By Sarah L. White As the 2025-2026 bar year comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on our theme: Elevating Excellence Through Education, Empowerment, and Service. This theme was more than just a slogan; it was a guiding principle for the work of the NCBA Paralegal Division throughout the year. Excellence is not something […]
By Lakisha Chichester From Airborne to Litigation: How Cody Worrells Learned to Love the Work Cody Worrells did not grow up dreaming of becoming a paralegal, nor did he enter the profession with a carefully mapped-out vision. One year after starting college, Cody realized school “was not for me” and decided to join the Army […]
By Peggy Pardue As a Family Law Paralegal, assisting clients with their Equitable Distribution (dividing the marital assets and debts) case can be very rewarding because you get to help clients build their case, and, oftentimes, clients learn new ways to help themselves. However, it can also be challenging and emotional for the client, and […]
By Bernice Kendall Losing a loved one is never easy, and dealing with legal paperwork in the midst of grief can feel especially overwhelming. If you’ve been asked to help manage an estate, you might be wondering, “Where do I even begin?” Take a breath. You’re not alone, and with the right guidance, this process […]
By Donna T. Richardson How Experienced Paralegals Can Streamline Procedures to Enhance Their Strategic Value In today’s legal environment, complexity is the norm. Whether managing multi-party litigation, coordinating real estate closings, or tracking corporate compliance deadlines, experienced paralegals increasingly serve as the backbone of legal execution. Their expertise drives effective legal operations. Without structured systems […]
By Zachary Westmoreland I. Introduction Access to legal services remains one of the most persistent challenges facing the American legal system. Across the country, courts, regulators and policymakers are examining new ways to deliver legal services to individuals who cannot afford traditional representation. One of the increasingly discussed approaches involves allowing trained paraprofessionals and paralegals […]
By Lakisha Chichester Lajon E. Frederick (“LJ”) is a North Carolina Certified Paralegal at Fresh Start Family Law. LJ has an undeniable passion for family law and client support. When LJ reflects on her decades-long paralegal career, she does not describe it in terms of titles or positions. Instead, she talks about the families she […]
By Kelly Lynch As legal practice continues its steady shift toward digital platforms, notarization is evolving alongside it. In North Carolina, electronic and remote notarization are now established components of legal operations under Chapter 10B of the North Carolina General Statutes.[1] For paralegals, this development raises an important professional question: Is becoming an electronic notary […]
By Martin A. Ginsburg A Guide to Thriving Personally and Professionally Let’s be honest: if work-life balance truly came down to boundaries, we’d all leave the office at 5 p.m., shut down a work computer that never left the desk and enjoy uninterrupted dinners without the ping of a client email or a late-night text […]
By Lakisha Chichester Zachary Westmoreland is a North Carolina State Bar Certified Paralegal working in the Real Estate Finance Practice Group at Winstead PC, a Dallas-based law firm with national practices serving clients across the country. Zachary works at the Charlotte office, where he supports a team that primarily serves as lenders’ counsel on transactions […]