By Leslie Pegram

I’ve sat down a few times to write this particular blog. My goal is to encourage fellow Paralegal Division members to submit a nomination to become a council member. However, every time I’ve started to write this blog post, the first two sentences have always sounded like a business pitch and felt very impersonal. To me, being a part of the council is very personal. We represent a diverse group of paralegals across North Carolina from as far west as Franklin to as far east as New Bern and Wilmington. We work in small firms, large firms, government and in-house positions. Serving as a council members provides you with opportunities to grow professionally, meet new friends, and experience the value of networking. I’m very proud to be chair, and I hope sharing my experience will encourage others to apply.

The Paralegal Division is accepting nominations for new division council members through Feb. 28.  Click here to find the nomination form.

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By Mollie Schwam

One of the benefits of NCBA membership is access to BarCARES, a confidential, free service that provides referrals for counseling services. Members of local bars that subscribe to the program are also eligible. BarCARES offers participants up to three, no-cost sessions with counselors per year. If a participant wishes to have more counseling beyond that, a client can generally continue working with the same counselor using insurance benefits or other resources.

Studies have consistently shown that over the years that legal professionals have a high risk of substance abuse, depression, and suicide. BarCARES offers help with:

• Personal issues including crisis intervention, depression and/or anxiety, substance abuse and financial concerns
• Family issues including marriages and/or relationships, children and/or adolescents and parenting and/or family conflicts
• Work issues, including professional stressors, case-related stress and conflict resolution
• Stress and time management for students
• Domestic violence

You can find BarCARES online at www.ncbar.org/members/barcares/. Or call with questions about BarCARES or access your free counseling sessions by calling the confidential assistance line, 800-640-0735, during normal business hours. You will either speak to the program coordinator or have the option to leave a confidential voicemail. After your initial phone call, the BarCARES Program Coordinator will arrange an initial session between you and a BarCARES provider.

Remember: The BarCARES program is completely confidential.

By Leslie Pegram

Hello, 2019!  If 2018 was a great one for you, congratulations. If it was not so great, you survived. Congratulations to you, too.  (We’ve all been there.) I look forward to the beginning of a new year. It’s an opportunity to reflect on the prior year and set a positive path for the new year. I think it’s important to set goals – personally and professionally.  I’m sure we all share similar goals for improved health and well-being. As important as it is to nurture and achieve your personal goals, don’t forget about your professional goals. I’ll share a few of mine for 2019: 1) Continue to work hard as Paralegal Division Chair 2) Finish up the Hurricane Florence professional clothing donation efforts 3) further develop my leadership skills and 4) (finally) test for a national paralegal certification. Needless to say, it will be another busy year.

If one of your goals is to become more involved in the Paralegal Division and the NCBA, below please find a variety of opportunities to serve our fellow citizens of North Carolina:

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By Alicia Mitchell-Mercer

Few of us work in an area of law where calls to our offices are initiated by clients because something wonderful happened. For most legal professionals, that initial phone call from a potential client is literally an act of desperation. Their lives are currently in a state of chaos and they need someone to fix it. They need someone to understand why they are so angry or depressed. They need to feel heard and validated. Most legal clients are going through one of the most devastating and difficult periods of their lives. Perhaps there has been a failed marriage, they’ve been charged with a crime, a loved one has died, they have been injured, they are in the middle of litigation that could ruin them financially, they have been assaulted, or any number of other traumatic life events.

Have you ever felt like your firm seems to attract the most unhinged people that humanity has to offer? I know I have felt that way at times. As a legal professional it’s very easy to become jaded or desensitized to a client’s needs and concerns after years of dealing with their adversities. Sometimes they are unreasonable regarding their expectations. Sometimes they are just emotionally fragile. This does not mean that there is anything innately wrong with our clients – at least no more than the next human being. It just means that when we go through extremely stressful events, like a failed marriage, it can be difficult to process all of those emotions and make logical well-thought-out decisions.

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