|
|
Subcommittees
|
|
|
Membership
|
|
|
Chair:
Kathrine Cook
|
|
Establishes
membership criteria, reviews all applications for Affiliate membership,
contacts all accepted members, maintains a membership list, and facilitates
renewals. Creates awareness in community of availability of OCBA
membership to paralegals by maintaining contact with paralegal
educational programs and responds to inquiries made to OCBA concerning
paralegals. Welcomes new members to Paralegals Committee meetings
and functions. Coordinates yearly membership survey regarding
salary, placement, education, professional development and topics of
interest.
|
|
|
|
Professional
Development
|
|
Chair:
Janet Holmgren, CP
|
|
The
Professional Development Subcommittee addresses issues which affect the
paralegal profession at local, state, and national levels; acts as an
information resource on professional issues; and seeks opportunities to
increase professional recognition. It maintains a communications
network with paralegal associations throughout New York State
through its participation in the Empire State
Alliance of Paralegal Associations and the New
York State Bar Association. Members of the subcommittee are
involved with local paralegal education programs as advisory committee
members and classroom speakers in order to provide networking
opportunities to the students enrolled in these programs. The
subcommittee also participates in Law Week Shadow and Speaker Programs
and school career fairs to help middle and high school students learn
about the paralegal profession.
|
|
|
|
Pro
Bono
|
|
Chair:
Karen Hawkins
|
|
The
purpose of the Pro Bono Subcommittee is to assist those in the community
unable to afford legal services and to create more pro bono opportunities
for paralegals in our community. These goals are accomplished by
contacting legal aid and other organizations to whom our members may
provide assistance, assigning paralegal volunteers to projects relevant
to their area of expertise whenever possible, working with other
paralegal pro bono committees on the State and national level, becoming
more active with attorneys on the Pro Bono Practice Committee of the
Onondaga County Bar Association. Pro Bono activities may include:
Will/Health Proxy Clinics, Pro Se Divorce Clinics, Representation
of Habitat for Humanity homebuyers, Landlord/Tenant Court, as well as
other matters that are brought to the attention of the Subcommittee.
|
|
|
|
Ethics
|
|
Chair:
Cynthia Wade
|
|
The
Ethics Subcommittee is to keep abreast of ethical considerations and
requirements affecting paralegals. This includes activities and
initiatives taking place in other jurisdictions as well as in New York
State.
In addition, the Ethics Subcommittee shall educate and inform members of
the Paralegals Committee, the legal community and the general public
regarding ethical guidelines for paralegals. If specific issues
arise in Onondaga
County and
are referred to the Paralegals Committee, this subcommittee will evaluate
the ethical considerations involved. This subcommittee has no
authority for sanction or censure.
|
|
|
|
Continuing
Legal Education
|
|
Co-Chairs:
Lucia Dwyer (Tel.: 315-426-1235) and Mae Slaunwhite
(Tel.: 315-422-2255)
|
|
This subcommittee
shall attempt to contribute to the continuing legal education of the
paralegals of Onondaga
County and
surrounding areas. It will research the legal education needs of
these paralegals and implement programs that will help to satisfy these
needs. Part of this effort will be the maintenance of a
liaison with the Onondaga County Bar Association CLE Committee.
As
part of our efforts to offer quality CLE to members of the paralegals
committee, the CLE subcommittee has arranged for a discounted rate for
paralegals committee members at most OCBA CLE events. Contact the OCBA CLE coordinator at cle@onbar.org or (315) 471-2667 for
details.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
