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NFPA NATIONAL CONVENTION A NON-DELEGATE’S VIEWA paralegal convention in Nashville . not too far and we do have anoffice there so I took a chance andasked my firm for permission – andfunding – to attend the NFPA NationalConvention this past April. I put together a whole package with theofficial brochure, a copy of the articles about the convention from theNational Paralegal Reporter andlinks to the NFPA and GAP websites.I highlighted the various leadershipworkshops and continuing legal education seminars that I would be taking– and held my breath I received theofficial ‘okey-dokey’ from the firm,sent in my application and fees andstarted making plans to go to Nashville. I am very lucky that Miller &Martin has been very supportive of myinvolvement in GAP.The GAP board had discussedmaking it a road trip, so I grabbedLyza Sandgren (Speaker’s BureauCoordinator) and Beth Magee (PACEAmbassador) and we started plotting.We set out on March 31st right afterwork in Lyza’s classic Cadillac Coupede Ville. We arrived at the hotelaround 9:00 p.m. and were escortedto our ‘suite’. So, we got our newrooms, settled in and headed downstairs to check out the meeting roomsand see if we could find other attendees. It turned out to be a quietevening, except for the overwhelmingneed to stay up most of the night talking. Morning came far too soon andwe headed down to sign in, grab aquick bite and attend the CLE (Continuing Legal Education) seminars.The CLE seminars were wonderfully informative. Our choices included Complying with HIPAARegulations, Discoverability of Electronic Documents & Communica-tions, Research and Writing; A to Zsof Litigation and Corporate Technology; Disclosure RequirementsUnder Sarbanes-Oxley, Entity Formation & Maintenance, StreamlinedSales Tax Agreements, Copyrightsand Trademarks, Developments inMold Litigation, and How Much toDisclose About Client Relationships. By far, my favorite was“Time In A Bottle” Techniques forManaging Your Busy Schedule Then of course, we had leadershipworkshops such as: Bill Writing andMonitoring, Writing and Presentingan Agenda Topic, ABA ApprovalProcess for Paralegal Schools andPro Bono.Between seminars and workshops we had a chance to meet withvendors from all over the states. Ibrought back a lot of useful information and freebies. It was just likeHalloween – going from table totable and grabbing goodies. Oh andlest I forget, the planning committee even arranged to have massagestudents available to give the attendees chair massages – what a treat!!We used lunch time and breaks tomeet our counterparts from theother regions.Thursday night we were invitedto a reception and then we broke offinto smaller groups and went out todinner, schmooze and party. Afterthe workshops on Friday, we wentup to our rooms to change for someserious boot-scootin’ at theWildhorse Saloon. But there was acatch, each region was expected toparticipate in a scavenger hunt toget there and then compete in aspirit contest. We didn’t win thescavenger hunt but as you can seefrom the photo, I did my best to rep-by: Pamela StarrV.P. Membershipresent Region III (even though myheart will always be in Texas) and yes,we won!Saturday and Sunday were lowkey days for the non-delegates. Themajority of the day was filled withofficial business – much of which Jennifer Kirkland reported on in the lastnewsletter. We were allowed to observe and that gave me an opportunityto really see how things work and howthey sometimes don’t work at the national level. It gave me a greaterappreciation for who we really are asparalegals and it renewed my desireto really excel in my chosen career.I am really looking forward to myparticipation in NFPA’s 2005 AnnualConvention in Las Vegas, Nevada.Perhaps you will think about talkingto your firm and decide to join us inVegas . remember, ‘what happens inVegas, stays in Vegas’.

August 2004 GAP Dinner MeetingJudson Vaughn of JurisPerfect will be speaking at our meeting onAugust 10, 2004 at Anthony’s, 6:00 p.m.Vaughn is the founder of JurisPerfect, acommunication, litigation and negotiation skills,and trial consultation company that is based on theprinciples of persuasive communication filmmakersuse to deliver information and ideas, to direct theemotions and decisions of individuals and groups.In early 2003, Vaughn, along with his wife,Katherine, launched JurisPerfect to teach VisuallyDirective Communication to lawyers and others inthe legal profession. JurisPerfect has trained lawyers at every level from Senior Partners to SummerAssociates. Some of the oldest and largest lawfirms in the United States are now JurisPerfectclients.As a result of Vaughn’s work as a researchpsychologist on a remarkably successfulgerontological research project funded by theEpiscopal Church in 1975, “Alternatives to Medication for The Elderly,” he was invited to Helsinki tospeak at the annual meeting of the World HealthOrganization - one of the youngest researchers everso honored. Months later he abandoned his careeras a researcher to become an actor, writer andfilmmaker.In 1993 he founded a film production anddevelopment company called WHAT Films, inAtlanta. With his research background, Vaughncreated a unique system of script and film development that was based not just on artistic vision, butalso on precise, statistical research and testing. In1997, three feature films came out of WHAT’sprocess: Vaughn’s “The Real Reason,” in association with a division of Warner Brothers, BenTaylor’s “In the Flesh,” and Nagesh Kukunoor’s“Hyderabad Blues.” Films created at WHAT havescreened at festivals in London, L. A., Toronto, SanFrancisco, Chicago, Austin, Atlanta, Baltimore,Denver, Madras, Bombay, Calcutta, Philadelphia,Portland, Hong Kong and cities in South Africa,Germany, Italy, Australia and Mexico.Judson VaughnAt WHAT, Vaughn also began to teach and test asystem of persuasive communication that he’dcreated during his years in Los Angeles. As thousands of people from virtually every professionlearned the system, he (and they) discovered thatusing Vaughn’s system made virtually every aspectof their communication more effective. From 1993- 2003, WHAT Films trained more film actors,writers, producers and directors on a continuousbasis than any company in the Southeast.Over 20 years of development, research, testing,implementation and refinement (involving over10,000 participants) went into creating VisuallyDirective Communication, a scientifically soundsystem for affecting the emotions of audiences andindividuals, using precise communication skills thatare based in biology and observations of the physical dynamics of human interactions. Over the lastfive years, Vaughn has taught these communicationprinciples to crowds as large as 1,000 at speakingengagements in Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle,Dallas, Houston, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Denver,Kansas City and Atlanta.

APPLICATION FOR THE GEORGIA ASSOCIATION OF PARALEGALS’PACE SCHOLARSHIP PACKAGESPONSORED BY PARAMOUNT STAFFING, INC.THE BASICSName:Contact Address:Contact Phone Number: Contact E-Mail:Current Member of GAP: Yes NoNumber of Years:I have participated in GAP and its Activities by:I will continue my membership in GAP as a Voting Member in 2005: Yes NoIf I receive a PACE Scholarship I agree to take PACE by December 31, 2005 Yes No(Note: if you do not take the exam by December 31, 2005 you forfeit any scholarship benefits remaining as of that date.)EXPERIENCE WORKING AS A PARALEGALNumber of Years as of December 31, 2004:Number of Years as of December 31, 2005:(Optional: Attach a copy of your resume)EDUCATIONBachelor’s Degree in any major: Yes NoBachelor’s Degree in Paralegal Studies: Yes NoAssociate’s Degree in Paralegal Studies: Yes NoCertificate from a Paralegal Studies Program: Yes NoEntity Awarding Certificate:(Optional: Attach a copy of your degree or certificate)STATEMENTMy three hundred word or less statement “How Being a PACE Registered ParalegalBenefits GAP, the Paralegal Profession, and My Clients or Employer” is attached: Yes NoINCLUDE THIS FORM WITH YOUR STATEMENT AND SUBMIT TO THE GAPHEADQUARTERS BY OCTOBER 15.(E-mail, gaparalegal@mindspring.com, fax, 404.522.0132,or mail, 1199 Euclid Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA 30307-1509)

REDUCE YOUR RISK OF IDENTITY THEFTWHAT TO DO IF IDENTITY THEFT HAPPENS TO YOUBy: Gregg ReinhardtIn the last issue of The Paragraph, we talkedabout how to reduce the risk of identity theft. Despiteour best efforts, we live in a society where personalinformation must be shared in order to take advantageof credit cards, on-line shopping, Social Security, andother services. Hopefully you won’t ever need theinformation in this article. If you suspect that yourpersonal information has been stolen and used tocommit fraud or theft, take action immediately. Thesteps required depend on your circumstances and howyour identity has been misused. However, there are 3basic steps you should take in almost every case.Step 1. Contact the fraud department of the threemajor credit bureaus (see below) and request a “fraudalert” on your file, as well as a victim’s statementasking that creditors call you before opening any newaccounts or changing any existing accounts. Beforewarned, this may introduce some inconvenienceinto your life. Simply establishing water service mightrequire someone to “be at home” when they call toverify the request.Order copies of your credit report from each creditbureau. Credit bureaus must give you a free copy ofyour report if your report is inaccurate because offraud, and you request it in writing. Review eachreport carefully to make sure no fraudulent accountshave been opened in your name or unauthorizedchanges made to your accounts. Check the section thatlists “inquiries”. Request that inquiries from companies that opened fraudulent accounts be removed fromyour report. This must be done in writing, even if theyaccept the request by phone. In a few months, ordernew copies of your credit reports to verify that corrections have been made and to make sure no new fraudulent activity has occurred.Step 2. Contact the creditors for any accounts thathave been tampered with or opened fraudulently.Creditors include credit card companies, phonecompanies and other utilities. Ask to speak to someone in the security or fraud department and follow upin writing. It’s particularly important to notify creditcard companies in writing because of the way thatconsumer protection laws are written.Step 3. File a report with your local policedepartment or the police in the community where theidentity theft took place. Get a copy of the policereport in case the bank, credit card company or othersneed proof of the crime.Other ways to take controlIf you suspect that thieves have stolen mail, report it toyour local postal inspector. Contact the local post office for thenearest postal inspection office or check the web site atwww.usps.gov/websites/depart/inspect. The US Postal Inspection Service is a powerful agency that has been in existence inthis country for over 200 years.If you discover that a thief has changed the billing addressfor an existing credit card account, close the account. Whenyou open a new account, ask that a password be used beforeany inquiries or changes can be made to the account.If someone has tampered with bank accounts, checks, orATM cards, close the accounts immediately. When you opennew accounts, insist on password only access to minimize thechance of future tampering. In addition, if checks have beenstolen or mis-used, stop payment. The major check verificationcompanies can provide information about services to help youtrack stolen or misused checks:SCAN: 800-262-7771TeleCheck: 800-710-9898 or 800-927-0188CrossCheck: 707-586-0431Equifax Check Systems: 800-437-5120International Check Services: 800-526-5380If you ever have problems removing fraudulent phonecharges from your account, contact your state Public UtilityCommission for local service providers, or the Federal Communications Commission for long distance providers and cellularproviders at www.fcc.gov/ccb/enforce/complaints.html or call888-CALL-FCC.If you suspect that someone is using your SSN to apply fora job, that’s a crime. Report it to the SSA’s Fraud Hotline at800-269-0271. Also, call SSA at 800-772-1213 to verify theaccuracy of the earnings reported on your SSN and to request aSocial Security Statement. Follow up calls with writteninformation.The Federal Trade Commission collects complaints aboutconsumers who have been victimized. The FTC can helpindividuals by providing information to assist them in resolvingthe financial and other problems that result from identity theft.If the need arises, you can file a complaint with the FTC bycontacting the FTC’s Identity Theft Hotline by calling 877IDTHEFT or by mail: Identity Theft Clearinghouse, FederalTrade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, WashingtonDC, 20580. Or use the web site at www.consumer.gov/idtheft.For contact information on the 3 major credit bureausplease go to GAP’s website http://www.gaparalegals.org.

CongratulationsNew JobsMarcus Li (GAP President) recently joined InterContinental Hotels Group, where he is the paralegal responsible for liquorlicensing and all liquor related issues among InterContinental’s hotel brands within the United States and Canada.Barbara Pylant (GAP Secretary) recently accepted a new position as Senior Legal Assistant with DS Waters, LP, aprivately held joint venture formed between Suntory Water Group, Inc. and Danone Waters of North America, LP, which is aseller and manufacturer of bottled water for home and office delivery. As part of the Legal Department Team, which she told usincludes three fabulous attorneys, she supports all departments within the company.New GAP Board MemberWe are delighted to announce the appointment of Dwan Young to the position of V.P. of CLE. Dwan has previously servedon the planning committee of the Georgia Indigent Defense Council where he planned, developed and presented paralegalseminars. Dwan is currently employed with The Housing Authority of the City of Atlanta, Georgia.EngagementsCharles Mingle (GAP Member)is engaged to Ms. June Sailors Sloan.The wedding will be held in Decatur,Georgia on Saturday, September 18 th.Christina Sheets (GAP NewsletterEditor) is engaged to Dr. Eric Weeks. Thewedding will be held in Decatur, Georgia onSaturday, September 11th.

Before you can get two industr y giantst o m e r g e i n t o o n e m e g a c o m p a n y,this needs to be scanned, copied,Bates labeled, hosted on the Internet,printed, and distributed electronicallyb y n o o n t o m o r r o w.In the world of legal services, substantial quantities of critically signi cant documents must be reviewed,organized and cataloged every day. That’s where we come in. We’re IKON, and we have the tools and resourcesto help you manage those documents—from litigation copying to electronic data discovery to posting documentson the Web for review from anywhere in the world. Because when it comes to your documents, no oneunderstands the legal industry better than IKON. After all, helping your business communicate is what we do.To understand how we can keep your documents in order, call 770-326-4410 or visit us at www.ikon.com. 2000 IKON Office Solutions, Inc.

Announcements Applications for this year’s PACE scholarships are due by October 15, 2004. Applications areavailable at www.gaparalegal.org. NATIONAL FEDERATION OF PARALEGAL ASSOCIATIONS 2005 CONVENTION,“VIVA LAS VEGAS” proudly hosted by the Paralegal Association of Southern Nevada - April28-May 1, 2005 at the fabulous Golden Nugget in downtown Las Vegas. For more information,http://www.paralegals.org. Have you been thinking about becoming more active in GAP? Go to the Volunteer section of theGAP website to find out what opportunities the future may hold for you. Please contact anycurrent Board member if you would like to become more involved! Miller & Martin is pleased to announce the expansion and relocation of its Atlanta office. OnMay 17th, we opened our new office in the Proscenium, located at the corner of Peachtree and14th in the heart of Midtown. Please note our new address.Miller & Martin PLLC1170 Peachtree Street, N.E., Suite 800Atlanta, Georgia 30309-7649404.962.6100www.millermartin.com

PRO BONOBy Mizette CoakleyPro Bono ChairOn April 17th and 18th, 2004, GAP co-hosted its first annual pro bono conference in conjunction with NFPA’s ABA/EJC conference here in Atlanta. Theorganization’s pro bono event was free to all paralegals and was entertaining andenlightening to all who attended. All of the speakers, which included our veryown Connie White and Jennifer Kirkland were AWESOME!! Our “two years in arow” pro bono award recipient, Charles Mingle, was also on hand to answer anypro bono questions you could think off. Lori Thompson and Mike Monohanshared so much valuable information with all of us that I left the conferencefeeling like a newly educated paralegal. The conference was a huge success!I would like to take this opportunity to inform all of you that our pro bonocommittee meets every other month that GAP does not meet. Our meetings areheld on the 2nd Wednesdays at 6pm, at the location of the Windsor Over Peachtreein Midtown. Our next two meetings are scheduled for July 13 and September 8, 2004. Please mark yourcalendars and call the GAP office for more information.The Board Members and the Pro Bono Committee members of GAP have worked diligently to defineourselves as DOERS .and leaders in Pro Bono. Our dreams, like those of others in paralegal associations across the country, are limitless and we are visualizing the achievement of our dreams and makingthings happen! Some of our programs include individual client representation, class action or majorlitigation, legislative or administrative advocacy, working with community groups and focusing on specificissues such as community economic development, etc. Last year, we focused on working with Abandonment Court and assisted the Judge in clearing a significant number of back-logged cases.As we move into the second phase of 2004, I challenge all GAP members to encourage a non-memberto join our organization. Once a GAP member, consider becoming a participant in the planning and implementation of a very important pro bono project such as our current Probate Court Project or our upcomingDeKalb Watch project.A big THANK YOU to you all for your generous contributions to the Genesis Shelter Project. Youhelped 18 underprivileged families . Unselfishly. This is what pro bono work is all about!!Why I Do Pro Bono Work? In doing pro bono work, I have the opportunity to provide an invaluableservice to people that cannot access the legal system and remedies that we take for granted. Being that Iam currently employed as a contract paralegal, pro bono work also allows me to learn about new areas ofthe law and develop important skills such as interviewing techniques. I also get the opportunity to meetparalegals and attorneys throughout the legal community. Most importantly, pro bono work is somethingI do as a way to use my professional abilities to give back to the local community.Another thank you to all the members who continue to work on all of our programs to advance ourmission. We still have plenty of work to do. Let’s keep going .!!Warm regards,Mizette

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National Federation of Paralegal Associations GAP GAP and Genesis Make a Great Team By: Christina Sheets Newsletter Editor Every year GAP participates in a community service project. This year, GAP has again teamed up with the Genesis Shelter. Genesis is "an emergency transitional community for homeless newborns and their families."