P R E S I D E N T’ S M E S S A G E
SUMMERTIME IS HERE!
ummer time is here, and I
hope you are enjoying it. I
enjoy winter, and as a native
of Cleveland, Ohio, I always look forward to snow; especially the good
storms that close the office and my
children’s school. But I also look forward to summer; the family barbeques, coaching soccer, fishing, and
the family vacation. As the change of
seasons affects what we do on a personal level, it also provides opportunity to change things we do on a professional level.
S
R O B E R T S. H R O U D A , RP ®
NFPA P R E S I D E N T
BY
Mission Statement:
The National Federation
of Paralegal Associations,
Inc. promotes a global
presence for the
paralegal profession and
leadership in the legal
community.
Purpose: To advance
the paralegal
profession.
1 National Paralegal Reporter®
Summer means the students get
time to relax from the books, tests
and reports. Some are thinking about
what the next year will bring at
school, and others are contemplating
the start of their career. But no matter what year of study you are currently in, this is a time to consider
your next step.
R ESEARCH O PTIONS
If you are a paralegal student reading this, I encourage you to take
some time this summer to research
local paralegal associations. See if
they have summer events in which
you can participate and join the association. Associations are constantly
looking for students to write articles
for their newsletters, to help with various committees or enhance their
website (or create one), and to offer
insight into ways that the local association can attract students to join
them in advancing the paralegal profession; a profession which you are
about to enter.
R EACH O UT
I also want to encourage association members to reach out to your
local schools and start a mentorship
program for paralegal students. I had
the privilege of assisting a local community college with a mentoring program and it was very rewarding. It
was nice to see the students work
their way through classes. After graduation, many are working as paralegals and mentoring other students.
Being a mentor provides the mentor
and the student with the opportunity
to discuss items such as current educational trends and trends in the profession. Mentoring offers a new world
of networking. For the student, working with a mentor opens up a new
view to the paralegal profession. You
can ask your mentor for help with
school projects, help navigating various legal websites for your research,
and help networking with other paralegals in the area. Furthermore, this
connection may help when trying to
land that first paralegal job. A mentor
can provide advice on resume writ-
P R E S I D E N T’ S M E S S A G E
ation and the profession. I encourage our paralegal members to seek out mentorship
opportunities and for our students to seek out a mentor. I want to wish our students
the best of luck in your studies. We look forward to welcoming you to a challenging,
yet rewarding, profession.
Robert S. Hrouda, RP, is litigation paralegal with Hangley Aronchick Segal Pudlin &
Schiller, in Philadelphia, PA. Hrouda is a 1992 graduate of Temple University, having
received a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Law & Business. He is a three-term
President of the Philadelphia Association of Paralegals, has served as Vice President and
Director of Positions and Issues for NFPA, and is the President of the National
Federation of Paralegal Associations, Inc.
ing, interviewing, how to seek out employment opportunities, and the Paralegal
CORE Competency Exam™.
M UCH T O G AIN
So as you can see, there is so much that
paralegals can offer to paralegal students,
and so much the students can offer to paralegals and their associations. Mentorship
provides a great opportunity to begin this
working relationship. Students are the
future of our profession and our future
leaders. Becoming a mentor will help our
students, which in turn will help our associJUNE / JULY 2013 2
Patenting Biomedicine Inventions
PATENTING
BIOMEDICINE
INVENTIONS
BY
WILLIAM D. NOONAN, M.D., J.D.
e live in an Age of Biotechnology driven by a
revolution in genetic science. The human genetic code (the Human Genome) has been deciphered
and even modified to help understand or cure many human
diseases. Genetic engineering produces safer and more effective synthetic drugs such as insulin and growth hormone
than in the past. Mutations in the genetic code are detected to predict whether a patient will develop a disease such as breast cancer, or respond to a particular drug. Physicians can even determine and analyze the entire genetic
code of a patient to guide individualized treatment (personalized medicine) through a patient’s lifetime.
W
Changes in biomedical technology
have truly revolutionized medicine, but
these advances have also created legal and
ethical dilemmas, particularly in the field of intellectual property. Should methods of diagnosing genetic
disease be patented? Are DNA molecules patentable? Can a
physician infringe a patent by thinking about a diagnosis or
taking steps to save a patient’s life? Do patents motivate
inventors or unjustly reward biotechnology companies who
charge too much for their patented tests and treatments?
Would medical progress be slowed and lives lost if biomedical patent rights were impaired? The Age of Biotechnology
has been an era of ethical and economic controversies.
3 National Paralegal Reporter®
AN AGE
OF
BIOTECHNOLOGY
The Age of Biotechnology began in the
1970s when scientists in California developed gene splicing techniques called
“recombinant DNA technology”
that allowed animal genetic
information to be altered or
even moved between
organisms.
These
altered
organisms,
such as bacteria,
were used as small
“factories” to perform powerful
experiments
and produce
therapeutic prot e i n s
such as
Patenting Biomedicine Inventions
insulin. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (Patent Office)
supported the growth of the early biotechnology industry by recognizing
the patentability of these inventions and granting broad patent protection for them. The patents gave patent owners the right to exclude others from using their patented invention for a limited period (17
years at that time). The patent system had previously fostered the
growth of many other industries throughout American history, and it was poised to do the same for biotechnology.
However the business community remained skeptical
about the worth of biotechnology inventions until the
United States Supreme Court in 1980 decided Diamond
v. Chakrabarty. In that case the Supreme Court determined that genetically modified microorganisms were
entitled to patent protection. The Court broadly encouraged patent protection for biomedical inventions by
noting that “anything under the sun that is made by the
hand of man” could be patented. Once it became clear
that the courts would protect this remarkable new type
of invention, a biomedical gold rush began. New
biotechnology companies were formed and biomedical
innovation began to revolutionize the diagnosis and
treatment of disease. The United States had taken an
early lead in protecting this new class of inventions and
it soon became the world leader in this technology.
Also in 1980 Congress passed the Bayh-Dole Act to
make it easier for universities to own patented inventions developed by their researchers using federal grant funds. The number of university patents increased greatly in subsequent years, and many of them were biomedical patents. Critics argued that it was wrong for government-sponsored
research to be patented since it had been paid for by the public and should be free
for all to use. However, the critics were silenced by the success of the Bayh-Dole
Act in encouraging the transfer of patent rights to biotechnology companies to further develop the inventions, obtain FDA approval where needed, and sell the
inventions commercially. In the absence of patent protection too many government-financed innovations had been unable to make the expensive transition
from the laboratory to the marketplace. With patent protection the inventions
CHANGES
IN BIOMEDICAL TECHNOLOGY HAVE TRULY
REVOLUTIONIZED MEDICINE, BUT THESE ADVANCES HAVE
ALSO CREATED LEGAL AND ETHICAL DILEMMAS , PARTICULARLY IN THE FIELD OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY .
became
the
foundation of successful new biotechnology companies
that spurred the American economy
and revolutionized industries from
agriculture to medicine.
The Human
Genome
The 1990s brought a new era of DNA
research as scientists started to decode
the human genetic blueprint that is
known as the “human genome.” The
federal government financed a $ 3 billion project to decipher the genetic
code (DNA sequences) and massive
amounts of valuable information
began to emerge about the structure
of human genes, mutations that cause
JUNE / JULY 2013 4
Patenting Biomedicine Inventions
disease, and possible cures. Patent
applications were soon filed on thousands of DNA sequences derived from
human genes and a new controversy
emerged about whether “human genes”
were patentable. The United States
Patent Office decided that human genes
as they occur in the human body are not
patentable, but DNA molecules that
encode the genes could be patented only
if they were in an isolated or purified
form as they were found in the laboratory and not in a human body. The transformation of the underlying genetic
information into a useful laboratory
invention made it patent eligible.
THE SUPREME COURT
IS CURRENTLY CONSIDERING AN
EVEN MORE CONTROVERSIAL CASE KNOWN AS
A SSOCIATION FOR M OLECULAR
PATHOLOGY V. M YRIAD G ENETICS
ABOUT THE BRCA GENE PATENTS .
P AT E N T I N G M E D I C A L A N D
SURGICAL PROCEDURES
The success of these biotechnology
patents encouraged physicians to patent
methods of medical and surgical treatment. For example, an eye surgeon
patented a method of cataract surgery
that used a curved self-sealing incision.
Many medical organizations complained that such “medical procedure”
patents would limit the ability of physicians to choose the best treatment for a
patient, or even expose the doctor or
others to patent infringement damages
for performing a patented procedure in
an emergency without first obtaining a patent license. For example, if
the Heimlich maneuver had been patented would it prevent a bystander
from saving a choking person? Congress intervened in 1996 to generally shield individual physicians from monetary damages, but allowed
medical procedure patents to be enforced against companies that made
medical devices and drugs.
SUPREME COURT INTERVENES
The last 15 years have been a time of diminishing patent rights for
biotechnology inventions. Courts have applied an increasingly stringent
test of patentability that has made it more difficult to patent inventions
in the life sciences. A recent example is the patent in Mayo v.
5 National Paralegal Reporter®
Prometheus in which the correct dosage of a
thiopurine drug was established by administering
the drug to a patient, measuring the level of the
drug metabolites in the blood, and determining
whether the dosage of the drug should be adjusted based on the test result. Last year the United
States Supreme Court found the patent invalid
because it impermissibly patented a natural law
and would have interfered with a physician’s
treatment decisions. This decision has grave
implications for the patentability of many methods of medical diagnosis and treatment.
Patenting Biomedicine Inventions
The Supreme Court is currently considering an even
more controversial case known as Association for
Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics about the
BRCA gene patents. This long-running controversy
began in the 1990s when scientists at the University of
Utah and elsewhere discovered two genes (known as
BRCA1 and BRCA2) that were mutated in women who
developed breast cancer. Identifying the genes and the
cancer-causing mutations gave physicians a powerful
new tool to predict whether a woman was likely to develop breast cancer. Women with the mutation could be
monitored more closely to find early-stage tumors. Some
women with the mutation even decided to have their
breasts removed to prevent the disease from developing.
RIGHTS
OF
P AT I E N T S
AND
USERS
The BRCA inventions were licensed to a biotechnology
company called Myriad Genetics which eventually
obtained patents on “isolated” forms of DNA sequences
that could be made only in a laboratory and were not
found in the same form in the human body. The company also patented methods of predicting whether a
woman would develop breast cancer by determining
whether a woman carried the mutated gene. Since
Myriad Genetics held the patents they were able to
exclude other companies and even universities from performing the test in competition with them. As the sole
source of the test Myriad Genetics was able to charge
$2,000 — $3,000 for each patient who was tested.
products would probably be less expensive without patent
protection, the risk is that they will be developed in other
countries or not at all.
The Supreme Court is also currently considering another
case related to seeds patented by Monsanto. The issue is
whether a farmer can infringe Monsanto’s patents by harvesting the patented seeds from plants and using them to
grow a new crop. The ability of this patented invention to
“replicate itself” by natural growth outside a laboratory has
stirred controversy about the types of acts required to commit patent infringement.
William D. Noonan, M.D., J.D. is a partner at Klarquist Sparkman, LLP in
Portland, Oregon. He has degrees in both
law and medicine (JD/MD) and specializes in biomedical patent law.
Any views expressed herein are those of the author alone, and are
not to be imputed to his firm or clients.
Myriad’s competitors complained that they were
unable to perform the profitable patented test, and uninsured patients were often unable or unwilling to pay for
it. Some bioethicists argued that it was unethical for any
company to have patent rights on an invention that was
derived from our common genetic heritage. The
American Civil Liberties Union filed a suit on behalf of
the patent’s opponents. A decision from the Supreme
Court is expected this summer and many observers think
the Court will decide that isolated DNA sequences cannot
be patented because they are too similar to molecules
found in nature. If that were the outcome, then the
United States would be the only country among the
major industrialized nations of the world to take that
position. Although genetic tests and other biotechnology
JUNE / JULY 2013 6
PR OB O N O
FOOD
FOR
THOUGHT!
BY
YVONNE CLEMENCE
he email arrives in your inbox. You stare at it. There it
is: another request for volunteers — another pro bono
clinic. You think about how hectic it is at work. You
think about family obligations, taking the kids to soccer practice
or caring for an elderly parent. You think about your homework
assignments for the courses you are taking to advance your
career. The requests for pro bono assistance keep coming, and
you only have a certain amount of time to spare. You suddenly
feel tired.
T
How would you answer the question, why do you participate in
pro bono work? Why do you volunteer? You have work demands,
family demands, school demands, other demands yet you make
time to volunteer. Why? What is your motivation? Do you feel it’s
an obligation of sorts? Is it a passion of yours? What drives you
to volunteer? Do you know? Have you thought about it?
7 National Paralegal Reporter®
“If you want to touch the past, touch a rock. If you
want to touch the present, touch a flower. If you want
to touch the future, touch a life.”
Askia Kirby
TOUCH
A
LIFE
That is a powerful thought. Here you are, working at a pro
bono clinic in your local community, touching, however briefly,
the lives of the individuals who seek assistance, those who need
help solving a problem in their lives. By helping people who
otherwise might not receive or afford specialized help, have you
thought about how your actions, or those of your organizations’
volunteer actions, might effect a person seeking legal help?
Assistance with a particular circumstance could have a ripple
effect in that individual’s life? The help you provide may inspire
people, once back on their feet, to “pay it forward.”
PR OB O N O
BY
YOUR ACTIONS , YOU CAN INSPIRE OTHERS
TO VOLUNTEER, TO PARTICIPATE, TO CLICK
ON THAT EMAIL REQUEST FOR PRO BONO
ASSISTANCE AND RESPOND “YES . I WILL.”
THE NEED
IS
S O G R E AT
The need for help is great, and it does not appear that this
need will lessen anytime soon. How should we inspire others to
participate, to volunteer, to provide pro bono assistance?
Perhaps during your paralegal association’s meeting, you can
set aside time to make it a meeting agenda item, to have a pro
bono round table in which members can discuss what they’ve
experienced when providing pro bono assistance. Members can
speak to what they learned and how it may have helped someone in lessening a burden, or to solve a problem. Perhaps a
round table will inspire the listener, someone who hasn’t participated in a pro bono event, to participate. Perhaps it will
motivate someone who hasn’t volunteered in quite a while to
volunteer. Enthusiasm is positive energy. It’s contagious. It
motivates. It replicates. It inspires.
“We make a living by what we do, but we make
a life by what we give.” Winston Churchill
I have a request (no groaning please): If you haven’t already,
I ask (hope) that you take the time to think about why you volunteer for pro bono work, what it is that drives you, what it is
that motivates you? You face many demands in your life for
your time and attention. What keeps you going while you juggle those demands? Do you know the answer? It may confirm
what you already know or your answers may surprise you. Your
answers may (re)energize you, thus motivating others to participate, to move to action. By your actions, you can inspire
others to volunteer, to participate, to click on that email
request for pro bono assistance and respond “Yes. I will.”
Yvonne Clemence is a Paralegal III at Caterpillar Financial
Services Corporation in Nashville, Tennessee and she provides
transactional support to the Cat Power Finance —Americas and
Cat Mining Finance, Americas business units. She has a B.F.A.
Degree from the University of Tennessee — Knoxville and a
paralegal certificate from Southeastern Paralegal Institute. Yvonne
is a Region III member of NFPA's Pro Bono Committee and is
currently the Pro Bono Coordinator for the Cat Financial Legal
Department.
JUNE / JULY 2013 8
Welcome to Hartford, Connecticut
BY
P AT T T H A R P E
elcome to Hartford, the capital of the state of
Connecticut,
alternately
called
the
Constitution State, the Nutmeg State and the
Land of Steady Habits. The Constitution State nickname,
which can be seen on the license plates throughout the
state, developed from Connecticut’s origins, the first three
colonies in the state drafted the first written constitution,
The Fundamental Orders, where it was declared that “the
foundation of authority is in the free consent of the people.” The Fundamental Orders served as the basis of
Connecticut’s later Constitutions, as well as the U.S.
Constitution. The second nickname, The Nutmeg State,
developed from Connecticut’s origins as well, though perhaps based on stories more scurrilous than boastful — it
was rumored that Connecticut peddlers sold wooden nut-
W
9 National Paralegal Reporter®
megs to unsuspecting buyers in place of the real thing. And the
Land of Steady Habits? Despite being founded by a Hooker
(Reverend Thomas Hooker, that is), Connecticut’s residents
were viewed as people of strict morals.
ON
THE
R IVER B ANKS
Hartford sits on the banks of the Connecticut River, a fully
navigable tidal waterway that runs from Long Island Sound
to the Canadian border. Founded in the 1630s, it has been
home to many historical figures over the centuries, both
famous and infamous: Ethan Allen, Benedict Arnold, John
Brown, Samuel Colt, Katharine Hepburn, J.P. Morgan,
Frederick Law Olmsted, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Ella Grasso
(first woman governor, for those who don’t recognize the
name) and Mark Twain, to name a few.
WELCOME
TO
Welcome to Hartford, Connecticut
HARTFORD, CT
Skyline of Hartford, CT.
Hartford is home to the Old State House, the oldest state
house in America, as well as a number of other “firsts.” The
Hartford Courant is the oldest continually published newspaper in America, first published on October 29, 1764. The first
law book containing the federal laws of the United States was
published in Hartford in 1791. The Wadsworth Atheneum,
founded in 1842, is America’s oldest public art museum.
Trinity College, located in Hartford, was the first college in
America to have open admissions, without regard to religious
beliefs. The first municipal rose garden in the United States
is located in Elizabeth Park, in Hartford. The birth of the
automobile industry occurred in Hartford, with the manufacture of Columbia Electric Automobiles by The Pope
Manufacturing Company. WDRC was the first FM radio station to begin broadcasting in the world in 1939. In 1892, G.F.
Heublein and Brothers of Hartford created the world’s
first bottled cocktails.
NFPA A NNUAL C ONVENTION
In October 2013, Hartford, Connecticut will be the site
of the 2013 National Federation of Paralegal
Associations, Inc.’s (NFPA) Convention, including a day
of CLE, workshops, a full-day Pro Bono Conference,
region meetings and the annual Policy Meeting, including the election and installation of the new NFPA Board
of Directors. A city rich in culture, history and entertainment (not to mention dining opportunities), Hartford
has thousands of things to see and do when you’re not
occupied with the Convention events. Following is a list
of just 100 of them, to get you started.
JUNE / JULY 2013 10
Welcome to Hartford, Connecticut
Travelers’ Tower), secured its place in
architectural history by being built with
only two sides, thus earning the nicknames “The Boat Building” and “The
Fish Building.” There’s the Art Deco
building, with all the intricacies of the
Jazz Age, and the Gold building whose
main distinction is apocryphal - rumor
has it that one of the two books on
which the movie The Towering Inferno
was based was set in Hartford, and the
building that burned was the Gold
building! Check out Little Hollywood,
a row of brick apartments along
Owen Street, named for the glamState capital building in Hartford, CT, as seen
orous young women who moved in
from historic Corning fountain in Bushnell Park.
when they were first built in the
L IVE E NTERTAINMENT
1920s, with mix of styles from
Moorish to Tudor Revival. Take a
For those interested in live entertainment,
tour of the Old State House, the State
Hartford has a number of venues: the Bushnell
Capitol, any one of the numerous
Theater hosts Broadway shows, opera, the
churches from brownstone (St.
Connecticut Forum and informative lectures
Anthony & Patrick on Church Street),
and documentaries, as well as providing a
to brick (Center Church, the first
more intimate venue for concerts; Hartford
church in Connecticut founded by
The building is not a church, but a
Stage, the area’s premier off-Broadway venue
Rev.
Thomas Hooker) to modern con(William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the play whose working pump house and houses the
crete (St. Joseph’s Cathedral on
Pump House Art Gallery
name shall not be spoken, is scheduled for conFarmington Avenue). And don’t forget a
vention time); Theaterworks caters more to the off-off
little whimsy - take a walk down Columbus Boulevard to view the
(maybe off) Broadway taste, frequently featuring plays by
Candy Cane Building, fronted by what appears to be a giant jukelocal area writers; and the Charter Oak Cultural Center is
box. And of course, a focal point of the Connecticut River, the
home to the Hartford Opera Theater. There’s a comedy
blue onion dome studded with gold stars sitting atop the Samuel
club based at City Steam (within walking distance of the
Colt factory. If possible, take a look at the Society Room, the forMarriott), the XL Center and Comcast Theaters for larger
mer lobby of the Society for Savings Bank located on Pratt Street,
concerts, and the Spotlight Theaters across the street
now used for large social and charitable functions, originally
from the Marriott for the movie buff. Hartford also has
built in 1927.
numerous bars and clubs that feature live entertainment:
Black-Eyed Sally’s and Pig’s Eye Pub, Club NV, Room 960,
For history buffs, a visit to the Connecticut Historical Society is
Pyur, Up or On the Rocks, Arch Street Tavern, the Russian
a must. Visit the Mark Twain House, the Harriet Beecher Stowe
Lady, and Sully’s Pub, to name just a few.
Center, the Butler-McCook Homestead; follow the Amistad Trail,
encompassing historic homes, churches, grave monuments and
A RCHITECTURE
other sites related to the African-American journey from slavery
to freedom during the 19th century. Check out the monuments in
Into architecture? Hartford boasts a number of architecthe Ancient Burial Ground set right in the middle of busy downtural gems and novelties sure to appeal, from the “magic
town Hartford on Main Street. Pause at Stone Field, the perfect
carpet” of the new Connecticut Science Center’s roof to the
spot to stop and rest under the shade trees, perhaps with a cold
first two-sided skyscraper — the Phoenix Insurance builddrink purchased from one of the local street vendors.
ing, though not tall enough to tower over the city (like the
11 National Paralegal Reporter®
Welcome to Hartford, Connecticut
A RT G ALLERIES
Hartford is filled with museums
and art galleries, from the
Wadsworth Atheneum founded in
1842 (where you can easily spend a
full day viewing art and artifacts old
and new), to 100 Pearl Street, a
small, intimate gallery tucked behind
the lobby of the office tower located
at the corner of Pearl and Trumbull
Streets. Stop in at Gallery at
Constitution Plaza, on the second
floor of One Constitution Plaza, featuring changing exhibitions by local
artists. For those immersing themselves in legal history, the
Connecticut State Archives are located at the Connecticut State Library
(and Appellate Court Building). The
Hartford Public Library on Main
Street also houses the Hartford
History Center, which showcases
local art and artisans. Of course, the
Connecticut Science Museum located
next to the Marriott on Columbus
Boulevard features numerous interactive exhibits which will delight
adults and children alike. And, if
you’re looking for something a little
off the “traditional” museum path,
take some time to visit the CRRA
Trash Museum, 6,500 square feet of
educational exhibits about the history and methods of garbage disposal,
energy conservation and recycling.
Have a picnic in Colt Park, Pope
Park, or Elizabeth Park. Ride the
carousel in Bushnell Park, and, while
you’re there, take a good look at the
Sailors’ and Soldiers’ Memorial Arch
which spans Trinity Street by the
park. Play a round of golf at the public golf course at Goodwin Park.
And of course, last but not least,
treat yourself to some of the eclectic
dining experiences which
abound in Hartford, from the
seemingly simple (Woody’s Hot
Dogs, East Coast Dog, Burger
Baby) to the sublime (The
Restaurant On 20, featuring
wine pairings with multiple
The 1914 vintage carousel is one of only three
working Stein & Goldstein carousels left in
the world. It is located in Bushnell Park.
course dinners). Try all American at City
Steam or Max Downtown, Italian at
Carbone’s, Vivo or Hot Tomato’s, Cajun and
The sculpture in the pond is “Harmony” Creole at Black-Eyed Sally’s, Asian at Feng
by Norwalk, CT sculptor Charles Perry. Asian Bistro, Irish at Vaughan’s Public
House or McKennan’s Irish Pub, Southwest/Mexican at Agave. Grab a pizza at First
and Last Tavern -— or cross the street and try one of the sumptious desserts at First
and Last Bakery. Get some takeout at Vito’s By the Park and picnic in Bushnell Park.
For true Spanish cuisine, try the paella at Costa del Sol. For seafood, dine at U.S.S.
Chowder Pot IV, home of the Best Seafood in Hartford County for 2012. Catch a quick
bite at the Bistro at Spotlight Theaters before viewing a movie. And for the wine lover,
check out Bin 228 on Pearl Street. Trumbull Kitchen, Peppercorn’s Grill, Firebox
Restaurant, Arch Street Tavern offer diverse dining experiences, and of course, for the
steaklover, Morton’s Steakhouse.
C OME J OIN U S !
Okay, maybe it’s not 100, but it’s a good start. Come early, stay late, expand your
Convention stay, and you could probably get well past 100 things to see and do in
Hartford before you return home.
Patt Tharpe is a litigation paralegal at the law firm of Madsen,
Prestley & Parenteau, LLC, in the field of employment law. Tharpe
received her Paralegal Certification from the University of
Hartford’s Paralegal Studies Program, and is a graduate of the
University of Connecticut School of Law. Although admitted to the
Connecticut Bar in 1995, Tharpe has preferred to pursue the paralegal profession, and has worked in widely diverse areas of law. Patt is
an active member of the Central Connecticut Paralegal Association.
Since 2007, she has served as Student Liaison Director, Pro Bono Chair, and Scholarship
Chair. She has also participated on the Program, Regulatory, National Affairs and 2013
Convention Committees. Tharpe is in her second term as NFPA Delegate Secondary.
JUNE / JULY 2013 12
NFPA Member Associations
ALASKA
MARYLAND
Alaska Association of Paralegals
Anchorage, AK www.alaskaparalegals.org
ARKANSAS
Arkansas Paralegal Association
Hot Springs, AR www.arkansasparalegal.org
Sacramento Valley Paralegal Association
Sacramento, CA www.svpa.org
COLORADO
Rocky Mountain Paralegal Association1
Denver, CO www.rockymtnparalegal.org
CONNECTICUT
Central Connecticut Paralegal Association, Inc.
Hartford, CT www.ctparalegals.org
Connecticut Association of Paralegals, Inc.
Bridgeport, CT
www.paralegals.org/associations/2270/files/index38.html
New Haven County Association of Paralegals, Inc.
New Haven, CT www.nhcap.org
OF
National Capital Area Paralegal Association1
Washington, DC (202) 659-0243 www.ncapa.com
MASSACHUSETTS
CALIFORNIA
DISTRICT
Maryland Association of Paralegals, Inc
Severna Park, MD (410) 576-2252
www.mdparalegals.org
COLUMBIA
National Capital Area Paralegal Association1
Washington, DC (202) 659-0243 www.ncapa.com
FLORIDA
Tampa Bay Paralegal Association, Inc.
Tampa, FL www.tbpa.org
South Florida Paralegal Association
Miami, FL (305) 944-0204 www.sfpa.info
GEORGIA
Georgia Association of Paralegals, Inc.1
Atlanta, GA (404) 522-1457 www.gaparalegal.org
HAWAII
Hawaii Paralegal Association
Honolulu, HI www.hawaiiparalegal.org
ILLINOIS
Illinois Paralegal Association1
New Lenox, IL (815) 462-4620 www.ipaonline.org
INDIANA
Indiana Paralegal Association
Indianapolis, IN (317) 686-314
www.indianaparalegals.org
Central Massachusetts Paralegal Association
Worcester, MA
CentralMassachusetts@paralegals.org
Massachusetts Paralegal Association
Boston, MA www.massparalegal.org
Western Massachusetts Paralegal Association
Springfield, MA www.wmassparalegal.org
MINNESOTA
Minnesota Paralegal Association1
Roseville, MN (651) 633-2778
www.mnparalegals.org
MISSOURI
Missouri Paralegal Association
Jefferson City, MO www.missouriparalegalassoc.org
NEBRASKA
Rocky Mountain Paralegal Association
Denver, CO www.rockymtnparalegal.org
NEVADA
Paralegal Association of Southern Nevada
Las Vegas, NV
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Paralegal Association of New Hampshire
Manchester, NH www.panh.org
NEW JERSEY
South Jersey Paralegal Association
Haddonfield, NJ www.sjpaparalegals.org
NEW YORK
Capital District Paralegal Association, Inc.
Albany, NY www.cdpa.info
New York City Paralegal Association
New York City, NY www.nyc-pa.org
Paralegal Association of Rochester, Inc.
Rochester, NY www.rochesterparalegal.org
Western New York Paralegal Association
Buffalo, NY www.wnyparalegals.org
OHIO
Michiana Paralegal Association
South Bend, IN www.michianaparalegals.org
Cleveland Association of Paralegals
Cleveland, OH (216) 556-5437 www.capohio.org
Northeast Indiana Paralegal Association, Inc.
Fort Wayne, IN www.neindianaparalegal.org
Paralegal Association of Central Ohio
Columbus, OH (614) 470-2000
www.pacoparalegals.org
KANSAS
Kansas Paralegal Association
Topeka, KS www.ksparalegals.org
KENTUCKY
Greater Lexington Paralegal Association, Inc.
Lexington, KY www.lexingtonparalegals.com
LOUISIANA
New Orleans Paralegal Association
New Orleans, LA (504) 467-3136
www.neworleansparalegals.org
OREGON
Oregon Paralegal Association
Portland, OR (503) 796-1671
www.oregonparalegals.org
PENNSYLVANIA
Bucks County Paralegal Association
Doylestown, PA www..buckscoparalegals.com
Central Pennsylvania Paralegal Association
Harrisburg, PA www.cppamicuslex.org
Chester County Paralegal Association
www.chescoparalegals.org
PENNSYLVANIA - CON’T
Lycoming County Paralegal Association
Williamsport, PA www.lycolaw.org/lcpa/main.htm
Montgomery County Paralegal Association
Lansdale, PA www.montcoparalegals.org
Philadelphia Association of Paralegals1
Philadelphia, PA (215) 255-8405
www.philaparalegals.com
Pittsburgh Paralegal Association
Pittsburgh, PA (412) 344-3904
www.pghparalegals.org
RHODE ISLAND
Rhode Island Paralegal Association
Providence, RI http://paralegals.org/associations/
2270/files/home149.html
SOUTH CAROLINA
Palmetto Paralegal Association
Columbia, SC www.ppasc.org
SOUTH DAKOTA
Rocky Mountain Paralegal Association
Denver, CO www.rockymtnparalegal.org/
TENNESSEE
Memphis Paralegal Association
Memphis, TN
www.memphisparalegalassociation.org
Middle Tennessee Paralegal Association
Nashville, TN www.mtpa.memberlodge.org
TEXAS
Dallas Area Paralegal Association
Dallas, TX www.dallasparalegals.org
UTAH
Rocky Mountain Paralegal Association
Denver, CO www.rockymtnparalegal.org
VERMONT
Vermont Paralegal Organization
Burlington, VT www.vtparalegal.org
VIRGINIA
Paralegal Association of Northern Virginia
Chantilly, VA www.panv.org
National Capital Area Paralegal Association1
Washington, DC (202) 659-0243 www.ncapa.com
WASHINGTON
Washington State Paralegal Association
Seattle, WA (866) 257-WSPA
www.wspaonline.com
WYOMING
Rocky Mountain Paralegal Association
Denver, CO www.rockymtnparalegal.org
WISCONSIN
Paralegal Association of Wisconsin
Milwaukee, WI www.wisconsinparalegal.org
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
LONDON
The National Association of Licensed Paralegals
73 Shenley Road, London, SE5 8NE
Tel: 020 7252 7545 • info@nationalparalegals.co.uk
www.nationalparalegals.com
SCOTLAND
Scottish Paralegal Association
26 Drumsheugh Gardens
Edinburgh EH3 7YR Scotland
http://www.scottish-paralegal.org.uk/
If you are interested in obtaining the address and phone number of any of these associations, please call NFPA headquarters at (425) 967-0045.
Obtain a complete address listing of all NFPA member associations through www.paralegals.org 1 Charter Member Associations
JUNE / JULY 2013 13
NFPA Materials and Order Form
Who’s Looking Out for Your Career
as a Paralegal?
This brochure provides information about:
• NFPA, the national paralegal association
• NFPA’s purpose
• NFPA’s activities
• NFPA’s membership options
• NFPA’s representation of the paralegal profession
• Highlights of PACE (Paralegal Advanced
Competency Exam)
Is it Time to Step Up Your PACE?
This brochure provides information about
PACE (Paralegal Advanced Competency
Exam) including:
Brochures can be
ordered for just the
cost of shipping!
• Background of the exam
• Benefits of the exam
• Study options available
• Testing details
To order, clip or copy this form and mail to:
NFPA, 23607 Highway 99, Suite 2C, Edmonds, WA 98026
Item Name or Description
The National Paralegal
Reporter Subscription
All NFPA members receive
a copy of this magazine. Others
can purchase a subscription.
❒ 1 issue: $6/copy
_________ issue date
❒ 1 year: $33/year, 6 issues
❒ 2 years: $59 a 20% savings
Canadian residents: $39 for one year
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Ship to: Name: ____________________________________________________
Address: __________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip: ______________________________ Phone: ______________
email: ____________________________________
JUNE /JULY 2013 14
ADVERTISER INDEX
AAfPE
856-423-2829, www.aafpe.org, pg. 17
Atkinson-Baker (Depo.com)
800-288-3376, www.depo.com, pg. Back Cover
B8Zipr
888-782-2922, www.b8zipr.com, pg. 19
Depo International
800-591-9722, www.depointernational.com,
pg. Inside Front Cover
Guaranteed Subpoena
800-776-2377 • www.served.com, pg.
Inside Back Cover
IPMA
404-292-4762,
www.paralegalmanagement.org, pg 26
National Notary Association
800-876-6827
www.NationalNotary.org/NFPA, pg. 39
NFPA Subscriptions
425-967-0045, www.paralegals.org, pg. 13
PACE Study Materials
425-967-0045, www.paralegals.org, pg. 29
Paralegal Today
877-202-5196, www.paralegaltoday.com, pg. 37
Paralegal CORE Competency Exam
425-967-0045, www.paralegals.org, pg. 31
Leaders and Advisors
B OA R D
Title
OF
DIRECTORS
board2@paralegals.org
President
Robert Hrouda, RP®
Hangley Aronchick Segal Pudlin & Schiller
Philadelphia, PA
BY
President@paralegals.org
Vice President & Director of Profession
Development
Theresa A. Prater, RP
Jackson White, PC • Mesa, AZ
VPPD@paralegals.org
Vice President & Director of Positions and
Issues
Lisa Vessels, CP, FPR
Duane Morris LLP, Miami, FL
VPPI@paralegals.org
Vice President & Director of Membership
Cindy Welch, RP
Fort Worth, TX
VPDMBR@paralegals.org
Vice President & Director of Paralegal
Certification
Sullen K. Honeychuck, RP
Shoun, Bach & Wallinsky, P.C. • Fairfax, VA
VPDPC@paralegals.org
Vice President & Director of Marketing
Melissa Marquez Leslie
KoonsFuller, P.C. • Dallas, TX
VPDMKT@paralegals.org
Treasurer & Director of Finance
Georgette M. Pecoraro, RP
The Hartford Insurance Group
Meriden, CT
Treasurer@paralegals.org
Secretary & Director of Operations
Valerie A. Dolan, RP, Pa.C.P.®
Hangley Aronchick Segal Pudlin & Schiller
Philadelphia, PA
Operations@paralegals.org
Region I Director
Theda Yandell, RP
Seattle, WA
Idir@paralegals.org
Region II Director
Allen F. Mihecoby, CLAS, RP
Dallas, TX
IIdir@paralegals.org
Region III Director
LaShonda Dillard
Cox Communication • Atlanta, GA
IIIdir@paralegals.org
Region IV Director
Donna M. Huntermark, RP, Pa.C.P.
Leech Tishman Fuscaldo & Lampl, LLC
Pittsburgh, PA
IVdir@paralegals.org
Region V Director
Beth Bialis, RP
Hodgson Russ, LLP
Buffalo, NY
Vdir@paralegals.org
Board Advisor
Tracey L. Young, RP
LaMarche Safranko Law PLLC
Clifton Park, NY
tracey.young.nfpa@hotmail.com
15 National Paralegal Reporter®
ABA & E D U C AT I O N
ABA Approval Commission Representative
Marie Koster
McNally, Maloney & Peterson, S.C.
Milwaukee, WI
A UEducation
T H O R Coordinator
Patricia E. Lyons, RP
Roger Williams University • Providence, RI
E T H I C S B OA R D
Christine Flynn, Chair
ethics@paralegals.org
Philadelphia, PA
Raeann Bromark
Norwalk, CT
Rhonda E. Cates, Esquire
Dallas, TX
Jamie Paye Collins
Indianapolis, IN
Karen George, FRP
Miami, FL
Robert Hrouda, RP
Philadelphia, PA
Marie E. Koster
Waterford, WI
Vivian Luckiewicz, RP, Pa.C.P.
Haddonfield, NJ
Mary Swedo
Glen Rock, PA
Lynne-Marie Reveliotis
Boston, MA
Mary Kay Rivera
West Nyack, NY
Lisa Vessels
Miami, FL
A DV I S O RY C O U N C I L
Cindy L. Byfield, M.Ed., IOM, CAE
Mt. Vernon, WA
Andrea E. Celli, Esq.
Albany, NY
S. Kristine Farmer, MS, RP, PHR®
Dallas, TX
Gregory J. Guidone, CFP®
Madison, CT
Shelly Hunter
Denver, CO
Mary Mack, Esq.
Portland, OR
Holly Manlove
Overland Park, KS
William Mulkeen, Esq.
Trenton, NJ
William P. Statstky, Esq.
Los Altos, CA
Edna Wallace, RP
Indianapolis, IN