The REAP Record
Winter 2013 Newsletter - January 15, 2013
A Redwood Empire Association of Paralegals Publication
Published Quarterly
President’s Message
By Michelle Morris, REAP President
Welcome to 2013! This year
brings forth a lot of changes
and new adventures for me.
Thank you for allowing me to
serve as President this year. I
am excited and look forward to a wonderful
year with REAP and the new board
members.
Our 2013 Board of Directors consists of:
Debbie Cain, Vice President
Emilee Saltzer, Treasurer
Monica Lehre, Secretary
Kim Davis, CAPA Primary
Patti Tate, CAPA Secondary
Grace De La Torre, SCBA Liaison
Jeff DiCello has graciously agreed to stay on
with the newsletter, Facebook and
membership committees.
As we have a changing of the guard this
year, we are still looking volunteers to assist
with the various committees. If you are
interested, please let us know.
I would like to take a moment to recognize
and thank Trudy McQuiddy. Through her
years of service with REAP she has served
various positions on the board, most
recently as President.
As President, Trudy’s accomplishments
were many, but a standout was her cochairpersonship of the 2012 CAPA
Conference in Sacramento, where she
oversaw all committees, and helped grow
the organization.
Trudy has left huge shoes to fill and I can
only hope to serve you as well as she has. I
would like to wish her luck in her new
position as President of CAPA.
Win a free seminar: If you have not
renewed your membership yet, make sure
you do that now. If you renew by Feb. 1,
2013, you will be entered into a drawing to
win a certificate for a free REAP educational
seminar (excluding ethics). You can renew
through our website using PayPal, or you
can renew the old fashioned way: click here
to download a paper renewal application.
As we look toward the new year, we are
planning some fun and exciting new
benefits for our members. I know through
personal experience that the connections
you can make through REAP can help in
your personal and professional life.
Whether you are looking for answers to a
work question or help as a new mom, there
is always someone available to reach out a
hand. The members of REAP are simply
outstanding and I hope you will continue on
with us. Don’t forget to add
www.redwoodempireparalegals.org to your
favorites list, or check us out on Facebook.
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Join or Renew Now:
Enter drawing for free seminar
REAP is kicking off its 2013 membership drive. If you renew or join for
the first time by February 1, 2013, you will be entered into a drawing to
win free admission to a REAP educational seminar (excludes ethics).
Your membership enabled REAP to achieve many of our goals in 2012 and we are looking
forward to working on your behalf again in 2013.
Here are some of REAP’s 2012 highlights:
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Awarded scholarships to paralegal students in both the spring and the fall, in excess of
$3,000 in the aggregate
Awarded a scholarship for the June 2012 CAPA Education Conference in Sacramento to
Jennie Madden, a longtime REAP voting member to cover the cost of registration and
travel to the conference
Awarded two scholarships for attendance at the 2012 Paralegal Association of Santa
Clara County’s Education Conference to two voting members (Grace De La Torre and
Silvana Lucas) to cover the cost of registration and travel to the conference
Sponsored interesting and diverse MCLE seminars on Transgender Rights, Criminal Law,
and Ethics
Created and distributed our quarterly newsletter to our members
Represented the interests of paralegals at the state level through our involvement with
the California Alliance of Paralegal Associations
Continued to work through our appointed liaison, with the Sonoma County Bar
Association to educate attorneys on the benefits of employing paralegals and educating
attorneys on Business & Professions Code 6450 et seq.
Co-hosted the CAPA Education Conference with the Sacramento Valley Paralegal
Association
In 2013, the Board of Directors and committee volunteers will continue to work to promote the
paralegal profession, to educate paralegals and to provide services to our members to help
them grow in their chosen career.
We are planning major upgrade to our website to make it more useful to you and we will be
working on ways to get the membership together more frequently for networking.
REAP membership application: Click Here
Print and mail application with your check. You may also print and mail in the application but
pay online using PayPal.
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CAPA News
By Kim Davis
Editor’s Note: Kim is REAP’s primary representative to the California Alliance
of Paralegal Associations (CAPA). Kim is a family law paralegal at Perry,
Johnson, Anderson, Miller & Moskowitz in Santa Rosa and served on REAP’s
Board of Directors as secretary in 2011 and 2012.
As the newly elected CAPA primary representative for REAP, I will be attending three CAPA
board meetings this year. Patti Tate, the newly elected CAPA secondary representative for
REAP, will be accompanying me to these meetings. Patti will fill in for me, if for some reason I
can’t make it to a meeting, or step in to help with any tasks that CAPA decides to throw my
way. The three meetings are scheduled in Pismo Beach, Los Angeles and Bakersfield. I plan
to keep our REAP members informed of my adventures as REAP’s new CAPA primary
representative. Please look for my upcoming articles to appear in future newsletters.
As always, if you have any questions regarding CAPA benefits, you can contact me at
[email protected]. In addition, please feel free to peruse the CAPA website.
Become a Notary Public
SRJC to Offer Course and Test in Single Day
Santa Rosa Junior College is once again offering a one day course that prepares students to
become a California notary. Students may elect to take the notary test at the end of class. Two
dates and locations are being offered for the course and test:
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Saturday. January 26, 8:00 AM-4:00 PM at the Santa Rosa campus; and
Saturday April 20, 8:00 AM-4:00 PM at the Petaluma campus.
For information on how to register, click here.
Paralegal Utilization & Compensation
Survey
The 2013 National Utilization and Compensation Survey presents information
concerning the work environment, duties and responsibilities, billing rates and
compensation levels of paralegals nationwide. Links to each of section of the
survey report, as well as a summary of the findings, may be found on the NALA
web site.
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New Laws for 2013
By Christalene Loren and
Alyssa Messer
While the United States Congress stalled on many
fronts in 2012, the California legislature and
Governor Brown passed over 800 new laws.
Many of these laws went into effect beginning
January 1, 2013. The new laws cover a range of
topics from mammograms to a homeowner’s bill
of rights, from high speed rail to social media and
wage garnishment.
Here is a summary of a few of the more
noteworthy statutes for 2013:
Silver Alert: SB -1047 authorizes law
enforcement agencies to request
California Highway Patrol to activate
a “Silver Alert” if a person 65 years
of age or older is missing. Law
provides the activation of this alert law
enforcement has exhausted all local resources
and the person is missing under suspicious or
unexplained circumstances
Proof of Insurance: AB-1708 clarifies existing law
regarding motorist producing proof of insurance
electronically by, but not limited to, authorizing
insurance companies to provide electronic proof
of insurance card required by law.
Firearms Licenses: AB-2221
would allow prosecutors and
public defenders as the types of
professionals whose firearm license
applications are not to be fully disclosed as a
matter of public record and would add a
constitutional provision to the laws that may
operate to exempt public records from the
disclosure requirements
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Bicycles & Environmental Quality:
AB-2245 would temporarily
exempt from CEQA the restriping
of streets and highways for bicycle
lanes in urbanized areas that is consistent with
the prepared bicycle transportation plan.
The California Homeowner Bill of Rights is
designed to ensure basic fairness and
transparency for homeowners during the
foreclosure process including, but not limited to:
restriction on dual track foreclosure, Guaranteed
single point of contact, and tools to fight blight
caused by multiple vacant homes in the
surrounding neighborhood.
These modifications apply only to owneroccupied residential properties with four or fewer
living units and primary, or "first-lien," mortgages.
Mammograms: AB-137 modifies Section 1367.65
of the Health and Safety Code to extend the
length of time that health care service plan
contracts must provide mammograms when
ordered by a physician, nurse or nurse
practitioner. The time extends through June 30,
2013.
Health Care: AB-1083 was initiated
when there was a question of whether
the federal health care mandate
became law. Section 1348.95 is added
to the Health and Safety Code. It
prohibits healthcare providers on and after
January1, 2014 from denying coverage through
the use of risk adjustment factors and provisions
for preexisting conditions.
Social Media Privacy: Social media is on
everyone’s mind. AB-1844 prohibits an employer
from requiring an employee or applicant to
disclose his or her username and password for
the purpose of accessing that persons social
media. The new law prohibits an employer from
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disciplining and threatening to discharge an
employee or applicant for not complying with
such a requirement.
Workplace Religious Dress: A clarification of
religious dress and appearance at the work place
is enacted through AB-1964. This law amends the
California Fair Employment and Housing Act
(FEHA), Government Code Sections 12926 and
12940, by broadening the definition of “religion”
to include religious dress and grooming practices.
FEHA now requires employers to accommodate
employees’ religious practices, unless doing so
would create an undue hardship. Under the new
law an accommodation is not reasonable if it
segregates an employee from the public or other
employees.
Nursing Child in Public: Breastfeeding
has been redefined in AB-2386. It
amends FEHA, Government Code,
section 12926 by including
breastfeeding and medical conditions related to
breastfeeding as part of the definition of “sex.”
Under this inclusion the FEHA can now apply sex
discrimination laws to prohibit discrimination
against a mother breast feeding her child in
public. This amendment is effective immediately
and may be applied retroactively.
Disability Access: On September
19, 2012 Governor Brown signed
SB-1186 targeting abuses of the
disability access law. This law
amends Section 55.3 and adds Sections 55.31 and
1938 of Civil Code, related to disability access.
These changes will reduce potential damages for
disability access violations from a minimum of
$4,000 to as little as $1,000 if the defendant
quickly correct the violations. It would also
prohibit lawyers from issuing pre-litigation
demands for money.
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Human Trafficking: SB-1091 amends Penal Code
section 868.5 by adding specified crimes relating
to human trafficking, pandering, prostitution,
aggravated sexual assault against a child and child
pornography to a list of crimes for which a
prosecuting witness may have up to two support
persons while testifying.
Homemade Food: AB-1616 created Article 5
beginning with Section 113400 of Health and
Safety Code and is known as The
California Homemade Food Act.
Under this law certain non-perishable
foods can be prepared for sale in the
home kitchen of a person's primary private home.
The new law requires a cottage food operation to
meet specified requirements relating to
sanitation, packaging, and labeling. But it would
exempt a cottage food operation from large scale
food processing regulations, and California retail
food code requirements.
About the writers:
Christalene Loren: Christalene is a REAP member
who is also a writer, sculptor and paralegal
student learning to work-horse the law.
Alyssa Messer: Alyssa is a contract paralegal who
has interned and worked for the Law Office of
David J. Hamilton and the Law Office of Edward P.
Savin. She is a REAP member and a 2012 graduate
of the SRJC Paralegal Program.
Editor’s Note: The links in this article to a third
party website are provided for educational
purposes and do not represent legal advice.
Verify the currency and accuracy of any
information contained in the links before using
the information contained therein.
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Monthly Paralegal Lunches
2nd Tuesday of each month
Each month, paralegals working in or near downtown Santa Rosa area meet informally for lunch. You do
not have to be a REAP member to attend. These informal lunches are a great way to meet other members
who work near you.
 When: Normally the second Tuesday of each month.
 Time: Noon to 1:00 PM. We are in and out in one hour so you can get back to work on time.
 Where: At a restaurant in the downtown Santa Rosa area. E-mail reminders with the exact location
are sent to REAP members a few days before the event. Information is also posted on the REAP
Facebook page.
 How Much Does It Cost? There’s no fixed cost; each member pays his/her own check and decides
what to order and spend.
Writers Wanted
REAP is seeking members to write articles for the newsletter throughout 2013. Article
topics may be assigned or you may come up with your own topic.
If your article is published, you will receive free admission to a REAP educational seminar.
If you are interested in writing for the REAP Record, contact the newsletter editor, Jeff DiCello, at
[email protected].
Where Are You Now?
The REAP Record wants to hear from REAP members who have at least five years working as a paralegal for an
upcoming newsletter feature called “Where Are They Now?” If we choose to publish a “Where Are They Now?”
feature on you, you will receive your choice of a $40 Macy's gift card a free REAP Ethic's seminar (value of $40).
Submit your answers to the questions below to [email protected].
1. Are you working in the area of law you thought you would be way back when you decided to be a
paralegal?
2. Were there certain courses that you took as a student that you found exceptionally helpful?
3. Did you have a mentor or have you mentored any less experienced paralegals or paralegal students? If so,
how did you meet him or her?
5. What resources do you think you couldn't live without as a paralegal?
6. Have you taken or do you have a desire to take the CLA exam? If you did take the CLA exam has it helped
you earn more?
8. When it comes time to find interesting continued education courses to help meet your general education
and ethics requirements where do you look?
9. What was a favorite or most helpful continuing education course that you took?
10. Before you were hired in your current paralegal position, how did you find out about the opening?
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Editor’s Corner
Atticus Finch: Lousy Lawyer?
By Jeff DiCello
REAP Record Editor
My first exposure to the novel “To Kill a
Mockingbird” came when I was in the 6th grade
and my elementary school teacher read the book
to her class each afternoon. When I got older, I
would watch the movie version of Harper Lee’s
classic novel every time it played on television.
Now, in the digital era, I own a copy of the DVD
and a dog eared copy of the book
occupies a spot on my bookshelf.
Something in the novel and film, about
Atticus Finch, a widower Southern
lawyer raising two children on his own
while defending Tom Robinson, a
hardworking black man accused of
raping a white woman in 1930s Alabama, must
have resonated with an instinct I had that always
made me root for the underdog - the individual
who, with no resources of his own, must defend
himself against the government with its almost
infinite resources. I think this connection with
“Mockingbird” and the Finch character in
particular, was one factor in my decision to
become a paralegal.
In the movie version of the novel, Finch was
played by the late Gregory Peck (pictured above)
in an Oscar-winning performance.
It is against this backdrop that some months ago I
read a letter in the Datebook section of the San
Francisco Chronicle to Mick LaSalle, a Chronicle
film critic/columnist. The letter writer was an
attorney who said that, like me, Lee’s novel and
the movie based on it inspired him to study law.
The reader-lawyer criticized LaSalle for having
previously commented in a column that Atticus
Finch was a lousy lawyer because, in the end, he
lost the case and his client was convicted of the
rape.
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LaSalle faulted Atticus Finch for not “getting into
the mentality of his racist jury, however
unpleasant, and giving them the one argument
they'd find persuasive.”
LaSalle went on to say “the thing that I don't like
about Atticus Finch is that he replaces moral
preening for tactics, as though the trial were not
an effort to free an innocent man but an effort to
demonstrate his own virtue and to show the
jurors the error of their ways.”
LaSalle's criticisms are unwarranted.
The fact that Finch lost doesn't mean
he's a lousy lawyer. As paralegals and
legal professionals we understand,
unlike LaSalle, that law is not as
horse race and “victory” is often
measured in ways other than an
outright win on the merits.
There was never the slightest possibility that
Finch was going to win. The case was unwinnable
because of the time and place in which the story
took place. In 1930s Alabama, a white woman
who accused a black man of any crime, but
especially rape, would be unquestionably
believed, no matter how weak the evidence.
The point lost on LaSalle is that the odds weren't
just against Finch, they were 100% against him.
And yet Finch gave it his absolute best shot
anyway. He spoke to the jury as if they were
reasonable men. There were no magic words he
could have uttered that would have altered the
outcome. So finch gave them the moral argument
that La Salle criticized. It fell on deaf ears, as Finch
knew it would. There simply was no “one
argument that jury would find persuasive,” as
LaSalle suggested.
So with all due respect to LaSalle, who is a good
film critic, stick to movies and leave the law to the
rest of us.
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Continuing
Legal
Education
By Jeff DiCello
REAP Record Editor
2012 Perry Scholarships
Awarded
By Jeff DiCello
REAP Record Editor
As most paralegals know, Bus. & Prof. Code sec.
6470(d) requires that paralegals complete
mandatory continuing legal education to maintain
their status as paralegals.
In November, the REAP scholarship committee
interviewed the applicants for the Susan I. Perry
Memorial Scholarship. The scholarships are
awarded twice a year to paralegal students who
are REAP members. The criteria are academic
performance and potential for contribution to the
paralegal profession.
Specifically, every two years, paralegals must
complete four hours of ethics and four hours in
general or specialized law. Paralegals must certify
completion of these educational requirements to
their supervising attorney, and are responsible for
maintaining their own records in this regard.
The committee was impressed with all the
applicants and the following members were
awarded scholarships in the indicated amounts.
It is not always easy to maintain these
educational requirements. Many paralegals
lament that their employers do not pay for these
required courses. It is also sometimes difficult to
find un-person CLE outside of major metropolitan
areas. While these concerns are understandable,
they are not valid excuses.
Employers can help in this regard by paying for
paralegal CLE. The emergence of online CLE can
make it easier to acquire one's CLE credits. To
keep track of your CLE, use this log. The log can
also be used to certify to your employer that you
are in compliance with CLE requirements. The
Sonoma County Bar Association sponsors several
CLE seminars each year. For more information on
these upcoming seminars, see our calendar.
REAP Record –Winter 2013
Suzzanne Calloway $500
Ann Bullard $250
Julieanne Fisher $250
Stephanie Juarez $150
Christy Pham $150
The Susan I. Perry Scholarship was established by
REAP in memory of Susan Perry, a four-time
president of the Redwood Empire Legal Assistants
Association (now REAP).
Susan, who was instrumental in the association's
founding, was also active at the state level as a
representative to the California Alliance of
Paralegal Associations (CAPA).
Susan worked for many years as a legal assistant
and also taught in the paralegal program at
Sonoma State University.
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REAP Installs New Board of Directors for 2013
By Jeff DiCello
REAP Record Editor
In October REAP members elected a new board of directors. The new board members and their offices are
listed below:
Michelle Morris - President: Michelle Morrris was REAP’s vice president in 2012 and is a 2010 graduate of
Empire College’s paralegal program. Michelle previously worked as a paralegal at Flahavan Law Offices in
Santa Rosa.
Deborah Cain - Vice-President: Deborah Cain received her specialized associate’s degree - paralegal from
Empire College in Santa Rosa. She works as a paralegal at the Law Offices of Adams, Romer & Stoeckenius
LLP in Santa Rosa.
Monica Lehre - Secretary: Monica Lehre is the legal department head at Empire College in Santa Rosa and
is a graduate of the Sonoma State Paralegal program. Monica served at REAP’s secondary representative to
CAPA last year.
Emilee Saltzer - Treasurer: Emilee Saltzer, a graduate of Empire College’s paralegal program, currently
works as a legal secretary at Cochran Erickson in Santa Rosa.
Kim Davis - CAPA Primary Representative: Kim is a family law paralegal at Perry, Johnson, Anderson, Miller
& Moskowitz in Santa Rosa and served on REAP’s Board of Directors as secretary in 2011 and 2012. She is a
graduate of the Sonoma State University paralegal program.
REAP wishes to thank the outgoing board for their service to the organization. The outgoing board of
directors consist of Trudy McQuiddy, CP; Michelle Morris, vice president; secretary Kim Davis; and
treasurer/webmaster,Ginger Orosco.
An Interview with Valerie Sizemore: Empire
College Paralegal Graduate
By Ann Bullard, President, Empire Legal Student Association (ELSA)
Valerie, congratulations on your graduation from Empire College. What is your plan for the next five
years?
I want to spend the next few years establishing my own contracting paralegal business here in Sonoma
County.
Continued on next page
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What made you decide to become a paralegal?
I had worked as a legal secretary for many years in an office where I did it all. I answered phones, kept the
books, and did all their secretarial work. When I chose to move on, every potential employer I talked to,
wanted me to be able to do legal research before he or she would even consider hiring me. That is when I
decided that I had to go to school, and become a paralegal.
What was your biggest challenge getting to this point in your career?
This is my first time in college. At this point in my life, going to college was very intimidating. However, I
have never felt that way at Empire. The instructors were supportive, and always there to help me when I
started to feel a little overwhelmed about everything.
What type of law interests you?
[I] love probate, absolutely love probate, and estate planning.
And do you have anything else that you wanted to add?
Yes, I want people to know how much I loved school, but I am now looking forward to getting out into the
real world. I cannot wait to use the new skills that I have learned to help others resolve their legal issues.
REAP Board Meeting Minutes
Below are the minutes of recent REAP board and general membership meetings, compiled
by former REAP secretary Kim Davis.
General Membership Meeting & Election - November 8, 2012
The following members were elected to the 2013 REAP Board of Directors:
President - Michelle Morris
Vice President - Deborah Cain
Secretary - Monica Lehre
Treasurer - Emilee Saltzer
CAPA Primary - Kim Davis
Trudy McQuiddy is the new CAPA President.
Monica and Trudy attended recent CAPA meetings in Sacramento, Anaheim and San Diego.
The 25th annual CAPA conference will be held in Los Angeles on June 22, 2013. The hotel that is hosting the
conference is near the Los Angeles airport and the charge is $199 per night for CAPA attendees. Raffle
tickets are on sale for $1 each to win prizes worth $100. There will be different subjects addressed,
including probate.
Continued on next page
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Regular Board Meeting - November 6, 2012
Present:
Kim Davis
Susan Demers
Deborah Cain
Christine Fitzpatrick
Monica Lehre
Trudy McQuiddy
Ginger Orosco
Patti Tate
Membership:
There was a discussion about revising the membership campaign letter which summarizes REAP’s accomplishments.
This letter needs to get out by the end of the week and again in the beginning of January.
REAP Board Business:
Kim Davis motioned for a budget of $350 to cover the cost for the REAP general meeting, Monica Lehre and Trudy
McQuiddy seconded the motion, the motion was passed. Of the $350 budget, $100 will be used to purchase prizes.
Changes to the REAP website need to be approved by the REAP board before they are to occur.
Our Bylaws need to be updated to address refunds or credits for missed seminars, job descriptions for board &
committee members, one-time scholarship winners, expenses that exceed the budget, and hiring friends or family of
the board for services. (SCBA and CAPA should have policies that can be used as guidance.)
Meetings:
General Meeting: Applications for membership should be available; committee sign-ups should be available; Trudy
will bring the ballots to the general meeting.
REAP Board Retreat: They will meet in January to discuss plans for 2013.
Treasurer:
Monica Lehre and Trudy McQuiddy need to be reimbursed for attending the CAPA conference. Ginger Orosco needs
written Minutes to give to the bank from the REAP general meeting to show who the new officers are.
Continuing Education:
Homeowner’s Rights Seminar: possibly held in January or March of 2013; we will work with SCBA to promote and
run the seminar.
Continued on next page
Regular Board Meeting - November 6, 2012 (continued)
Ethics:
The 2012 seminar held in October was a success, it was sold out, $1,771 was made
expenses were paid; we may have two seminars on this subject in 2013.
CLA Exam Preparation Seminar:
Possibly held in January for the May exam
CAPA:
The 2013 CAPA conference will take place on June 22 in Los Angeles. The theme of the conference is “Power of the
past, force of the future.” So far, there are three tracts, insurance, probate and tech. The hotel cost is $119 a night
and there is a free shuttle to the hotel from the airport. Raffle tickets are now on sale for prizes to be awarded at the
conference. The prizes are valued at $100.
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Trudy McQuiddy is the new CAPA president. CAPA is considering offering to members, for a fee of $10, the service of
keeping track of their continuing education and providing printouts. Daphne Drescher will be providing a substantive
article to publish in the CAPA newsletter. The CAPA website has just been updated. Also, CAPA members are
entitled to a 4%-6% discount on Amazon.com if they order by going to Amazon.com through the CAPA website.
ELSA:
There is a ELSA logo t-shirt design contest. The judge of the contest has not yet been determined. The ELSA
president will be issuing a flyer about the contest. There will be a pizza party fundraiser coming up in December.
There will be a potato bar fundraiser during finals. There is an Appeals Court fieldtrip coming up in January. The
proceeds from the fundraisers should help cover the $1,000 cost of attending the fieldtrip. Currently there is
$2,701.86 in their checking account.
Sonoma County Bar Association (SCBA):
The holiday mixer is on 12/6/12 from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. You do not need to be a member to attend. It has free
admission. They are asking that you bring career wear to donate. Trudy will ask Jeff to advertise about the mixer on
Facebook. If you are interested in volunteering at SCBA events, see Amy at SCBA, she has a list that she keeps of
people to call when volunteers are needed.
REAP Scholarships:
Five REAP scholarships were awarded. The amounts that were awarded were $500, $250, $250, $150, and $150.
Miscellaneous:
The Sonoma County Law Library has conference room available for rental. The cost is approximately $35.
Two members that passed the CLA exam are Daphne Drescher and Laura Krieg. REAP may have an award ceremony
for people who have previously passed this exam.
The NALA conference will be taking place in Arizona in 2013.
About REAP
REAP was established in 1981 under the name Redwood Empire Legal Assistants (RELA) as a professional and
educational organization for legal assistants and paralegals.
Mailing Address
REAP
P.O. Box 143
Santa Rosa, CA 95402
Membership
Membership Information
Membership Application
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Membership Information
REAP has four categories of membership: voting, associate, student and sustaining.
1. Voting Member (dues: $42.00 per year)
Voting members are defined as qualified paralegals by education or valid declaration.
2. Associate Member (dues: $30.00 per year)
Associate members are defined as attorneys or paralegal educators.
3. Student Member (dues: $20.00 per year)
Student members are defined as current paralegal students.
4. Sustaining (dues $50.00 per year)
Sustaining members are defined as individuals, law firms and companies that endorse and promote the
paralegal profession.
Membership Period
REAP’s bylaws provide that the REAP membership period is from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 of each year.
First time (new) members joining between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31 retain their membership through Dec. 31 of
the calendar year following sign-up.
Full Amt. Due
The full amount of dues must be paid when joining REAP, regardless of date of application. First time (new)
members joining after Sept. 1 retain their membership until Dec. 31 of the year following sign up.
Due Date
Renewal memberships are due Jan. 1 and become delinquent on April 1, at which time membership is
terminated.
If past members reinstate after April 1, they are not treated as new members under this agreement.
Voting Eligibility
Only active members in good standing 45 days before the annual or special meeting shall have been called
to order shall be qualified to vote at membership meetings or upon other matters coming to the members
for action.
Who Cannot Vote
No active member who is delinquent in the payment of any dues or other assessments shall be qualified to
vote.
In no event shall student, sustaining or associate members vote.
REAP membership application: Click Here
REAP Record –Winter 2013
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REAP Record - Winter 201314
12 Tips to Help You -- and
Your Career -- Thrive in
2013
By Vicki Voisin
As you kick off the New Year, instead of
"resolutions" look for "real solutions" that will
help you grow and flourish in the 12 months
ahead.
Here are 12 tips to help you make 2013 one of
your best years ever:
1. Look for the opportunities and be
prepared to take advantage of them.
5. Nourish your mind every day with new
information that educates, motivates and
inspires you.
6. Deliver on your promises and exceed
expectations.
7. Always ask, “What can I learn from
this situation?”
8. Do not be a follower. Instead, find the
courage to be your unique self.
9. In addition to work that pays, do work
that matters.
10. When you start a project, always be
working on the end result you want.
2. When you make plans, back them up
with action. A plan without action is just a
wish.
11. Avoid fixating on disturbing news
and disasters that you can do nothing
about.
3. Doing what's right may not be the
easiest way, but it is the best way.
12. Rather than complain, create a
solution.
4. When you encounter negativity,
respond with education instead of anger.
About the Author:
Vicki Voisin, "The Paralegal Mentor," delivers simple strategies for paralegals and other professionals to
create success and satisfaction by achieving goals and determining the direction they will take their careers.
Vicki spotlights resources, organizational tips, ethics issues, and other areas of continuing education to help
paralegals and others reach their full potential. She publishes a bi-weekly e-zine titled Strategies for
Paralegals Seeking Excellence.
Visit Vicki’s website at: http://www.paralegalmentor.com
REAP Record –Winter 2013
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REAP Record - Winter 201315
ELSA Update
Empire Legal Student Association
By Christine Fitzpatrick

9th Circuit Field Trip: The Empire Legal
Student Association (ELSA) – a student
chapter of REAP – has been invited to join
Empire College’s law students to attend a
field trip to the 9th Circuit Court of
Appeals in San Francisco. The students are
very excited, as it is a once in a lifetime
opportunity.

Scholarships Awarded: REAP awarded two
of ELSA’s members, Ann Bullard and
Stephanie Juarez, the Susan Perry
scholarship. The scholarships, in memory
of Susan Perry, were offered to continuing
legal students enrolled in a qualified
paralegal program. The awards were
determined based on academic excellence
and potential for contribution to the
paralegal profession. Congratulations Ann
and Stephanie!


Holiday Food Drive: ELSA teamed up with
IAAP, Empire College business students’
association, to hold a holiday food drive to
benefit Redwood Empire Food Bank. The
associations set up bins in the front lobby
of Empire College, and students placed
donations to support our community.
Barajas won a gift card. On December 14th,
ELSA held a pizza fundraiser in the student
lounge at Empire College. Members sold pizza
slices from Joey’s Pizza, to raise money for our
upcoming field trip to the 9th Circuit Court of
Appeals. The fundraiser ended in a success, as
ELSA is now able to offer scholarships to
attend the field trip to two lucky members.

Board Elections: This January, ELSA will be
electing new board members. ELSA wishes
to thank our current board for all their
hard work.

The present board members are:






Ann Bullard - President
Olivia Clark - Vice-President
Christine Fitzpatrick - Secretary
Sarah Helstrom - Treasurer
Madalynn Clark – Fundraising
Coordinator
Marcia Kossman - Public Relations
We will keep you updated on the election of ELSA
board members in 2013.
Holiday Party: On December 12th, ELSA
held a holiday member appreciation party,
which was made possible by our most
recent fundraiser, the fall barbeque. At
the holiday party, members got in the
holiday spirit by enjoying pizza,
refreshments, and meeting new members.
As a way of saying thank you, ELSA
members have been receiving raffle
tickets for attending general meetings.
Ann Bullard, ELSA’s president, held the
first raffle at the holiday party, in which Jesus
REAP Record –Winter 2013
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REAP Record - Winter 201316
REAP Board Members
President
Vice President
Sonoma County Bar Liaison
Secretary
Treasurer
CAPA Primary Representative
CAPA Secondary Representative
Special Projects Coordinator
Michelle Morris
[email protected]
Debbie Cain
[email protected]
Grace De La Torre, CP
[email protected]
Monice Lehre
[email protected]
Emilee Saltzer
[email protected]
Kim Davis
[email protected]
Patti Tate
[email protected]
Vacant
[email protected]
REAP Mentors & Committee Members
Probate
Family Law
Litigation/ Discovery
Computer Legal Research
CLA Exam
Sonoma County Bar Liaison
Criminal Law
Membership Communication
Facebook Page Manager
Newsletter Editor
Co-chair, Education
Co-chair, Education
Empire College Student and Education
Advisor
Empire Legal Students Association (ELSA)
Rep. to the REAP Board
REAP Record –Winter 2013
Janet Anderson
[email protected]
Kim Davis
[email protected]
Rhetta Hinton
[email protected]
Joni Boucher
[email protected]
Grace De La Torre, CP
[email protected]
Jeff DiCello
[email protected]
[email protected]
Susan Demers
[email protected]
Debbie Cain
[email protected]
Monica Lehre, CP
[email protected]
Christine Fitzpatrick
16
REAP Record - Winter 201317
REAP/Legal Community Event Calendar
REAP encourages its members to attend its own educational seminars and those
sponsored by the Sonoma County Bar Association (SCBA). Below is a list of some
noteworthy upcoming educational programs that may be of interest to paralegals.
MCLE credit is available for most programs.
Event
New Laws and Forms for 2013
Date/Time
Friday, January 18, 2013
Ethics Jeopardy
11:45 am check in
12:00 – 1:30 pm Presentation
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
4:15 pm Registration
Presentation: 4:30 – 5:30 pm
Recent Developments in Labor &
Employment Law
Family Law New Forms & New
Law for 2013
Thursday, January 24, 2013
5:00 pm check in 5:30 – 8:30 pm
presentation
Thursday, January 31, 2013
3:30 pm Check In; 3:45 – 6:00 pm
What the Heck is Animal Law and
How Could it Impact Your
Practice?
Collections
Friday, February 15, 2013
11:45 am check in; 12:00 – 1:30 pm
Presentation
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
11:45 am check in; 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Presentation
REAP Record –Winter 2013
Location
Sonoma Co. Bar Association
37 Old Courthouse Sq.
Santa Rosa
Sonoma Co. Bar Association
37 Old Courthouse Sq.
Santa Rosa
Sonoma Co. Bar Association
37 Old Courthouse Sq.
Santa Rosa
Fountaingrove Inn, Hotel &
Conference Center
101 Fountaingrove Parkway
Santa Rosa
Sonoma Co. Bar Association
37 Old Courthouse Sq.
Santa Rosa
Sonoma Co. Bar Association
37 Old Courthouse Sq.
Santa Rosa
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REAP Record - Winter 201318
REAP Record –Winter 2013
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