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 DALLAS AREA

 PARALEGAL ASSOCIATION

Upcoming events

    • Tuesday, February 18, 2025
    • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
    • Arts District Mansion | 2101 Ross Ave, Dallas, TX 75201
    Register


    GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

    How AI Is Shaping Legal Strategies


    Our February General Membership Meeting will be in-person at the Arts District Mansion and presented by Alexandra Wahl. 


    Alexandra Wahl focuses on a wide variety of business and commercial civil litigation matters involving contract disputes, products and premises liability, DTPA claims, franchise matters, landlord tenant disputes and evictions, the Texas Dealer Protection Act, will contests, fiduciary litigation, trusts and estates, and employment agreements containing non-compete, non-solicitation, forfeiture-for-competition and confidentiality clauses, among others. Alex has experience advocating for clients in state and federal court, arbitration, and mediation.

    Prior to joining Wick Phillips, Alex served as a clerk for the Honorable Judge Jane Boyle in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. For several years, Alex specialized in probate before broadening her practice to include general civil litigation.


    GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING SPONSOR

    Thank you to DAPA’s Sustaining Member, Magna Legal Services for sponsoring February’s General Membership Meeting. Thanks to Magna Legal Services for their support, we will be hosting two gift card drawings during the presentation, so do not miss your chance to learn, connect, and win!

    Magna Legal Services is a leading provider of litigation support services to law firms, insurance companies, and corporations, offering a broad array of services that support clients through each phase of the litigation process, including court reporting, graphics design, jury consulting, record retrieval, and translation services. From discovery through trial, Magna has you covered.


    Denise Sustaita

    Director of Business Development

    Email: dsustaita@MagnaLS.com

    Tel: 281.770-9369


    This event qualifies for 1.0 hour of General CLE credit through DAPA.

    *** For additional questions regarding this event, please contact Caroline Rose programs@dallasparalegals.org


    Optional Lunch Buffet

    Price includes tax/gratuity

    $14 Soup and Salad only

    $18 Full Buffet


    Parking

    $5 Parking Garage 

    • Wednesday, February 19, 2025
    • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
    • Zoom
    • 39
    Register

    Medical Specialty Section + CLE

    Ten Things You Need to Know About Medicaid & Medicare (Part 2)

    Speaker:  

    Pi-Yi Mayo


    Pi-Yi Mayo is a member of the Texas Bar Association, the Houston Bar Association, and the East Harris County Bar Association and Texas Trial Lawyers Association. He is a member and past president of the Texas Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. Pi-Yi is a past president (2012) and founding member of the Special Needs Alliance, a national organization of attorneys dedicated to serving families of persons with disabilities. He is a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA) by the National Elder Law Foundation and he has earned his V.A. Accreditation from the Department of Veterans Affairs.


    Pi-Yi has built a national reputation as an expert in elder law and special needs trusts. He presents nation-wide on topics surrounding elder law, special needs trusts and public benefits. He has authored more than 50 papers covering a wide range of issues and he has presented hundreds of speeches for attorneys, CPAs, government entities, judges, and most importantly, the elderly, people with disabilities and their family members and care-givers.


    Pi-Yi serves as administrator to more than 70 qualified settlement funds from jurisdictions all over the United States and has nearly $80,000,000.00 under management.


    Pi-Yi is an avid outdoors man and when he’s not managing the office, public speaking, or practicing law, he enjoys hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities. His greatest joy comes from spending time with his family especially his grandchildren.

    This event qualifies for 1.0 hour of General CLE credit through DAPA.

    ***For additional questions regarding this event, please contact Elena Taylor at medical@dallasparalegals.org.

    • Thursday, February 20, 2025
    • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
    • Zoom
    Register


    DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION PRESENTATION:

    BLACK HISTORY MONTH 


    BEYOND THE BENCH



    This presentation will take everyone through the journey of Black History Month and its importance to our country and legal field. It will also take a deep dive into Judge Nash's experience beyond the bench as an African American elected official.

    Judge Valencia Nash was sworn into office January 1, 2007 and presides as Justice of the Peace for Precinct 1, Place 2. Precinct 1 is a large area in the southern part of Dallas County which includes: South Dallas, Oak Cliff, Lancaster, Wilmer, Hutchins, Desoto, Duncanville, and Glenn Heights. She was selected as the 1st Administrative Judge for Justices of the Peace in Dallas County in 2023.

    Judge Nash was born and raised in Dallas, Texas in the Highland Hills community and attended Wilmer-Hutchins High School. She graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science; and received her Juris Doctorate Degree from Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas. Judge Nash is licensed and has practiced law in Florida, Georgia, and Texas. She has practiced in the areas of environmental law and justice, family law, juvenile law, landlord-tenant law, construction law and litigation.

    Prior to being elected, Judge Nash was in private practice. She has worked as Corporate Counsel for Thacker Family of Companies in Atlanta, Georgia, and for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection as lead enforcement attorney in the Solid Waste section and the Bureau of Emergency Response.

    Her legal internships have included the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region 6; the Office of United States Representative Sheila Jackson Lee; and the Office of City Attorney of Houston in the Land Use and Environmental Section.

    On November 3, 2008, Judge Nash was appointed to the Texas Judicial Council by Chief Justice Wallace B. Jefferson of the Supreme Court of Texas and has been reappointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court seven times. The Texas Judicial Council is the policy making body for the state judiciary. She teaches courses at the Texas Justice Court Training Center (TJCTC) including Juvenile Law, Case Management During the Pandemic, Procedural Fairness, Complex Cases, and Children in the Courts: Diversion and Supporting Success.

    Judge Nash has volunteered her time through the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program serving the community through the Hurricane Katrina Legal Clinic, the Housing Crisis Center, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center and the West Dallas Center. She has also volunteered at the C.A.W. Clark Legal Clinic at Good Street Baptist Church and currently serves at the monthly Legal Clinic at Friendship West Baptist Church.

    In addition to her professional accomplishments, Judge Nash is a Girl Scout Troop Leader, and an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She is also the President of the Lancaster Lions Club.

    She has been re-elected to the office of Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1, Place 2 for five terms to serve until 2026. Judge Nash created a monthly legal clinic for Seniors Citizens in Precinct 1 to assist with legal preparation and prevention.

    Judge Nash is married to Melvin W. McShann and they have twin daughters, Madeline and McKenna. They attend Friendship West Baptist Church where Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, Ill is their Pastor.

    This event qualifies for 1.0 hour of General CLE credit through DAPA and 1.0 hour of General CLE credit through JLTLA.

    *** For additional questions regarding this event, please contact DAPA'S DEI Chair, Venisha Harmon at diversity@dallasparalegals.org or JLTLA Paralegal Section Chair, Andréa Clark, TBLS-BCP, at jltlaparalegal@gmail.com. ***

    • Friday, February 28, 2025
    • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
    • Zoom
    • 81
    Register



    Dual Support:

    Healing And Empowering Professional Women One At A Time

    Speaker:  

    Sonjanita Coleman Jordan


    Sonjanita Coleman Jordan is the owner of LA Paralegals, LLC and the CEO of DUAL Support, Inc. a non-profit organization focused on helping and healing women going through trauma as it relates to relationships, separation and/or divorce. She has been a paralegal for 20 years with a vast career that spans several areas.


    She is a 2004 graduate of the University of New Orleans Paralegal Studies Program where she received her Paralegal Certificate. She is a former member of the New Orleans Paralegal Association (NOPA) and served 3 terms as its president from 2015-2017. Sonjanita is an original member of NFPA’s Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity Committee and is a passionate proponent of rehabilitative grace and restorative justice. She was awarded NFPA’s inaugural Justice Champion Award in 2018 and NOPA’s 2016 Paralegal of the Year Award. She also served as NOPA’s Student Mentor Committee Chair for 2 years.


    Sonjanita is a former member of the Louisiana State Paralegal Association (LSPA) and was awarded LSPA’s 2011 Outstanding Paralegal of the Year Award. Sonjanita serves on the Paralegal Advisory Board at Herzing University and Northshore Technical Community College. She also serves on the General Legal Studies Advisory Board at Tulane University. She is also an adjunct professor, speaker, author and Master Life Coach.

    This event qualifies for 1.0 hour of General CLE credit through DAPA.

    ***For additional questions regarding this event, please contact Melody Johnson at pd@dallasparalegals.org.

    • Tuesday, March 18, 2025
    • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
    • Online via Zoom
    Register


    GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

    The Perfect Pair: Achieving Efficiency Through the Attorney-Paralegal Relationship 


    Our March General Membership Meeting will be via Zoom and presented by Bri Holcombe and Melissa Tubbs.  

    Melissa Tubbs is a proud Houstonian and graduate of Texas A&M University (Whoop!). Melissa has been a paralegal since 2017 practicing in family law, estate planning and probate. Outside the office, Melissa loves spending quality time with her family, especially her daughter, Makena, and husband, Marquis.

    Bri Holcombe is a Houston native who graduated from Baylor University and Belmont University College of Law. She is licensed to practice law in the states of Texas and Tennessee. When Bri is not advocating for her clients, she is rooting for the Baylor Bears and Houston Astros! But what she loves most in life is her sweet “blacken-doodle” puppy, Astro!

    Since joining Hunt Law Firm, PLLC in 2021—Bri in February and Melissa in May—this dynamic Attorney-Paralegal team has become an unstoppable force. Specializing in family law and estate planning, Melissa and Bri combine their skills and expertise to deliver exceptional client outcomes as a team. Their seamless collaboration and shared commitment have made them a powerful unit within the firm.


    MARCH'S GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING SPONSOR

     

    Thank you to DAPA’s Sustaining Member, InfoTrack for sponsoring March's General Membership Meeting. Thanks to InfoTrack for their support, we’ll be hosting two gift card drawings during the presentation, so don’t miss your chance to learn, connect, and win!

    InfoTrack integrates with popular legal software to streamline the litigation workflow. By automatically syncing client data, case documents, and billing information, InfoTrack helps law firms manage eFiling, process serving, eSignatures, and more with greater speed and accuracy. With InfoTrack, law firms have the power to improve productivity and increase profitability.

    Veronica Williams

    Growth Marketing Manager

    Tel: 480-540-5966

    Email: veronica.williams@infotrack.com
    https://www.infotrack.com/


    This event qualifies for 1.0 hour of General CLE credit through DAPA.

    ***For additional questions regarding this event, please contact Programs Vice President, Caroline Rose at programs@dallasparalegals.org.

    • Friday, March 28, 2025
    • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
    • Zoom
    • 48
    Register

    Litigation Specialty Section + CLE

    Jurisprudence

    Speaker:  

    John A. Bermingham, Jr

    John A. Bermingham, Jr. Esq. is a New Jersey Attorney who has over 15 years of experience as in-house counsel and has his own law firm where he leads negotiations in business deals, transactional matters, corporate law and contract law. Additionally, as a side - he provides pro-bono legal services for the disadvantaged, students and the elderly.

    Attorney Bermingham is admitted to practice in the United States Supreme Court, the Supreme Court of New Jersey and all other state courts of New Jersey; and admitted to the District Court for the Federal District of New Jersey.

    Attorney Bermingham is also a professor who teaches Constitutional Law, Business Law, and other various law classes for Purdue University, Southern New Hampshire University, Centenary University and recently Moravian University. In 2013, Centenary College awarded Professor Bermingham with the Adjunct Excellence Award as voted on by students in the program and Centenary University awarded him as adjunct professor of the year in 2020. He received Adjunct Professor of the Year for Purdue University in 2015 and 2022.

    He received his Bachelor of Science in Justice Studies at Arizona State University, his MBA with a Concentration in Criminal Justice at Saint Leo University and his Juris Doctor at Catholic University in Washington, DC.

    Furthermore, John Bermingham was elected by the people of Upper Mount Bethel, Pennsylvania in the November, 2015, General Election to the Upper Mount Bethel Board of Supervisors and was re-elected for a Board of Supervisor position in 2021, where he will be serving until 2027. Currently, John is the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors for Upper Mount Bethel and has been for over five years.

    John has authored four children’s books: 1) Our Gift from God 2) Our Family Picture 3) The Firefighters of Upper Mount Bethel and 4) The Road Crew of Upper Mount Bethel.

    He lives in Upper Mount Bethel with his wife Laura, their ten-year-old son John (“JC”), and six-year-old son Michael. He has published articles for the National Association of Legal Assistants/Paralegals (NALA) and worked on their examination questions for paralegals.

    This event qualifies for 1.0 hour of General CLE credit through DAPA.

    ***For additional questions regarding this event, please contact Elena Taylor at medical@dallasparalegals.org.

    • Tuesday, April 15, 2025
    • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
    • Arts District Mansion | 2101 Ross Ave, Dallas, TX 75201
    Register


    GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

    FROM PARALEGAL STUDIES TO PATENT ATTORNEY AND ARBITRATOR

    Our April General Membership Meeting will be in-person at the Arts District Mansion and presented by Venky Venkatraman. 

     


    Experienced attorney, mediator, consultant, and arbitrator with a multicultural background having lived, studied, and worked in different countries specializing primarily in international and domestic business, information technology, and intellectual property law. Highly experienced in the information technology industry, especially expert in outsourcing involving companies and teams in various countries. Registered Patent Attorney experienced with filing and prosecuting patents and trademarks with the USPTO. Licensed to practice law in the State of New York.

    Admitted to:
    - the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
    - the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
    - the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
    - the United States Supreme Court

    Registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trade Office (USPTO). Credentialed as an Advanced Mediator by the Texas Mediator Credentialing Association. Appointed to the American Arbitration Association's Roster of Arbitrators and Mediators as a Commercial and Consumer Arbitrator and Mediator specializing in Domestic Business, International Business, Information Technology, and Intellectual Property.

    APRIL'S GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING SPONSOR


    Thank you to DAPA’s Sustaining Member, A-Legal/Complete Legal for sponsoring April's General Membership Meeting. Thanks to A-Legal/Complete Legal for their support, we’ll be hosting two gift card drawings during the presentation, so don’t miss your chance to learn, connect, and win!


    A-Legal/Complete Legal is a full-service litigation support firm offering law firms & corporations turn-key document support from copies & printing, deposition & court reporter, eDiscovery/ESI, records retrieval and trial support. A-Legal/Complete Legal is known for their consistent quality and adaptation to emerging technologies, offering cutting edge technology and amenities that make the legal professional’s life easier, along with a high level personal attention and service.


    Sharon Wood

    Tel: 214-593-0160

    Email: saw@alegal.com
    https://www.alegal.com/

    This event qualifies for 1.0 hour of General CLE credit through DAPA.

    *** For additional questions regarding this event, please contact Caroline Rose programs@dallasparalegals.org


    Optional Lunch Buffet

    Price includes tax/gratuity

    $14 Soup and Salad only

    $18 Full Buffet


    Parking

    $5 Parking Garage 

    • Tuesday, May 20, 2025
    • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
    • Arts District Mansion | 2101 Ross Ave, Dallas, TX 75201
    Register


    GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

    USING TECHNOLOGY FROM COLLECTION THROUGH REVIEW

    Our May General Membership Meeting will be in-person at the Arts District Mansion and presented by Edward Fiducia. 

     

    Throughout his 30+ year career in the legal technology space, Ed has been a technology expert while also possessing a solid understanding of the legal discovery process – a rare combination.   Beginning with document coding in the early 90’s, through the evolution of database creation, e-discovery, hosted applications and concept search technologies, Ed has worked in virtually every aspect of the industry. Ed currently works with clients to customize review workflows and determine appropriate e-discovery solutions from both a technology and Discovery Management standpoint.


    The sheer volume of discovery is making it virtually mandatory to automate the document review, selection, production and post-production process (i.e., deposition preparation, briefing, and trial). Not only are lawyers having to figure out how to handle the sometimes staggering volume of e-mail and other e-discovery, they're having to figure out how to handle it in a way that is complementary to and builds on the procedures that are already in place for handling paper-based productions.


    This course explores an attorney’s Ethical Duty of Competence specific to issues involving electronic discovery, beginning in the early parts of the discovery phase of complex litigation during which parties are obligated to review documents then either produce relevant documents or withhold privileged ones. During this course the presenter will compare and contrast methods for electronically searching and reviewing documents including Technology Assisted Review (TAR), Early Case Assessment, Keyword, Concept Search and Document Clustering Technology, Boolean Logic, Fuzzy, and Word Association. In addition, we will explore the use of technology in performing potential spoliation audits of documents received from opposing counsel as well as use of the search functionality during deposition or trial.

    MAY'S GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING SPONSOR

    DataPlus Advantage Inc dba Open Door Solutions

     

    Thank you to DAPA’s Sustaining Member, Open Door Solutions for sponsoring May's General Membership Meeting. Thanks to Open Door Solutions for their support, we’ll be hosting two gift card drawings during the presentation, so don’t miss your chance to learn, connect, and win!

    Open Door Solutions is a Dallas-based company, providing litigation support services and document management solutions to law firms and corporations nationwide. Utilizing proven technologies and sound business practices, they provide premiere services that adhere to industry standards and exceed their clients' expectations. For more information about Open Door Solutions and the services they provide, please contact Bob Sweat, Open Door Solutions Automated Litigation Specialist.

    Bob Sweat

    Tel: 214-643-0000

    Email: bsweat@opendoorsolutions.com
    http://www.opendoorsolutions.com


    This event qualifies for 1.0 hour of General CLE and 0.50 of Ethics CLE credit through DAPA.

    *** For additional questions regarding this event, please contact Caroline Rose programs@dallasparalegals.org.


    Optional Lunch Buffet

    Price includes tax/gratuity

    $14 Soup and Salad only

    $18 Full Buffet


    Parking

    $5 Parking Garage 

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Dallas Area Paralegal Association
P.O. Box 12533
Dallas, Texas 75225-0533