President’s Message:
Greetings,
On behalf of myself and the other members of the Executive Board, I would like to welcome you to the Charleston Association of Legal Assistants, Inc (CALA) and invite you to explore our website for additional information about this spectacular organization. The Charleston Association of Legal Assistants is an organization whose goals are to advance the educational standards of the profession, encourage ethical and professional achievement, and to promote the paralegal profession.
We had an exceptional year last year and we want to make 2009 bigger and better!
Last year, our membership consisted of 113 members. It included Paralegals/Legal Assistants, Associate Members, Student Members and Sustaining Members. Our goal this year is to exceed that number. To wrap up a great year Mark Sanford, Governor of the State of South Carolina proclaimed October 26 as ‘Paralegal Day’ to recognize paralegals throughout the Palmetto State for their efforts to help our legal system perform more efficiently and effectively for the benefit of South Carolina residents.
We are fortunate to have an excellent Executive Board in place and to have established committees to guide CALA. All board members serve on a voluntary basis. The board meets formally on the second Wednesday of each month, but is in communication by email and telephone almost daily. Some of the tasks we address at the board meetings include, but are not limited to, planning of monthly meetings for CLE credit, planning the annual seminar, developing ways to increase membership and benefits to our membership, and planning of community services events. All members have an opportunity to choose a committee that he/she would like to be a part of. You can choose a committee that suits your interest; it is completely up to you how much time or input you want to give. Please know that every effort made would be greatly appreciated and very much needed. Committee chairs will be contacting all of their committee members via email periodically, to introduce themselves and open the lines of communication. Each and every member is a valued an integral part of CALA. Each member has a different perspective, with different ideas. Please remember that the board is always delighted to hear from you. CALA cannot continue to grow without you!
There are many benefits to members and those individuals interested in joining CALA. These include the opportunity to meet other legal professionals, attend educational events, further professional development, develop leadership skills and promote the legal profession.
Paralegal associations are the voice of the paralegal profession. Our power is in our membership. Our strength is in our numbers. The larger our membership body, the louder our voice will be on issues that directly affect our profession. If we want to be respected for the professionals we are; if we want to influence the way paralegals are viewed by lawyers and the legal community, then we must strengthen our voice and increase our impact. I would ask each of you to talk to one non-member paralegal, just one. Invite them to a meeting, or tell them about CALA. Ask them to go to our website. If they have any questions, have them contact me, or any other board member.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your President. Please do not hesitate to contact me by telephone or email if you have any thoughts, suggestions, comments or concerns. My contact information is listed on our website. I am very excited about the future of CALA and the paralegal profession, but if we wish to continue with our progress and growth, we simply cannot do it without the active participation of you, our valued members.
Sincerely,
Chiquetta E. Simmons
President
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