Brevard Paralegal Association Chapter

Paralegal Association of Florida, Inc.

November 2011

The Paralegal Pipeline

Inspiring professional growthone paralegal at a time INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Presidents Message
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Technology Seminar Update FRP Corner Scholarships TAC Seinar Holiday Social Speakers Bio BCC Paralegal Program 2011-12 Board Listing News/Mugshots Sponsors Community Service Scholarship Applications

These words remind me of this holiday: We hold these truths to be self-evidence, that all men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. Declaration of Independence. I want to say thanks for your attendance at the Membership meetings. Last month we had 46 people at our meeting. I really appreciate you spreading the word about our Association to your co-workers; and for inviting and bringing guests. Most of all, I really appreciate and value your membership. I want to say a special thank you to those of you who donated to our yard sale. It was a success and we were able to raise funds for BPAs scholarships. Thanks Kim Nowakowski for your hard work and for making this event possible. As I mentioned to you previously, I attended PAFs Board Meeting in Sarasota on October 16th. Many things were discussed, decided, and voted at this meeting. I will be making a report to you on our next meeting. At this time I would like to share with you

Ol a todos! As you prepare yourselves to embrace the beginning of the holiday season, I will be embracing the air, the people, and the land of Brazil. Yes friends, Im on vacation to the great city of Rio de Janeiro; the city where I grew up and the city where my family lives. No, we Brazilians dont speak Spanish, we speak Portuguese. And Ol a todos! means, Hi everybody! I would like to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving. May the month of November be a month of gratitude: we have a lot to be thankful for. In the spirit of thanksgiving, Im thankful we have the privilege to live in this great nation.

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that at the meeting we had the pleasure to have in our midst Cheryl Harris. Cheryl is CRGs President. CRG is our new management company. I am pleased to report to you that the same impression I got from PAFs EC when I first met them, I got from Cheryl (and her Company) and that is competence. I look forward to seeing PAF and CRG work together. At breve! See you soon! Please attend the upcoming membership meeting, Thursday, November 10, 2011 at 6:00 p.m. at the Suntree Country Club in Melbourne. Attorney Bill Cantwell is our guest speaker on the topic Overview of Construction Lien Law of Florida.

Thanksgiving November 24th

All the best,

Silvia

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Veterans Day November 11th

Brevard Community College Paralegal Program Seminar/CLE

The Technical Advisory Committee for the Paralegal Program will host its annual seminar on Saturday, February 18, 2012 at Brevard Community College, Melbourne Campus. Please mark your calendar now to join us for next years seminar. Registration forms will be available in future newsletters and at BPA meetings. Online registration will soon be available through Banner which can be accessed through the BCC website at www.bcctraining.com. The course is pending approval from NALA for three or four hours of CLE. For further information, watch this monthly column or contact Roma Molinaro at roma@michaelkahnpa.com. Technical Advisory Committee members are: Roma Molinaro, CP, FCP, FRP, chair, Kim Dexter, ACP, FRP, Linda Ghirardelli, ACP, FRP, Roberta Reaume, CP, FCP, FRP, Jenny Lawton Seal, CP, FRP and Suzanne Mair, FRP.

Tis the Season!

BPAs Annual Holiday Social will be at the Pizza Gallery & Grill at The Avenues in Viera on Thursday, December 8, 2011 from 6:15 pm to 9:00 pm. Bring your spouse, significant other, coworkers or friends! There will be no fixed selections, you may order off the menu.

Scholarships
Daylight Savings Time Ends November 6th
Its that time of year again! BPA is seeking applicants for its Cash Scholarship and the Roseann Nelson, CP Professional Development Scholarship. Please see applications at the end of The Pipeline for more details.

Florida Registered Paralegal

The Florida Bar offers several free or low cost webinars you can use towards your continuing education requirement. Check out the Bars website, www.floridabar.org to find available courses.

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Speakers Bio
William H. Cantwell, II
Bills practice is devoted exclusively to civil litigation. He is Board Certified in Business Litigation and in Construction Law by the Florida Bar. Bill has extensive trial experience in the State Courts of Florida and West Virginia as well as in the United States District Courts. He also has extensive experience in appellate matters and arbitrations. Bill is experienced in representing general contractors, subcontractors, owners, and banks in construction lien actions, construction defect claims, bond disputes, warranty issues and providing advice regarding construction contracts, subcontracts, change orders and statutory notice. Bill has also litigated numerous types of real estate disputes including right of ways, easements, ways of necessity, slander of title and other title questions and enforcement of covenants and restrictions. Additionally, his practice includes litigation of employment disputes, restrictive covenants, discrimination claims (Title VII and otherwise), intellectual property, trade secret litigation and general commercial and business disputes, as well as pre-litigation counsel concerning dispute resolution. Bill also has extensive litigation experience in the areas of zoning, municipal law, election law and land use. His trial experience extends to several states across the country and he has litigated business disputes ranging from straightforward breach of contract claims to complex disputes alleging misappropriation of trade secrets such as computer source and object code. Education Syracuse University, B.A., 1992 West Virginia University College of Law, member of M.E. Lugar Trial Association, Juris Doctorate, 1995 Admitted to Practice State of Florida US District Court Middle District of FL US District Court Southern District of FL US Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit US Supreme Court State of West Virginia WV Supreme Court of Appeals US District Court Southern District of WV Professional and Civic Organizations Florida Bar (Member, City Council and Local Government Law Section; Member, Environmental and Land Use Law Section; Member, Labor and Employment Law Section; Member, Trial Law Section) Brevard County Bar Association West Virginia Bar Assocation

Brevard Community College Paralegal Program Classes

The 2012 Spring Semester on Brevard Community Colleges Melbourne Campus class offerings are as follows: Introduction to the Legal System and Legal Research will meet on Mondays and Wednesdays. Law Office Procedures, Torts, Legal Writing, and Evidence will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays. Real Estate Transactions, Introduction to the Legal System, and Civil Procedure will be offered in the evening. The on-line classes being offered in the Spring are: Introduction to the Legal System, Legal Research, Property Law, Civil Procedures, Torts, Criminal Law, Law Office Procedures, Legal Terminology, Bankruptcy, Evidence, Wills and Trusts, and Probate, Trusts and Guardianships. Class offerings, times and instructors are subject to change. For information regarding these course offerings and/or the Paralegal Program at BCC, contact Louis Jiannine at 321-4335656 or jianninel@brevardcc.edu.

Welcome New Member

Meeting Policy Reminder
Pursuant to Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(6) if you RSVP for a dinner and do not cancel within 10 days of the meeting date or do not attend the meeting, you will be sent an invoice for the cost of the dinner.

Carolyn Crossley

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Newsletter Advertising
Half Page $100/Year Or $55/6 months Business Card $50/Year Or $30/6 months Special rates available for one-time ads Submit business card or ad artwork, preferably in .jpg or .bmp format to Kimberly. Nowakowski@ Health-First.Org or send it to: Kim Nowakowski c/o Health First, Inc. 6540 US Hwy 1 Rockledge FL 32955 The Paralegal Pipeline advertising reaches people throughout Florida. The publications revenue supports scholarships and various community service projects, which enables your costs associated to advertising here to be tax deductible. Please make your check payable to Brevard Paralegal Association. Thank you.

2011-12 BPA Board of Directors & Committee Chairs

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President Silvia Cowan silvinha@cfl.rr.com Vice President Nandra Ramnarine, CP, FRP nrlibragirl@gmail.com Treasurer Renee Roche, FRP renee@moulelaw.com Secretary Ashley King ajking821@yahoo.com Immediate Past President Kim Nowakowski, RP,FRP
kimberly.nowakowski@healthfirst.org

Job Bank Coordinator Kim M. Dexter, ACP, FCP kdexter@gray-robinson.com Local Bar Liaison Kim Nowakowski, RP, FRP
kimberly.nowakowski@healthfirst.org

Meetings Sabine Martel

for dinner reservations e-mail

BPA is on Facebook!
Search Brevard Paralegal Association and join! We list useful links, information regarding upcoming meetings and events, and its an opportunity to network with fellow members!

bpameetings@yahoo.com Membership Nandra Ramnarine, CP, FRP nrlibragirl@gmail.com Newsletter Editor Kim Nowakowski, RP, FRP
kimberly.nowakowski@ health-first.org

Parliamentarian Toni-Marie DAlessandro, CP, FCP, FRP

tdalessandro@grayrobinson.com

Publicity Jessica Pauley, CP Stardust5055@hotmail.com Ways and Means Linda Goettsche lgoettsche@cfl.rr.com OTHER POSITIONS Historian/Photographer Kim Nowakowski, RP, FRP
kimberly.nowakowski@ health-first.org

Director-at-Large Anne Cope

acope@annecopeconsulting.com

COMMITTEE CHAIRS Budget

Jenny Lawton-Seal, CP, FRP

Were also on Twitter & Linked In!

zzlawtonj@earthlink.net Bylaws and Standing Rules

Maureen Mo Martens, CP, FRP

momartens@cfl.rr.com

PAF Website Kim Nowakowski, RP,FRP

kimberly.nowakowski@healthfirst.org

Membership
59 Active Members 19 Student Members 2 Honorary Members

Community Service Toni-Marie DAlessandro, CP, FCP, FRP

tdalessandro@grayrobinson.com

Education/Scholarship Roma Molinaro, CP, FCP, FRP, MLA rmolinaro@cfl.rr.com Student Liaisons Elizabeth A. Morrone
bethmorrone@rocketmail.com

Debbie Gapsch dgapsch@cfl.rr.com

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The Paralegal Pipeline

PAF Quick Reference

Paralegal Association of Florida, Inc. 466 94th Avenue North St. Petersburg, FL 33702 www.pafinc.org

Mugshots

The Pipeline is always seeking new sponsors. See pricing information on page 4. Contact Kim Nowakowski for more information at
Kimberly.Nowakowski@health-first.org.

BPA President, Silvia Cowan (right) with Octobers guest speaker, Steve Charpentier.

Treasurers Report
Renee C. Roche, FRP, Treasurer

Sadie Hawkins Day November 13th

Did you know In Wyoming, junk dealers may not make any business transactions with drunk persons. In Wisconsin, it is illegal to kiss on a train. In West Virginia, whistling underwater is prohibited. In Washington, X-rays may not be used to fit shoes. In Virginia, it is illegal to tickle women.

Savings $3,843.28 Checking $4,621.67

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The Paralegal Pipeline The Paralegal Pipeline

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Toni-Mari DAlessandro Community Service Chair

BPA

This month BPA will be assisting three local attorneys (who shall remain anonymous) who provide Thanksgiving dinners to families registered with the Brevard Sharing Center. Monetary donations will be collected at the November 10th meeting (and if your firm would like to donate, please bring a check in any amount made payable to BPA). We may not be able to feed all the hungry, but our donations might give hope to a few families in our community. Thank you for giving.

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LAW OFFICES MICHAEL KAHN, P.A.

Office: (321) 242-2564 Fax: (321) 254-2127 Email: Michael@michaelkahnpa.com 482 North Harbor City Boulevard Melbourne, Florida 32935

Are you Looking for a Business Opportunity? Houston Based Company Launching in the Following Counties: Broward, Dade, Indian River, Martin, Palm Beach & St. Lucie Seeking Highly Motivated Individuals Contact Ashley King (321) 604-6257 Ajking821@yahoo.com

BREVARD PARALEGAL ASSOCIATION

a chapter of the Paralegal Association of Florida, Inc.

$500.00 CASH SCHOLARSHIP

Brevard Paralegal Association (BPA) awards an annual $500.00 Cash Scholarship to a qualified applicant for the specific purpose of encouraging students enrolled in paralegal programs in Brevard County to complete their degree. Scholarship funds will be awarded based on adherence to the rules, qualifications and need. Recognizing that students have expenses that surpass the boundaries of the classroom, BPA places no restriction on the way the funds will be used by the recipient.

RULES
1. Applicant/Recipient must be enrolled in and attending paralegal studies classes at Brevard Community College and provide evidence of same with the Application. Applicant must submit the $500.00 Cash Scholarship Application to the BPA Education/Scholarship Committee (Committee) Chair no later than November 30, 2011. Applicant must legibly complete the essay portion of the application, which will be judged on originality, writing clarity, and content. The Committee shall judge the applications and make a recommendation to the Board of Directors. Upon ratification by the Board of Directors, the scholarship recipient will be notified in writing and the name will be published in the BPA newsletter. The cash award will be given at the December 2011 meeting. By submitting this application, the applicant agrees that the winning essay may (but will not necessarily) be published in the BPA Newsletter or publications of the Paralegal Association of Florida, Inc. or the National Association of Legal Assistants, Inc. No application received after November 30, 2011, will be considered. BPA reserves the right to not award a $500.00 Cash Scholarship.. A runner-up may be chosen, but will not be notified unless the winner forfeits the award.

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$500.00 CASH SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION FORM

BREVARD PARALEGAL ASSOCIATION

a chapter of the Paralegal Association of Florida, Inc. DEADLINE: November 30, 2011 (Please type or print legibly) NAME: _______________________________________________E: MAIL: _____________________________ ADDRESS: ______________________________________CITY: __________________ ZIP: _______________ HOME PHONE: ___________________ WORK/CELL PHONE: _________________ FAX:________________ EDUCATION: List name and address of the school you are currently attending, if applicable. Please include the name and phone number of the director of the paralegal studies department. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ESSAY: On a separate sheet of paper, tell us why you decided to enroll in a paralegal studies program, what goals you have for your future and your career, and how $500.00 in cash would be of help to you at this point in your studies. Your essay must be legibly printed or typed and not more than 500 words. It will be judged for clarity in writing, originality and content. Please remember to attach it to your completed application. TERMS OF SCHOLARSHIP: I understand that my permission may be asked to publish my essay in a professional newsletter or magazine. I also understand there are no limitations on the way the $500.00 scholarship award can be used. PLEASE REVIEW YOUR APPLICATION CAREFULLY TO BE CERTAIN IT IS COMPLETE

DATE: ____________________, 2011

__________________________________________________ Signature DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT IS November 30, 2011

Mail completed application to: Brevard Paralegal Association c/o Roma Molinaro, CP, FCP, FRP 482 N. Harbor City Blvd. Melbourne, FL 32935 (321) 242-2564 ____________________________________________________________________________________________ FOR SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE USE ONLY Date Received: _________________, 2011 __ Scholarship Awarded in the Amount of $500.00 Date Awarded: ______________________

BREVARD PARALEGAL ASSOCIATION

a chapter of the Paralegal Association of Florida, Inc.

ROSEANN NELSON, CP PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SCHOLARSHIP

Brevard Paralegal Association (ABPA@) awards an annual Professional Development Scholarship to a qualified applicant for the specific purpose of encouraging chapter members to attain the CP, ACP, or FCP designation. Scholarship funds are allocated upon the recipient=s presentation of proof of completion of the exam. The amount reimbursed to the recipient may include the following: CP Application Fee, Study Guide (OR) ACP (CP required) Application Fee, Study Guide (if available) (OR) FCP (CP required) Application Fee, Study Guide, Review Course (if available)

RULES
1. Applicant must be a current active or student member in good standing with BPA and the Paralegal Association of Florida, Inc. (APAF@), and meet the qualifications required to take the selected exam. Applicant must submit the Professional Development Scholarship Application to the BPA Education/Scholarship Committee (ACommittee@) Chair by US mail or hand delivery no later than November 30, 2011. Applicant must legibly complete the essay portion of the application, which will be judged on originality, writing clarity, and content. The Committee shall judge the applications and make a recommendation to the Board of Directors. Upon ratification by the Board of Directors, the scholarship recipient will be notified in writing and the name will be published in an issue of the BPA newsletter. The award will be given at the December 2011, BPA meeting. The Scholarship recipient will be presented with a certificate for the examination application fee, study guide (if applicable) and review course (if the CFLA exam is chosen and course is available). This certificate may be redeemed upon presentation of evidence that the recipient has taken the exam. A runner-up will be chosen, but will not be notified unless the winner forfeits the award or does not meet the requirements to sit for the exam. Any certificate not redeemed within one (1) year will be forfeited. The winning essay may, but will not necessarily be published in the BPA Newsletter or publications of PAF or the National Association of Legal Assistants, Inc. Applications received after November 30, 2011 will not be considered. BPA reserves the right to not award a Professional Development Scholarship.

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BREVARD PARALEGAL ASSOCIATION

a chapter of the Paralegal Association of Florida, Inc.

ROSEANN NELSON, CP PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION FORM

DEADLINE: November 30, 2011 (Please type or print legibly) I am applying for: ___________________________________________________________________________ (Exam/Date to be taken) (Amount) NAME: _______________________________________________E: MAIL: _____________________________ ADDRESS: ______________________________________CITY: __________________ ZIP: _______________ HOME PHONE: ___________________ CELL or WORK PHONE: __________________ FAX: _________________

EDUCATION: In chronological order, beginning with most recent, list the names and addresses of all schools you have attended, including high school, and any degrees/certificates/awards earned. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ESSAY: On a separate sheet of paper, tell us why you believe completing this exam is important to you. Your essay must be legibly printed or typed and not more than 300 words. It will be judged for clarity in writing, originality and content. Please remember to attach it to your completed application. TERMS OF SCHOLARSHIP: I understand that, if I am awarded the Professional Development Scholarship, BPA may publish my essay in a professional newsletter or magazine but has no obligation to do so. I also understand that if I am awarded the Professional Development Scholarship, I shall be responsible for paying the exam and/or study material fees. Upon submission of proof that I have completed same, I will be reimbursed for the approved Professional Development Scholarship amount and certify that I will not seek reimbursement from any other source. PLEASE REVIEW YOUR APPLICATION CAREFULLY TO BE CERTAIN IT IS COMPLETE

DATE:

, 2011

__________________________________________________ Signature

DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT IS November 30, 2011 Mail completed application to: Brevard Paralegal Association c/o Roma Molinaro, CP, FCP, FRP 482 N. Harbor City Blvd. Melbourne, FL 32935 (321) 242-2564 roma@michaelkahnpa.com ____________________________________________________________________________________________ FOR SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE USE ONLY Date Received: _________________, 2011 Scholarship Awarded in the Amount of $_______________________ Exam taken: __CP __ACP __FCP; Date Completed: _______________ Date Reimbursed: _______________