LAU Graduates 270!
By Kim Cantu, CLA
and Nancy C. McLaughlin, CLAS

On Thursday, September 9, 1999, the Legal Assistants University held its first orientation on its campus at the Omni Hotel in San Antonio, Texas. In attendance were 270 paralegals from around the state eager to absorb as much information as possible in the two full days of classes available to them. Not only were numerous presentations available in the advanced level courses, but there were also several “freshman” or entry-level seminars.
Judge Susan Larson, Justice of the 8th Court of Appeals, El Paso, and a strong supporter of Legal Assistants, gave the opening address entitled Reality of Success (please see full text of her article beginning on page 32). Then, the students began their course work.
Following a full afternoon of seminars, many of the students adjourned to enjoy an evening of fun and frivolity at the Fall Mixer social. There was also a hospitality suite hosted by campus cutups, Elizabeth Elliott and Elizabeth Bruton. We understand that at some point in the evening there were togas involved, but, we won’t even get into that!
Friday dawned early for those late-night revelers. A physical education class was offered to those highly motivated, exercise driven, LAU attendees. We actually broke a sweat in our workout. After P.E., classes began and all classrooms were full for the first morning sessions.
At noon we all met in the dining hall for the New Chum-Old Alum luncheon. Elizabeth E. & Company arranged an icebreaker-type gathering to allow networking opportunities, as well as giving everyone a chance to get to know others from around the state that they might not have had the opportunity to meet otherwise. Upon entering the lunch hall, each attendee drew a number and sat at the table with the corresponding number. Each table had a card with a discussion topic on it. We were asked to discuss the assignment and then decide who at our table had the best story based on the topic. Each table sent a representative to the front of the class to tell their story and at the end of the presentations we decided on the winner. I must tell you—there were some extremely funny stories told that day!
After lunch, back we went to class.
That evening the Homecoming Social was held in the Vendor Room on the campus. Wonderful food and libations were served and the door prizes were to die for! Classes on Saturday adjourned around 1:30 p.m. at which time we again gathered in the Great Hall for GRADUATION!!! Lynn Liberatto, President-Elect of the State Bar of Texas was our featured speaker. “Professor” Liberatto gave an uplifting speech on The Image of the Legal Profesion; Saints, Scoundrels & Shysters which included details of the famous, or infamous depending which side of the bar you belong, case involving McDonalds and the spilled coffee (please see the full text of her remarks beginning on page 35). We greatly appreciate her taking the time on a Saturday afternoon to drive to San Antonio just to be with us! Thanks, Lynn!
Finally, President Lisa Sprinkle, complete with cap and gown, led the commencement procession which concluded with our receiving our hard-earned diplomas.
All in all, it was a great experience not only for the wonderful information imparted by the excellent faculty, but also by allowing us a chance to meet a variety of legal assistants from all across the state.
And before I forget, we received absolutely fabulous support from vendors. They not only provided us with some great door prizes, but they also introduced us to some wonderful innovations that will take us into the 21st century. Several also helped out with the classes. Each one deserves our sincere thanks!
Kim Cantu, CLA, a fellow LAU graduate, has compiled the following report card based on some of the classes she attended. As you can easily ascertain from her remarks, the LAU was an unqualified success!

Expert Witnesses—Retaining and Examination
Presented by: Ron Walker, Esq. and Paralegal Sue Comstock
This was a great duo presentation by attorney/paralegal. The method of presentation was unique by Ron Walker, attorney, explaining the task which he delegates to Sue Comstock, his paralegal, and then Sue stepping up and showing how she acted on the assignment. It gave a great understanding to those who do not work directly in the area of civil trial law. The presentation was a great explanation on how expert witnesses are located and put to work on a case. Again, the presentation and form received an A+.

Texas Rules Civil Practice/Civil Evidence
Presented by: J. H. Amberson, Esq.
Sometimes you think you’ve heard it all when it comes to the Texas Rules of Civil Practice/Civil Evidence. This presentation really shed new light on the subject, and Mr. Amberson presented the topic with a nice touch of humor which really held the attention of the attendees. Mr. Amberson is an excellent presenter and provided great information to those preparing to sit for the TBLS civil trial specialty exam.

Conducting Tight Due Diligence
Presented by: __________________________
Great materials with an excellent explanation of “due diligence.” As explained, all attorneys have a different definition of “due diligence” and how it works. This attorney gave a variety of things to consider and to look at when conducting due diligence. Super presentation on a very difficult subject matter.

Record Retrieval Into the New Millennium; “A How To Guide”
Presented by: Vendors
This topic was scheduled to be presented by Jim Buchannan; however, an unforeseen incident occurred at the last minute causing Jim to be unable to make this presentation. On short notice, vendors-sponsors, Debbie Rydman and Joan Warren from Rydman Record Retrieval in Austin, Philip Strauch, III of Information on Call in San Antonio, and Gloria Quackenbush and Susan Sheffield of the San Antonio office of COMPEX Legal Services Inc., stepped forward and gave the presentation based on their own experiences concerning “record retrieval.” An excellent informal presentation was made by the vendors and attendee participation came about easily allowing more information to be shared and more questions asked. An unfortunate last minute situation for the attendees was made great by our always supporting vendors! Vendors are at the “Head of the Class!”

Ethics—Conflicts of Interest
By: Robert N. Eames, Esq.
Another difficult subject to present, yet Mr. Eames did it with ease. Great examples were provided; good materials and attendee participation was abundant. A tough subject to hold the attention of the audience; however, Mr. Eames succeeded without any problems.

Investigation in the Personal Injury Case
By: James Winegardner, Esq. and Melissa Sherman, CLA, TBLS
This presentation was fantastic! It flowed like a stand up comedy routine with great information presented by both attorney and paralegal. A wealth of material was covered all of which was presented with more than a touch of of humor. Both attorney and paralegal saw different aspects of a personal injury case and even though some thoughts were conflicting, it was good to see both sides of the picture. Jim and Melissa made the Dean’s Honor Roll for their presentation.

Complex Multiple Party Personal Injury Case By:
Gerald Lotzer, Esq. and Jodye Kasher, CLA, TBLS
This presentation made note of possible problems arising in a personal injury case and matters that might be overlooked. Another great attorney/paralegal presentation. Gerald provided insight on how he relies on his paralegal, while Jodye let us know exactly how important it is to do some of the simplest things in a case. Jodye provided great information on how each of us might prove to be more valuable to our attorney’s practice.

Eyewitness Testimony / Interviewing Witnesses By:
David Fannin, Esq. and Elizabeth Elliott, TBLS
This was not your “routine” presentation on “Eyewitness Testimony.” It was very creative and imaginative in the way it was put together by David and Elizabeth. The topic was presented in a way which certainly held the attention of the attendees, and it was fun to watch. The addition of “commercial breaks” really added to the program. A+ for creativity and style of presentation.

Medical Malpractice By:
Craig Carlson, Esq.
When I arrived for this seminar topic, the room was “full.” So, I took a “back seat” in the room and still received an abundance of information. Too much information to absorb, yet a great paper provided for later reference. Even for those not working in medical malpratice, the information presented was very understandable and most interesting.

Appellate Law By:
Kent Rutter
Appellate law presentation was great and presented ever so smoothly. Kent actually made appellate law look easy which is also reflected in his seminar outline. Great reference material for the office. This presentation was really enjoyable and concise. Another A+ presentation.

Internet Resources for Legal Assistants By:
Reginald A. Hirsch, Esq.
In the age of technology, we never seem to be able to get enough information about the internet. Mr. Hirsch gave a Power Point presentation that helped us see exactly what he was talking about while working on the internet. He also provided us with some great sites for the more specialized internet searches. Mr. Hirsch’s seminar material is also a great source of information to be kept close at hand back at the office.

Mediation By:
Joe D. Milner, Esq.
Today’s trial practice is definitely changing through the use of mediation, as Mr. Milner showed in his presentation. It was interesting to hear from him how in the “old days” (prior to 1990), if attorneys scheduled a conference to negotiate the settlement of a case, it meant that they were “afraid” to go to trial. He pointed out that preparing for mediation can be just as intense as preparing for a trial. Mr. Milner’s paper also provided some great tips to assist us in mediation .

Demonstrative Evidence By:
Laura Tamez, Esq. and Frank Herrera, Esq.
The presentation on demonstrative evidence was full of new-age ideas for the introduction of exhibits to a jury and also for the compilation of materials for a personal injury settlement package. Ms. Tamez provided a great Power Point demonstration on this topic and some important cost saving ideas. A+Case Management—

Complex Litigation By:
John Helms, Esq.
The topic of “Complex Litigation” seems like a difficult area to cover. Mr. Helms did a fantastic job of presenting specified areas of concern, i.e., document non-destructive orders and preservation orders. He addressed the issue of preserving e-mails for the duration of a case and the need for obtaining protective orders early on in a case. Mr. Helms also explained the use of document depositories in complex litigation cases. This presentation was great and deserves an A+.

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