Member News
HALA welcomes its newest member, Elizabeth DeVoogd. Ms. DeVoogd
is currently employed with the Kansas City, Missouri School District,
and has six years experience to date in her paralegal career. HALA
is very glad to welcome Elizabeth among its members.
Please click on the Meetings & Seminars link (upper right corner
of this web page) to read the report of HALA's recent annual fall
seminar --- it was very informative and well-received by attendees!
Prior News
Excerpts reprinted with permission from the May 2008 issue of The
Journal of the Kansas Bar Association:
At a Board of Governors meeting in September 2006, representatives
from the KBA Paralegals Committee requested approval to form a task
force to study voluntary state certification of paralegals. The
Board approved the formation of [a] task force, which consists of
practicing attorneys, paralegals, and paralegal educators from across
the state, having different backgrounds, qualifications, and interests,
all of whom are members of the committee.
The Task Force has developed a proposed plan for KBA Voluntary Certification of Paralegals. Under the plan, an individual
would have to meet educational and training requirements in order to apply for certification. After successfully
completing the screening process, the applicant would have to pass a written examination to be developed and
administered by a Paralegal Certification subcommittee. Upon successfully passing the examination, the applicant
shall be awarded paralegal certification by the KBA. To be certified, a paralegal would have to maintain associate
membership in the KBA. In addition, any certified paralegal would have to fulfill annual continuing paralegal education
requirements to maintain certification.
It is envisioned that this program can be self-funded through the
collection of fees and administered by the Office of the KBA
Executive Director. A Paralegal Certification Board would
oversee the certification process and it is contemplated that the
Board would be established and appointed by the Kansas Supreme
Court.
Certification under this program would be totally voluntary.
It would not differentiate between services performed by certified
paralegals, noncertified paralegals or nonlawyer employees.
There is concern in the profession that anyone can call himself or
herself a paralegal or legal assistant without formal education or
training. Application of this terminology to certain persons
may be misleading.
As such, state certification in Kansas would serve to: (1)
develop and maintain professionalism among paralegals, and promote
the delivery of high quality legal services in Kansas; (2) promote
education, training, and high ethical standards among paralegals;
and (3) distinguish certified paralegals from other legal staff and
provide employers with an objective measure of experience and
accomplishment.
In February 2008, members of the Task Force presented the proposed
plan to the Board of Governors. The Board approved the plan
in principle. Accordingly, the Board of Governors is now seeking
public comment from attorneys regarding a paralegal certification
program as described above.
___________________________________
The transcript of oral argument in Richlin v. Chertoff,
the U.S. Supreme Court case on recoverability of paralegal time
in attorney fee awards under the Equal Access to Justice Act, has
been uploaded to the Court's website which may be found at www.supremecourtus.gov/
NALA President Tita Brewster, ACP, and Past President Vicki Kunz,
ACP (2002-04) were among the spectators for the March 19 oral arguments.
NALA filed an amicus brief in this case -- which many of you will
recall is the second time the association has been represented in
the Supreme Court.
On June 2, 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an opinion on the
issue of recoverability of paralegal fees. The Court held that a
prevailing party may recover paralegal fees from the government
at prevailing market rates, under the Equal Access to Justice Act.
The decision is very supportive of the paralegal profession, and
the work of paralegals. It also cited the Missouri v. Jenkins precedent
setting decision in which the Court found paralegal time may be
included in attorney fee awards under the Civil Rights Act. The
Court's decision is posted on the NALA web site - links to it may
be found on the NALA home page and the News & Articles page.
Read it and tell others about this important development!
NALA is indeed the leading paralegal association with the interests
of its members and our profession as our number one priority. We
should all be proud!
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