Home  |  Contact Us  |  News Archive
About Southwest Florida Paralegal Association, Inc. Calendar of Events Continuing Education Job Bank Resource Links
 
 
News
06/10/2014 - June 2014 SWFPA Newsletter

June 2014 SWFPA Newsletter

Submitted by SWFPA President Ellen Wile, ACP, FRP, CAM

The June 2014 SWFPA membership meeting on Wednesday, June 18, is about Construction Law, and why not? Florida is all about construction, among other things. We’ll hear from highly experienced Alan Tannenbaum, an attorney who has practiced in the Sarasota area for many years. From the mundane to the magnanimous, Mr. Tannenbaum can say much about dealing with local, state and federal construction regulations, client projects, and of course the litigation that follows for so many reasons.

Looking forward to seeing you on June 18! If you have not yet reserved to attend this meeting, please contact Mary Lou DiMaggio at 941-308-3579, or 941-928-4673.

Paralegals Week June 2-7 in Florida

Florida Governor Rick Scott proclaimed the week of June 2-7, 2014, as Paralegals Week. The Paralegal Association of Florida announced this recognition recently and forwarded a copy of the proclamation to paralegals statewide to display proudly at their workplaces.

SWFPA Annual Half-Day Seminar is July 26

Another reminder to you that the SWFPA Annual Half-Day Seminar is Saturday, July 26, 8:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Holiday Inn, Lakewood Ranch. The topic is "Identity Theft A-Z: Be A Knowledgeable Resource for Clients and Yourself." Speakers include: Robert Shaw, Retired FBI, Security Manager, Regions Bank; Sergeant Neal Scully, Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office; Lisa Chittaro, Esq., State Attorney’s Office; and, Jo Ann Koontz, Esq., CPA, Koontz & Associations, PL. The seminar offers four CLE hours. Registration forms are now available on the SWFPA website and being emailed to a wide number of FRPs.

The seminar planning committee is still collecting items for the attendee welcome bags, so if your employer or favorite service person has promotional items, please bring them to the June 18 membership meeting or email Malora Shaw at mshaw941@hotmail.com.

 

 

SWFPA Restarts Professional Development Scholarship

The SWFPA Board has approved the restart of a Professional Development Scholarship for SWFPA members. SWFPA will pay up to $250.00 to the educational institution or professional development organization to help pay for the course or certification related to the legal profession the selected member is studying. For example, if a member wants to become a Certified Paralegal (CP) through NALA, and that member’s employer will not pay the application fee, that member could apply for the SWFPA scholarship. If that member’s scholarship application is approved by SWFPA, a check for up to $250.00 will be sent by SWFPA to NALA on behalf of that member to apply toward the CP examination fee.

Speaking of the CP exam, NALA now provides practice tests to purchase to help applicants better prepare for the computer based test. Individual test sections are $30.00 each and to purchase all five sections cost $85.00. Go to www.nala.org for more information.

Wile Appointed to Statewide UPL Committee, Writes UPL Article for NALA Magazine

SWFPA President Ellen Wile has been appointed to a three-year term on the Statewide Standing Committee on Unlicensed Practice of Law (UPL). The committee is administered by The Florida Bar. Wile just completed two 3-year terms on the 12th Circuit UPL Committee. The Statewide Standing Committee oversees the 20

UPL circuit committees in Florida, approves litigation recommended by circuit committees, and can issue proposed formal advisory opinions on whether specific conduct constitutes UPL. The proposed opinions are filed with the Supreme Court of Florida. UPL circuit committees investigate reports of the unlicensed practice of law.

Wile also wrote an article about UPL in Florida for the May/June 2014 issue of NALA’s "Facts & Findings" Magazine.