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Central Florida Paralegal Association, Inc.P.O. Box 1107Orlando, FL 32802(407) 672-6372Contact UsCENTRAL FLORIDA PARALEGAL ASSOCIATION, INC.Monthly E-Newsletter

CARPE DIEM - JANUARY 2021Hello fellow CFPA Members:For Membership Informationand Application CLICKHEREALREADY A MEMBER?What a year 2020 has been! The last time we were physically able to meet inperson was at our Mixer in March 2020 and from that point forward all of ourlives have been different. This year has been a roller coaster ride to say theleast. As I reflect on my year I want to focus on all the good that has happenedand I ask that you take a moment to do the same. As we reflect I want to saythank you to our wonderful members for participating in our virtual events, fromlunch time bingo, to trivia to costume parties and our Annual Holiday Social,CFPA remained strong. We served our charity, USO of Central Florida well thisyear. We were able to provide a lot of needed school supplies and provideChristmas to more than 50 young children of our local servicemen andwomen. Thank you to all of you, our amazing members, as you continue to giveto others when things may still be tough at home.If you have recently changedjobs, moved or just have a newemail address, PLEASE makesure that you update yourmembershiprecordsbynotifying the MembershipCommittee so that you stayup-to-date with all events :Email UsLooking forward to 2021 - we want to keep the momentum going. We have somuch planned already from lunch time bingo, roundtable discussions, Lunchand Learn CLEs and so much more. We are hopeful that in 2021 we will be ableto gather again and laugh and break bread but until then, we will continuemeeting virtually from the safety of our own homes. We have proven that wecan have fun no matter where we are. Coming up this first quarter we haveanother virtual mixer in the works and we are even trying to find ways tocontinue giving back to the community.1/12/21 Virtual Roundtable1/20/21 CLE Lunch & Learn

One last important note - this year CFPA will be collecting funds for the PACECenter for Girls https://www.pacecenter.org/locations/orange. Pace isspecial to me because it was the one place that my baby sister felt safe when shefound herself in a “sticky” situation. She is no longer with me but the best wayto honor her memory is to give back to a place that helps girls in ourcommunity.I am looking forward to a great year as your President. As always the Board ofDirectors and Committee Chairs are available to answer any of your questions.You can find the contact information on the right-hand column of thisnewsletter.Sincerely,Yolanda Fuhrmann, FRPCFPA President - 2021CFPAPresident@cfpainc.org1/21/21 Virtual Lunch Bingo2/9/21 Virtual Roundtable2/17/21 CLE Lunch & Learn2/26/21 Virtual Lunch Bingo3/9/21 Virtual Roundtable3/17/21 CLE Lunch & Learn3/26/21 Virtual Lunch Bingo4/13/21 Virtual Rountable4/21/21 CLE Lunch & Learn4/30/21 Virtual Lunch Bingo7/22/21 NALA Convention2021 BOARD OF DIRECTORSPresident:Yolanda Fuhrmann, FRPCFPAPresident@cfpainc.orgCFPA had the pleasure of volunteering at Give Kids the World on December15, 2020 at their Night of a Million Lights event to help raise money for theirwish families. This was the very first time that GKTW has ever been open tothe public. What a way to make lemonade from lemons! They had to close downthe village for all wish families and volunteers due to COVID 19. They wereable to get sponsors and volunteers to put up all of these fantastic light displaysand charge the public an entry fee to be able to continue to fundraise.Give Kids the World will begin opening back up to wish families on a verylimited basis in the very near future.Thanks to our CFPA Volunteers, Peonca Grier, Cassie Snyder, JenniferDiminich, Lora Miller and Olivia Ramos for sticking it out through the rain.Vice President/President Elect:Nancy Jordahl, ACP, FRP, FCPVicePresident@cfpainc.org

Secretary:Iris F. Walker, FRPSecretary@cfpainc.orgTreasurer:Roger Smith, FRPTreasurer@cfpainc.org9 Best Practices for a Remote Witness Interview in COVID-19 EraIt’s easy to rattle off a list of the disadvantages of conducting an importantmeeting, remote witness interview, deposition or even court hearing usingZoom or other videoconferencing tools. There are technical issues, securityconcerns, challenges in dealing with documents and exhibits, difficulties inassessing demeanor and credibility, and many more.These are all fair and important concerns. But the reality of practicing lawduring the COVID-19 pandemic is that important conversations and meetings— even arbitrations and trials — happen routinely over videoconferencing.

It is essential to be skilled with videoconferencing and remote presentationtools. “I’m not good with Zoom” is not a good answer, as your potential clientswill be selecting counsel from a pool of candidates who are both excellentlawyers and paralegals and proficient with these tools of modern practice.Remote interviews have many advantagesIn fact, platforms such as Zoom, despite their drawbacks, also offer importantadvantages that (when used skillfully and in the right circumstances) allowlawyers and investigators to do things that they could not before, to move faster,and to reduce clients’ legal expenses.For example, remote interviews provide efficiency gains by allowing attorneysto move more quickly in setting up and conducting interviews without havingto worry about travel and related logistics.NALA Liaison:Deborah Kallas, ACP, FRPNalaliaison@cfpainc.orgLikewise, there is a real advantage to investigators in speaking with somewitnesses in locations that are more comfortable for them (a dining room tableat home rather than a cramped conference room in an unfamiliar hotel). Thiscan often lead a witness to be more at ease and forthcoming.A central part of our practice is leading internal investigations and helping ourclients respond to government inquiries. The heart of this work is interviewingwitnesses. For example, during our recent work on investigations during theCOVID-19 pandemic, we conducted over 100 witness interviews in the span ofseveral weeks, including a number of witnesses who were in the throes ofCOVID-19 infections. This would have been impossible (or at least highlyimpractical) without videoconferencing tools.All of the downsides of Zoom interviews are real, and we’ve experienced manyof them. But the focus of this article is to share best practices and tips for doingremote interviews well — either when there is no option to conduct them inperson, or when you determine that remote interviews are the best fit for thecircumstances of your case or investigation.Parliamentarian:Sylvia McMillonParliamentarian@cfpainc.orgDIRECTORS1. Be prepared to move fast.A key benefit of remote interviews is that they allow attorneys and paralegalsto move quickly in scheduling and conducting interviews, without having toworry about travel and logistics.Jennifer Diminich, CP, FRP

Witnesses may indicate that they are available to speak immediately, and youcan then connect with them before they change their mind or communicate withother witnesses. There is a big difference between “let’s speak this afternoon”and “we’ll send you some dates for a meeting three weeks down the road.”Director2@cfpainc.orgYou should have your interview outline and exhibits ready before reaching outto any witness for a remote interview. If the interview is taking place early inthe investigation, you can include an explanation at the start that it is apreliminary conversation and you may have additional questions as your workprogresses.TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE . CLICK THE LINK BELOW.Article Reprinted from My Paralegal Place terview/Sara Ferguson, CP, FRPDirector1@cfpainc.orgDenise Marsters, FRPDirector3@cfpainc.org

Julie A. McLean, CP, FRPDirector4@cfpainc.orgCFPA Committees:Continuing Legal EducationCommittee Chair:Jennifer Finch, ACP, FRPCLEChair@cfpainc.orgMembership Committee Chair:Cassie Snyder, ACP, FRPMembership@cfpainc.orgPublic Relations Committee Chair:Marisa Green, ACPPublicrelations@cfpainc.orgCommunity Service CommitteeChair:Peonca Grier, CP, FRPCommunityService@cfpainc.orgStudent Relations Committee Chair:Leslie Norton , ACP, FRPLeslie NortonStudents@cfpainc.orgClick Here to RSVP to the RoundtableSocial Media Committee Chair:Jennifer Diminich, CP, FRPSocialmedia@cfpainc.orgNewsletter - Carpe Diem

FRP News You Can UseThe Florida Registered Paralegal of the Year AwardNominations are now being accepted. The FloridaRegistered Paralegal of the year award recognizesexemplary performance and outstanding leadership of anindividual by their peers.Cassie Snyder, ACP, FRPEditor@cfpainc.orgParalegal Regulation & EthicsCommittee Chair:Deborah Kallas, CP, FRPNalaliaison@cfpainc.orgJob Bank Committee Chair:Leslie Norton, ACP, FRPJobs@cfpainc.orgThe Florida Registered Paralegal of the Year award recognizes exemplaryperformance and outstanding leadership of an individual by their peers.Newsletter Recognition:CFPA's 2021 Charity

Click Here to Make a Nomination for FRP Paralegal of the YearREMINDER FRP Enrichment Committee Appointments: President-electMichael Tanner will make over 500 appointments to more than 70 committeesand he wants to be sure he has a diverse group from which to choose. One ofthe committees he will be making appoints to is the Florida Registered ParalegalEnrichment Committee.If you want to be considered for an appointment to the FRP EnrichmentCommittee, simply log on to the MyFloridaBar Member Portal to submityour committee preference form by January 15, 2021. Appointment to acommittee can be a stimulating and rewarding experience. These groups, alongwith the governing Board, do much of the work of The Florida Bar.The Florida Registered Paralegal Enrichment Committee is charged withcreating awareness of the Florida Registered Paralegal (FRP) program inaccordance with Rules Regulating the Florida Bar Chapter 20, enhancingcommunication about the benefits of FRP membership, developing educationprogramming and creating networking and social events to foster camaraderieand cohesiveness of Florida Registered Paralegals and other paralegals/legalassistants.Do not forget to attend the free monthly CLE Webinars presented by the FRPEnrichment Committee.Pace Mission:Pace provides girls and youngwomen an opportunity for abetter future through education,counseling,trainingandadvocacy.Pace HistoryPace began in 1985 with oneCenter in Jacksonville, Floridaserving 10 girls. Today Paceincludes 21 Centers throughoutFlorida that serve over 3,000girls each year and Pace haschanged the life trajectory ofover 40,000 girls since itsinception. Pace began as acommunity response to therealization that girls involvedwith the justice system wereeither being placed in programsdesigned for boys or placedfurther into the system for theirown protection. There were noeffective alternatives.Started by Vicki Burke andguided by the research-basedrecommendations which calledforgenderresponsiveprogramming, Pace created on for girls.

CFPA will be having virtual lunch and learn seminars that will begin in 2021.Keep your eyes open for more information through CFPA's Groups.io forumand on CFPA's social Media.If you have any questions, feel free to email the CLE Committee atCLE@cfpainc.org.Pace is now recognized as anational model for reducingrecidivismandimprovingschool success, employmentand self-sufficiency amongstgirls by the Annie E. CaseyFoundation, Children's DefenseFund, National Mental HealthAssociation, National Councilon Crime and Delinquency, andthe Office of Juvenile Justiceand Delinquency Prevention.