By the Utilization Committee

Happy New Year from the NCBA Paralegal Division’s Utilization Committee!

One mission of the Utilization Committee is to keep the Paralegal Division informed concerning potential regulatory reform in North Carolina and other jurisdictions that might impact the paralegal profession.

As you may be aware, the North Carolina State Bar Subcommittee Studying Regulatory Change has been exploring various types of regulatory reform that might positively impact access to justice in North Carolina.

The Subcommittee has completed its work, and Mark Henriques, the Subcommittee Chair, has completed a report, Issues Subcommittee on Regulatory Change: Report and Recommendations (January 2022). The report includes recommendations to the Issues Committee and the State Bar Council concerning regulatory reform (e.g., limited licensing, regulatory sandbox, and more).

Mark Henriques will present the report to the Issues Committee at its meeting on January 19, 2022, from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., and to the State Bar Council at its meeting on January 21, 2022, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.. While the Issues Committee and Council will likely be discussing many topics during their meetings, you are welcome to watch the meetings by visiting the North Carolina State Bar YouTube Channel and subscribing to receive a reminder.

After these meetings, we hope to understand better how the State Bar Council will manage the Subcommittee’s recommendations.

In the interim, click here to read the full report by viewing the 1/7/2022 update entry on the North Carolina Justice for All Project website.

S.M. Kernodle-Hodges, Utilization Committee Co-Chair

Alicia Mitchell-Mercer, Utilization Committee Co-Chair

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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 Yazmeen O. Gadalla

Hello, fellow division members, and happy holidays!

As we come to the end of December, we have made it through another year together, adjusting to the challenges the world has presented us.

I wish you all the best as we continue through our journeys!

With these challenges, the holidays can be a stressful time.

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By Shawana Almendarez

NCBA Paralegal Division Special Nomination Committee

The Notification

On June 23, 2021, the North Carolina State Bar Board of Paralegal Certification (hereinafter “Board”) notified the Paralegal Division (hereinafter “division”) of a call for nominations pursuant to 27 N.C.A.C. Chapter 1G – Section .0105 to fill an upcoming vacancy on the Board.

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By Rachel Royal 

In August 2021, the North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center (NCPBRC) will partner with the Mecklenburg County Clerk of Superior Court’s Office and SelfServe Center, as well as the Charlotte DA’s and PD’s Offices, to offer advice regarding applicants’ eligibility for expunction relief under North Carolina law. Applicants will meet with a volunteer attorney to learn whether they are eligible or ineligible for relief.

This will be the fourth clinic of its kind. The previous three were held in October 2019, June 2020, and February 2021. For the first time, the project contemplates recruiting paralegal volunteers to review records and prepare petitions in advance of the clinic. Each petition should take about 15 minutes to prepare, and approximately 60 clients are expected to be eligible for relief. Virtual training will be provided by NCPBRC and partner staff.

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Alicia Mitchell-Mercer has been selected to receive the 2021 Distinguished Paralegal Award. The award will be presented at the 2021 NCBA Annual Meeting, which will take place virtually on Thursday and Friday, June 17-18. Mitchell-Mercer will be honored during the Awards & Recognitions Presentation on Thursday, June 17, at 5 p.m.

Mitchell-Mercer received a B.S. in Paralegal Studies from Charter Oak State College and an M.S. in Project Management from Missouri State University. She has earned paralegal certifications from NALA (ACP), NFPA (RP), the South Carolina Bar (SCCP), and the North Carolina State Bar (NCCP).

She holds advanced paralegal certifications in trial practice, contracts administration, e-discovery, and business organizations: incorporated entities from NALA. She is certified by the International Institute of Legal Project Management (IILPM) as a Legal Project Practitioner and by the Scrum Alliance as a Certified ScrumMaster.

Mitchell-Mercer works in Charlotte as a legal project manager and paralegal at Brown & Associates, PLLC and as a legal project manager consultant at Lex Project Management Consulting Group using traditional and Agile methodologies. She is a securities arbitrator with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

Mitchell-Mercer is very involved in the legal community. She focuses her efforts on causes that advance the proper utilization of paralegals, access to justice, and that support the well-being of children.

She serves as the Communications Chair for the NCBA Paralegal Division, a role she has held for three years. She is the Chair of the division’s Technology Committee and the Publications Committee. She previously served as a member of the Paralegal Division Council (2015) and a participant in the Internet and Regulations Task Force (2016).

Mitchell-Mercer is currently serving on NALA’s Continuing Education Council which is charged with planning conference education sessions; developing, coordinating, and facilitating continuing education programs and certification review courses; and producing Facts & Findings magazine.

She is a Guardian ad Litem for abused and neglected children in the 26th Judicial District and was recently appointed to the North Carolina State Bar’s Subcommittee Studying Regulatory Change.

Mitchell-Mercer teaches CLEs and contributes to legal publications on the topic of legal project management and lives in Charlotte with her husband and son. She enjoys reading, traveling abroad, and time spent by the ocean. She also volunteers with Autism Speaks, Compassion International, and Central Church of God in Charlotte.

Previous recipients of the Distinguished Service Award were (2008) Teresa L. Bowling, (2010) Virginia M. Burrows, (2011) Phyllis M. Hines, (2012) Stephanie C. Crosby, (2013) Kaye H. Summers, (2014) Sarah Hall Kaufman, (2015) Yolanda N. Smith, (2016) Wanda Pitts Nicholson, (2017) Alicia Lewis of Raleigh, (2018) Sarah L. White and (2019) Lakisha Chichester.