July 2018

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 and/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. Links to Capital Connection may not be shared without permission from the Chapter. 
Editors: Cindy Conover; Valerie L. Williamson
Associate Editor: Paula Serratore
​Contributing Editors: Jenna Carter; Qeyana M. Hart; Pamela Christian-Wilson; Valerie L. Williamson; Robert Half Legal; Washington Express Movers; Mauricio Velasquez
Newsletter Designed By: Jessica Davis


In this issue:

President's Message

Jenna Carter

New and Returning ALA Capital Chapter Members

Sara Kropf
Law Office of Sara Kropf PLLC
Managing Partner
701 8th St., NW
Suite 300
Washington 20001
sara@kropf-law.com
James L. Cornell
Shook, Hardy & Bacon, LLP
Office Administrator
1155 F St., NW
Suite 200
Washington, DC 20004
jcornell@shb.com

Members on the Move

Please join us in wishing the following member well in her new position:
Linda Padrón
Practice Group Administrator, International Trade
Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP
1717 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Washington, DC 20006
 lpadron@curtis.com

In Memoriam

The Capital Chapter mourns the loss of Carol Palmer, a longtime ALACC Business Partner and member of the DC legal community.

Carol McChesney Palmer was born June 23, 1942 in Racine, Wisconsin. After a bravely fought nine month battle with breast cancer, she died at home surrounded by her loving family on June 22, 2018. Carol attended the University of Wisconsin and Northwestern University majoring in political science. In 1967, she moved to Washington, DC where she worked for Governor George Romney during his 1968 presidential bid. When it ended, she joined the Republican National Committee. In 1998, she ran for Maryland House of Delegates from District 16. In 1980, after receiving a degree in Law Firm Management from Georgetown Law Center, she was a legal administrator for various law firms primarily with Preston Gates. In 1997 she founded Palmer Legal Staffing. Together with her daughter Robin and son Peter, PLS became a leader in legal staffing. Carol cared very much about finding the right candidates for her clients and the perfect job for each candidate. Carol was a devout Catholic who was a Eucharistic minister and an active supporter of Catholic Charities. She was a longtime member of Welcome To Washington, Capitol Speakers Club and was VP of the Salvation Army Woman's Auxiliary. She and her husband Victor were members of the Annapolis Yacht Club where they led many cruises each year. Annapolis was a special place where they had many friends especially at President Point. Carol married the love of her life Victor on November 27, 1987. Family was the most important thing is Carol's life. Those left to cherish her memory include her husband, Victor of Chevy Chase, MD her daughter, Robin Beckwith of Herndon, VA (James) her son, Peter McChesney, Jr of Annapolis, MD (Margaret), granddaughters, Mary More of Reston, VA (John) Amy Rembold of Herndon, VA (Brett), grandsons, Peter S McChesney, III William McChesney and Henry McChesney of Annapolis, MD, and her great grandchildren, Tessa, Eli and Amber and brother.

Congratulations, Steve Dempsey!

The Capital Chapter would like to congratulate Past President Steve Dempsey, Director of Administration at Sidley Austin, LLP, on becoming president of the Foundation of ALA!

2018 Toni K. Allen Scholarship Winner

Qeyana M. Hart
Vice President Community Services
Pamela Christian-Wilson
Assistant Director of Benefits, Covington & Burling LLP
Valerie L. Williamson
Office Administrator, Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
Co-Chair, Communications & Media Relations Committee

The ALA Capital Chapter 2018 Toni K. Allen Scholarship winner is Aissatu Diop.  Aissatu, a Senegalese American,  graduated from The School Without Walls of Washington, DC. It was not an easy choice to select one winner.  However, Aissatu's accomplishments proved to be extraordinary. She was involved in many extracurricular and community activities such as rowing, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), Brainfood, and more. In addition to maintaining a 4.0 average and taking four AP courses, she served as the Vice President of her school's FBLA chapter. Although she kept a grueling and hectic schedule, she graduated with honors. 
 
During a 2015 trip to Senegal, Aissatu was struck by the prevalence of skin lightening products. On her own initiative, she began researching this issue. In the future, she hopes to employ the education and skills she learns through her academic studies to return to Senegal to educate its people on the social issue of colorism and the dangers of skin lightning products.
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In the fall, Aissatu will attend The University of Pennsylvania where she will start her academic journey in the Huntsman Program. She will be studying to obtain a dual degree between the College of Arts and Sciences and Wharton Business School.   She further plans to pursue studies in French, as this is the official language in Senegal, and will help her to further her community outreach.
 
Congratulations, Aissatu!

July 2018 Diversity Observances

July 1: Canada Day or Fête du Canada is a Canadian federal holiday that celebrates the 1867 enactment of the Constitution Act, which established the three former British colonies of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, as a united nation called Canada.

July 4th: Independence Day (also known as the Fourth of July), a United States federal holiday that celebrates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The original thirteen American colonies declared independence from Britain, and established themselves as a new nation known as the United States of America.

July 9: The Martyrdom of the Bab, Baha’is observe the anniversary of the Bab’s execution in Tabriz, Iran, in 1850.

July 11: World Population Day, an observance established in 1989 by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme. The annual event is designed to raise awareness of global population issues.

July 14th: Bastille Day, a French federal holiday that commemorates the Storming of the Bastille, a fortress-prison in Paris which held political prisoners who had displeased the French nobility. The Storming of the Bastille, which took place on July 14, 1789, was regarded as a turning point of the French Revolution. Celebrations are held throughout France.

July 18: Nelson Mandela International Day, launched in recognition of Nelson Mandela’s birthday on July 18, 2009 via unanimous decision of the UN General Assembly. It was inspired by a call Nelson Mandela made a year earlier, for the next generation to take on the burden of leadership in addressing the world’s social injustices when he said “It is in your hands now”. It is more than a celebration of “Madiba’s” life and legacy. It is a global movement to honor his life’s work and act to change the world for the better.

July 21-22: Tisha B'Av, a fast in commemoration of the destruction of two very holy and sacred temples of Judaism destroyed by the Babylonians (in 586 B.C.E) and Romans (in 70 E.C). At the of Tisha B’Av, after very select passages from the Torah are read and understood, netilat yadayim, or the washing of the hands, is performed.

July 23: The birthday of Haile Selassie I, the former Emperor of Ethiopia, who the Rastafarians consider to be their Savior.

July 24: Pioneer Day, observed by the Mormons to commemorate the arrival in 1847 of the first Latter Day Saints pioneer in Salt Lake Valley.

July 26: Disability Independence Day, celebrating the anniversary of the 1990 signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

July 28: Asalha Puja Day or Dharma Day is a celebration of Buddha’s first teachings.

July 30: International Day of Friendship, proclaimed in 2011 by the UN General Assembly with the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities.

Robert Half Legal Spotlight: Top 10 Skills Employers Seek When Hiring Legal Professionals

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Robert Half Legal

​Read legal job postings today and you’ll notice key attributes that law firms and legal departments tend to highlight when describing their ideal job candidate. Whether you’re a recent law school graduate or a seasoned paralegal looking for a new position, having one or more of these can help you stand out among the competition. Here are the top 10:

1. Communication. Even if you never have to argue a case, the ability to speak well is essential for legal career success. You also need a clear and concise writing style, coupled with excellent grammar and spelling. This skill is important not only when you’re drafting legal documents, but also when composing emails to coworkers, management and clients.
 
2. Analysis. Legal specialists must be able to read, process and dissect large quantities of information. While AI (artificial intelligence) software has automated some tasks, such as detecting trends and patterns in past cases, legal professionals still need to know what questions to ask and how to best make use of the findings.

3. Research. There’s so much data out there! From simple Google searches to advanced search commands and connectors in databases like LexisNexis, savvy legal professionals know how to mine resources and make sense of the information. Speed and efficiency are also key. The faster you can find the data and results you seek, the more valuable you are to employers.
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4. Technical proficiency. The successful legal professional is someone who’s comfortable with not only Microsoft Office, but also the latest software for electronic filing, eDiscovery, practice management, document automation, electronic billing and client communications.

5. Legal knowledge. The best legal professionals don’t depend on knowledge they gained through a degree. Stay on top of the latest in court decisions, regulatory compliance and ethical issues by subscribing to legal newsletters and not falling behind on continuing legal education (CLE).

6. Collaboration. The key traits for teamwork are patience, active listening, honesty, participation and a willingness to do your share. In your cover letter and resume, cast yourself as a team player. Bring up collaboration again during the interview round. Let prospective employers know you work well in a group setting and can get along with a variety of personalities.
 
7. Organization. Both attorneys and support staff need to be conscientious about preparing documents, filing, meeting deadlines and staying on top of other aspects of their job. Law firm and corporate legal departments appreciate multitasking employees who can manage a hefty workload without compromising quality.
 
8. Motivation. Employers are eager to hire hardworking professionals who are passionate about their field and exude a positive attitude. These attributes bode well for success in a busy practice, where new hires must hit the ground running and take the initiative to learn the things they don’t know.

9. Business acumen. Knowing how corporations work is helpful not just in the general counsel’s office but also in law firms. Business acumen includes a thorough understanding of a typical company’s operations, accounting and finance, human resources, marketing, IT, research and development, production, social media, and sales.

10. Customer service. Clients have choices, and they will choose — and stay with — law firms that understand their needs in terms of quality, responsiveness and affordability. Candidates for almost all legal jobs need to understand the importance of excellent client relations and customer satisfaction.

Greater computing power may have revolutionized the way legal professionals do their job today, but the essentials remain the same. Hone these 10 key skills, and your career will be off and running.
 
Robert Half Legal is a premier legal staffing service specializing in the placement of attorneys, paralegals, legal administrators and other legal professionals with law firms and corporate legal departments. Based in Menlo Park, Calif., Robert Half Legal has offices in major North American and global markets and offers a full suite of legal staffing and consulting solutions.

Where Are They Now? Past Toni K. Allen Scholarship Recipients

Qeyana M. Hart
Vice President Community Services
2015 Scholarship Recipient Alle Hayes
​Alle Hayes is a rising senior at Emory University. Alle is spending her summer as an intern at Kaiser Permanente in Atlanta, where she is working directly with the healthcare administrators in the Primary Care and Behavioral Health Departments.
 
What has the Toni K. Allen Scholarship meant you?
 
“A mentor is something that I have never had, but always longed for. Dorothy (Dot) Mooney has opened so many unimaginable doors for me.
 
I cannot thank you all enough because without receiving such an amazing scholarship, I would not have some of the opportunities that are currently present in my life.”
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2016 Scholarship Recipient Philip O'Sullivan
Philip Webb Naish O'Sullivan, a 2016 Toni K. Allen Scholarship recipient, is entering his junior year at the University of Chicago. While on summer break from school, Philip is working as a research assistant for a sociology professor and studying for the LSAT.

What has the Toni K. Allen Scholarship meant you?
 
“The biggest thing the mentorship program has meant to me has been additional support. It is always such a benefit to have another person in your life who is invested in your success and well-being. My mentor, Mary Randolph, has been just that.”
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2017 Scholarship Recipient Ahmari Graves
Ahmari Graves is a rising sophomore at Spelman College in Atlanta, GA. Ahmari is an intern at Peerforward, formerly known as College Summit, a national organization that help guide students across the nation to higher education. She has started her own mentoring program, as well as scholarship, for students at her former high school.
 
What has the Toni K. Allen Scholarship meant you?
 
"The mentorship program has been a great help to me. My mentor, Kenia Garner, has been instrumental to my growth and development throughout my first year of college."

Washington Express Moving Spotlight: Office Moving Tips

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An office move requires detailed budgeting and logistical planning. We’ve compiled below a list of office moving tips and some common moving pitfalls.

Moving Contracts
Moving contracts can be full of legal jargon making them difficult to read. Ask your bidder to include a short executive summary of the key provisions of the agreement with their bid.
 
Make sure that the scope of work in the bid is complete and detailed and matches your own scope of work in order to avoid significant surprise “change order” fees at the end of your move.  For example, including language such as, “physical property protection as required” is critical and sometimes over-looked.  Also, when reviewing bids, man-hour estimates can vary drastically and should be analyzed carefully.
 
Movers Insurance
Standard movers’ insurance is $0.60 per pound for furniture and $5 per pound for IT equipment and electronics, so any high value items should be insured separately. In many cases, these items may already be covered on your firm’s business insurance so there is no need to insure them separately.
 
Also, in order to be sure that your mover has sufficient business insurance for personal injury or property damage related to the move, they should provide you with a certificate of insurance (aka COI) naming your firm and the building owner as “additionally insured” and with a minimum of $5M in insurance coverage. 
 
Hourly Rates
Moving companies sometimes require high hourly minimums, providing for more man-hours than the move requires. Also check for higher weekend or after-hours hourly charges as many moves need to be performed during the off hours.
 
Disposal Needs
Unwanted or old furniture and cabinets can often be “re-purposed” and either sold in the secondary market, donated to a non-profit, or recycled in an environmentally-friendly way.
 
These days, many office moves are “skinny moves”, meaning that the de-commissioning piece is often the larger piece of the move and the rest of the move may have more “content” (i.e. boxes) than furniture. You may want to ask your prospective mover to split their bid into two parts and provide you with a separate bid for both the move and for the decommissioning of unwanted equipment and furniture, in order to check the cost of each. 
 
Post Move Tips
Your move may require post move assistance to help with cleanup or furniture rearranging, etc. This cost should be shown separately from the main move cost for a more transparent analysis. 
 
Because moving companies don’t typically have an on-going business relationship with clients, you should agree to resolve any damage claims with your mover before paying the final invoice.

Did You Know?

ALA offers member-exclusive VIP services and discounts from nationally known companies in solution categories like cyber security, technology consulting, office products and video conferencing. The savings provided by ALA’s VIP program business partners can add up to 70 percent overall — enough to offset the cost of membership! Click here to learn more

Stuff the Bus

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Qeyana M. Hart
Vice President Community Services

It’s almost Back to School time in the DC Metro Area! If you remember anything about school, it’s not easy transitioning from one year to the next. It’s even harder when you do not have the supplies and tools needed to have a successful school year. The “Stuff the Bus” Campaign is an opportunity for members of the community to help support local middles by purchasing backpacks that contain school supplies for middle school students, personal care items and/or non-perishable food products.

Last year was the first year the ALA Capital Chapter partnered with United Way NCA to support this campaign. This year, we are planning support this effort again. There  are many of us who are fortunate to live in an area with a stable economy, that includes some of the wealthiest counties in the country. However, many of our neighbors are vulnerable and at risk of not meeting their basic needs including personal care items and food items to stay healthy and supplies to be prepared for school. We hope you will support this campaign and encourage your friends, family and colleagues to support as well. 

Information regarding the Stuff the Bus Campaign and how to get involved will be available at the end of July.  

Diversity Corner: Toxic Employees, Toxic Workplaces

Mauricio Velásquez, MBA
President, The Diversity Training Group

Toxic employees are trying to “take over” and create toxic workplaces.  As a diversity trainer, sexual harassment prevention trainer, consultant, executive coach, and expert witness, for twenty five years now, so much of my work points to one emerging phenomenon – toxic employees, toxic workplaces, are on the rise! 

Toxic employees are taking up way too much of our time, distracting us from our mission, our work and quite frankly not allowing us to focus on the good work we do and the grooming of our high performing talented professionals.  Ask any manager, any human resource professional - what keeps you up at night?  They will tell you it is the people that “work or game or try to undermine the system.”  No wonder this was such a well-received workshop at the IPMA National Conference in Philadelphia recently.

Toxic employees often flirt with violating policies and procedures but work “just a little above the level of being terminated.”  Often toxic employees are not stellar performers but when they are – good luck, they feel even more emboldened to suck the light out of the room.  Toxic employees are difficult, negative, unhappy, whiners, complainers, but they do not keep their toxic comments and opinions to themselves – they want everyone around them to be just as miserable as them.  They want to create a toxic workplace.  Why?  Because misery loves company!  The violence we see in the workplace is a manifestation of this toxicity – the worst example, of course.  Now, why today, are there so many toxic employees and toxic workplaces?  There are several contributing factors.

I think there are too many people in supervision and management that are conflict avoiders – hoping the toxic person and the conflict they create, if ignored – will just go away, that the conflict will subside.  Wrong!  The conflict only festers and the toxic person only “gets stronger” because they feel your silence (as a manager or as a human resource professional) is interpreted as tacit support, agreement, or worse yet – complacency.  I call this “feeding the monster” and the toxic person only gets more confident.

Managers often do not want to take the time to document and “write this toxic person up for insubordination.”  I say “get out of management, you are not a manager!”  Verbal warnings, written warnings, impact on work flow and output – document all of it.  Economy is slow to improve and these toxic employees are trapped in their job and cannot leave.  How many of these “toxic usual suspects” are a short time away from retiring? (RIP – retired in place or ROJ – retired on the job). 

So what do we do?  Create an environment of mutual respect and accountability.  In other words – define boundaries and when these boundaries are crossed, lay out the consequences.  Define the behaviors that are “contra-mission and unproductive” and put the list up on a public wall somewhere.  I call this list my NEVERS LIST – behaviors we (all employees) agree we never want to see again.  These behaviors undermine morale, efficacy, and kill our mission.  You focus on behaviors, not people, separate the person from the behavior and only focus on this set of toxic behaviors that are bringing everyone down.  There is also a list of PREFERS posted – behaviors that all employees agree are preferable and contribute to a positive, highly engaged, and productive workplace.
 
NEVERS                                             PREFERS
Negative                                              Positive
Divisive                                                Unify
Undermine Mission                           Support Mission
Disrespectful                                       Respectful
Can violate law                                   Supported by law
Devalue differences                           Value differences
Dishonor core values                         Honor Core Values 
 
The final piece to the puzzle is accountability.  Usually DTG helps identify a set of workplace core values and the top core value is mutual respect.  I tell participants in my workshop every day – “We all have a shared responsibility to ensure ‘our workplace’ is respectful, professional, engaged and high performing.”  No such thing as “I am innocent bystander or not my fight.”  Again – we are all in this together.  Whenever you see a NEVER behavior exhibited, say something (everybody steps up):
  • “Ouch”
  • “Come on now”
  • “Really?”…. (my kids employ this technique)
  • “We have a set of core values that we all agreed to live by”
  • Repeat the comment you just witnessed (sometimes hearing someone else say it out loud helps)

You might be saying – this looks like common sense, do you know how many people do not have common sense?  We should always praise and support the PREFERS.  We teach more sophisticated techniques but those are presented in our training workshops. 

The power here is in the fact that everyone steps up and says something.  Bullying would stop, toxicity would be thwarted and we all could get back to work focusing on our work, our mission, and things that really matter.  Behind all of this work is trust.  Do your employees trust their supervisor or manager?  Do they trust your leadership?  I work in toxic employees and toxic workplaces inevitably gets us involved in “trust work.”  How hard do we work for someone we don’t trust?  Trust is behind toxic employees and workplaces.

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: Cindy Conover, Cindy.Conover@Shearman.com; Valerie Williamson, valerie.williamson@bassberry.com; Paula Serratore, pserratore@alacapchap.org

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: Ellen Clinton (Chair), ellen.clinton@kutakrock.com;  Cameron Gowan (Co-Chair), cgowan@jonesday.com
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. 

Contact: Julie Tomey (Chair), tomey@thewbkfirm.com; Sheri Shifflett (Co-Chair), Cheryl.Shifflett@saul.com 






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: Sarahi Estrella (Chair), sarahi.estrella@arentfox.com ; Dot Mooney (Co-Chair), dmooney@powerslaw.com​


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: Jackie Thomas (Chair), jackie.thomas@agg.com; Anjanette Milladge (Co-Chair), amilladge@sandw.com 
Listserv: branch@lists.alacapchap.org
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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:  Linda Padron (Chair), lpadron@curtis.com; Janice Byrum-Jackson (Co-Chair),  jbyrum-jackson@hunton.com
Listserv: ooms@lists.alacapchap.org
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. 

Contact: Astrid Emond (Chair), aemond@bakerlaw.com; Matthew Cichocki (Co-Chair), mcichocki@cooley.com
Listserv: ipadmin@lists.alacapchap.org



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Small Firm Administrators
The purpose of the Small Firm Administrators 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 fourth Tuesday of the month at host law firms.

Contact: Wilmara Guido-Chizhik (Chair), wguido-chizhik@bomcip.com; Jo Jo Ruby (Co-Chair), jruby@btlaw.com
Listserv: smallfirm@lists.alacapchap.org


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Next Generation Leaders
The mission of the Next Generation Leaders section is to support our next generation of leaders and close the gap faced by our association and the legal industry as a whole by providing a community for Millennial legal managers and new managers in the legal field with a focus on mentoring, education, and networking. To accomplish this goal, the section hosts monthly section meetings, pop-up events, and educational sessions, and provides 2-way mentoring opportunities. 

Contact: Danielle Smith (Chair), danielle.smith@hklaw.com; Tania Jose (Co-Chair), tania.jose@powerslaw.com
Listserv: nextgen@lists.alacapchap.org
Human Resources
The Human Resources Section operates as a venue for educational information on global human resources issues.  While the Section is mostly comprised of HR professionals, any member is invited to participate in the meetings which typically take place on the second or third Wednesday of each month.  The meetings feature industry speakers or roundtable discussions on topics such as recruiting, benefits, strategic planning, performance management, career pathing, retention and other matters of interest.

Contact: Jasmine Stribling (Chair), jstribling@bsfllp.com; Tiffany Montgomery (Co-Chair), tmontgomery@velaw.com
Listserv: hr@lists.alacapchap.org
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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: Kenny Mitchell (Chair), kennymitchell@quinnemanuel.com
Listserv: tech@lists.alacapchap.org