By the Scholarship Committee

The Scholarship Committee would like to thank those who took the time to submit applications for the 2024-2025 Premier Pass Giveaway. We had a total of 90 applications submitted!

What is the Premier Pass?

The Premier Pass is valued at $350 and is an exclusive NCBA member benefit providing you unlimited CLE/CPE, including access to hundreds of On-Demand programs throughout the bar year (July 1 to June 30). Access more information on the Premier Pass here. Premier Pass is credited as “one of the best investments, not only for your business, but for your practice and being able to serve your clients the best way possible.”

With all that being said, can I have a drumroll, please . . . the winners of the two 2024-2025 Premier Pass Giveaways are Meredith Sawyer of James, McElroy & Diehl, P.A., and Jennifer Vaden Poe of Gordon Law Offices!

Thank you again to all who applied – please try again next year! Could there be an easier way to get free CLEs for a year?

By the Communications Committee

On June 21, 2024, Margaret “Peggy” Pardue was recognized as the 2024 Distinguished Paralegal Award recipient by the North Carolina Bar Association (“NCBA”).

Pardue was nominated by Kristin Hampson, her attorney for whom she has spent the past 21 years supporting at Hampson Family Law in Raleigh. Hampson was proud to nominate Pardue for a well-deserved award.

Recently seen on Hampson Family Law’s Facebook post was the following description of Pardue’s role:

“An ear to listen . . .

A heart to help . . .

An eFile phenom . . .

An organizing beast . . .

A schedule master . . .

A document demander (but in the nicest way) . . .

A client wrangler . . .

An all-around irreplaceable and amazing paralegal . . .

Most definitely a DISTINGUISHED PARALEGAL!”

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By Kimberly M. Johnson

Is there a reason why you have not registered and viewed the latest Power Hour?

Is it the time?

It always starts at noon.

Is it the topic?

The Power Hour sessions look into an interesting array of topics. In our most recent Power Hour, Judge Dietz shared his knowledge about appellate work. Previously, Attorney Kayla Britt, our  #FairyLawMother, talked to us about LinkedIn etiquette. There have also been other Power Hour sessions about inclusion in the workplace and skills to become a better negotiator. If you have ideas for speakers or power hour sessions, you can email the NCBA Paralegal Division to submit your suggestions.

Is it the location?

All Power Hour sessions are available in a virtual space with other paralegals and students.

Is it all the things?

I know. I know. You are pulled in many directions at work: managing attorneys, legal assistants, admin staff, the copier guy, etc.; organizing workflow processes and court schedules; calming down frantic clients; and more.

It can also be that you do not have the bandwidth, or quite frankly, the energy to learn a new concept, refresh your knowledge base or engage with people you don’t even know. Each session gives you the opportunity to improve your work and become an even bigger asset to your firm.

An “In Case You Missed It” video replay is a great way to see our most recent sessions and catch your interest. You can check one out, such as the #FairyLawMother and The Art of Negotiation.

Here’s the deal: you are a paralegal of the 2000s. When you attend Power Hour sessions, you will get the opportunity to catch up with the latest trends, tools, and ethics content. You get the chance to interact with speakers and other paralegals. And you get to learn and implement new skills to better your paralegal work.

So, when the next Power Hour e-flyer is sitting in your inbox, ask yourself: who needs it?

The answer: you do.

Kimberly M. Johnson is a member of the Paralegal Division Council. She is the Chair of the Ethics Committee. She is a member of the Pro Bono and CPE Committees, along with Women in the Profession and the Elder Rights and Special Needs Committees.

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The Paralegal Division Blog is managed by the Division’s Communications Committee. Via the blog, the Communications Committee provides information written by attorneys, paralegals, and other experts designed specifically for paralegals in the areas of substantive law, ethics, technology, paralegal practice advice, and more. If you are interested in signing up to submit a blog post on a future date, you can do so here. When you are ready to submit a blog post, you can do so by using this form.

You may also wish to participate in the Division by using our virtual suggestion box to submit suggestions/ideas to the Division Council, nominating a paralegal for Paralegal Spotlight, or completing the Paralegal Spotlight Questionnaire if you are nominating yourself. If you are interested in volunteering with the Communications Committee, please contact the Communications Committee Chair at [email protected]. If you are interested in joining other division committees, you can review a list of committees and sign up here.

By the Communications Committee with an introduction by Peggy Pardue

Tamesa Richmond has been a North Carolina Certified Paralegal for six years but has been in the legal field for 23 years. She works remotely as a corporate paralegal for Medterra CBD, LLC, which is based out of Irvine, California.

Tamesa graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.S. in administration of criminal justice in 1992, and in 2016, she received her paralegal certification from Guilford College. Tamesa became a North Carolina Certified Paralegal in early 2017.

Tamesa started her career as an analyst in the bankruptcy unit at Bank of America. Before leaving this position, she was one of the first trainers for their bankruptcy unit. As a matter of fact, she wrote their training manual for their bankruptcy policies and procedures. Tamesa left the position to pursue a role with a bankruptcy and trustee attorney in Winston-Salem.

We took the time to connect with Tamesa and to ask her some questions about her journey to the paralegal field. Read our conversation with Tamesa below.

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By Rachel Royal

On September 23, 2023, the Charlotte Expunction Clinic will again be held at the Mecklenburg County Courthouse. This project is a partnership of the following organizations: the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy (the “Advocacy Center”), the SelfServe Center, and the Mecklenburg County Clerk of Superior Court’s Office, District Attorney’s Office, and Public Defender’s Office. During the clinics, volunteer public defenders will offer advice to applicants regarding their eligibility for expunction relief under North Carolina law.

The project has held six (6) prior clinics since 2019. The previous partnership with the North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center has now been replaced by the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy, and this will be their first time coordinating this clinic. Since August 2021, paralegals have been utilized by this project to review criminal records and attorney analysis forms in order to prepare petitions for attorney review.

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