Susan R. Merewitz, NJCP Dawn Moskalow, NJCP Deborah A. Naglee, NJCP
Marie B. Norcross, NJCP Karen J. O’Malley, NJCP Rebecca Lynn Reedy, NJCP Sharon K. Roth, NJCP Nancy Z. Seldomridge, NJCP Linda E. Stipcevich, NJCP Pamela B. Tate, NJCP Nicole Turturro-Szelag, NJCP Christi L. Valerio, NJCP Sherry Williams, NJCP
ELECTION DINNER MEETING
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
LOCATION: Tavistock Country Club, 100 Tavistock Lane, Haddonfield, NJ 08033 (Directions can be found on the SJPA website)
TIME: 5:30 pm Registration, Dinner Meeting begins PROMPTLY at 6:00 pm
COST: Members: $30.00 Non-members: $35.00 ($5.00 additional for walk-ins)
Professor Carol Sherman, Esquire will be our guest speaker discussing
“LEGAL TECHNOLOGY FOR THE PARALEGAL”
Professor Sherman received her B.A. at Binghamton University, State University of New York, and her J.D. from Temple University, Beasley School of Law. Professor Sherman’s subject areas have included Employment Law, Elder Law, Civil Litigation, Tort Law, Workers Compensation, Contract Law, Family Law, Legal Technology, Professional Legal Responsibility, and Legal Research and Writing. Professor Sherman is a member of the Peirce College Legal Studies faculty in Philadelphia.
(CLE certificates will be available for those who hold an NJCP or RP status)
Our Sponsor for the evening is ~
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RESERVATION FORM – MAY 19, 2015 ELECTION DINNER
Please copy or detach and mail. RSVP by Wednesday, MAY 13, 2015
NAME:_________________________________________PHONE NO:____________________________
EMAIL ADDRESS______________________________________________________________________
MEMBER: $30.00 NON-MEMBER: $35.00
Is this your first time attending an SJPA event? __ Yes __ No
Registrations via PayPal on the SJPA website http://sjpaparalegals.org (under Events)
by mail with this form and your check, made payable to SJPA, to:
MAY 2015 Dinner Meeting, c/o SJPA, P.O. Box 355, Haddonfield, NJ 08033
Please note that SJPA requires five days' notice if you cannot attend this event or you forfeit your payment. There are no refunds. Also, if you have
special needs as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act or require a special entree due to dietary restrictions, please notify Karen
Kapsimalis [email protected] by MAY 13, 2015.
~ A DAY OFF ~
So, you want a day off!
Let’s take a moment to look at what you’re asking for.
There are 365 days available for work.
There are 52 weeks in a year, of which you already have 2 days off each weekend
leaving 261 days left available for work.
Since you spend 16 hours each day away from work,
that accounts for 170 days,
there are 91 days left available for work.
You spend 30 minutes each day on breaks,
that accounts for 23 days each year, leaving 68 days available for work.
You spend 1 hour a day at lunch, that accounts for another 46 days per year
leaving 20 days available for work.
You take 9 holidays per year, leaving 11 days available for work.
You take ten days vacation each year, leaving 1 day left available for work.
and—NO WAY—are you going to take that day off!
Page 12 Page 5
Board Bytes…
The Board continues to work hard to ensure that we enrich your professional career no matter whether you are an entry level or experienced paralegal. President, Becky Reedy, NJCP has been busy working with Board members on upcoming events for the remainder of the year. Becky will also be attending the NFPA Spring Region Meeting on April 11th. Vice President, Doreen Ziccardi, RP is busy getting sponsors secured for the upcoming year. Treasurer, Judy Alvelo, NJCP continues to keep our financial records updated and provides the Board with a full report at every Board meeting. In addition to preparing the budget for the upcoming year at our annual budget meeting, she also provides our members with a shortened version of our budget at the dinner meetings to our members. Programs and Meetings Chair, Karen Kapsimalis, is finalizing the arrangements for our final two dinner meetings of the year by confirming the speakers, topics, menus and various other details. Membership Chair and Newsletter Editor, Janice Kennedy, updates the membership records on a regular basis. The May issue of the newsletter will be going out by the end of April. Articles of interest to our members are always welcome. Scholarship and Recognition Committee Chair, Christine Glatz, is busy processing the scholarship applications. The winner will be awarded the scholarship at the May dinner meeting. Christine is also accepting nominations for the Recognition Awards. If you know of someone who should be recognized, please contact Christine. Job Bank Chair, Kristen Brockman, is busy contacting job agencies and tracking down job leads for posting to the Job Bank. Kristen works hard at getting the Job Bank Blast out every month to our members and keeping it updated. Becky Reedy, NJCP President
Paralegal Educational Symposium 2015
Becky Reedy, President with
Doreen Ziccardi, Vice President
Page 11 Page 6
INSTALLATION OF OFFICERS
DINNER MEETING
Tuesday, JUNE 23, 2015
LOCATION: Tavistock Country Club, 100 Tavistock Lane, Haddonfield, NJ 08033
(Directions can be found on the SJPA website)
TIME: 5:30 pm Registration, Dinner Meeting begins PROMPTLY at 6:00 pm
COST: Members: $30.00 Non-members: $35.00 ($5.00 additional for walk-ins)
Justice Lee Solomon will be our guest speaker discussing ~
“ETHICS FOR THE PARALEGAL”
Following his nomination by Gov. Chris Christie and confirmation by the Senate, Justice Solomon was sworn in as an Associate
Justice on June 19, 2014 on the New Jersey Supreme Court. Justice Solomon was first appointed to the bench in January 2006. He
served in the Camden Vicinage for two years in the family division, and then for two years in the criminal division. Justice Solomon left
the bench to lead the BPU until December 2011, when he was nominated by Gov. Christie to return to the bench in Camden. He rejoined
the Court in the Civil Division. In April 2013, Justice Solomon was named Presiding Judge of the Criminal Division, and in November
2013, he was named Assignment Judge, both by Chief Justice Stuart Rabner. Immediately prior to his appointment to the Judiciary, Jus-
tice Solomon served as deputy U.S. Attorney for the southern vicinages, District of New Jersey, a position to which he was appointed in
2002 by then U.S. Attorney Chris Christie. He also served as Camden County Prosecutor for five years and Acting Prosecutor for one
year.
(CLE certificates will be available for those who hold an NJCP or RP status)
Our Sponsor for the evening is ~
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RESERVATION FORM – JUNE 23, 2015 DINNER Please copy or detach and mail. RSVP by Wednesday, June 17, 2015
NAME:_________________________________________PHONE NO:____________________________ EMAIL ADDRESS______________________________________________________________________
MEMBER: $30.00 NON-MEMBER: $35.00 ($5.00 additional for walk-ins)
Is this your first time attending an SJPA event? __ Yes __ No
Registrations via PayPal on the SJPA website http://sjpaparalegals.org(under Events) by mail with this form and your check, made payable to SJPA, to:
JUNE 2015 Dinner Meeting, c/o SJPA, P.O. Box 355, Haddonfield, NJ 08033
Please note that SJPA requires five days' notice if you cannot attend this event or you forfeit your payment. There are no refunds. Also, if you have special needs as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act or require a special entree due to dietary restrictions, please notify Karen Kapsimalis [email protected] by June 17, 2015.
Page 7 Page 10
2015 - 2016 Executive Board Candidacy Statements
Office of President: Christi L. Valerio, NJCP Sue Merewitz, NJCP Office of Vice President: Deborah Naglee, NJCP Office of Recording Secretary: Nina Rossman Office of Treasurer: Judith Alvelo, NJCP Office of NFPA Primary Rep: Rebecca Reedy, NJCP Office of NFPA Secondary Rep: Nancy Z. Seldomridge, NJCP Doreen Ziccardi, RP, NJCP
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDACY STATEMENT OF CHRISTI L. VALERIO, NJCP
What an honor and privilege it is to be nominated for the Presidential position with the SJPA. As many of you are aware, I am a past President, and if appointed for our upcoming fiscal year this will be my third term serving as your President. I have been involved with the SJPA for several years and have had the opportunity to serve as your past
Dinner Meeting, Nominations and Elections, and NJCP chairs, and Corresponding Secretary. My goal for this term is to attain more membership in-volvement, and show more membership appreciation, all while maintaining the numerous privileges our members currently en-joy. As an organization, I feel we need to get back to the basics. SJPA was originally formed by a group of dedicated parale-gals who cared so much about their profession that they were willing to go to any lengths to help out our fellow paralegals. Some of the tasks can be time consuming, but other tasks not so much. The reward you obtain from your involvement with SJPA is priceless. We, as paralegals, need to help each other in order for our profession to continue to grow. If appointed as your President, I’m requesting assistance from all paralegals who are professional, dedicated, and willing to assist me in taking SJPA beyond our wildest expectations, as I can’t do it alone, I need YOU too!
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDACY STATEMENT OF SUE MEREWITZ, NJCP
It is with great pleasure that I accept the nomina-tion for President. I earned my Associate’s Degree in Legal Secretarial Studies from Montgomery College in Maryland; and an Associate’s Degree in Paralegal Studies from Burlington County Col-lege. I have worked in the field of personal injury
law for over 15 years, working on both plaintiff and defense cases. I have served on the Executive Board for SJPA for over ten
years, and represented SJPA throughout this time in the positions of Vice President, Recording Secretary, NFPA Primary and NFPA Secon-dary Representative. Although I was not on the Board this past year, I still attended all SJPA events and served as the Co-President of the Burlington County College Paralegal Advisory Committee. Being on the Board has allowed me to participate and serve on many different committees. I was part of SJPA’s initiation of its first version of the website and chaired that committee for two years. I have also served on the Regulation, Scholarship, and Parale-gal Educational Symposium Committees. Last year, I initiated and chaired the Recognition Committee in an effort to recognize our
talented paralegals. I am so very proud to see SJPA as it has grown throughout the years. The ability to network with the educational community is invaluable to SJPA’s efforts to promote the profession to its highest standards.
As your President, I plan to focus on many facets of SJPA, including meet and greet events at local community colleges, con-tinuing legal education seminars, increasing SJPA’s program state-wide to include the local and State Bar Associations, promoting and updating the New Jersey Certified Paralegal Program, and increasing membership. I would also like to make SJPA’s activities more trans-parent to our members, similar to NFPA’s policies, so that our mem-bers know what is going on behind the scenes at the Board meetings, preparation for events, how funds are allocated, etc. I would like to have the opportunity to make SJPA grow and be the best it can be. With amazing and talented members, I know we can all accom-plish great things together.
VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDACY STATEMENT OF DEBORAH A. NAGLEE, NJCP
First, let me express how privileged I am to be nomi-nated as Vice President. Why me?? That was the first question I asked a friend after being nominated. She went on to explain that in her opinion, I comple-mented the Presidential nominee (Christi Valerio) and we work well together. I attended SJPA dinner meetings and was dependable. After all, it is just for one year. I have
much respect for those that have come before me and all that they have accomplished. I have been a paralegal since 1999, and a voting member of SJPA since 2011. I became credentialed as a New Jersey Certified Paralegal in 2012. Currently, I am the Nominations and Elections Chair, a position that I also held for the 2013-2014 fiscal year. This past year, I was an active participant in the Paralegal Educational Symposium in addition to SJPA sponsored fundraisers. Gloucester County College welcomed me, along with two other para-legals, to speak to students at a Coffee House on a “Day in the Life” of a working paralegal. I have chaired the NJCP committee and worked with several of the other Board members on various pro-jects. I believe in teamwork and that each and every member has something to offer. I will give you my best effort if elected as your Vice President. One person cannot take on all positions; however, a handful of professional, dedicated paralegals can. I am one of those paralegals. So if I am elected, don’t be surprised one day when I’ll be asking……..why not you?
(continued on page 8)
Some of you may be aware of the NFL Draft, which begins tomorrow, April 30, 2015, and runs through Saturday, May 2, 2015. Others of you may have your televisions temporarily hijacked (as I know I will) and find yourselves involuntarily watching it…or at least pretending to. That said, I do admit it’s pretty darn cool to see people’s dreams coming true while cameras roll. I received an interesting press release the other day and wanted to share it with all of my favorite readers. It’s about the NFL Draft and one lucky paralegal from London. If you find yourself wondering what they have in common—keep reading…
(Paralegal George Bedford of Farringdon, London)
PRESS RELEASE
A LUCKY NFL fan from London will be swapping the courts for a television studio to make American Football history next weekend by announcing two picks on behalf of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2015 NFL Draft live from London. London will be the first ever city outside of the USA to play a part of the NFL Draft with Paralegal George Bedford announcing the Jaguars’ sixth and seventh round Draft picks from a London TV studio having won a competition run by the team. The NFL Draft is a major weekend in the NFL calendar when all 32 teams compete over seven rounds to select the best college players. Given the Jaguars’ commitment to play one home game a year in London over four seasons, the team wanted to honour their UK fan base further by offering one fan the chance to play a key role by making the live TV announcement from London. Bedford, who works for Leigh Day in Farringdon, will be revealing the name of the Jaguars’ sixth and seventh-round draft picks to millions of viewers as part of a live broadcast via Sky Sports News in the UK and NFL Network in the US on the evening of Saturday 2nd May.
He said: “I was astonished to hear I had been picked – I would say I was speechless but due to the excitement I was actually talking a lot!” “Ever since the Jaguars committed to playing in London I became interested in them and I’ve just become more of a fan as they’ve continued to come back and do more in London. It’s great that they’re continuing to involve their UK fans – I’m just the really lucky one.” “I played for my university team, the Lancaster Bombers, and I haven’t given up my dream of being drafted myself one day! Being realistic, this might be the closest I ever get to the draft and I’m delighted to play a key role in such a major NFL event.”… The Jaguars are the only NFL team to make a yearly commitment to London, playing one home game each year in the capital since 2013. For 2015, the Jaguars will head to Wembley Stadium, for their third visit in as many years, to face the Buffalo Bills on Sunday 25th October. A limited number of tickets are available via www.nfluk.com. For more information about the Jacksonville Jaguars visit www.jaguars.com/UK and Twitter or Facebook /JaguarsUK #BeJaguars
Jamie Collins is the founder of The Paralegal Society™, a blog for,
of, and about paralegals. Be sure to visit her blog site for articles
of humor, guidance, tips and much more. Whether you’re a
student, new paralegal, looking for a position, or been out there
in the paralegal field for years, you’ll find fantastic content and
great reading!
See her blog site at: http://theparalegalsociety.wordpress.com
What do the NFL Draft and a Paralegal have in common?
By: Jaime Collins
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RECORDING SECRETARY CANDIDACY STATEMENT OF NINA ROSSMAN
With my strong attention to detail and editing, I feel I will properly serve the position of Recording Secretary for SJPA. I am thrilled to offer my skills to the Board and organization, as I am cur-rently a full-time Paralegal and Office Manager for Lependorf & Silverstein, P.C., and am eager to apply my skills where needed. I promise to uphold the responsibilities of this position, including, but not limited to, appearing for all monthly meetings, providing completed minutes within the required amount of time, and completing any other task as deemed my responsibility. Thank you and I look forward to serving in this position.
TREASURER CANDIDACY STATEMENT OF JUDITH ALVELO, NJCP
I am honored to accept the nomination for Treas-urer. I have been on the Executive Board for the last four years. I won the SJPA Board Member of the Year award in 2013 and I have been serving as Treasurer since 2012. I have also held the position of Programs Chair for two years; have assisted with college visits; and have been a speaker at our Paralegal Education
Symposium. I am also a New Jersey Certified Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Advocate for Center for Family Services of New Jersey, as well as a member of the Lamba Epsilon Chi Honor Society of Peirce College. I am currently also a member of the Burlington County Col-lege Paralegal Advisory Board. I am passionate about the paralegal profession and look forward to working as an executive board mem-ber of SJPA to help the organization strive to make an impact in our legal community.
NFPA PRIMARY CANDIDACY STATEMENT OF REBECCA REEDY, NJCP
I am honored to be nominated for a second term as the Primary Representative for NFPA. This past year, I have focused on increasing communication between NFPA and our members. I feel that our members need to be kept abreast of regulation, certification, case law, etc., from other associa-tions all over the United States. Paralegals need to be “in the know” and NFPA is an awesome re-
source for this. Last year, I was appointed as the Inside Report Coordi-nator for NFPA and also served on the Nominations Committee. As your Primary Representative, I will continue to network with other associations to get ideas on interesting topics for CLE’s, increasing membership and ways to keep our members involved. This year, I also plan to increase promotion of the Paralegal Core Competency Exam (PCCE) as well as the Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam (PACE). NFPA is an extremely motivating association and I hope to pass along my enthusiasm in the upcoming year. I look forward to serving as your Primary NFPA representative.
NFPA SECONDARY CANDIDACY STATEMENT OF DOREEN ZICCARDI, RP
I am honored to be nominated for NFPA Secondary. As you already may know I have been a member of SJPA since 2005 as a
student and now a voting member and I continue to look forward to growing with SJPA. I am currently on the Advisory Board for the Para-legal Program at Peirce College. I also passed the PACE exam in 2013 and recently recertified in early of 2015. I am a dedicated individual who is enthusiastic about promoting the paralegal profession. I look forward to working with the other Board members as well as the SJPA members in the coming year.
NFPA SECONDARY CANDIDACY STATEMENT OF NANCY Z. SELDOMRIDGE, NJCP
I am very excited to accept the nomination for the NFPA Secondary position. I have been a member of SJPA at least six years, having been given my five-year pin in 2014. I have been in the paralegal profession for a very long time with a concentration on condominium, com-munity & homeowner association law, general
litigation and tax sale certificate foreclosures. I have an Associates Degree from Burlington County College in Paralegal Technology. While attending BCC, I was the student liaison to the Paralegal Cur-riculum Advisory Board and was named paralegal student of the year in my final year. I look forward to beginning my service with SJPA and help-ing to support the Primary Representative in bringing information regarding other paralegal associations.
OFFICER NOMINATION FORM
I, ______________________________, a voting member in good standing of the South Jersey Paralegal Association, hereby nominate the following individuals to serve on the 2015-2016 Board of Directors: President:
Vice President:
Treasurer:
Recording Secretary:
Primary Representative to NFPA:
Secondary Representative to NFPA:
IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ALL VOTING MEMBERS!! Elections for the officers of SJPA will be held at the next monthly meeting on Tuesday, May 19, 2015. If you are a voting member and are un-able to attend the meeting, you are requested and encouraged to complete the proxy form below. Please return your form to SJPA, P.O. Box 355, Haddonfield, NJ 08033, Attn: Deborah Naglee, no later than 4:00 p.m. on May 14, 2015, OR deliver to the person you appoint to cast your vote or give it to any SJPA board member at any time prior to the election. Your proxy must be present to cast this vote for you. Absolutely no exceptions! The proposed slate of officers is listed on page 4. You may vote for the proposed officers, or nominate any voting member for any office by inserting that voting members name in the corresponding blank. Thank you.
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PROXY I, _____________________________, a voting member in good standing of the South Jersey Paralegal Association (SJPA), hereby appoint **_________________________________ to cast my vote for the election of offi-cers of SJPA as follows: PRESIDENT : ________________________________________________________________________ VICE PRESIDENT: ___________________________________________________________________ RECORDING SECRETARY: ___________________________________________________________ TREASURER: _______________________________________________________________________ NFPA PRIMARY REP: ________________________________________________________________ NPFA SECONDARY REP: _____________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________ Signature of Voting Member **Please be advised that your Proxy must be present in order to cast this vote for you! No Exceptions!
