Almendarez Nominated for the North Carolina State Bar Board of Paralegal Certification Vacancy

By the Paralegal Division Council

The Paralegal Division nominates Shawana W. Almendarez, NCCP, for consideration for the North Carolina State Bar Board of Paralegal Certification vacancy. Shawana is committed to the paralegal profession, the legal community, and the general public. Shawana has been a paralegal for 23 years. She has held her North Carolina State Bar Paralegal Certification for 18 years and North Carolina Notary Public Commission for 23 years.

She continues to promote the utilization of paralegals and continued legal education of paralegals through her service to the NCBA Paralegal Division, its Communities, and advocacy work. She serves as a proctor for the North Carolina State Bar’s Paralegal Certification exam when needed. She served the North Carolina Bar Association as the Paralegal Division liaison for the Legal Regulatory Reform Task Force in 2016.

Shawana has served the Paralegal Division as Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and Pro Bono Committee member. She continues to serve in the division as co-chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee. She is an example of someone whose mission is to leave her community better than she finds it. Outside of the office, she enjoys spending time with her four sons at their high school and college football games, reading, attending continued education courses, volunteering for various community service projects, and being in nature.

She continues to serve as a child custody advocate for the Council for Children’s Rights, volunteers in a variety of pro bono statewide projects and North Carolina Bar Foundation community service projects, and advocates for equal access to justice as a charter member for the North Carolina Justice For All Project.

Shawana is a North Carolina native. She earned an associate degree in paralegal studies from King’s College in Charlotte in 2000. She obtained a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Legal Studies from Strayer University in 2013.

Shawana is the Employment and Compliance Paralegal for Sealed Air Corporation. She manages employment litigation cases, integrity complaints, employee compliance training, and third party vendor compliance.

Shawana has a demonstrated history of working in state and local government administration. She worked as the litigation paralegal for The City Attorney’s Office in Charlotte. She dutifully served the Mecklenburg County community as a Family Court Case Coordinator and an Absolute Divorce Clinic facilitator for the 26th Judicial District’s Self-Serve Center.

The Paralegal Division Council is thrilled for her and knows her expertise and skills will be invaluable to the Certification Board.