PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Wendi Rogers, CLA, Acting President, 1997
This has been a very busy year for the many volunteers of the Legal Assistants Division. We have successfully completed six seminars since October 1996; initiated an entire series of community service television programs; chosen our first annual Pro Bono Merit Award winner; published four more issues of our color magazine, The Texas Paralegal Journal; published four issues of our quarterly newsletter, the TPJ, etc.; and promoted our organization to hundreds of paralegals across the state.
The LAD started its calendar by planning six seminars. The Nuts and Bolts Practice Skills Seminar was held in October, 1996. This seminar covered a wide range of practice skills for the beginning to intermediate paralegals and young lawyers. The event was co-sponsored by the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers.
Our advanced seminars this year were held in the areas of Criminal Law (Austin), Civil Trial Law (Houston), Corporate Law (Houston), Personal Injury Trial Law (Arlington), and Family Law (Austin). Many seminars were also held on a local level for individual districts. In the spirit of progress, the LAD Board of Directors established procedures and allocated funds for more local district CLE seminars. The Board hopes to reach many more members with affordable CLE in the year to come.
Please mark your calendars, the Continuing Education Committee is already planning the following seminars for the upcoming year: Criminal Law, Arlington (date to be announced in June); Real Estate Law (Houston, October 17 & 18); Probate & Estate Planning (Houston, October 17 & 18); Civil Trial Law (Arlington, November 13 & 14); Personal Injury Trial Law (Austin, February 6 & 7, 1998); and Family Law (Houston, March 6 & 7, 1998).
The LAD has also successfully completed fourteen community service television programs. The program is called Legally Speaking and is a series of programs now showing on a local cable access station in El Paso. This program will be marketed statewide during the coming year and will hopefully be showing in your area soon. We have tapes available in areas such as "So Now You're Eighteen, How to Hire an Attorney," Alternative Dispute Resolution, Bankruptcy, Texas DTPA, Legal Assistants, Legal Aspects of Starting a Business, Wills, Trusts and Guardianships, Criminal Law, Family Law, Functions and Procedures of the Justice of the Peace, Automobile Insurance Contracts, Legal Ethics, and Landlord/Tenant Relationships.
As you can see, this was a successful year and in June the Division will begin a new fiscal year. I am eager to share another year with the members of the LAD. My goals for this year are to work hand in hand with the State Bar by promoting pro bono projects for paralegals, and to begin educating the legal community about the professionalism of paralegals.
On behalf of the LAD Board of Directors, I would like to thank all of you for supporting this organization. It is a pleasure to be a part of such a motivated group of professionals and I look forward to meeting many of you in June at LAD's annual meeting in Houston.
TEXAS PARALEGAL JOURNAL
Summer 1997
©1997 Legal Assistants Division, State Bar of Texas