April 2015

Capital Connection is published monthly for members of the Capital Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators to provide information for the education and benefit of legal administrators, law office managers, managing partners of law firms, and other law related associations. Capital Connection is not engaged in rendering legal, financial, or tax counseling or advice through this publication.  The contents of all articles, letters, and advertisements published in Capital Connection should not be considered endorsements by the Capital Chapter of ALA nor the opinion expressed therein of any products advertised.   Contributing authors are requested and expected to disclose financial an/or professional interests and affiliations that may influence their writing position. Articles and materials accepted for publication are subject to editing by the editorial team and become property of the Capital Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators. 
Editor: Paula Serratore
Contributing Editors: Beth L. Fowler, CLM; Rob Kurucza; Scoti Dodson; Greg Fudge; Jenna Carter
Newsletter Designed By: Scoti Dodson


In this issue:

President's Message

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As we begin another new chapter year, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to serve as your president.  It is truly an honor and I will do my best to live up to the example set by the amazing group of Chapter Presidents who have served before me. 

As I was preparing my remarks for the Change of Gavel, I started thinking about my goals for the coming year and it was a little daunting.  We have one of the strongest chapters in ALA.  We have an incredible group of Business Partners who not only support the Chapter financially, but also serve as great resources for all of us when we need subject matter expertise.  Thanks to them, along with the hard work of our sections, our committees, our Executive Director, Paula, and our Membership Coordinator/Meeting Planner, Scoti, we provide outstanding education to our members at no cost to them beyond annual Chapter dues.  We provide opportunities throughout the year for our members to network with each other and our Business Partners.  Beyond that, we give back to the community via our scholarship, Angel Tree and N Street Village, and other outreach throughout the year.  So what's left? 

I remember when I was young, I would bring home what I thought was a pretty good report card, and my father would ask, “Is that the best you can do?”  What I believe our chapter can do better is to engage and involve more of our members.  This past year, the Executive Committee formed two new committees, the Member Experience Committee and the Diversity and Inclusion Committee. These committees will provide additional ways for us to reach out to our members when they join the Chapter, help them find where they fit in, and help keep them involved.  But they can’t do it all!  As I attend events throughout the year, I see a lot of the same people at each event and I challenge each of you to become an ambassador of the Chapter.  Introduce yourself to someone you don't know every time you attend QNLs, section meetings, Lunch and Learns, and other Chapter events.  Volunteer to serve as a mentor for a new member.  If you know of someone in a leadership role in your firm who is not a member, encourage them to join.  If you know a member who doesn't participate, reach out to them and invite them to come to an event with you.   Consider serving in a leadership role, in the Chapter or even nationally.   Think about how we can make this chapter better, and share your ideas with me or any member of the Leadership Team – we welcome your ideas.  

Getting involved with the Capital Chapter was one of the best things I have ever done for myself.  I will admit it was pretty much by accident - thanks to the people I sat with at the first luncheon I attended - but nonetheless, it has benefited me professionally and personally.  This chapter is full of people who have mentored me, given me great advice, let me cry on their shoulder, and who I am honored to call friends.  I look forward to getting to know more of you and working with each of you in the coming year to make the Capital Chapter better, stronger, and more inclusive than it already is.

New ALA Capital Chapter Members

Amanda Mazie Galich
Regional HR Coordinator
Hunton & Williams
2200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20037
202-419-2102

Jorge D. Sanabria
Director of IT
Van Ness Feldman LLP
1050 Thomas Jefferson Street NW
Washington, DC 20007
202-298-1872

Romana Lynn Cruz
Intellectual Property Supervisor
McDermott Will & Emery LLP
500 North Capitol Street NW
Washington, DC 20001
202-756-8336

Deborah White
Director Facilities, Services, Corporate Records
Van Ness Feldman LLP
1050 Thomas Jefferson Street NW
Washington, DC 20007
202-298-1994
Paul Watson
Director of Financial Systems
Van Ness Feldman LLP
1050 Thomas Jefferson St NW
Washington, DC 20007
202-298-1926

Jennifer Erin Sallee
Firmwide IP Practice Support Trainer
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
1650 Tysons Boulevard, 14th Floor
McLean, VA 22102
703-770-7546

David Towe
Facilities Manager
Sutherland Asbill and Brennon, LLP
700 6th Street NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20001
202-383-0663

Dale Pollock
Conference Services Supervisor
Sutherland Asbill and Brennan, LLP
700 6th Street NW
Suite 700
Washington, DC 20001
202-383-0939

HITT Contracting, Inc. Spotlight: Selecting a General Contractor

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How to Select a General Contractor? 
It's All in the Questions You Ask

By: Rob Kurucza, Project Manager

Many of us are familiar with renovation projects relating to our homes.  Sometimes, we only hear the horror stories of shoddy workmanship, costs ballooning out of control, or projects that never get completed on time.  When searching for a general contractor, some of us speak with colleagues who have recently renovated their law firms.  Hopefully the renovation went well, the selection made benefitted the firm and the selection process yielded the right contractor for the project.  Since law firm renovation or relocation projects may not occur frequently in your firm, many are not familiar with the renovation process and the best way to select a contractor. 

There are several ways to select a general contractor (hard bid, negotiated or fee, and general condition proposals are a few types).  Typically an architect and/or Construction Manager are selected before the general contractor.  We recommend selecting a general contractor soon after selecting an architect.  Earlier is better; It will pay dividends for the success of your project bringing the general contractor on board as early as possible.  The architect or construction manager may recommend a few companies to consider.  In addition to those recommendations, there are also some questions that you can ask of the prospective companies to see if they are qualified to complete your project.  The benefits include cost control, schedule control, pre-release packages when necessary, scouting the selected property, and management of the permit process.  The general contractor will learn what is valuable to the project team and what elements need to be preserved in the design.  In hard bids, the contractors are not involved in the pre-construction efforts and lose valuable insight.

When a new client of a law firm seeks legal counsel, they consider many things depending on the type of work involved.  In all circumstances, they will want to know a track record.  How did previous cases turn out?  What other clients have you worked with? What are my odds that I will get the outcome I am looking for? Selecting a general contractor should be exactly the same. You should ask the prospective firms how many law firm projects they have completed.  Which firms have they worked with?  How long have they worked in this field? Have they worked at the building site or for the landlord? How did the project turn out?  Additionally, it is always helpful to follow up with references.  After all, who is better positioned to make a recommendation than somebody who recently worked with the team?

The next item on everybody’s mind is budget.  Sometimes in a hard bid scenario it is easy to fall into the trap of picking the lowest number.  The phrase "There's no such thing as free lunch" couldn’t be more accurate in construction. There is an inherent cost of construction that is very similar between most of the general contractors in the DC Metro Area. By picking a substantially low number, you need to ask yourself if the number is really low or is it artificially low?  Often times, the answer is the latter.  It is imperative to really analyze the numbers to make sure that the drawings are priced appropriately, that no inferior products are used, that a subcontractor hasn’t missed scope, that the Superintendent will be on your project 100% of the time, and that the general contractor is not cutting the number with the intention of making it up with change orders later. 

Finally, since all jobs are unique, it is important to get a good feel for the team’s approach to your project. Every project has at least one main challenge to overcome.  Is the project a very fast paced job?  If so, it is good to ask the proposed contractor how they will guarantee that you move in on time and how they will get all of the materials delivered within the schedule?  Will your renovation occur in place? If that is the case, you should ask how the contractor plans to mitigate disruption to the lawyers, staff, and other building tenants.  How do they plan to phase the project?  Hopefully, a few of these questions will help guide you in making your decision the next time your firm is due for any project, whether it is a full blown renovation, a new build-out, or just replacing a door and hardware.  If you have any questions, please reach out to me at [email protected].

2015 Change of Gavel Luncheon

Chapter Members and Business Partners gathered in the Great Room of the W Hotel on March 19th to celebrate the changing of the gavel from Joe Berger to Beth Fowler. Guests enjoyed a plated lunch as the incoming and outgoing Presidents presented awards and highlighted the triumphs of the past year.  Three members were honored with the 2015 President's Award: Tracy Morris, Claudia Baragaño, and Helen Woideck, CLM.
Click here to view the 2015-2016 Executive Committee
Click here to view the 2015-2016 Committee Chairs

Ergonomics Seminar & Expo

By: Greg Fudge, 2014-2015 Chair of Office Operations Management Section

Is sitting the new smoking?  What can law firm administrators do to forecast and mitigate the impact of ergonomics issues on productivity and wellness in their firms?  What are current best practices and emerging trends, and how do they impact the bottom line?   These are a few of the many questions addressed at the Ergonomics Seminar & Expo in March, organized by the Office Operations Management Section of the Capital Chapter, and attended by many member administrators, their guests, and Business Partner exhibitors. 

The seminar began with a panel of experts in the fields of law office design, ergonomics, insurance, and law office wellness plans. The panel, consisting of Steve Martin from Gensler, Sacha Burn of HumanScale, Christian Morgan from Lockton Insurance, and Mark Goldberg from Latham Watkins, provided essential and interconnecting information in design, trends, assessments, products, insurance, and integrating ergonomics into law firm wellness plans. 

Following the panel discussion, attendees enjoyed lunch and walked around the expo.  The expo exhibtors (Gensler/Creative Wood, Gunlocke, HumanScale, Impact Office Supplies, Knoll, Miller's Office Products, MOI, and Workspace Design) displayed furniture, equipment and supplies in a wide range of price points.  The new Berhardt line of furniture exhibited by MOI was seen for the first time in public at the Expo!  Its next stop is Neocon, in June.   Plenty of retrofit sit/stand, seating, and  equipment and supply options, were offered by HumanScale, Knoll, Impact, and Miller’s, solving specific needs at various price points.

The Ergonomics Seminar & Expo achieved the intended goal of providing members with important and actionable information in ergonomics best practices and emerging trends, while offering tangible examples of these concepts at the Expo.  But don’t take our word for it.   Here are a few of the many quotes from attendee feedback:
“I was able to return to my office with a lot of information that will allow me to put together a comprehensive proposal for my firm.”

“This was one of the best sessions I have attended – very informative, excellent presenters, great subject!”

“This was a wonderful seminar.  All of the presenters had valuable information.  I learned things that I can take back to my office and gained insight into a field that I don’t know much about but would like to learn.”

“Very informative.  I picked up a lot of information and will follow up with a couple of the presenters to remain in contact and discuss current/future trends.”

“Amazing!  Everyone in the room learned something from the presentation… including the presenters.” 

“Excellent.  Nice to try things out and have hands on experience.” 

“It was great to see updated equipment (new and fresh ideas).”

For those who were unable to attend the program but would like to review the presentation slides, please go to the Capital Chapter website and navigate to Educational Sessions under Resources.  

Many thanks goes to the Capital Chapter Business Partners who invested a great deal of time and energy in making this program a success and, in many ways, improved the program with their suggestions and recommendations.

Ergonomics Opinion Poll

Does your firm have an ergonomics and wellness plan in place? Click here to participate in the ALACC Homepage poll! Look at for results in next month's Capital Connection.
The Chapter would like to thank all of the 17 law firms and the ALACC Business Partner who donated items for the ALACC table at the 2015 DC Bar Youth Law Fair on Saturday, March 21st.  Thanks also to President Beth Fowler and VP Community Services Jenna Carter for volunteering their time for a second year in a row to help get the word out about the Toni K. Allen Scholarship to DC High School Students. Everyone truly helped to make this event a success for the students and the community.
The DC BAR Youth Law Firm is an opportunity for youth in the District of Columbia to have a positive “hands on” experience with the law while encouraging a greater appreciation for the judicial system, local community resources, and the pursuit of higher education through courtroom tours, a mock trial, exhibition tables, and group speak-out sessions.

We look forward to working with you again next year! 

Administrative Committees

Communications and Media Relations
As members of the Newsletter and Media Relations Committee, Chapter members participate in producing the award-winning Capital Connection. Members gather to brainstorm new ideas for editorial themes for upcoming editions. The newsletter reports Chapter business activities such as Section and Committee news and provides information about upcoming educational and other events. It also includes articles of interest to members and other legal management personnel, collected, authored and/or edited by members of the committee. This committee also works with other legal associations and the media to ensure that ALA and the Capital Chapter are represented in the legal industry. The Newsletter Committee welcomes new members.

Contact: Jacqueline Moline, [email protected]; Paula Serratore, [email protected]

Diversity & Inclusion
The Capital Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators is a professional organization comprised of administrative managers from private, corporate and government legal organizations in the Washington DC, Northern Virginia and suburban Maryland areas.  ALACC embraces and encourages diversity within the legal profession. We value diversity and those initiatives that promote it and look to partner with affiliated professional legal organizations to advance diversity. We not only strive to raise awareness, but to increase our sensitivity in the area of diversity and more closely reflect the diversity of our community at large. Having a more inclusive and diverse legal community will improve the quality of our organizations workforce and respond to our client’s requirements for diversity. As a committee we are very interested in your thoughts, comments, and suggestions about achieving greater diversity in our Chapter, our profession, and in our firms. 

Contact: Monique Terrell (Chair), [email protected]; Vanessa Partin (Co-Chair), [email protected]
Salary Survey
The Salary Survey Committee is responsible for maintaining, updating and running the local survey each year. They review the positions listed, the job descriptions, and the benefits questions to ensure that the survey remains relevant to the end users. The members of the committee also promote the survey within the Chapter to stimulate participation. In addition, the committee is tasked with selling the license to the survey software to other chapters within ALA for use in their locales. They also provide technical support and logistical guidance to those chapters who purchase and utilize our survey software.

Contact: Jeff Delcher (Chair), [email protected]; Sheri Shifflett (Co-Chair), [email protected]
Listserv: [email protected]


Member Experience
The Member Experience Committee will establish a welcoming environment for new members to be integrated into the Chapter through a formal Ambassador Program. Ambassadors will provide support and guidance to new members through their first 12 months of membership, ensuring new members realize benefits of membership and become ambassadors of the Chapter. 

Contact: Heather Boos (Chair), [email protected]; Kenia Garner (Co-Chair), [email protected]


Educational Sections

Branch Office Administrators
The Branch Office Adminsitrators Section focuses on a broad range of topics of interest to local adminisraotrs who must coordinate with other officees of their firms. The Section's monthly luncheon meetings, held on the second Tuesday of the month, provide a venue for members to discuss issues of common interest, share ideas, and network. Members are encouraged to raise topics and to recommend speakers.

Contact: Richard Gibson (Chair), [email protected]; Wendy Iversen (Co-Chair), [email protected]
Listserv: [email protected]
Intellectual Property (IP)
The Intellectual Property (IP) Section focuses on all aspects of legal management as it pertains to the IP Administrator. The group discusses the complexity of the ever-changing IP environment and how to effectively create and apply IP specific, non-legal procedures in both boutique and general practice firms. The Section's monthly meetings, held the third Tuesday, are primarily lunch meetings and every third month is a dinner meeting. 

Contact: Kristine Miller (Chair), [email protected]; Sharon Smith (Co-Chair), [email protected]
Listserv: [email protected]
Human Resources
The Human Resources Section operates as a venue for educational information on global human resources topics and issues. While the Section comprises mostly HR professionals, any member is invited to participate. The Section meets the second Wednesday of every month and often has either industry speakers or roundtable discussions on topics such as recruiting, benefits, strategic planning, performance management, career pathing, retention and more!

Contact: Connie Summers (Chair), [email protected]; Carmen C. Weissbratten (Co-Chair), [email protected]
Listserv: [email protected]

Office Operations Management
The members of the Office Operations Management Section represent a cross section of legal expertise from functional administrators to branch office managers. The Office Operations Management Section (OOMS) meets on the fourth Wednesday of every month to discuss operations related hot topics. We welcome all members to join the section, especially if you are an administrator in a small law office and you have to wear multiple hats. We can provide you with many best practices to run your operation smoothly.

Contact:  Jeffery Cole (Chair), [email protected]; Jamaine Yarborough (Co-Chair), [email protected]
Listserv: [email protected]

Small Firm Management
The purpose of the Small Firm Management Section is to provide Administrators of law firms with 35 or fewer attorneys educational opportunities through vendor presentations, idea sharing and open forums specifically designed for those who work in smaller firms. The Small Firm Management Section meets the 4th Tuesday of the month at host law firms.

Contact: Emily Christianson (Chair), [email protected]; Julie Tomey (Co-Chair), [email protected]
Listserv: [email protected]

Technology
The Technology Section is looking for members to join the group for lively discussions about practical situations we all face daily in the information technology world. With ever-changing IT needs and issues, we will look at our firms' policies and procedures and help develop best practices and speak of the many concerns we all have. Even if you are not in the IT field,  your experiences and opinions will help us in bringing all departments of a law firm together and working on the same page.

Contact: Frank Schipani (Chair), [email protected]; Kenny Mitchell (Co-Chair), [email protected] 
Listserv: [email protected]