Patti's Paralegal Page

Court Costs - January 2012 update

2012-01-17T15:04:00.002-05:00

COURT COSTS ARE GOING UP AGAIN?? Well, yes, sort of. Starting January 1, there are three minor changes in estate fees, everything else stays the same (WHEW!).

The memo can be found here. For a list of court costs in effect now, you can use this link.

Update Your Forms

2011-12-23T15:22:00.001-05:00

One of the things I have on my end of the year to do list is to review my forms database. This includes my firm form templates and my court forms. Do your templates need revising? Are there typos? Do you need to change any dates? Also check your court forms to make sure you are using the most recent update (in NC, you can look on the bottom left of the AOC forms to see the last update date). Things tend to be slow this time of year and this a great time to do something like this, I stay busy and the work is not all that hard.

Merry Christmas & Happy Hanukkah!

The Value of Paralegal Association Membership

2011-12-07T12:45:00.000-05:00

Did you miss the recent article in the NC Bar Journal about paralegal associations? If so, check it out here.

http://www.ncbar.com/journal/archive/journal_16,4.pdf (Page 33)

...and if you read my prior post on NC law changes, be sure to check the article on page 8.

News Laws in Effect Dec 1 2011

2011-11-30T09:14:00.001-05:00

Several new laws take effect Dec 1. Some of the noteable ones are:

HB 49 is also known as “Laura’s Law” increases the punishment for certain DWI offenders. Laura Fortenberry was killed by repeat DWI offender who had over over 100 charges in his name in just one County. (If you have the most recent NC Bar Journal, it has a great article about this.)

HB 379 enacts The North Carolina Interstate Depositions And Discovery Act and makes conforming amendments to the Rules of Civil Procedure.

HB 408 amends criminal discovery laws to require timely disclosure of information to prosecutors and to provide for better protection for informants.

HB 650 is also known as the Castle Doctrine. You may have seen this on the news. This provides for better protection for a homeowner who shoots an intruder. It also amends various other guns laws

HB 427 is also known as “Run and You’re Done”. If you are involved in a felony and are speeding to elude arrest, your car will be seized and sold. There are exceptions for cars seized which did not belong to the driver.

The full text of all changes is here, starting on page 14.
www.ncleg.net/documentsites/legislativepublications/2011%20Effective%20Dates/2011EffectiveDates.pdf

NCGA App for Droid, iPhone and iPad.

2011-11-28T10:32:00.001-05:00

Some of you will role your eyes but for a tech geek like me, this is COOL! The NC General Assembly has announced an app that will allow access to information from the NCGA's website through the convenience of an easy to use mobile application! Right now, all that is available is an Android app but the iPhone/iPad app is coming. I am even more excited because, as a droid user, I usually have to watch the i-app come out first and then wait for the droid version. Legal tech geeks unite!

https://market.android.com/details?id=net.ncleg.ncga&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDEsIm5ldC5uY2xlZy5uY2dhIl0

Tip of the Day

2011-11-14T14:39:00.000-05:00

Before you forward that email to a group, check the chain of messages and make sure it is appropriate for everyone you are forwarding it to. Some of those messages may have been meant only for a select few.

Veterans Day 2011

2011-11-10T12:29:00.000-05:00

Like most of you, I have tomorrow off for the holiday. Great, a day off! I can sleep in, run errands or be lazy.

While you are running around like I will be, please take a minute to remember WHY you have the day off - take a minute tomorrow to thank a veteran, a current service member or someone you know (or don't know) who made the ultimate sacrifice when she lost her husband, her son, her brother or her dad so we could live free. Military members choose to serve our County, they do not always get to choose their wars. Even if you don't support the war, support the men and women who serve this Country.

"To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations..."

http://www.militaryspot.com/news/meaning-of-veterans-day/

Flash Card App

2011-09-30T09:22:00.003-04:00

My friend and fellow paralegal, Lynne DeVenny, has decided to sit for the CLA/CP exam. She has a great blog at www.practicalparalegalism.com and she recently started blogging about her journey as a full time paralegal/busy Mom/busy Wife who is trying to find time to study for and take the exam.

A few days ago, she featured a flash card ipad/iphone/droid app on her blog (http://www.practicalparalegalism.com/2011/09/road-to-nala-cp-exam-flash-card-app.html). I personally have not used this app, but, if Lynne says its a great app, you can trust that it is. So, whether you need to make notes to take to Court, makes a note of what you need on your next trip to the grocery store or are studying for an exam, this seems to be a useful, free app for just that.

Email Tip

2011-09-28T17:03:00.000-04:00

Get a lot of junk emails? Take the time to scroll to the bottom and click the unsubscribe link instead of just deleting the email.

Secretary of State Offices

2011-09-22T15:12:00.000-04:00

Short post today but here's a great site with a list of the Secretary of State offices in all States (note that some call it something a little different, like Corporation Commission or Department of State).

Remember, when using a site like this, sometimes links are not updated when URLs change. If you find a bad one, don't get discouraged, google it!

http://www.e-secretaryofstate.com/

The Start of Another School Year

2011-08-25T19:19:00.001-04:00

Today marked the start of traditional schools in my area. It also marked the last time I get to send my son off for his first day of school. He's now a Senior. 12 years ago, I was driving him to school with his new pokemon backpack, his new pokemon lunchbox and his new pokemon t-shirt.

Now that I put the kleenex away, I also wanted to talk about another marked event happening today, a change in the school zone laws. The fine for speeding in a school zone is now $250.00, up from $25.00 (no, that's not a typo). Also, remember that if you are on a 2 lane road you must stop for a stopped school bus. If you are on a 4 lane road, if there is NO median, you must also stop. If there is a median, you do not have to stop. Passing a stopped school bus is the most serious of DMV offenses and can get you some pretty hefty points on your license. More importantly, you are helping ensure the safety of the kids on the bus. If you are ever in doubt about whether to stop - stop.

Upcoming Changes to Real Estate Recordings in NC

2011-08-19T15:40:00.001-04:00

Below is an article by the UNC School of Government which summarizes upcoming changes to real estate recording fees, handling of satisfactions, new formatting guidelines and changes to indexing standards. The most notable change will be the new recording fees: documents other than deeds of trust and mortgages - $26 for the first 15 pages and $4 for each page thereafter; deeds of trust and mortgages - $56 for the first 15 pages and $4 for each page thereafter

In exchange for charging you more, the legislature is going to allow you more margin space and a smaller font. The margins will change from a 1/2 inch to a 1/4 inch and the minimum font will now be 9 instead of 10.

The entire article can be read here. http://sogpubs.unc.edu/electronicversions/pdfs/lrb35.pdf

Social Media and Ethics

2011-08-17T14:39:00.001-04:00

A very interesting read here on social media and how it relates to ethics rules. I do not believe NC has any specific ethics rules on social media (yet) but this article could give you an idea about how NC may look at issues related to a firm's use of social media.

http://lawyerist.com/friending-for-evidence

Court Costs Fees Increase Aug 1, 2011

2011-07-26T13:44:00.001-04:00

This seems to be a recurring blog post......

On August 1, 2011, the Sheriff's process service fee goes from $15 to $30. If you do any criminal work, court costs for criminal matters (including traffic tickets) are increasing, despite they just increased on July 1.

http://www.nccourts.org/Courts/Trial/Documents/court_costs_memo-1Aug2011.pdf

The recording fees for the Register of Deeds are going up October 1 as well. As soon as I get information, I will post it here.

Possible Court Fees Increase....AGAIN (follow up).

2011-06-29T13:39:00.000-04:00

Below is the link to AOC's information about the costs increases effective July 1. It was so nice of them to wait 2 days before the increases to publish this. Seems they also snuck in the requirement that we start using cover sheets for all filing again.

As ill as we all are about this, I can assure you the Clerk's offices are as if not more upset with this. I visited one this morning and they were all in a tizzy about it. More funds to receipt, more forms to process. So, try to be patient with them as they work out the kinks and let's hope they are patient with us when we show up with the wrong amount.

http://www.nccourts.org/Courts/Trial/Costs/Default.asp

Yep, I am jumping on the bandwagon.......

2011-06-16T15:42:00.000-04:00

I just finished reading this article from Above the Law on how my AA degree in paralegal studies is useless. Well that's news to me. I've been doing this for 16+ years, have served as President of our statewide paralegal association, have taught paralegal classes, have my National and State certifications and am a speaker for various CPE providers. Yeh, I'd say that 2 years I spent were pretty useless....NOT.

My fellow paralegals UNITE!

http://sonomafreelance.blogspot.com/2011/06/of-matriculation-and-minefields.html
http://aparalegalslife.blogspot.com/2011/06/condecending-attitude-expressed-in.html
http://www.practicalparalegalism.com/2011/06/todays-quote-now-paralegals-are-mostly.html
http://simplifiedparalegal.squarespace.com/purple-paralegal/2011/6/8/a-response.html

Purple Paralegal summed it up best when she says "I think I'll just stop this post while I'm ahead and before my blood pressure shoots up".

I Finally Did It!

2011-05-19T14:36:00.001-04:00

Yep, finally did it. Broke down and got an iPad. Must say, its a lot easier to carry around than my laptop. I am still in search of cool apps to put on it, both legal and non-legal. I have come across a few that I really like (some thanks to Lynne - www.practicalparalegalism.com) and wanted to share them with you and solicit responses from you as to apps you would recommend.

Feeddler - This is a RSS reader and is very easy to use, easy on the eyes on the iPad. (I recommend subscribing to PadGadget, iPad4Legal and AppShopper, see below.)

If you have an iPad, subscribing to PadGadget and AppShopper is a must. You receive 3-4 posts a week with their top free or on sale iPad apps.

Fastcase - free legal research in your iPad.

Dropbox - install on your iPad and desktop and share documents between the two devices.

Docs2Go - work with Word, Excel, Powerpoint and PDF files. (This costs a bit but is worth the cost.)

Paper Toss - a very addicting game.

Epicurious & Serving Sizer - a recipe database and a program to put all those recipes in.

Please respond if you have any suggestions for apps you think I should try.

How To Subpoena Social Media Records

2011-05-19T14:23:00.004-04:00

Great blog article from www.associatesmind.com on how to get records from places like Facebook and Twitter. Thanks to "NC Certified Paralegal" for sharing this link via Facebook.

http://associatesmind.com/2011/05/05/how-to-subpoena-facebook-and-other-social-media-services/

Possible Court Fees Increase....AGAIN.

2011-05-16T13:35:00.001-04:00

Yep, you read it right. I heard a rumor the fees may go up and again. Sure enough, I guess the increase from last October wasn't enough. When I read the proposed fee changes, I about fell out of my chair when I saw some of the increase amounts as well as some of the things they want to start charge for:

$15.00 to file an A&P Summons
$20.00 to file ANY civil Motion
$30.00 to serve papers by the Sheriff (up from $15.00)
$130.00 to file a counterclaim or crossclaim

$20.00 for each Motion? $130.00 for a counterclaim?

If you would like to see a complete list, a local paper (the News and Record) put this nice link on their website. The court fees are on pages 5 and 6. From what I have read, if these changes are made law, the will become effective July 1, 2011. You can keep up with the status of the changes by visiting the legislature's website, the budget information is on the home page.

Tips for Sorting Through Your Emails

2011-04-07T13:49:00.003-04:00

http://gigaom.com/collaboration/email-information-overload/

This is a great article with simple tips for dealing with email overload. I am constantly at odds with my boss about his email inbox - I can hear him screaming because he is overwhelmed but he will not take the time to put some of these tips into action (like taking the time to unsubscribe to those junk mails instead of deleting them!).

I learned two great tips from this article: I can color code my emails and I can forward certain messages directly to a designated folder. I am in email heaven playing with these Outlook features!

(Shout-out to @JayFleischman for sharing this article via Twitter.)

Why Have A Business Card, I Don't Have A Job?

2011-03-28T10:53:00.001-04:00

I have come back from attending NCPA's Annual Seminar this past weekend where I met a lot of new faces. Quite a few of those faces were looking for jobs. When I asked them, do you have a business card with your contact information on it, most said no. If you are looking to network in the hopes of getting a job, you need something to give people so they can contact you.

A great site for 250 FREE business cards is www.vistaprint.com. (You do pay about $5.00 for shipping.) Keep your card simple, white or light beige if possible. Put only your name, address, phone and email on there. Do not put any fancy pictures or slogans on it, those take away from the relevant information on the card. When you hand someone your card, on the back, you can hand write what areas of the law you want to go into. For me, I always ask this when someone hands me their card and I write it on the back of their card. Then, when I hear about job openings, I can look through them and send an email as appropriate.

Information on Financial Institutions

2011-03-03T15:38:00.002-05:00

http://www.nccob.gov

The NC Commissioner of Banks regulates state chartered banks, trust companies, mortgage companies & brokers, finance companies, check cashing companies, money transmitters and tax refund anticipation loan facilitators. Information about these companies can be found on the NCCOB website, although they make it a little difficult to find. From the home page, click on consumer information and then click on the type of company you want to search for. If you are looking for a now defunct company and can not find the information on the site, call them, they do keep archived information, though maybe not online.

If you are in another State or looking for an out of state financial company, simply search “Banking Commission ”, keeping in mind that the "Banking Commission" may be called something else in other States.

Love Songs for Lawyers

2011-02-08T11:04:00.000-05:00

In anticipation of Valentine's Day, I present to you, "Love Songs for Lawyers":

1. Let’s Have A (Criminal) Conversation

2. NGRI Spells I Love You (The Stalker Song).

3. Going To The Magistrate and We’re Going to Get Married.

4. Get Your Lien Off My Easement or I’ll Show You an Intentional Tort.

5. Don’t Lochnerize My Love

6. You’re More Than Chattel To Me

7. I Never Will Marry (I’ll Just Find a Woman I Don’t Like and Give Her A House)

Now, I can't take credit for these. A client of ours came up with these and granted me permission to reprint. Thanks DT, for your always inspiring "legalisms".

Free Legal Research, yep...I said FREE!

2011-01-08T06:55:00.004-05:00

http://scholar.google.com/

Google is now in the online legal research market with its Google Scholar website. Although I was not able to verify this on the Google Scholar website, this blog says the site offers access to state cases going back to 1950, and federal cases going back to 1924.

To search for cases, be sure to click the "Advanced Scholar Search" link and scroll about half-way down to see the Legal Opinions and Journals search options.

Thanks to Vicki Voisin for passing this great site along to me. You can follow her blog at www.paralegalmentor.com.

Inspection and Registration Reminder

2011-01-04T13:42:00.000-05:00

Not only is our office seeing an increase in the number of tickets for inspections and registrations but as I drive around I am noticing a lot of registrations that are expired. Although DMV does mail a registration renewal card to drivers, not having that inspection sticker in the driver's side window seems to be throwing some folks off.

Here's what you need to know about the recent change to the inspection law. Everyone should have "rolled over" to no longer having an inspection sticker in the window. When you renew your registration, you must have had (and passed) an inspection within 90 days of your registration's expiration date. For example, my registration expires July 15th, so my inspection must have been completed between May 15th and July 15th in order for me to renew my registration.

If you are one of those who can't remember because you don't have that nice inspection sticker in your window, get you a post it note, write down when your registration expires and tape it where your sticker used to be. It might save you a couple hundred dollars in attorney fees and fines.

So, go out now and check your registration sticker!

Top 10 software downloads of 2010

2011-01-03T12:43:00.000-05:00

Check out TechRepublic’s top 10 software downloads of 2010 (based on number of downloads). After having spent over an hour "de-spywaring" my daughter's laptop on new year's eve, I could have used a few of these!

http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/geekend/?p=6405&tag=nl.e175

Thanks to Tara for sharing this list.

News Laws Taking Effect Dec 1st

2010-11-30T14:52:00.001-05:00

The following new laws will take effect on December 1 in North Carolina:

Any person who is subject to a domestic violence protective order who enters or remains on the premises of a shelter where the protected party is residing shall be guilty a Class H felony (increased from a Class A1 felony).

Drivers who cover any registration number, registration letter, or the State name on a registration plate, number on a year sticker, or number on a month sticker with any frame or transparent clear or color-tinted cover that makes the registration numbers, registration letters, the State name, or the numbers on the stickers illegible commits an infraction. Fine is $100.00. (Check your plate today!)

New policies have been enacted to fight fraud in the Medicaid health insurance program.

Susie's Law increases the penalty for maliciously killing an animal by intentional deprivation of necessary sustenance from a Class A1 misdemeanor to a class H felony. Additionally, the penalty for maliciously torturing, mutilating, maiming, cruelly beating, disfiguring, poisoning, or killing an animal is increased from a Class I felony to a Class H felony.

Video sweepstakes machines are banned.

Social Media for the Paralegal

2010-08-25T16:04:00.001-04:00

Social media sites have really taken off in the last few years. I recently read that it took 38 years for radio to reach 50 million users; 13 years for television; and 4 years for the internet. It only took TWO years for facebook to reach 50 million users. Social media can be great tool for law firms, if used properly.

I became faced with a dilemma recently where I received a friend request on my facebook page from someone that I had met professionally. I attend a lot of seminars and network with a lot of legal professionals who I want to connect with, but wondered how to do so and still keep them from seeing my personal information. It was then I decided I would have a personal (private) facebook page and a professional (public) facebook page. I only use my professional page to share legal related stuff and I never mix information on the two pages. I have paralegals from all over the country on my professional site and recently was able to use a connection to get a referral to an attorney in another state.

I recently attended a seminar on employment law and was surprised at the number of cases which involved employees being fired for using facebook. Some for using it while at work, some for divulging confidential information and some for posting items about co-workers or a boss. Companies are now googling potential employees to check social media sites. Even if your page is private, rest assured that nothing on the internet is ever really private. Someone can take a screen shot of your page and it can be emailed and emailed and emailed until it gets into the wrong hands. If you don’t want someone to see it, don’t post it.

There are tons of great legal blogs out there which can benefit you and your firm. I subscribe to a lot of law firm technology blogs and paralegal blogs. From those blogs, I find other blogs that interest me. An RSS feeder is great tool you can use to group all of your blogs into one location where you can read at your leisure. Google has a very easy to use reader.

As a paralegal or other legal professional, you can use social media sites to your and/or your firm’s benefit but be sure you are using them to your advantage and not to your disadvantage.

I Kindly Refuse........

2010-07-30T15:33:00.003-04:00

Have you ever been put into a predicament at work where your boss asks you to do something you feel is unethical? Do you have a right to say "I kindly refuse"? I say yes, and here are some of my reasons why.

If your attorney is doing something unethical and this something could cost him his law license, that would ultimately mean you are out of a job, even if you are not actually participating.

If you are certified by your state or one of the national associations, they have ethical guidelines you are to follow as well. Break one of those and you might find your hard earned certification status gone.

Your credibility and ethics could be called into question and could ultimately require some kind of appearance before court or before a Bar board. You want to be able to say you did the right thing. Having to file an affidavit with the Court of what you did right to counterattack someone's claim that you did something unethical is no fun, especially when that document becomes public record in the court file.

Your participation in something unethical could cost you your career.

Now comes the hard question, how do I tell my boss no? That will depend on what kind of relationship you have with your boss, what exactly you are being asked to do and how you say it. I certainly would not suggest you just say you refuse to do it without any explanation. Express your concerns in detail. Could this result in your being fired? Possibly. However, I'd rather report to my new employer that I was fired for not agreeing to do something I felt unethical rather than I was fired for participating in something unethical or laid off because my attorney lost his license.

If you are ever in doubt or are uncomfortable with a situation and need advice, you might confidentially contact someone you trust - another attorney (inside or outside the firm) or another paralegal - for advice.

Sometimes saying no is hard, but necessary.

Military Search

2010-07-23T16:40:00.000-04:00

https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/appj/scra/scraHome.do

Ever tried to serve someone and cannot find them? If you have reason to believe they could be active military, you should run the name through this verification database. Note that your query must be entered twice to complete a search and that your results will only show whether the person is active duty, you will not get any information on where he or she is stationed.

Expert Witness Database

2010-07-12T12:44:00.000-04:00

http://www.jurispro.com/

This is an online database of expert witnesses. What I liked when I first used this site is that you have the ability (if available) to view an expert's references, background and CV for FREE. You can also listen to a recorded message from the expert (again, if available).

Top 50 Criminal Justice Blogs

2010-07-12T09:41:00.000-04:00

http://www.criminaljusticedegreeschools.com/criminal-justice-resources/top-50-criminal-justice-blogs/

I am honored to be included in this list! Be sure to check it out, lots of good blogs you should be reading - and not just for paralegals in criminal law.

Public Records Searches - site #2

2010-06-09T11:52:00.000-04:00

www.indorgs.virginia.edu/portico/home.html

Portico is "a collection of web sites, containing publicly available information, compiled for the use of the advancement community." Search occupational boards, county tax records, even find out if a song is licensed by ASCAP or see a list of all the US Ambassadors since 1778.

Public Records Searches - site #1

2010-06-01T11:27:00.001-04:00

www.searchsystems.net

There are various sites statewide that you can use to search public records for free (register of deeds, tax information, etc.), but what if you need something in another State?

This website advertises that it offers "criminal records, court records, corporate information, free public information, property records, deeds, mortgages, professional licenses, warrants, unclaimed property, free birth records, free death records, free marriage records, free divorce records, court records, free vital records, and much more." It also advertises that its free. While the searching is free, the viewing is not. Once you find the data you are looking for, you will have to decide if what you need is worth the cost (such as $19.95 for a day pass or $50.00 for a one time full report on the person you are searching).
The cost may be worth it if you need something from another State that is not accessible any other way.

There are many sites that link to publicly available information, some free, some not. Stay tuned later this week for more public records search sites.

State and Local Government Links

2010-05-11T14:01:00.003-04:00

http://www.statelocalgov.net/

A comprehensive search engine for state, county or city governmental agencies, includes all 50 states.

ABA Tech Show 2010 - 60 sites in 60 minutes

2010-04-23T14:39:00.001-04:00

http://new.abanet.org/calendar/TECHSHOW/Pages/60Sitesin60Minutes2009.aspx

Great article with great sites for legal professionals (and a few fun ones thrown in) from the ABA's Tech Show.

Is There Such Thing As Free Software?

2010-04-13T16:54:00.003-04:00

http://www.abanet.org/lpm/lpt/articles/tch04102.shtml

Yes, I said free (and legal) software for your firm. If you are not familiar with the term "open source" and you work in a small firm, you need to be.

This is a great article on how to find and use open source software:

"But what if you could get the software you need, for free, to get a solo practice up and running? That's now an option with a class of software known as "Open Source." Open Source software is available for free, often has a good reputation on features, performance and security, and is especially attractive to law firms who do not want to live exclusively in a Microsoft world. It's time for all lawyers, but especially solos and small firms, to learn more about Open Source software."

Thanks to Lynne Devenny Craig for sending this article to me. Check out her blog at www.practicalparalegalism.com

Law Firms Need to Be Aware of Email Scams Too

2010-03-29T10:34:00.002-04:00

I dont know about your firm, but we seemed to have been inundated with scam emails this past month. Most come in the same form but I did have one unique one we almost fell for. I want to share my stories with you so you don't fall for either one.

The first one, and the one we continue to receive, comes from an overseas parts company who claims to have done business with a US Company and has not been paid. They will email you legitimate invoices and will even use companies you can google and verify are true (or so it seemed). The debtor company will kindly pay once you send them a letter. Your client will then tell you to take your fee out of the settlement and send them the rest. What you don't know is that that certified check is fraudulent and you are now out whatever money you have already sent to you client. If you are like my firm, however, this would not happen. When we receive funds, unless they are paid by credit card, we require a 3-4 day window (sometimes more) before we cut any money back off of it to ensure the payment is good. This is a good practice to have and any legitimate client will understand.

Speaking of legitimate clients, this one was a bit tricky and we almost fell for it. Potential client emails that (s)he is owed money under a settlement agreement and wants us to collect on it. I email asking for documents for our review and I get a very generic looking form (like what you can get off the internet) that looks like a settlement agreement, complete with signatures. When I send our firm's retainer agreement, all of the sudden we have moved to this client telling me that the debtor has agreed to pay and is sending a certified check to our office. This was my first clue - we hadn't even send the debtor a letter demanding payment! The next clue was when I asked for contact information many times and didn't get it (all I had to this point was an email @hotmail.com). I discussed this with my boss and we agreed that this was going to end up with the same scenario as our "parts company client" from the other emails. We kindly declined to represent this person further. I suspect a fraudulent certified check is already on its way to our office.

If you receive any email like this, involve your boss and investigate thoroughly. Best practice, in my opinion, is to have a hold policy in place and NEVER give out wiring instructions unless it's someone you have done business with before or its a bank with whom you are doing business (such as for a real estate closing).

Scammers are getting more creative and apparently have no qualms about involving attorney's offices.

A Shout Out

2010-03-26T14:43:00.002-04:00

Last night I had the pleasure of filling in to teach a group of paralegal students at UNC's Paralegal Certificate Program.

I could tell most, if not all, were going to school at night in addition to having full time jobs and maybe even families. Some ate dinner as they listened, some came to class straight from their "day jobs". I can relate. Although I had not started my family yet, I put myself through paralegal school, worked and lived on PB&Js and Raman Noodles for a while.

So a quick shout out to them for their dedication to themselves and for choosing a great profession!

TimeBridge

2010-03-23T14:27:00.002-04:00

www.timebridge.com

If you need to schedule a meeting with a group of people, finding an agreeable date and time can be a pain. Use this free software with google calendar and outlook. Send a message out with your available times and let everyone choose when they are available. Add more features (like conferencing and text message reminders) with the paid versions.

Free Remote Access to your Computer

2010-03-08T12:27:00.003-05:00

https://secure.logmein.com/welcome/access/fasteasy/7/?originid=6613&destination=/welcome/access/fasteasy/7/&WT.mc_id=6394

I work for a small firm and sometimes I need to access my work computer from home though (and my home computer from work). Most remote access sites are not cost effective for a small firm like mine. LogMeIn is free software which allows remote access. Yes, I said FREE. No catch, no trial period, no fine print (although it does require a download to both computers).

Paralegal Certification

2010-02-16T09:26:00.002-05:00

Although NCPA does not regulate either the State or National Certification, as President and past Education Chair of NCPA, I get a lot of questions about certification. Hopefully this will answer some of those questions. I am by no means an expert so I encourage you to check the links below for more detailed information.

CLA/CLAS/CP/APC: These designations are obtained by taking the certification exam offered by the National Association of Legal Assistants. Since this a national exam, you are tested on Federal laws. Once you pass the exam, you can use the CLA or CP designation (Certified Legal Assistant or Certified Paralegal). You can then take a specialty exam in a particular area of the law. A few years ago, NALA changed how it does these specialty exams. For instance, I took my specialty in litigation prior to the change. Therefore, I could use CLAS behind my name. If you take any specialty exams now (called Advanced Paralegal Certifications), you would use the ACP (Advanced Certified Paralegal) after your name. As of March 1, 2010, there will be 8 areas of law you can take the specialty exam in. Visit www.nala.org and click the certification link for more information.

NCCP/NCSBCP: These designations are obtained by taking the certification exam offered by the NC State Bar. This is a state exam and you are tested on NC laws in 8 core areas. The exam is multiple choice. The Bar does not yet offer any specialty exams and I do not know it it ever plans to. Visit www.nccertifiedparalegal.org for more information.

Certification is not required to be a paralegal or legal assistant in NC, but you cannot use these designations unless you have passed the exam. Both exams do have strict qualifications to sit for the exam and both certifications require you have a certain amount of CPE every year to keep the designation.

If you are sitting for either of these exams this year, you may consider NCPA's review course offered in September of every year at various locations through out the State. This year, it will be in Asheville. www.ncparalegal.org

Good luck to you if you are sitting for either of these exams!

Identity Theft Tips

2010-01-12T16:50:00.003-05:00

I had the pleasure of attending a seminar last night where Caroline Farmer with the NC Dept of Justice spoke about identity theft. Among the many interesting things she discussed, these tips were the ones that stood out for me and I wanted to share them with you.

www.annualcreditreport.com is the only place to get a TRULY FREE credit report. You can order one from each credit reporting agency once a year. So, to maximize this, Ms. Farmer recommends you order one from each credit bureau (Experian, TransUnion and Equifax) every 4 months. Since the three bureaus report mostly the same information, this is a way to actually monitor your report every few months for FREE!

Business and individuals can be fined $500 per occurrence by the NC Dept of Justice for violations of disclosing confidential/personal information. THIS INCLUDES ATTORNEY'S OFFICES!
You can opt out of pre-approved credit offers by going to www.optoutprescreen.com
You can cut down on "junk mail" by going to www.dmachoice.org
You can put a "security freeze" on your credit such that no new credit can be established until you "unfreeze" it.

For more information on these tips as well as tons of other tips to protect your identity, visit the NC Dept of Justice's website at www.ncdoj.gov.

Starting Off The New Year Right

2010-01-06T09:42:00.002-05:00

A group of cannibals worked for a big law firm. Once day the head cannibal called a meeting of all the cannibals. “Who has been eating the paralegals?” he asked the group. A meek little cannibal in the corner raised his hand. “You idiot” the head cannibal says, “for months we’ve been eating attorneys, associates and law clerks and nobody has noticed, but, NO, you had to go eat someone they would miss and notice!”.

Happy End of 2009!

2009-12-29T16:57:00.005-05:00

http://www.ncleg.net/documentsites/legislativepublications/2009%20Effective%20Dates/2009%20Effective%20Dates.pdf

This link will take you to the NC Legislature's website and a listing of laws enacted with effective dates from July 2009 - January 1, 2010. In addition to the ban on texting while driving and the ban on smoking in bars and restaurants, here are a few notable changes over the last half of 2009:

An attorney who drafts a Will or Codicil must now have his or her name and business address affixed to the instrument and indicate that he or she is the drafter.

The spousal allowance in estates has been increased from $10,000.00 to $20,000.00

Estates valued less than $20,000.00 can be probated as a small estate (increased from $10,000.00)

Deeds must now include the address of the Grantor AND Grantee, state whether the property being conveyed was the primary residence of the Grantor, and state that the excise taxes were paid and how much was paid. This change was made so appraisers can better track the sale price of homes.

Changes were made to the NC Limited Liabilty Company Act.

A license plate frame on your car can no longer cover the state's name nor the year or month stickers. Guess I will be taking my beloved NC State frame off in the near future. :(

Happy New Year everyone!

Favorite Holiday Movie Quotes

2009-12-23T09:34:00.006-05:00

I'm not much of a movie or tv person but I do have some favorites. Below are some of my favorite holiday movie quotes. What's your favorite holiday movie or quote?

Charlie Brown: Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?
Linus: Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about......lights, please. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not: for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.' That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

Wizard of Oz: A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others.

Policeman: What's the matter? Didn't you see that traffic light?
Frosty: What's a traffic light?
Policeman: Up there on that lamppost.
Frosty: What's a lamppost?
Policeman: Are you trying to get a ticket, wise guy?
Frosty: I'd love one. To the North Pole, please.

Head Elf: Hermey! Aren't you finished painting that yet? There's a pile up a mile wide behind you! What's eating you, boy?
Hermey: Not happy with my work, I guess.
Head Elf: What?
Hermey: I just don't like to make toys.
Head Elf: Oh well if that's all... What? You don't like to make toys?
Hermey: No.
Head Elf: Hermey doesn't like to make toys.
Elves: Hermey doesn't like to make toys. Shame on you!
Head Elf: Do you mind telling me what you do wanna do?
Hermey: Well, sir, some day, I'd like to be... a dentist.
Head Elf: A dentist?
Hermey: Well, we need one up here. I've been studying molars and bicuspids and incisors...
Head Elf: Now listen, you! You're an elf, and elves make toys. Now, get to work!

and finally......

Tiny Tim: God bless us, everyone.

Medical Board Updated

2009-12-08T15:37:00.003-05:00

www.ncmedboard.org

North Carolina law recently authorized the NC Medical Board to add more information to its database. Searching for a licensed physician or and physician assistant will now include information such as suspensions or revocations of hospital privileges; disciplinary orders or actions of any regulatory board or agency, including other state medical boards and the N.C. Medicaid program; felony convictions; misdemeanor convictions involving offenses against a person, offenses of moral turpitude, offenses involving the use of drugs or alcohol and violations of public health and safety codes; and certain malpractice/professional liability payment information.

Accident Sketch

2009-12-04T08:59:00.003-05:00

http://draw.accidentsketch.com/

I found this website courtesy of Vicki Voisin in her Strategies for Paralegals Seeking Excellence newsletter (www.paralegalmentor.com). It looks pretty user friendly, but, I haven't played around with it yet. It allows you to create rough sketches of accident scenes. I would love to hear from you with your feedback if you have used it or after you have used it.

Medical Procedure Codes

2009-11-23T10:40:00.006-05:00

Here are a few sites where you can look up medical diagnosis and procedure codes. Note that the codes were updated October 1, 2009.

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/ICD9ProviderDiagnosticCodes/06_codes.asp

http://www.findacode.com/

http://www.icd9data.com/

Librarians' Internet Index

2009-11-19T15:32:00.002-05:00

http://www.lii.org/

This site indexes websites selected by the "librarians" and then organizes them by topic. Sites choosen for inclusion are screened prior to inclusion for things like content and reliability. The site is updated weekly and you can also subscribe to the newsletter.

Ten Helpful Hints For Attorneys from Support Staff

2009-11-09T09:49:00.004-05:00

To lighten the Monday blahs, here's a list we can all relate to (I did not create this, although I wish I did, I found this years ago on the internet):

1. Never give me work in the morning. Always wait until 4pm and then bring it to me - the challenge of a deadline is always refreshing.

2. If it's really a rush job, run in and interrupt me every 10 minutes to inquire how it's going - that helps.

3. Always leave without telling me where you are going - it gives me a chance to be creative when someone asks where you are.

4. If my arms are full of papers, boxes or supplies, don't open the door for me - learning to open doors with my arms full is good training.

5. If you give me more than one job to do, don't tell me which is a priority - let me guess.

6. Do your best to keep me late - I like the office and really have nowhere to go or anything to do.

7. If a job I do pleases you, keep it a secret - leaks like that could cost me a promotion.

8. If you don't like my work, tell everyone - I like my name to be popular in conversation.

9. If you have special instructions for a job, don't write them down - in fact, save them until the job is almost done.

10. Never introduce me to people you are with, especially clients - when you refer to them later, my shrewd sense of deduction will identify them.

- Author anonymous

Electronic Discovery Rules for Dummies

2009-11-02T08:59:00.004-05:00

http://technology.findlaw.com/electronic-discovery/electronic-discovery-wizard.html#default

Findlaw.com has this neat little tool for those new to the electronic discovery rules. Click the rule and it will give you the Rule, a non-legalese summary of the rule, a checklist and then articles which discuss that rule.

Recycling Electronics

2009-10-27T14:16:00.001-04:00

Excellent article with company by company list of how to recycle old electronics.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/27/how-to-recycle-your-old-gadgets/

Legal Blogs You Should Be Following

2009-10-26T11:52:00.003-04:00

Here's my list of a few of my favorite legal blogs:

http://www.practicalparalegalism.com
http://theempoweredparalegal.com/
http://socialmedialawstudent.com (for all you legal tech geeks like me)
http://paralegalgateway.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Donating Old Computers? How to Wipe the Data.

2009-10-13T10:40:00.002-04:00

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/how_to_permanently_delete_data.php
http://www.pcinspector.de/Sites/file_recovery/info.htm?Language=1
http://www.iolo.com/ds/3/

Are you getting rid of old computers or donating them? If so, you should consider the confidential client information that is contained on your drive. Doing just a reformat is not enough to keep out those smart hackers. The best way to do it is to reformat and reinstall an OS many times. This can be time consuming.

The first link discusses this topic in more depth and includes a few free open source software links. The other two links are where you can purchase software which will truly wipe your drive.

Having said all of this, the only true way to ensure the information is not recovered is to open the casing of the drive and smash the disk with a hammer. We all feel like smashing our computers with a hammer sometimes, don't we?

Legal Search Engine

2009-10-06T16:45:00.002-04:00

http://www.findlaw.com/

So, the flu bug has hit my house, in addition to my son turning 15 and getting his learners permit and asked to drive everywhere now. I'm not sure who was more nervous in the DMV office...him or me! To say the least, it's been a busy two weeks so I haven't posted in a while.

I like to call Findlaw.com the google for legal professionals. What I use this site the most for is finding laws in other states. You can also search for lawyers in other states and catch up on the latest legal news.

Bitcher & Prickman, Attorneys at Law

2009-09-25T09:43:00.003-04:00

http://www.lawcomix.com/index.html

Ok, so, it's Friday and I've decided to share a fun website. Charles Fincher has created three different law cartoons. His best creation, in my opinion, is the fictitious firm of Bitcher & Prickman. Yes, I said Bitcher & Prickman. Fictitious attorneys who say it like it is...and like most of us wish we could say. You'll have a good Friday laugh looking back through his law comics. If you are on twitter, you can (and should) follow Beatrice Bitcher and Richard Prickman and their comical conversations on the law.

Medical Treatment Cost Estimation

2009-09-17T09:18:00.003-04:00

http://www.newchoicehealth.com/

Locate local medical facilities and compare medical procedure costs at those facilities. Great site for PI or workers comp paralegals. Thanks to Erin Rall for sharing this site.

State and Local Gov. Directory

2009-09-15T09:57:00.001-04:00

http://www.statelocalgov.net/

Provides links to the websites of agencies and city and county governments.

Online Language Translator

2009-09-08T13:44:00.002-04:00

http://babelfish.yahoo.com/

Yahoo's language converter. Type your text in and translate to and from most languages.

Military Locators

2009-09-04T10:20:00.002-04:00

https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/scra/owa/home
http://www.militarylocator.com
http://themilitaryzone.com/military_bases.html

To obtain information on whether someone is active military or not, you can use the first link. Note that you must have, in addition to the name, the date of birth or SSN.

The second link works like the white pages. It's only going to show you information for those that have registered with the site. Also, you must register for a free account in order to use the site.

The third link is a list of all US military bases - most will link you directly to the site and/or give you the phone number.

I am also told that if you need information on a discharged person, you can request he or she send you a copy of his or her DD-214 , which will show their name, discharge information, pay and rank.

If you know of any other sites useful in finding information on active or non-active duty servicemen and servicewomen, I would love to hear from you!

Myth or Truth?

2009-08-27T16:17:00.002-04:00

www.snopes.com

Someone sent me this video today (it's safe to view). I see it and think wow, how is that possible, that HAS to be fake. When I get stuff like this or get some email telling me that some UPS uniforms have been stolen and are being used by terrorists or that walmart flip flops are causing a foot fungus, I immediately go to snopes site to verify the authenticity. Turns out that video IS a fake, a VERY nicely edited video made to look like the guy really rides all the way to the pool.

State Road # Lookup

2009-08-24T13:59:00.002-04:00

https://apps.dot.state.nc.us/srlookup/Default.aspx

This is one of those links where you can dig all day on DOT's site and not find this. I dont remember how I stumbled on it, but I immediately bookmarked it. If you need to know what the road name is for State Road (SR) numbers (like the ones you see on accident reports), use this site to look it up.

Federal Agency Index

2009-08-20T11:04:00.002-04:00

http://www.usa.gov/Agencies/Federal/All_Agencies/index.shtml

An alphabetical listing of contact information for all Federal agencies.

State Board of Elections

2009-08-18T15:12:00.002-04:00

http://www.sboe.state.nc.us/VoterLookup.aspx

This is the State Board of Elections website. You can obtain address information for anyone who is registered to vote in North Carolina. Keep in mind that the address is only as current as the last time the information was supplied. Since most of us only vote every four years, there is a possibility the information is old, but it can be used as a starting point or to verify other address information you may have.

Medical Terms

2009-08-14T07:01:00.001-04:00

http://www.medilexicon.com/

A comprehensive site to search medical terminology, medical (ICD) codes, medical abbreviations as well as drug information.

Nursing Home Information

2009-08-11T15:18:00.002-04:00

http://Medicare.gov/NHCompare/home.asp

This site will give you information on nursing homes that are medicare approved. Check health inspection results, nursing home staff data, quality measures, and fire safety inspection results.

Archived Internet Pages

2009-08-04T11:01:00.003-04:00

http://www.archive.org/index.php

Ok, so did you know that there is a site that archives old internet pages? Choose your site and date and see what that webpage looked like on that date. The dates a particular site are available are sporadic and the links on that page are not active. While it's fun to see old webpages, this can have be useful in your job. If the Defendant says something was not on his webpage on a certain date, see if his page was archived by this site and maybe you will be able to see if he is telling the truth.

Service of Subpoenas

2009-07-30T09:35:00.002-04:00

http://www.search.org/programs/hightech/isp/default.asp#212

This link contains a variety of Internet Service Providers and similar services, specifically, contacts at the legal departments for service of subpoenas, court orders, and the like.

Thanks to Jennifer Gaff for sharing this link with us!

Vital Records

2009-07-28T11:07:00.003-04:00

http://vitalrec.com/

One of the most asked questions is how to obtain vital records online. The answer is, you can't - well at least I am not aware of any state that offers their records online. This is probably a good thing, meant to protect information that could be misused if in the wrong hands.

This link will take to you a searchable page where you can look up contact information for vital record offices in all 50 states. I've had to request out of state records twice. Both times, I used this site. I called the vital records office, they faxed me a form, and I was able to pay with a credit card over the phone for the copies, which I had within 3 days.

The Paralegal Mentor

2009-07-23T09:31:00.002-04:00

www.paralegalmentor.com

Today I am profiling a colleague of mine, Vicki Voison, and her website. Vicki has been a paralegal for over 20 years. She is a Past President of the National Association of Legal Assistants, a speaker and an author. I guess you could say she knows a little something about the legal profession.

Vicki offers tips to paralegals and legal assistants on how to get into the "zone"; how to be happy in your career; and how to balance your work and personal life. If you are new to this profession or feel like you are stuck in a rut in our career, I definitely recommend checking out her site for some great advice on how to excel in your profession and be happy doing what you do....yes you can do both at the same time!

Medical Record Copies

2009-07-21T15:23:00.002-04:00

http://www.lamblawoffice.com/medical-records-copying-charges.html

If you practice in areas that require you to request your client's medical records, you know that medical providers and paralegals have been arguing about the correct cost for these records since the beginning of time. Well, maybe not that long, but you understand the frustration we experience in getting these records.

NCGS 90-411 set out the charges for records in North Carolina. What if you are dealing with providers in other states? How do you make sure they are not overcharging your client? A fellow paralegal sent me this site today and I was so excited I had to jump on here and share it with you. So, thanks to Leslie at Martin & Jones for sharing this site with me so that I can now share it with you.

Perpetual Calendar

2009-07-20T10:26:00.003-04:00

www.vpcalendar.net

Find daily calendars for the years 1901 to 2100, a time zone map, a US holiday schedule and calculate days between dates.

NC State Bar

2009-07-14T10:57:00.002-04:00

www.ncbar.com/index.asp

I see many listserv posts asking for information on how to contact NC attorneys. If an attorney is licensed to practice in North Carolina, you can use the member directory on the NC State Bar's website to find his or her contact information. Remember, the NC State Bar is a mandatory organization for attorneys and the NC Bar Association is a voluntary organization. The NC State Bar also regulates NC Certified Paralegals.

If you are looking for a retired NC attorney, he or she may not be currently practicing and thus not listed on the directory. I had to track down a witness for a Will who was no longer a practicing attorney. I called the NC State Bar and got his last known address and was able to contact him. The web is great but sometimes we all forget that a phone call can also get you the information you need!

Warning to the Wise

2009-07-10T16:19:00.004-04:00

I am breaking away from posting a traditional link this afternoon to share a story.

I'm reflecting on the 30+ minutes I spent yesterday copying pages from an opposing party's social site page to use in Court and wondering what some people are thinking these days (or not thinking). Public page means just that - sure, your friends can see it but, so can your boss, so can a potential boss, and so can paralegals like me who can (and will!) use that "public information" against you.

So my warning the wise today is be careful what you post on these public websites as pictures and text can come back to haunt you later. I know most of you who read my blog aren't going to be posting naked pictures of yourself, but my web tip for today is that social sites like myspace, facebook and twitter can apparently serve as great places to get evidence against an opposing party.

Information on North Carolina Counties

2009-07-06T12:58:00.004-04:00

http://ncinfo.iog.unc.edu/library/counties.html

This is a site created by UNC's School of Government. It provides the web addresses for all 100 counties in North Carolina. Sure, you can always use google, but I find this site a handy resource since it has information for all of the counties on one page.

Updated link: thanks to Julie for pointing out the link I originally posted didn't work.

Vacation!

2009-06-24T14:24:00.003-04:00

I'll be taking a short hiatus from posting, well, at least until July 6th when I return from vacation. In my absence, please feel free to post any websites you use in your practice which might be helpful to other legal professionals.

NC General Contractors Licensing Board

2009-06-23T15:41:00.003-04:00

http://www.nclbgc.net/

North Carolina laws define a general contractor as any person, firm or corporation engaging in construction projects costing $30,000.00 or more. A general contractor must be licensed by the State of North Carolina and can hold a limited, intermediate or unlimited license. I can't tell you how many times a client could have saved themselves a lot of money and time if they had only checked online to verify a license status of their general contractor before signing the contract.

Note in your searching that the "licensee" is the name of the company and the "qualifier" is the individual person holding the license.

How Will This Ticket Affect Me?

2009-06-19T14:17:00.008-04:00

http://www.ncdot.org/DMV/driver_services/drivershandbook/chapter3/points.html (DMV points)

http://www.ncdoi.com/consumer/consumer_publications/automobile%20and%20vehicle/it%20pays%20to%20be%20a%20safe%20driver%20(insurance%20points).pdf (insurance points)

Our firm does a lot of traffic tickets. I've heard every reason you can think of as to why a client was speeding or why he was not speeding. I've also heard some creative names for the cop who stopped the client. I often have to explain to clients that I've been doing this for just over 14 years and I've never seen a ticket get dismissed.

NC has two types of point systems - insurance points and DMV points. Insurance points will make your insurance rates go up and if you accumulate a certain number of DMV points, you can have your license revoked. Above are two sites which will show you and your client how a ticket can affect your insurance and your license. You might be surprised to see that having even 1 insurance point can increase your insurance as much as 25%!

Now if they could make something to tell me how much my insurance will go up when I add my 15 year old........

Reading Accident Reports

2009-06-16T08:27:00.002-04:00

http://www.ncdot.org/doh/preconstruct/traffic/teppl/Topics/C-34/C-34-man.pdf

Ever wonder what all those numeric codes on an accident report mean? This 91 page manual is the "instruction manual" on how to fill these out and it details what each and every block on the report means.

Searching for a Mediator?

2009-06-11T08:33:00.005-04:00

www.ncmediators.org/quicksearch

The North Carolina Academy of Superior Court Mediators is a site that provides a useful roster of experienced mediators, searchable by region and case expertise. You can even check availability dates online for those that participate in the site's online calendar.

This organization's members do pay a fee to be "on the list" but what I like about this site is that the membership is by invitation only, selected by the Academy's committee (consisting of mediators I have dealt with who I believe to be some of the best in the area). This ensures that you will receive high quality service from a mediator who is experienced in the area of law you need and not someone who has only been practicing for 6 months who has to take a break during mediation to pull a statute book and read the applicable law (yes, I speak from experience).

Sometimes it's hard to get an opposing party who is not represented to agree on a mediator. It doesn't matter who we choose, they don't like that choice (we're "out to get them", right?). Send those clients to this site and tell them to choose someone from it.

Real Estate & Tax Records

2009-06-09T10:55:00.002-04:00

http://www.netronline.com/ (click the public records link on the left)

Ever wonder if a county in South Carolina has their real estate records online? You can use this site to find out. This site provides links to property information, deeds & mortgages, tax records, parcel maps and assessment records.

There are still some counties that do not have online access to their records and this will show as "website only". If there is access it will say "go to data". I have come across some that say "go to data" and the link is a bad link. In those cases, you'll want to use a search engine to find the website.

I use this site frequently to get asset information or locate a Defendant for service - even if they do not own real estate, they may own a car, which I would find by looking at tax records.

What county is that city in...what city is that street in?

2009-06-04T15:13:00.003-04:00

www.uscounties.com
www.usps.com

If you've ever had to serve an out of state Defendant before, you know what a pain it can be to find out something as simple as what county a city is in. Googling does not always provide a direct answer without surfing through various links. With this site, choose your state and city and it will very simply tell you what county it is in.

Keep in mind that some cities and towns have addresses in different counties. The city I work in is in 3 different counties and this can be a problem when I am trying to serve someone. Use the US Postal Service website to verify the county of a street address. Simply use the zip code check, enter your address and when the address appears, click on the "mailing industry" link and it will show you what county the address is in.

Now, with the world growing as fast as it is, there's no 100% way to be sure even these sites are giving correct information. I have had a time or two where the Postal Service site has given me the wrong county for an address. For those times when you have to get it right the first time, it's good to use multiple sources such as checking with the county's tax office or 911 center to verify the address.

Searching for Incarcerated Defendants - Part II

2009-06-02T11:00:00.002-04:00

http://webapps6.doc.state.nc.us/opi/offendersearch.do?method=view (NC Dept of Correction)
http://www.bop.gov/inmate_locator/index.jsp (Federal Bureau of Prisons)

So, I mentioned last week how to find people sitting in county or city jails. There are two other sites for searching for inmates in prisons - the NC Dept of Correction website (for those incarcerated on State charges) and the Federal Bureau of Prisons a.k.a "BOP" (for those housed on Federal charges).

BOP's site will give you location and projected release date. The NC DOC's site is a little more detailed, giving you inmate location, charges, projected release date and, if they are currently incarcerated, a picture.

It's pretty easy to serve someone who is already incarcerated, the Sheriff knows where to find them.

Funny Stories from the Legal Field

2009-05-29T10:19:00.003-04:00

http://www.litination.com

Ok, so this site serves no practical purpose for your job but it's a pretty darn funny collection of legal stories and pictures for those in the litigation area. Lynne posted this site on her blog this morning so I decided to check it out. My favorites sections have to be the associate captions (what paralegal doesn't get a good laugh at anything related to associates?) and the legalese (the true meaning of ex parte?).

It's Friday, so who doesn't need a good laugh (or stare.....read the associate captions to get that joke, that one had me rolling).

North Carolina Paralegal Association

2009-05-27T11:17:00.003-04:00

www.ncparalegal.org

I'd be remiss if I didn't include a blurb on here about NCPA, well, being I am President and all. If you are a paralegal/legal assistant in North Carolina, you need to be a member of NCPA! Why? Because NCPA is not like other legal associations in that NCPA is solely run by volunteer members who are working paralegals/legal assistants, paralegal students and paralegal instructors. I have been an NCPA member since 1996 and over those years, NCPA has provided me with two invaluable things, inexpensive but informative educational opportunities and the ability to network with others in the legal field.

Interested in more information about NCPA? Visit NCPA's site or contact me.

Searching for Incarcerated Defendants

2009-05-27T09:21:00.005-04:00

www.vinelink.com

Vinelink provides real time information about the custody status of incarcerated Defendants, including those in county and city facilities, for all 50 states. Originally intended to notify crime victims about the custody status of their offenders, this site can be useful to track where a Defendant is being held if he or she is in a county or city facility. Be sure to check what offices are "offline" before doing your search.

My First Post

2009-05-26T16:37:00.003-04:00

I'm an internet junkie. Send me an email and you'll get a response faster than if you leave me a voice mail. I'd rather scan and email a document than fax it. I'm addicted to my email inbox and go into withdrawal if I can't get to my email.

Being the internet junkie, in my 15 years of working in the profession, I've come across some great sites that no legal professional should be without. Through this blog, I will share those sites with you. Please feel free to share any sites you have come across that you feel are relevant to the legal profession.