Registration is now open for OPA's 39th Annual Convention! Be sure to register now at the following link: OPA's 39th Annual Convention : Unleashing Your Paralegal Superpowers

The August 2018 edition of the Paragram is out now!

You may check out the newest edition by signing in to your OPA account and clicking the following link:  Paragram

The August 2018 edition of the Paragram is out now!

You may check out the newest edition by signing in to your OPA account and clicking the following link:  Paragram

The results are in for the 2017 Membership, Salary, and Student Surveys. Members may access the survey reports while logged in to their accounts by clicking the following link:

Annual Member Survey Results

Leah M. Aldred, RP, OCP Named NFPA's Outstanding Local Leader. At the 2017 NFPA annual convention in New Orleans, Leah M. Aldred, RP, OCP, OPA's President, was the recipient of NFPA's Outstanding Local Leader Award. This award recognizes an individual NFPA member for outstanding local leadership contributions to her local association.

Dardie E. Robinson Awarded NFPA's Individual Pro Bono Award. At the 2017 NFPA annual convention in New Orleans, Dardie E. Robinson received NFPA's Individual Pro Bono Award.  This award recognizes an individual paralegal who has exhibited extraordinary dedication to the delivery of quality legal services to a portion of the population that cannot afford to pay for legal services. 

The Board of the Directors of the National Federation of Paralegal Associations, Inc. ("NFPA") has selected the Oregon Paralegal Association as the host of NFPA's 2021 national convention.  The exact dates of the 2021 national convention are still to be determined.

We are thrilled to announce that several of OPA's leaders have been nominated for national awards presented by the National Federation of Paralegal Associations, Inc.

The nominees are as follows:

William R. Robie Leadership Award Nominee - Thomas C. Holmes, RP®

Outstanding Local Leader Award Nominee - Leah M. Aldred, RP®, OCP

Paralegal of the Year Award Nominee - Kelley D. Chaney, RP®

Individual Pro Bono Award Nominee - Dardanel ("Dardie") E. Robinson

Certification Ambassador Award Nominee - Linda Odermott, RP®, OCP

To see the other nominees nominated in these categories, please use the following link: https://www.paralegals.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3281

Congratulations to all of the nominees! Wishing all of OPA's nominees good luck! The winners will be announced at NFPA's annual convention, on Saturday, October 14, 2017.  We encourage you to join us at the NFPA Annual Convention October 12-15 in New Orleans, Louisiana, to celebrate their outstanding achievements. NFPA will also award scholarships for paralegal education and certification at this time. Interested in more information about NFPA's annual convention or want to register? Go to: https://www.paralegals.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3282.

If you have any questions about the NFPA awards, please contact your NFPA representatives:

 Brenna C. Dickey, RP, OPA NFPA Primary Representative (e-mail: brenna.dickey@millernash.com) - and - Thomas C. Holmes, RP, OPA NPFA Secondary Representative (e-mail: tch@bhlaw.com)

The 2017 OPA Annual Surveys are now live. We urge you to complete all surveys that apply to you, and forward the links to other paralegals, legal assistants or paralegal students so that they can participate, as well.

Know Your Current and Future Worth! The OPA Salary Survey is open to all Paralegals! Forward this link to your co-workers, even if they aren’t yet an OPA member. This applies to students who are working, as well. For a few minutes of your time, you can compare your pay and benefits to others performing the same job, and find out if you're being fairly rewarded. Learn the particulars of compensation plans and career satisfaction levels of Oregon and SW Washington paralegals. Leverage this data to evaluate new career possibilities and trajectory as a new paralegal or to assess your current career progress.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OPA2017SalarySurvey

For all OPA Members, your participation in the Membership Survey is critical in helping the organization expand, grow and improve in countless ways. Those who complete this survey will be entered into a drawing for a  $25 Amazon Gift Card. Just complete the survey to enter!

 https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OPA2017MemberSurvey

 If you are an OPA Student or Associate Member, your participation in this survey can improve the student experience with OPA through a safe and open communication channel. The Mentor/Mentee Program has grown and evolved due to student input and we want to expand and grow our student involvement. By taking this survey, you will also be entered into the drawing for a $25 Amazon Gift Card. Just complete the survey to enter!

 https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OPA2017StudentAssociate

The survey period begins July 1, 2017 and ends August 15, 2017 at midnight.. The Annual Survey Committee will compile the results in time for OPA's Annual Meeting in November, with publication immediately following the event. Please assist OPA in collecting relevant data by completing these surveys today! Thank you. 

 Note - The information you provide in these surveys will remain strictly confidential and will not be identified with any individual. Completed surveys will be seen only by the OPA Annual Survey Committee. If you have any questions, please contact the Annual Survey Committee Co-Chairs, Mary VanKleeck, CRP™ or Megan Gallagher, at mvankleeck@bpmlaw.com

Paralegal Students - please apply now for two NFPA student scholarships (First place: $3,000; Second place: $2,000)!

The application for the 2017 National Federation of Paralegal Associations, Inc.'s Thomson Reuters Student Scholarships is available now! Attached are the scholarship guidelines and the application. 

We would love to see one of OPA's Oregon or Southwest Washington members as the scholarship winner at the annual convention - in New Orleans!  The student scholarship winners have traditionally had their expenses paid to attend the NFPA national convention to receive their scholarships.

The deadline is July 1, 2017.  Don't delay in applying today for these great scholarship opportunities!

For more information about NFPA, including its annual convention and paralegal student scholarships, please go to: http://paralegals.org or contact one of your OPA representatives below:

Casey McFarlane, OPA Associate Representative (e-mail: cmcfarlane@bittner-hahs.com)

Brenna C. Dickey, RP, OPA NFPA Primary Representative (e-mail: brenna.dickey@millernash.com)

Thomas C. Holmes, RP, NPFA Secondary Representative (e-mail: tch@bhlaw.com)

2017 NFPA Thomson Reuters Scholarship Application.pdf

NFPA Student Scholarship Procedures 2017.pdf

Space is Limited, Click Here to Register: 1st Quarterly Business Meeting & CLE

When: March 15, 2017, 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Location: Dunn Carney LLP, 851 SW 6th Avenue, 15th Floor Portland, Oregon 97204

Schedule:

5:00 pm–5:30 pm  Registration

5:30 pm–6:30 pm  CLE

6:30 pm–7:00 pm  Social (light refreshments and hors d'oeuvres to be provided)

7:00 pm–7:45 pm  Business Meeting

(Meeting will include current status of the Oregon Certified Paralegal program)                        

7:45 pm–8:00 pm  Networking

CLE Credit: 

Qualifies for 1.0 credit for OPA and their national affiliates.

Topic:

Becoming Your Own Devil’s Advocate – Making Your Writing Bulletproof & Effective
Become your own devils’ advocate: Making your writing bulletproof and effective.  How you write demonstrates your effectiveness as a paralegal.  Your natural enemies are inaccuracy and lack of clarity, but your natural friend is your professional intelligence.  The path to greater accuracy and clarity – and persuasiveness—comes from the cues you gain when you listen intelligently to your audience’s critical, inner voice.  This session helps you understand how and when to challenge yourself about what you have written, what it takes to get it right, and how to enjoy playing your own devil’s advocate. 

Presenter:

Aubrey Baldwin is the Chair of the Paralegal program at Portland Community College.  She is an inactive member of the Oregon State Bar, and was formerly admitted to the bars of the District of Oregon, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.  Her practice before coming to PCC involved complex state and federal litigation of environmental matters on behalf of citizen-activists and non-profit organizations.   She teaches a variety of courses in the paralegal program, including legal research and writing focused courses.  She earned her JD, cum laude, in 2005 from Lewis & Clark Law School, where she earned a Certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law, and was awarded the Williamson Award for an outstanding graduate working in public interest environmental law.  She earned a BSSW, cum laude, in 1997 from the University of Tennessee. 

Registration Questions: 

Please contact Michele Davis, CP at Cell: 503-515-9248, Office: 503-412-6734, or by email at redcoach99@aol.com