10/25/2019
Hello All,
If we haven’t crossed paths yet, my name is Sarah Robinson and I am the President of the Paralegal Association or for short, PANJ, which, if you don’t know, is the sister organization of the New Jersey Paralegal Convention.
Today, you are attending the New Jersey Paralegal Convention which has been educating paralegals for over 26 years.
If this is your first time attending Convention, welcome.
And if this is not your first time attending Convention, welcome back.
In any given year, between 150-250 paralegals attend this Convention. I personally started attending this Convention about 12 years ago. I then began working behind the scenes assisting where I could about 8 years ago. And in 2017, after years of serving as a Trustee, I was elected President of the Paralegal Association.
I became involved with both organizations and volunteered my time because I wanted to evolve as a paralegal and make a commitment to my profession. We paralegals know that it is important to stay current and up to date with the law. And initially, that was my only goal. Stay as educated as possible, keep my ear to the ground, and remain employable. Throughout my service on the Convention Committee and PANJ’s Executive Board though, this has become so much more than that for me.
The Executive Board of the Paralegal Association of NJ are volunteers. The Convention Committee are volunteers. Some of us even do “double duty” working hard for both organizations.
We, too, are full time paralegals who come together to organize the annual Convention AND monthly dinner meetings on legal topics that, we, as working paralegals, need to know about. We, too, are in the “paralegal world” and we want to stay just as educated, and just as effective, and just as indispensable as you do.
Though this Convention has taken place for the last 26 years and PANJ was incorporated 37 years ago, there are many paralegals who haven’t heard of either.
Even worse, there are paralegals who HAVE heard of one or both organizations and see no relevance in attending. Frequently, I personally hear from paralegals, “Oh I don’t work in that area of law.”
Paralegals, how many of us do estate work? (RAISE HAND.) Have you ever worked on a case to liquidate an estate and had to participate in the sale of real estate?
How many of us work in litigation? (RAISE HAND.) Ever have a Defendant file bankruptcy during the case?
And for those of you that do family law, it must be thrilling when things turn “criminal” with domestic violence and kidnapping. And the math. Family Law Paralegals have to be part time accountants just to fill out those family law CIS’s.
I worked for a solo practitioner for over 20 years who practiced in multiple areas of law. I know a little bit about a lot of things. I continued my legal education after I graduated school but I hadn’t updated my resume because I never planned on leaving that job. And then, my boss passed away unexpectedly in a month long battle with pancreatic cancer. And my whole life changed. Never mind the personal devastation of losing someone I cared for, I needed a job! As you all can see, I like to eat!
You never know what tomorrow will bring…and you never know when you might have to find another job---and quickly. Life has a way of unraveling our best made plans.
It was my background in real estate that landed me my next job but I had offers from other solos, law firms and private corporations who valued my transferable skills and respected my thirst for knowledge.
As members of the legal community you have undoubtedly been exposed to continuing legal education from other providers both local to New Jersey and nationally.
The Convention you are attending today is the only all day professional Convention in Northern and Central New Jersey organized by paralegals to educate paralegals.
It’s sister organization, The Paralegal Association of New Jersey is the only non-profit association in Northern and Central New Jersey governed by volunteer paralegals that not only provides continuing legal education to paralegals but focuses on the paralegal’s role as well. You learn what to do and how to do it.
I’ll bet when you mention to other paralegals in your workplace or school that you are attending the Annual NJ Paralegal Convention, you have come across some blank stares and “deer in the headlights” type looks.
To quote fellow paralegal and friend, Vincent Ascolese, “Having knowledge in new and different practice areas has made me more effective as a paralegal by increasing my applicability.”
I have shortened it a little but generally speaking, a paralegal is defined as a person qualified by education, training or work experience who is employed by a lawyer or entity to perform substantive legal work. These days, hybrid roles are being created and some employers are not defining a position as “paralegal” but the person doing the job is most certainly one and the job responsibilities meet all the “paralegal” qualifications. The legal environment is evolving and paralegals need to be able to evolve with it.
How do we do that? We stay educated my friends.
And active. Introduce a fellow colleague to the Association, invite them to attend a dinner meeting with you and bring them to next year’s Paralegal Convention. And Network, Network, Network!
Thanks for listening.
New Jersey Paralegal Convention
