A Brand New Year: Looking Back at 2022 While Stepping Into 2023
By Welcome, Paralegal Division members, to the new year! As we transition into a brand new calendar year, I would like to take a moment to thank you for being a part of our division and engaging with us. Our council and committee chairs have worked hard to bring quality endeavors to you thus far, and as we continue into 2023, we would like to continue to do so.
With that being said, I would like to take a moment to reflect on what our division has already managed to accomplish this bar year:
- Our Membership Committee had planned and held several in-person events that were spectacular! We had the Fiddlin’ Fish Brewery event in July, the Nature Day at Falls Lake and the trip to Boxcar in October, and our Paralegal Appreciation Day in November. Paralegals from across the state met and networked through each event.
- Our various Committees came together to begin holding some Paralegal Division Power Hours, including topics such as becoming a guardian ad litem (GAL) and the ethical issues encountered by freelance paralegals.
- Our Communications Committee has been bringing new content to our blog, including articles such as the Through Our Eyes series and Paralegal Spotlights to showcase our amazing members.
- The Ethics Committee has been hard at work to engage our division with critical examinations of the current state of ethics for paralegals, as well as providing content through the Power Hour series and blog posts to the division.
- Our Survey Committee has been circulating surveys (which have gotten a great response) to our division and allowed us better insight into what our members are expecting most from our division.
I also want to share some of the exciting events that our division has planned for the remainder of the bar year:
- Our Membership Committee is in the process of planning several fun events, including virtual bingo, axe throwing, a trip to the NASCAR museum, and more!
- We have two Paralegal Division Power Hours coming up in January and February, sponsored by the Utilization and Ethics Committee (respectively). We are also looking into holding a Power Hour to discuss career enhancement opportunities.
- Our CPE Committee is in the process of finalizing the 2023 Annual Meeting and CPEs. We have a great lineup of speakers and topics. We have joined together with the Diversity and Inclusion Committee for the reception on Thursday night, as well as a Sunrise Yoga planned for Friday morning.
Our Council and Committee Chairs will continue to work hard to bring quality engagement to all our division members. As always, if you have any comments or suggestions, we encourage you to email [email protected] to share your feedback.
Yazmeen O. Gadalla, NCCP is the 2022-2023 Chair of the Paralegal Division.
***
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.