A Publication of North Carolina Lawyers Weekly and South Carolina Lawyers Weekly
SEPTEMBER 2022
BUILDING COMMUNITY
From left, paralegal Jenny Gorman, attorney Jason L. Hendren, and paralegal Yazmeen Gadalla, chair of the North Carolina Bar Associatoin, hold a brief meeting at the Raleigh law firm of Hendren Redwine and Monroe. Photo/Teri Saylor
NCBA Paralegal Division President Yazmeen Gadalla outlines priorities
Y
■ BY TERI SAYLOR azmeen Gadalla has been a paralegal for just five years and already is making an impact on the profession in her role as chair of the North Carolina Bar Association Paralegal Division. It’s still early in her career, but it is a priority for her to get involved in the profession, cultivate relationships with her colleagues, and give back. “I love the idea of building community with other paralegals in a place where we can share our thoughts and feelings and grow in our profession,” she said in a recent Zoom call. Gadalla is devoting her year as president to growing membership in the Paralegal Division and promoting and advancing the profession – including giving paralegals more responsibility. A group of paralegals, which formed the North Carolina Justice for All Project is exploring access to justice issues and modeling other states’ versions
of limited licensing for paralegals. In early 2021, the group submitted a proposal to the North Carolina State Bar and the North Carolina Supreme Court seeking changes to N.C.G.S. § 84 (Unauthorized Practice of Law) to allow certain non-lawyers to provide limited legal services. According to the Justice for All organizers, this proposed license would also help expand access to legal representation to individuals with low-to-moderate income who could not otherwise afford it. Areas of focus could include family law, landlord-tenant law, estate planning and probate law, debtor-creditor law, administrative law, and expungements “If paralegals can attain a limited law license, it will be a huge change in the way paralegals work in North Carolina,” Gadalla said. “I think it would be great for paralegals in terms of being able to provide more legal services at our law firms and being utilized more productively.” Gadalla remembers the day she first took an inter-
est in law. An English major at N.C. State University, she worked a four-month internship at the U.S. Attorney’s office in Raleigh, primarily performing administrative tasks, but also soaking up the culture and learning how the legal system works. Prior to enrolling at NCSU, Gadalla had earned an Associate of Arts degree from Wake Technical Community College in 2013 and went on to receive an activities director certification and begin a career working at senior living centers. She first majored in recreational therapy before switching to English while also pursuing a degree in criminal justice. “I loved working with the residents in the senior living facilities, I cared about them a great deal, and it was a rewarding career, but I wanted more regular hours and I didn’t want to pursue it at a higher level,” she said. Her experience in health care paid off when she ■ See COMMUNITY Page 3
Meet the Paralegal Division's leadership team Below is a list of officials with the North Carolina Bar Association’s Paralegal Division. Note: This an excerpt of a recent blog post from chairperson Yazmeen Gadalla. Lakisha Chichester, vice chair Lakisha Chichester is a corporate paralegal at Trupanion Inc. She is a North Carolina state Bar-certified paralegal and NALA advanced certified paralegal. She spent much of her career working for in-house legal departments, specializing in corporate governance and regulatory compliance. She is passionate about her career and the paralegal profession. She enjoys inspiring paralegals to leverage their Lakisha Chichester
Overheard at the Water Cooler Page 3
skills to build fulfilling paralegal careers. She currently sits on the North Carolina State Bar Board of Paralegal Certification and the North Carolina State Bar Paralegal Certification Committee. She is an active member of NALA and the NCBA Paralegal Division, currently serving as vice chair. In her free time, she enjoys reading, dancing, and traveling. Alice Johnson, secretary Alice Johnson is a Senior Paralegal living in Cary, N.C. She has over 37 years of experience in the legal field. She has worked in various areas of law, including Employment Litigation; Immigration; Complex Litigation; IP; Workers’ Compensation, Aviation Law and Personal Injury. Prior to moving to North Carolina in 2008, Alice worked as both a Legal Assistant and Paralegal in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. She is a North
Q&A
Amy Fleische Page 4 Katie Riddle ◆ Page 5 ◆
Carolina Certified Paralegal and a member of the North Carolina Bar Association Paralegal Division, as well as other paralegal associations. She currently serves as secretary for the NCBA Paralegal Division and is a co-chair on the Diversity and Inclusion Committee and CLE Committee. Sarah L. White, treasurer Sarah is a senior litigation paralegal with Ragsdale Liggett PLLC. She focuses in the areas of civil litigation and insurance defense, handling cases in all of North Carolina’s state and federal trial court divisions, including appellate courts. She also manages the firm’s eDiscovery platform and continuing education courses with the North Carolina Department of Insurance. Sarah holds a B.S. in criminal justice and post-baccalaureate certificate in parale■ See LEADERSHIP Page 8
News Briefs Page 6