president’s message july 2020.pdf · 2020. 7. 16. · ariane walton, laura kliman, brittney...
TRANSCRIPT
Hello Everyone! In case we haven’t met, my name is Amber Haney and I am excited to serve as CAPA’s
President for the 2020-2021 term. I’m the Senior Paralegal at The Haney Law Firm, where I work alongside
my mother, sister, and fellow CAPA member Celeste Rodriguez. During my time in CAPA, I’ve been the Pro
Bono Committee Co-Chair, Mentor/Internship Co-Chair and the official jokester/heckler at the monthly
meetings. I’m also a new mother to a 5-month-old precious baby Olivia. (So, in essence, my term comes
with a mascot.)
When I ran for president-elect last May, I never could have imagined that my presidency would start in the middle of a global
pandemic. During these chaotic times, I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy. As our world continues evolving I want to
assure you that CAPA leadership is working hard to provide you with support and opportunities as much as possible.
Given the rapidly changing times, the theme of my presidential term will be resiliency. Paralegals are uniquely qualified to
deal with the unexpected, which will be essential as we continue to support our clients and attorneys. One of the most
essential paralegal skills is the ability to quickly find solutions to problems, and that skill will help us thrive in this new, and
hopefully temporary, world.
For example, we are coordinating online CLE course offerings for membership, the Pro Bono Committee regularly meets via
Zoom, and we are updating the job bank as new opportunities come in. We hope that in the coming months our monthly
meetings will resume at Chez Zee and the other yearly events everyone enjoys will still take place.
For the time being, it will be important for us to remain open to new ideas and ways of serving the paralegal community. The
Pro Bono and Community Service Committee is keeping an eye out for opportunities that members can participate in
remotely, and other committees continue to work on projects. If you have an idea for connecting in the social distancing
world, please let me or one of the other officers know and we will do our best to bring the idea to fruition.
I’m thankful for the wonderful group of ladies who have agreed to serve on my Board and go through this journey with me:
Ariane Walton, Laura Kliman, Brittney Melancon, Jennifer Rogers and Brittany Posadas. Several CAPA members have stepped
up to be first time Committee Chairs and several experienced chairs are taking on new committees. I’m proud of our
membership for volunteering and answering the call for committee help. I encourage all of our members to participate in
some way during these social distanced times, even if that means attending a virtual
board or committee meeting. Brittany is going to be a tough act to follow as she did a
phenomenal job as President last term, and we are lucky enough to have her playing an
active role again in the leadership this term.
Please give your new board members and committee chairs a little patience and
understanding while we settle into our new roles with different assignments. If nothing else,
this term will be full of tips and information to help us navigate a more remote and virtual
existence. I’m always available to everyone with thoughts, concerns, and questions at
Signing off for now,
Amber Haney
CAPA President, 2020-2021
IN THIS ISSUE
Board Spotlight:
Brittney Melancon,
Parliamentarian
July Event Calendar
Volunteer of the Year Award &
President’s Award
Pro Bono Article: Pro Bono vs
Community Service By Erma
Herrera
Happy Retirement, Birdie White!
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
PRESIDENT Amber Haney
PRESIDENT-ELECT Ariane Walton
SECRETARY
Laura Kliman [email protected]
TREASURER Jennifer B. Rogers, CP [email protected]
PARLIAMENTARIAN Brittney Melancon, CP
IMMEDIATE-PAST PRESIDENT
Brittany Posadas, TBLS-BCP [email protected]
CLE SEMINARS-LUNCH & LEARN
Alice Lineberry, PLS, CP [email protected]
CP STUDY GROUP Jennifer Lovejoy, CP
TBLS STUDY GROUP Carli Collins, TBLS-BCP,
Brittany Posadas, MBA, TBLS-BCP, &
Francesca Romans, ACP, TBLS-BCP [email protected]
COMMUNITY SERVICES
Ana Badillo & Jessica Loyola [email protected]
ELECTIONS
Carli Collins, TBLS-BCP [email protected]
JOB BANK
Amanda Garcia & Laura Kliman [email protected]
MEMBERSHIP
Francesca Romans, ACP, TBLS-BCP & Sherry Stowers
MENTOR & INTERNSHIP
Amber Haney [email protected]
NETWORKING & SOCIAL EVENTS
Jennifer Chambless & Brittany Melancon [email protected]
PRO BONO SERVICE
Ana Badillo, Amber Haney,
& Jennifer Quinlan [email protected]
PROGRAMS-SPEAKERS Lindsey Bentley, MA & Ariane Walton
PROGRAMS-RSVP & DOOR PRIZES Brenda Colvin, TBLS-BCP & Alice Duerr
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Francesca Romans, ACP, TBLS-BCP [email protected]
PUBLICATIONS
Carli Collins, TBLS-BCP [email protected]
RULES & BYLAWS
Pamela M. Etie, ACP,
Francesca Romans, ACP, TBLS-BCP, &
Stephanie Sterling, TBLS-BCP [email protected]
SCHOLARSHIP Lindsey Bentley, MA
SCHOOL & STUDENT LIAISON
Brittany Posadas, MBA, TBLS-BCP [email protected]
SUSTAINING MEMBER LIAISON
Francesca Romans, ACP, TBLS-BCP [email protected]
WEB TEAM
Carli Collins, TBLS-BCP, Pamela M. Etie, ACP, &
Jennifer B. Rogers, CP [email protected]
2020-2021 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Brittney has been a CAPA member since she relocated to
Austin, TX in 2018. She earned her Associate’s degree of
Applied Science in Paralegal Studies from Baton Rouge
Community College in 2016. Last year, she became a Certified
Paralegal (CP) through the National Association of Legal
Assistants, Inc. ("NALA") and this year she earned her credential
as an Advance Certified Paralegal (ACP) in land use. In addition to earning
her NALA credentials, she has also recently completed the Environmental Law
Specialist program at the University of Texas. Brittney currently works as an
environmental paralegal for the Texas Rural Water Association. She will serve
as the Chair of the Events & Social Networking Committee and as the
Parliamentarian/Historian for this year’s term. When she’s not working or
volunteering, Brittney enjoys attending concerts and comedy shows. She also
enjoys cooking and spending evenings with friends to play board games.
BOARD SPOTLIGHT BRITTNEY MELANCON, CP—PARLIAMENTARIAN
The Board is excited to announce that they have chosen Francesca Romans, ACP, TBLS-BCP for
the 2019-2020 Volunteer of the Year Award.
Francesca currently serves as a chair for a whopping 5 committees – the most of any CAPA
volunteer this term. If the number of committees wasn’t enough, the committees she chairs are
very involved, specifically Membership and Sustaining Member Liaison as the two largest.
Francesca also primarily handled the review and amendments of the bylaws and governing
documents to provide guidance on the process for increasing membership dues, membership-
related issues, and how to continue govern this organization in accordance with our bylaws in
the middle of a pandemic that shook our usual processes. For Membership and Sustaining
Member Liaison, she agreed to take on those committees with the understanding she would
have a co-chair to assist her, and for the past 6 months or so through unforeseen circumstances, she has been running those
committees alone, and hasn’t failed yet. I think it goes without saying that I, as President, have needed a lot of support from
past-presidents this term, and Francesca has been an almost daily source as a sounding board and guidance on how to
move forward. While I didn’t always put her advice into practice, I valued hearing her opinion.
Like lots of us during these unprecedented times during the pandemic, Francesca has had to juggle and balance situations in
her personal and professional life that would have caused the average person to bail out of “nonessential” activities on their
plate, yet she’s powered through and never let us slip up where it mattered.
While lots of our volunteers have stepped up in ways I can’t even express full gratitude for, I can’t think of another person who
has excelled to this level of commitment. Without reservations, we are so proud to present Francesca Romans with the
Volunteer of the Year award.
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD FRANCESCA ROMANS, ACP, TBLS-BCP
Each year, the President selects a member of CAPA who has provided
support to the organization and is worthy of recognition of their peers, and this
term, I have selected Ariane Walton.
This term, Ariane stepped into a new leadership position for the first time as
2019-2020 Secretary for the Board of Directors. In addition to excelling in her
position, Ariane was always available and willing to step into roles that weren’t
listed in her description as secretary to lend a helping hand.
Throughout the term, I joked with Ariane that I was so impressed with her
leadership skills that the title “President” would be in her future – sooner rather than later. While that
wasn’t on Ariane’s radar for the immediate future, Ariane stepped up to the plate and agreed to be
nominated for the President-Elect position for the 2020-2021 with her presidency taking place in 2021-
2022. And she has jumped in headfirst with such a positive attitude!
Stepping outside of your comfort zone is hard and Ariane has walked into leadership effortless and
seamlessly. Taking on a 3-year commitment in a presidential role (president-elect, president, and then
immediate past-president) takes guts and for that, I proudly present Ariane Walton with the President’s
Award for the 2019-2020. Thank you, Ariane, for stepping out of your comfort zone and leading this
organization towards greatness!
PRESIDENT’S AWARD ARIANE WALTON
July 11 July Incoming/Outgoing
Board Meeting
July 29 July CLE - Criminal &
Immigration Law Webinar:
Working with Clients in
Difficult or Stressful Cases
UPCOMING EVENTS
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July Board Meeting
JULY BIRTHDAYS
July CLE: Criminal & Immigration Law Webinar
ANNOUNCEMENTS & NEWS
The CAPA Board of Directors will continue to closely monitor the situation and will keep you
updated via the web page, social media, and email as news develops that impacts our
members and our legal community.
CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW TO VIEW UPDATES FROM AREA COURTS AND
THE LEGAL COMMUNITY REGARDING COVID-19
Travis County COVID-19 Information
The OCA’s Court Operations Guidance
Supreme Court of Texas (edited 5/27/2020)
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas (edited 5/8/2020)
3rd Court of Appeals (edited 5/26/2020)
Travis County Civil & Family Courts (edited 6/15/2020)
Travis County Associate Judges Procedures for Remote Hearings
Travis County Criminal Courts (edited 5/12/2020)
Travis County Justices of the Peace (edited 4/30/2020)
Travis County Juvenile Court
Travis County Probate Court
Travis County Attorney’s Office
Travis County District Clerk’s Office
ANNOUNCEMENTS & NEWS
Check out the Job Center for open positions in the Austin area. The Job Bank
is updated frequently, so check back for new postings each week!
ANNOUNCEMENTS AND NEWS
WORK FROM HOME TIP
LUNCH & LEARN
The purpose of the Lunch & Learn CLE Committee is to provide
additional opportunities to members of CAPA to obtain CLE
credits by securing advanced-level speakers to provide
one-hour presentations throughout the year or, at a minimum,
on a quarterly basis.
We have not been able to meet in person the last several
months, but plans are in the works to have some CLE provided
by Zoom or other online methods.
As always, if there is a topic you are interested in or have a
speaker who could present, please get in touch with the
Lunch & Learn CLE Committee.
ARTICLE
PRO BONO COMMITTEE
FEATURED ARTICLE
What is Pro Bono or Community Service mean to you? The definition of Pro Bono is
voluntary doing professional legal work without pay for the public good. And
Community Service is defined as work done by a person or group of people that
benefits others. A person does not get paid for doing community service. The question
of what does Pro Bono or Community Service mean to you? Is a question that will
represent different meanings to everyone? In this article you will see why it is important
to give back to the community no matter what your definition of Pro Bono or
Community Service maybe.
I grew up one of six children and higher education was not a priority in our family,
because we had to work to survive. However, giving back to the community was very
important in our family. We volunteered at our church providing services such as
catechist work (teacher or instructor in religious teaching), fund raising, Guadalupana
Society and The Food Bank. My father was involved in The League of United Latin
American Citizens (LULAC). The LULAC is a civil rights group that gives back to the Latino
community. I recall my father getting dressed to attend his meetings and giving back to
the community. A few of the events that I remember my father and the LULAC
organization doing, was encouraging the Latino community to vote and during
Christmas they would make bags of fruit, candies, and nuts to pass out to the children in
the community. My parents encouraged and raised the family with the mentality that if
we could help others, that is the right thing to do. So, when I got married, I incorporated
volunteering into my own household.
Later in life, I decided to go back to school. I did not know what I wanted to major in. I
figured a paralegal would be a good fit for me because the skills I learn will allow me to
help the community and hopefully get a pay raise. I graduated in December 2019. My
intent was to get involved in the CAPA Pro Bono Committee in order to continue to
grow as a paralegal and give back to the public.
I had the opportunity to volunteer for Keep Austin Beautiful and the Travis County
Expunction Expo, both events did not require my service as a paralegal, but they were
very fulfilling. The satisfaction of knowing that the environment is cleaner, and another
person will be able to have a new start is a feeling that no one can explain. Knowledge
and talent are gifts that everyone has. How you choose to give your time is up to you.
So, get involved no matter what your definition of Pro Bono or Community service may
be. In the end the contributions you provide will give back to the public and will make a
difference to the community, an individual, family or group of people.
Pro Bono vs Community Service
By Erma Herrera
ARTICLE
You are working from home—now what?
By Mary T. Mendoza
At the beginning of 2020, I felt a calling to move closer to my daughters. As one can imagine, all sorts of ideas went through my mind;
however, one of my greatest concerns was finding a new position with another law firm. As soon as I was sure that a move was in my future, I
sat down to discuss the issue with the partners of my firm.
To my surprise, the partners were not only supportive of my move, but the move got their wheels turning. The firm began considering ways I
could remain a part of the team. Although the prospect of my becoming a remote worker has always been something I dreamed of, now my
firm was trying to determine if doing so could become a reality.
Our firm invests in advanced technology and our workspaces have been cloud-based since the beginning. That made it easier for the firm to
transition a paralegal from a downtown office to a permanently remote location.
I was fortunate to make my move in February, so I could work out the bugs before the Coronavirus pandemic struck the United States. When
the pandemic struck with full force and more employees began working from home, I could anticipate some of the challenges they might face.
So, what have I learned as I continue this remote paralegal journey?
Prepare yourself. I was fortunate to have some time to consider what pitfalls I might face once I went remote. Before talking with the
partners, I thought about the details and created a document that outlined items the firm would have to consider. The issues ranged from
technology, to communication, and even tax considerations. By considering what issues might come up, it allowed us to begin to put a plan in
place.
Determine what equipment is necessary. Being cloud-based was the easy part. But we also had to determine if I needed to bring a firm
computer or monitors? How would my calls be routed? How could I perform printing, notarizing, and mailing functions? It turned out that a
couple of Amazon deliveries made hooking up my monitors and office phone a snap. Now, when attorneys or clients need to reach me, they
just call my phone just as they did before. No interruptions, no transferring to my cell phone. We also solved the other issues—I can print
remotely or locally, and we found several remote-working applications that support remote notary and mail operations.
Keep set office hours: Knowing that I am “clocked in” from 8:00–4:30 p.m. means that when I am at work—I am at work. That does not
mean I might not have to work late, because of a late-night filing deadline or other client emergency. But it does mean that even when I work
late, I close the door to my office and can be done for the day without the long late-night commute.
Minimize Distractions: It is easy to want to do laundry, watch a little TV, or want to chat with friends. I save laundry and TV for before and
after working hours. I have learned that by minimizing distractions I am more productive than I was when working in my firm office. I am not
tempted to stop and chat with colleagues in the breakroom or as we walk down the hall. No one stops in to chat as an excuse to grab gummy
bears from my shelf. If we have work to discuss, our conversations are more succinct.
Keep in Contact. Prior to my move, we decided that I would have check-in points to keep in constant contact with the firm and co-workers.
We were using Zoom before it was cool! Once a week I would get Zoomed in to our weekly litigation team meeting. While everyone else
enjoyed their lunch, I brought in a hot cup of tea. And, because I was already sitting in front of my computer, I had access to information that
I would not have had sitting in a conference room. We also set a standing Zoom conference with one of the partners, every week. The set
meetings provide some structure to my week and they give me and the firm space to discuss client issues, specific successes and challenges,
and what’s working and what’s not working.
I am sure that once this pandemic has allowed us to resume “normal” lives, most paralegals will return to the law firm office . But just maybe
more law firms will consider the possibility of more paralegals working remotely.
Mary T. Mendoza
Paralegal
Johnston Clem Gifford PLLC
This article appeared in the Spring
2020 edition of Texas Paralegal Jour-
nal, and is reprinted with permission.
The American flag's official colors are: Old Glory Red, White, and Old Glory
Blue.
The spelling of the word Pennsylvania on the Liberty Bell is misspelled
Pensylvania.
Before Phoenix, AZ, became an official city, it was called Pumpkinville.
The Colorado State Fair holds a pet rock Olympics; including a prize for the
best-dressed rock.
Hot dogs, got their name in the United
States, from being known as "dachshund
sausages" in Germany.
A library book, checked out by George
Washington, was returned to a New York
City Library, 221 years late.
A pencil sharpener museum, in Ohio, has
m or e t h a n 3 ,4 0 0 s ha r p e n e r s .
Fun Facts - American History Edition
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