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School time is here again and I know all of you mothers are breathing a sigh of relief!! Summer cannot end quickly enough!! There was a great turnout from Fresno at the June CAPA Conference in San Diego and I don't know about any of the rest of you, but when I grow up I'm going to live on Coronado Island in San Diego. San Diego is a beautiful town, but Coronado is the ultimate in living. White sandy beaches, the beautiful hotel, gorgeous homes on the island and wonderful shops and restaurants. Makes me wish I had been born rich instead of beautiful!!!! Notwithstanding the location, the conference was also spectacular. SJALA received "Outstanding Membership Award" from CAPA for being a member since 1982. There were classes on every topic imaginable. The ones I attended were the electronic discovery and ethics for the paralegal. With respect to electronic discovery, taught by Susan Emrich, computer discovery just isn't about computers, but is about what people do with computers. We were given information that almost all cases involve consideration of computer or electronic discovery and how to evaluate the role of electronic evidence. There was much discussion regarding email, voice mails and other electronic communications, forensic examination of hard drivers and other media. We were given pages of information for questions for depositions and discovery requests. It was very interesting and enlightening. Ethics for the paralegal presented by Peter Thompson was very informative. We all need to be very aware not to practice law or provide legal advice. Mr. Thompson is actually a malpractice attorney and has sued paralegals for the unauthorized practice of law. So be very aware of what you are doing every day when dealing directly with clients. Mr. Thompson also talked at length about the conflicts that arise when changing job, especially if you are going to a firm that may be on different sides or involved in the same case or cases. He talked about the so called "Chinese walls" and how they are a very gray area and gave us tips as far as disclosure before and after starting work. Our September speaker will be Investigator Scott Nelson and he will be talking to us about updates in the new privacy legislation and how it relates to investigators and lawyers. This is an area that will affect each and every one of us in how we obtain information and what information will be able to be available to us, so please plan to attend. We are working hand in hand with the Lawyers Have Heart
Run in connection with the American Heart Walk on September 15th. Please encourage your
firms to participate in this very worthwhile event. Heart disease strikes every 29 seconds
and someone suffers a stroke every 53 seconds. Especially in our very stressful profession
it is important to support research work for the American Heart Association by
participating in this event. If you have not received information concerning this event,
please contact me. Even if you cannot participate in either the walk or the run, we need
volunteers to Our annual educational seminar is coming up on October 20th and the fliers are included in this newsletter. This will be a great seminar not only for education benefits, but for the chance to get together with a group of your peers. Please come and participate. Finally, it is time for nominations of officers for 2001. This is the time when you can become involved in your association or nominate someone you know is interested but doesn't know how to get involved. We always need new faces, fresh ideas and enthusiasm. Don't be afraid to nominate anyone or yourself for any of the positions. A year may seem like a long commitment, but believe me when I say that it flies by before you know it. The connections you can make and the people you meet are worth far more than the time it takes to participate. Please get INVOLVED and become part of our TEAM!!! Pam Buchnoff, CLA President, SJALA |
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