President's Message
Javan Johnson, ACP, TBLS, Board Certified Legal Assistant, Civil Trial Law,
Texas Board of Legal Specialization
It is hard to believe that we are at the
end of another Paralegal Division
fiscal year, with a new slate of officers
and directors about to be sworn in,
membership renewals in full swing,
another annual meeting upon us in San
Antonio, and of course, TAPS planning
in the works for another great seminar
in October in Dallas.
We are putting the final touches on
another great milestone for the Division
to bring you yet another benefit of
membership. We are adding to the
“Members Only” area of the website a
place where each of you will be able to
access your MCLE records from the
State Bar, as well as add your other CLE
events to your record. Please see the
announcement on page 5 of this issue of
the TPJ for more information, as well as
watch the website and your email box
for more information. I am really excited
we were able to get this kicked off.
We have seen many other new milestones
come to fruition this year, and
those would never have happened without
the dedication of fellow paralegals.
When I left you as President six years
ago, a new joint task force had been
appointed to continue our quest for
some definition for paralegals in our
state. That quest finally culminated in
our new Texas Paralegal Standards
which have set a new path for paralegals
in Texas to have a more definitive place
in the legal profession. However, the
mere approval of these standards does
not for a “new standard make” without
our continual education of the attorneys,
the educators, the administrators,
and the judiciary. This road must continue
forward for our profession to
continue to grow. It is up to each and
every one of us to make these new standards
visible to those with whom we
work. Use every chance
given you to talk about
these standards.
The Paralegal Ethics
Handbook which is being
authored by Division
members, will be published
this Fall and available
for sale. This is a very
exciting project, and a first
for a paralegal organization
to be involved in writing. We have
just launched a new look for the PD
website to make it easier to navigate,
and to allow us more room for additional
information for our members
and the public. We just returned from
Florence, Italy for the third PD overseas
trip, and it was phenomenal. One of the
travelers will be writing an article to
share with you, and photos will be
added to the website for you to view.
Our Online CLE program continues to
grow, and many new additions have
recently been made. This is very affordable
and easy CLE for you to obtain, so
jump online and check it out if you
have not already done so. And remember,
if you are not on the PD E-Group,
you really should consider joining. It is
a very effective way of communicating
with your fellow paralegals.
We have also seen the Texas Board of
Legal Specialization adopt the term
“paralegal” this year. And, of course,
the celebration of our 25th anniversary
was phenomenal. There were events
held all over the state, many in conjunction
with local associations throughout
Texas, as we also celebrated Texas
Paralegal Day. Our Ambassador program
has really grown this past year,
and we have had our former Presidents
traveling all over Texas speaking at CLE
events. There has been much, much
more happening this past
year.
The Division volunteers
continue to work hard
to keep PD and its members
on the cutting edge of
this profession. Many,
many thanks to every
member, committee volunteer,
board member, and
our PD Coordinator,
Norma Hackler for working so hard to
keep our Division at the top of its game.
This is an awesome organization for
which you need to feel proud to be a
member.
It has once again been such an
honor to lead the Division this past
year. So many people have asked me
why I would choose to come back for a
second term as President, and the
answer is simple—I am dedicated to
this paralegal profession we have all
chosen, and I seek opportunities to
serve others in this profession and have
some small part of the growth of not
only the individual paralegals that I
have met, but the profession as a whole.
I encourage each of you to do the same,
and reap the rewards of getting to know
your colleagues across this great state.
Our goal this year has been to
“advance the profession.” It is our continual
goal to see our members advancing
in their career, and we hope that
being a Division member enhances that
for each of you. Continue to remain
strong in your beliefs for this profession
and your career, and encourage others
to do the same. I wish the very best to
each and every one of you. Thank you
for the opportunity to be of service to
you and this fine profession. |
