ALA Region 2 Newsletter

Transcription

1 ALA Region 2 Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 5 April 2011 Imagine the Possibilities at the ALA Annual Conference! Region 2 Management Team Director Paula K. Barnes pbarnes@burr.com Communications Officer G. Carole Morris, CLM cmorris@m-mlegal.com Education Officer Peggy Baier pbaier@dalan-katz.com Projects Officer Gary T. Swisher, CLM gswisher@hwhlaw.com At-Large Director Kara Jordan karalison@comcast.net Inside this issue Ethical Aspects 2 Tennessee State Retreat Kentucky Chapter Raises $1,000 for Big Brothers/Big Capital Chapter Breakfast Series South Carolina Bar Convention By Julie A. Brandsness, Chair, 2011 Annual Conference Committee The 2011 Annual Conference Committee invites you to Imagine the Possibilities by attending the ALA Annual Conference & Exposition, May 22-25, 2011, at the Orlando World Center Marriott in Orlando, Florida. Arlene Rankin and I are members of the 2011 Conference Committee and are confident you will not regret your decision to attend. Imagine Your Connection to Knowledge The Committee has worked diligently over the last year to design the most relevant and c o m p r e h e n s i v e educational sessions possible. Keynote speaker, Dan Heath, a best-selling author and senior fellow at Duke University s Center for Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship(CASE), will present Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard a three-part framework to effect change even in tough times. The David W. Brezina Memorial General Session, sponsored by the Foundation of the Association of Legal Administrators (FALA), will feature best-selling author and management expert Bruce Tulgan. Tulgan s presentation, It s OK to Be the Boss, will show you how to become the administrator your staff appreciates and deserves, and your law firm or legal department needs to thrive. The Conference schedule will permit you to tailor an individualized and w i d e - r a n g i n g educational experience to meet the needs of both you and your organization. The Committee has ensured that the sessions include a depth and breadth of education to benefit Administrators from all levels of experience, effectively preparing you to meet the daily demands and challenges you face

2 ALA Region 2 Newsletter Page 2 Update on the ALA Jacksonville Chapter By Jean Pimental On February 8, 2011, Judith Equels gave a fantastic presentation on the Administrators Ethical Aspects. This presentation was eligible for CLE credits for the members. Judith is a wealth of knowledge and I would recommend her to anyone who would like to know more about this subject. An hour was not nearly enough time to discuss this topic. Our members were clearly eager to hear what Judith had to say about ethics. She kept us entertained and on the edge of our seats with some real stories about actual events. Imagine the Possibilities continued from page 1 Imagine Your Connection to Resources as a legal management professional. In addition to the educational benefits you will derive from attending the Conference, you will have an exceptional opportunity to visit business partners showcasing their products and services in the Exposition Hall. You will learn about the latest in legal management tools, resources and services all under one roof. What s Different This Year The Conference runs from Sunday through Wednesday, so you spend less time away from the office, if necessary. The Chapter Awards Ceremony kicks off the Conference at 6PM on Sunday, May 21, immediately followed by the Welcome Reception at the Marriott World Center poolside. For those of us on the West Coast, you will want to make your travel plans to arrive in time for the Awards. Monday and Tuesday evenings you are free to enjoy a business partner function, a Chapter event or networking with colleagues. Region 5 will be hosting the Annual Region 5 Get Together on Monday evening. Details will be sent by the Regional Director closer to Conference. The Association Luncheon, where current ALA President and Puget Sound Chapter member Rita Alli will pass the gavel to President-Elect Karen Griggs, CLM, will be held on Wednesday rather than Tuesday. Be sure to attend the Grand Finale Event on Wednesday evening as the price of the gala is included in your registration fee. After the Conference, enjoy your Memorial Day weekend with family and friends visiting some of Orlando s world renowned attractions. We are confident that your investment of time and money to attend the 2011 Annual Conference will pay off in tangible results for both you and your organization. It s time to turn your imagination into reality and invest in your professional development. Save money and register prior to the early bird deadline on March 14, If you would have additional questions, please feel free to contact Julie Brandsness or Arlene Rankin. See you in Orlando! More from Judith Equels Interested in hearing more about what Judith Equels has to say...join us at the ALA Region 2 Conference in Charlotte, November 3-5, Judith is one of many interesting speakers planned for this conference. Imagine the Possibilities by attending the ALA Annual Conference & Exposition, May 22-25, 2011, at the Orlando World Center Marriott in Orlando, Florida.

3 ALA Region 2 Newsletter Page 3 Maryland Chapter Welcomes ALA President Rita Alli In Memoriam The Capital Chapter mourns the sudden loss of Edward P. Ross, I m m e di at e P as t President, who passed away March 7th. Ed held many leadership positions in the chapter In Memoriam and was a friend to all. He will be greatly missed. ALA President, Rita Alli visited the Maryland Chapter in February. New officers were elected, bylaws were amended and service awards were presented. Thinking About becoming a CLM? Kentucky Chapter Raises $1,000 for Big Brothers/Big Sisters If you are interested in earning the CLM designation, all prerequisite courses will be offered in Orlando in conjunction with the ALA Annual Conference. Visit the ALA website ( or for more information. Contact Sue Powers at ALA Headquarters with specific questions. Sue can be reached at (847) or via at spowers@alanet.org. Members of the KYALA Chapter bowled to benefit Big Brothers/Big Sisters. The team raised $1, for the charity. Left to right Laura Cassaro, Debbie Snellen, Joni Pardue, Beth Buckler, Sherry Downey, and Melissa Tokar.

4 Volume 1, Issue 5 Page 4 Steve Dempsey Chapter President, (C) with speakers Judy Bodenhamer, (L) and Peggy Foley Jones Judy Bodenhamer leading the members through an exercise (below). Capital Chapter Hosts Leadership Breakfast Series The Capital Chapter held the fifth in a series of Leadership Breakfasts, Effective Negotiating Techniques for Law Firm Leaders, March 17 at Alston + Bird, presented by Peggy Foley Jones, partner at Giffen & Kaminski in Cleveland, Ohio and Judy Bodenhamer, President, Revenue Resources LLC, also of Cleveland. The members learned to understand the stages of negotiation, techniques for negotiating, and gain confidence in the ability to negotiate. This seminar was so well received that the chapter is looking at bringing it back for an extended session.

5 Page 5 Volume 1, Issue 5 Tennessee Chapters State Retreat - A Great Success! The Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis and Middle Tennessee Chapters of ALA held their 10th annual State-Wide Retreat on February 17-18, 2011, in Nashville, Tennessee. The two day event attracted 50 administrators from across Tennessee and Southern Kentucky. Regional and national business partners sponsored 25 exhibits in the vendor hall. The event began with a Thursday evening Welcome Reception and Dinner, attended by both members and business partners. In addition to the annual Employment Law Update, educational opportunities included sessions on Leadership Integrity, Disaster Planning and Strategic Thinking. Everyone had a great time sharing ideas, networking and relationship building. ALA CALENDAR OF EVENTS MAY Annual Conference Orlando, Florida JULY Chapter Leadership Institute Las Vegas, Nevada November ALA Region 2 Conference The Westin, Charlotte, NC

6 ALA Region 2 Newsletter Page 6 South Carolina Bar Convention The Next Chapter By Scott Dotson, CLM For those who may not already know, Carole Morris is planning on retiring later this summer. While I will certainly miss seeing my friend at future ALA events, I will be assured knowing that she will be adjusting to a more carefree lifestyle. Carole s retirement follows a remarkable 50 year career with the same firm in Atlanta. She has served ALA in various leadership capacities over the years including her term as President of the Atlanta ALA Chapter and her current position as Region 2 Communications Officer. Join me in congratulating Carole as we wish her the best in this next exciting chapter of her life. As it has done for many years, the South Carolina Association of Legal Administrators (SCALA) was a sponsor of the Law Firm Management Seminar at the January 2011 South Carolina Bar Convention, a program which is certified for three hours of attorney CLE credit. Law Firm Management Seminar January 22, 2011 This year, SCALA was especially pleased to team with the South Carolina Women Lawyers Association and the South Carolina Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel as co-sponsors. Cynthia Thomas Calvert, Esquire, the Director of Research for the Project for Attorney Retention ( PAR ) gave the keynote address and discussed Keeping the Keepers: Three Keys to Retaining Legal Talent. Ms. Calvert s remarks were followed by a panel discussion, which reacted to her presentation and candidly addressed such topics as alternative work arrangements. Panel members were: Barbara George Barton, Esquire, a former President of the S.C. Women Lawyers Association and the Chair of the South Carolina Bar s Professional Potential Task Force; Joseph West, Esquire, Associate General Counsel for Outside Counsel Management at Wal-Mart; and SCALA s own Rhonda Amick, the Chief Operating Officer at Turner Padget Graham & Laney, P.A. SCALA s sponsorship was underwritten by two of its generous South Carolina Business Partners: F3 Concepts (an office furniture and design firm) and Square Boxx (an IT consulting firm). Highlight your Chapter in the next edition Carole Morris, CLM Did you see your chapter highlighted in this edition? Please send news about your chapter along with high resolution pictures (.jpeg or.tiff image format) to your incoming Region 2 Communications Officer, Scott Dotson (sdotson@tnvalleytitle.com).