June 2019

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: Frank Schipani; Dan Packel; Clayton Romero; Oren Barbalat; Aissatu Diop; Jackie Thomas; Darlene De Lorenzo; Cheryl Flynn
Newsletter Designed By: Jessica Davis


In this issue:

President's Message

Hello everyone,

If you remember back to our change of gavel meeting and my first President’s message, I talked about the need to understand our Chapter’s mission and goals.  Our Chapter’s mission is to give back to the legal management community, to you, the members of our Chapter, by providing opportunities for education, knowledge sharing and professional development, so that you can be successful in your job and career.  Keeping our mission and goals front-of-mind is important because we need to know that we are putting our finite resources towards meeting those goals and achieving our mission.  Every activity we engage in should be measured against how well it aligns with our mission.

With that in mind, the Chapter board is going to be engaging in a half-day strategic planning session at the end of June.  This session is designed to help us focus our efforts on a handful of initiatives that are most aligned with our goals.  Our session will be facilitated by a member of ALA International’s strategic planning team.  Feedback that we have received from all of you in surveys, personal interactions and our recent design thinking lab will all be incorporated into this strategic planning session.

In other news, we have some exciting educational and networking events coming up.  If you are new to the Chapter, if you want a refresher on all that the Chapter has to offer, or if you are a seasoned pro and want to share your knowledge with others, come to the Benefits of Membership meeting on June 27.  Our next Networking Lunch is on July 11 at Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab where our Community Services team and Chapter Foundation will be awarding a college scholarship to a high school senior.  And our next Chapter-wide education event is on July 17, when we welcome back to the Chapter Gabrielle Bosché to present on Generational Leadership at Work: How to Lead in a Multi-Generational World.  Please be sure to register for these upcoming events and for monthly community meetings.
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I hope your summer is getting off to a great start!

Thank you,
Frank Schipani

New and Returning ALA Capital Chapter Members

Denise Verdesoto
Eversheds Sutherland LLP
Human Resources Manager
700 6th St., N.W.
Suite 700
Washington, DC 20001
deniseverdesoto@eversheds-sutherland.us
 
Heather Daughters
Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
Director of Administration
1875 K St., N.W.
Washington, DC 20006
hdaughters@willkie.com
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Suzanne Hawes
Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox
CHRO
1100 New York Ave., N.W.
Suite 600
Washington, DC 20005
shawes@sternekessler.com
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The District of Columbia’s Paid Family Leave Tax Begins July 1, 2019

Baker Tilly Virchow Krause
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The District of Columbia (“D.C.”) has enacted a paid family leave tax requiring certain employers to pay a quarterly tax based on their covered employees’ wages. The new tax, established by the Universal Paid Leave Amendment Act of 2016 (“Act”), is mandatory for covered employers and elective in nature for self-employed individuals.

The Act provides paid leave benefits for qualifying family leave events, qualifying medical leave events and qualifying parental leave events. Qualifying family leave events are the diagnosis or occurrence of a serious health condition of a family member of a covered individual. The Act provides benefits up to 6 work weeks within a 52 work week period for qualifying family leave events. Qualifying medical leave events are defined as the diagnosis or occurrence of a serious health condition of a covered individual. The Act provides benefits up to 2 work weeks within a 52 work week period for qualifying medical leave events. Finally, qualifying parental leave events are events associated with the birth of a child of a covered individual, the placement of a child with a covered individual through adoption or foster care, or the placement of a child with a covered individual for whom the covered individual legally assumes and discharges parental responsibility. The Act provides benefits up to 8 work weeks in a 52 work week period for qualifying parental leave events.

The Act’s benefits are calculated based on the eligible individual’s average weekly wages up to a maximum of $1,000 per week. D.C. will begin administering paid leave benefits on July 1, 2020.

Covered employers are assessed a quarterly tax of 0.62% of the wages of its covered employees. Self-employed individuals who opt into the Act are assessed a quarterly tax of 0.62% of total gross earnings from all of the self-employed businesses for which the individual performs at least 50% of his or her work in D.C. For covered employers, required payments to the paid leave program will commence on July 1, 2019 based on wages from April 1, 2019 to June 30, 2019. The due date of quarterly wage reports and payments is the last day of the month following the close of each calendar quarter (the first deadline is July 31, 2019). For self-employed individuals that opt into the Act, the first required payment will commence on Oct. 1, 2019 based on the individual’s performance during the period of July 1, 2019–Sept. 30, 2019 (the final deadline for the first payment is Oct. 31, 2019).

Both self-employed individuals who opt in and covered employers should submit quarterly wage reports and payments to the Department of Employment Services (“DOES”) through the online portal which can be accessed via the DOES website. 

Below are some additional highlights from the Act.

Definitions:
  • A covered employer is any individual, partnership, general contractor, subcontractor, association, corporation, business trust, or any group of persons who directly or indirectly through an agent or any other person, including through the services of a temporary services or staffing agency or similar entity that employs or exercises control over the wages, hours, or working conditions of an employee and is required to pay unemployment insurance on behalf of its employees to D.C.
  • A covered employee is an employee of a covered employer who spends more than 50% of his or her work time for that employer working in D.C. In addition, a covered employee is also an employee who works for a covered employer based in D.C. and who regularly spends his or her work time working for the covered employer in D.C., and not more than 50% of his or her work time for that covered employer in another jurisdiction.  

Covered employers:
  • Covered employers must remit the paid leave tax regardless of any other benefit program offered.
  • Covered employers who pay unemployment insurance to D.C. for an employee during any quarter of a calendar year are presumed to be required to remit the paid leave tax for that employee for that quarterly period.
  • The quarterly wage report required by DOES may use data from existing reporting forms, including Form UC-30 – Employer’s Quarterly Contribution and Wage Report.
  • Covered employers must keep records mandated by DOES for no less than three years and make them available for inspection, copying and transcription by DOES representatives upon request.
  • Covered employers must maintain a paid leave program notice provided by DOES at each worksite in a conspicuous place where notices to employees are customarily posted. Notice must be sent to remote covered employees.
  • The paid leave program notice must also be provided to an employee within 30 days of hiring, annually to all employees, and to an employee at the time the employer receives direct notice from that employee that leave for a qualifying event is needed.

​Self-employed individuals:
  • Self-employed individuals may opt into the Act during open enrollment periods. These periods include the first 90 days of the Act’s commencement in 2019, the months of November and December beginning in 2020 and each year thereafter and within 60 days of commencement of self-employment in D.C.
  • Self-employed individuals who opt in will be considered a covered employer and a covered employee eligible for the paid leave benefits provided by the Act.
  • Once a self-employed individual opts in, they will remain continuously enrolled in the Act until they opt out.
 
For more information on this topic, or to learn how Baker Tilly’s professional services team can help, contact our team.

June 2019 Diversity Observances

June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month, established to recognize the impact that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals have had on the world. LGBT groups celebrate this special time with pride parades, picnics, parties, memorials for those lost to hate crimes and HIV/AIDS, and other group gatherings. The last Sunday in June is Gay Pride Day.
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Click here to view the full list of June 2019 Observances

May Networking Happy Hour

On May 22nd, Capital Chapter members and Business Partners met up at District Commons to mingle over cocktails and a selection of the restaurant's delicious bite-sized treats.The fun and festive atmosphere seemed to be enhanced by connections made earlier in the month at our May Quarterly Networking Lunch & Mini Expo, as newfound contacts greeted one another, made introductions, and caught up on everything from the latest around the office to upcoming summer plans. Thank you to everyone who attended this event - we hope to see you all again at future networking events! 

Building Foundations

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Peyton Pittman
Project Engineer, HITT Contracting

Many professions require hands on experience that cannot be taught in a college classroom. This is certainly the case in construction, where unique hands on experience is critical to understanding how a project is built. Construction requires excellent problem-solving skills, acquired by firsthand experience.
In response to this reality, HITT created a program to accelerate the accumulation of knowledge and skills in its growing team members.  HITT Futures is a training program that creates a clear career path for new team members. Using a familiar educational structure, the program promotes growth and lays the foundation for success. HITT Futures has three main phases: Foundation Phase, Integration Phase, and Acceleration Phase.

Throughout the year-long Foundation Phase, graduates learn in the classroom and in the field. Class curriculums are directly applicable to their new job and being on site every day presents unlimited opportunities to learn. Additionally, this phase gives everyone access to mentors and team events to help build personal relationships and instill HITT’s values.

Upon entering the Integration Phase, team members decide which area of the business they would like to pursue. Over the next couple of years, they remain mentored and attend courses. They also take on more responsibilities as they grow and develop a deeper understanding of their chosen field.

Finally, in the Acceleration Phase, the team members become autonomous. Classroom education remains frequent and they become mentors themselves. As graduates grow into mentors, this process also promotes the continual growth of the company.

HITT Futures provides the necessary framework for success. It is a blueprint that allows graduates to visualize their future and bridge the transitional gap. With training programs, growing companies can instill important values in their hires, keeping them motivated and working toward a shared vision.

Rally Your Courage to Coach: Rethinking Our Legal Administrators’ Strategic Role

Jeff Nally, PCC, SHRM-SCP, SPHR
President, Nally Group Inc. 

I love teaching people how to have coaching conversations and see them generate new thinking from powerful coaching questions. But, as an experienced HR professional and executive coach, it’s most rewarding when I can teach these coaching skills to non-HR professionals so that they can lead with greater influence and impact.

When I spoke at the Kentucky Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators Retreat, I was thrilled to see legal administrators leading coaching conversations like an HR pro or an experienced executive coach after just a few minutes of practice!

As legal administrators, you’re often in conversations with a dilemma that the firm is grappling with - there’s no clear answer or several possible solutions. Here are simple coaching questions you can ask to spark ideas and solutions. 

Asking Coaching Questions
The key difference between coaching conversations and most other legal administrator tasks is inquiry: asking questions that spark the other person’s thinking. These questions often focus on the person’s goal or ultimate outcome, even if they don’t know how to get there.

Keep questions focused on the desired outcome, not the current problem. When we focus on the problem, the emotional center of our brain goes on the defense and inhibits new thinking. Coach using these questions.

Seeing the Goal Realized—Goal questions may include asking:
• What does the end result look like to you?
• What does success look like to you when this is resolved?
• Describe what’s happening or what exists when you achieve the outcome you want.

Answering these questions creates neural maps in the brain, connecting neurons with the images and descriptions of success. People need strong neural maps to stay focused when challenges arise.

Reflection and Self-Awareness—After the goal is clear, coaching continues with questions about self-reflection and self- awareness. Focus on what she really wants, rather than think about the problem. Questions that invite self-awareness and reflection are:
  • Describe your current thinking. Is it foggy or clear?
  • What makes it feel foggy or clear for you?
  • When do you think about this goal?
  • What are possible first steps that get you closer to your goal?

These are thinking questions, not problem-solving questions. The result is insight—that “aha” feeling, new ideas, and clearer options for moving forward.

Momentum to Take Action—Now that the person has some new ideas, the coaching conversation moves them forward. Questions to create momentum and action are:
  • Which option for moving forward are you ready to pursue?
  • What are the steps you know you’ll need to take to move forward?
  • Who is involved in those next steps? Who can help you?
  • What resources will you need going forward?
  • When do these next steps need to begin?

Rally Your Courage
Legal administrative professionals can have the skill, yet still lack the courage to lead coaching conversations. You may not have the courage because the people expect you to give answers all the time, not ask thoughtful questions.

Rally courage by setting expectations with people in your firm.  Let them know when you’re going to ask coaching questions, so they aren’t surprised or confused when you do. Rally courage by setting expectations and letting people experience you as the coach.

Another way to rally courage is when the person has a new idea or insight as you coach her. When she has an “aha” moment or insight, you’ll see her face brighten, lean further into the conversation, and be ready to take action.

The more you see this change in the people you coach, the more you become an “insight junkie” and seek out ways to have more coaching conversations in your firm.
 
Advancing the Legal Administrator Profession and Your Career
People in your organization will notice that they’re solving tough problems because of your helpful questions. You will be respected and sought-after to help the firm think through difficult situations. You can set aside the fear that you don’t have all the answers—in a coaching conversation, you’re not supposed to have the answers, only good coaching questions.
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You can help people think differently so they can move the firm forward with new insights and ideas.  You just have to be willing to start the conversation. So, rally your courage to coach and be the strategic influencer at your firm. 

Jeff Nally is a professional speaker, author, executive coach, and HR professional. He is the president of Nally Group, Inc., creating no-nonsense neuroscience solutions for people to be more human at work. He can be reached at Jeff@NallyGroup.com, 502.810.4116, and www.NallyGroup.com. 

Celebrating Pride 

Joni Watke Stacy
AcademyLGBTQ.com

What is Pride?
 Pride is a celebration (throughout the month of June each year) of the LGBTQ+ community. The LGBTQ+ community are gay men, lesbian women, bisexual people, transgender people and queer people. The “+” is added after the acronym because there are many other identities celebrated as well, but the acronym gets very long.

How did Pride start?
It started when the police raided a gay bar in New York called Stonewall Inn on June 28,1969. The raid was the last straw for the Stonewall patrons who had been routinely harassed and arrested for simply gathering in gay-friendly spaces. In response to the raid, a riot started in the streets around the bar in the East Village. It is reported, by those who were present, that the riot began with transgender women of color throwing bottles at the police in protest. As more people joined the protest, it grew and it lasted for several days. It is considered the beginning of the gay rights movement. Although, to be clear there were many groups advocating for gay rights prior to Stonewall and those efforts should be remembered as well.

The following June (in 1970) there were 3 parades in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago celebrating the protests at Stonewall. In the first few years, it was called the Christopher Street Liberation Day parade (since Stonewall is on Christopher Street).

The annual celebrations eventually became known as “gay pride” and spread to thousands of communities around the country and across the globe. Obviously, now that descriptor is incomplete and includes the whole LGBTQ+ community. The celebrations are mostly in June, but some are at other times. The pride season runs from May-September depending on the community.

Who can attend Pride events?
Anyone and everyone can attend Pride events. There is typically a parade (sometimes with floats) and then a festival with booths for vendors, activities for the whole family, and some great entertainment. Straight allies are welcome at Pride. If you haven’t had a chance to experience Pride, I would highly recommend it. It’s a festival of love and laughter.

Why is Pride so important to the LGBTQ+ community?
Pride is important because it’s a celebration of how far the community has come in achieving equal rights in the world, it’s a commitment to continue to the fight for equal rights everywhere in the world, and it’s a safe place where everyone can be celebrated as their authentic self. Unfortunately for some people, there is no other time or place in their lives where they are celebrated for who they are.

On a personal note, I’ll share that when my transgender daughter walked in her first Pride parade at the age of 8, at one point, she looked up at me with a smile from ear to ear and shouted, “This is AMAZING! Most of the time we’re worried about how many people don’t like us or if we’re safe and here -- everybody loves us!” While I was thrilled that she was experiencing all that love, I was devastated at how she characterized the rest of her life (even with an unconditionally, supportive family). I am among those who feel LGBTQ+ people should be celebrated every day of the year, but that’s not always the case.

In the majority of states, it is still legal to fire, refuse to hire, or refuse to promote someone just because they’re LGBTQ+. In those states, gay people can marry, but they do so at the risk of losing their job. It’s also legal in the majority of states to evict someone because you perceive them to be LGBTQ+ or to deny them access to public accommodations, like being served in a restaurant, renting a hotel room, renting a car, access to public restrooms, or shopping at a grocery store.

Where does Pride happen?
Pride celebrations happen in big cities and small towns all across our country and around the world. In Europe, some Pride celebrations are still called Christopher Street Celebrations in honor of Stonewall. The riots and protests at Stonewall ignited a revolution for equal eights across the globe.

2019 is the 50-year anniversary of the Stonewall riots, so World Pride is taking place in New York this year with celebrations and events throughout the month of June.

One of my favorite stories from Pride?
In 1972, Jeanne Manford, a quiet schoolteacher from Queens, marched in the Pride parade in New York with her gay son, Morty. Jeanne carried a handmade sign which read “Parents of Gays Unite in Support of Our Children”. She says that the crowds were cheering wildly as she passed and she assumed the cheers were for the others in the parade – until she stopped marching and crowds of people approached her. They thanked her for being there, they asked her to speak with their parents, and they showered her with love. She says in that moment, she knew she wasn’t alone and needed to do more. Later that year, Jeanne held the first meeting for parents of gay kids in the basement of the Church of the Village (a Methodist church just blocks from Stonewall). 40 people showed up at that first meeting. That group evolved into what is known today as PFLAG. 46 years later, PFLAG is the largest and oldest organization of straight allies working with LGBTQ+ people to move equality forward. PFLAG has over 200,000 members with more than 400 chapters in cities across the country.  PFLAG’s mission is support, education, and advocacy. To this day, each of those PFLAG chapters holds at least one support meeting each month for LGBTQ+ people and their families and friends.

Performance Discussions – Can They Really Be ‘Stress-Free’?

Sharon Armstrong

Performance discussions are one of the most important responsibilities of a supervisor…and one of the most dreaded!  Why? 
 
Perhaps the better question is - What can we do to remove the ‘dread factor?’ One way is to identify the five most important tips and make sure all your managers get a copy.
 
Tip #1 – Take time to prepare
Start by familiarizing yourself with the form and the ratings.  Think about the goals each employee has been working on, the employee’s strengths and areas for development.  Pull out all the examples and observations you’ve collected throughout the review period and add them to the appraisal form to support your ratings.
 
Plan your discussion in detail – not just compliments, but also areas for improvement.
 
Then, schedule the meeting and plan enough time for a thorough discussion.  Select a time when you and the employee are not under pressure.
 
Tip #2 – Start the meeting in a positive wayAlways conduct a warm-up and try to put the employee at ease.  Stress the routine nature of it and tell the employee you have many positive things to say (if that’s true).
 
Outline what you want to cover and in what order. Let the employees know he or   she will have a chance to raise issues and be an active participant in the meeting.
 
Explain that performance discussions are designed to help the employee know how he or she is doing.  Make sure you are on the same track in terms of realistic goals and priorities.
 
 Provide a forum for problem resolution and feedback to help the employee succeed.
 
Tip #3 – Plan the discussion in detailWork your way through each section of the form– use it as a tool for facilitating discussion.
 
Review significant accomplishments – give praise and credit (nothing is more stimulating/motivating).
 
Ask open-ended questions to get a general reaction.  Many start with “How do you think things have been going” “Do these ratings seem fair?” “What would you do differently?”
 
Consider asking other questions to facilitate discussion: What did I do for you in the last 6 months that really helped your performance?  What hindered your performance?  What can I do in the next 6 months to help you? What do you want most from your job? Under what conditions do you do your best work? How would you like to receive suggestions for improving your work? How can I help you reach your career goals? What inhibits your best work?
 
Discuss areas where the performance falls short – with specific examples.  “I was concerned _______________.” Focus criticisms on performance, not personality characteristics.
 
Don’t discuss areas for improvement in a way that will seriously disturb a good employee.  The net result is to be encouraging.  Identify specific actions the employee can take to improve performance. Ask for their suggestions.
 
Work for understanding rather than complete agreement.  You can agree to disagree.
 
Tip #4 – Close the meeting in a positive way
It's just as important to end the meeting in a professional and positive manner, as it was to start the meeting. You want the employee to leave the discussion with a positive impression of the process.

Ask the employee to summarize what was discussed.
 
If the employee introduced issues that would make you consider changing their evaluation, apologize for your oversight and tell employee you would like a few days to consider how this information might effect your evaluation.
 
Settle on a plan for the future.  It’s important to let the employee have input.  Write goals together. Make them measurable, challenging but achievable.
 
Offer your help.  Express confidence that the two of you can successfully work through any issues.
 
Think about training, skills development, opportunities or added responsibilities.
 
Ask the employee to add any last thoughts/ questions/ reaction to the performance appraisal meeting; (“What’s been learned?” “Surprises?” “Was it fair?” “Your general reaction?” “ If you have more reaction later, my door is open.”).
 
If the employee disagrees with any points brought out, let him or her know he or she has the response options offered by your Firm.
 
Share your ideas on where the dept is headed.  Employees want to be in the loop.
 
Close on a friendly note – let them know they’re part of the team, that their performance matters to the Firm and the department.
 
Both sign and date form. Explain that signing the form merely indicates that the form has been discussed with him or her and indicate the date of the appraisal discussion.
 
Tell them you’ll continue to give feedback throughout the year.
 
Tip #5 – Remember your follow-up responsibilitiesFollow up on commitments you’ve made for support, training, etc.
 
Begin observations for the next performance discussion with employees and record them!

Following these simple steps will eliminate the stress and uncertainty usually associated with performance discussion.  Now your managers can start to focus on making the performance disccussion a powerful management tool.

 
Sharon Armstrong, SHRM-CP, PHR, CMF
Author of "The Essential Performance Review Handbook", "Stress-free Performance Appraisals" and "The Essential HR Handbook"
Trainers and Consultants Network
202 - 333 - 0644
 
This article has been reprinted with permission from the author. 

Value is not a Commodity

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Rick Lewis and Craig Church
Miller's Supplies at Work

August of 2019 will mark my 30th year in the office products industry. Through consolidation in the industry, during that period I have worked for companies of all sizes. What I’ve learned over all these years is that the large companies sell on price and the smaller and mid-size companies sell on value. When meeting with a new prospect, this question always come up. “How do you compete vs. the huge publically traded companies as you all sell products that can be labeled a commodity?”  What I tell them is what the legal community is looking for in their office and breakroom partner/supplier is a company that brings them the best value and not necessarily the cheapest price. The partner that brings the most value ultimately is the lowest cost provider and many times the cheapest price results in a larger overall expense. Miller’s Supplies at Work sells value to its customer and VALUE IS NOT A COMMODITY!

What is Value as it matters to the customer?
  • Experienced Professional Employees: With a sales force of industry veterans, backed up by an experienced support and operations team, Miller’s has a unique advantage to help customers with solutions to everyday workplace challenges. Many members of our team have been servicing the legal community for over 20 years. This experience helps in solving your firms challenges in creating a customized procurement process.
 
  • Flat organizations allow for quicker decisions.  Recently we secured a large office products account, not by simply getting a list of items and pricing them lower-pricing is and always will be important but for “good” customers there needs to be more.  Instead of just spouting a sales pitch, our sales executive had a conversation with the prospect, looking for ways to solve issues and improve the prospect process. Once the issues were identified, the Miller’s representative got the correct team members involved and was able to show the prospect real value.  This was all done in a two week cycle.  The prospect, now customer, smacked me right in the face with the comment “We have been waiting for these type of reports from our current provider for a long time as the rep had to call their manager, who had to call another department, etc.”  The “flatter” organization won because our team of professionals can be more nimble and responsive.
 
  • National buying groups allow Miller’s to buy at very competitive prices directly from the manufacturers.  Buying groups have been around for over 40 years, however, they are more important than ever as the “buy side” of the business continues to push Miller’s to find the most competitive cost of goods as possible. How we win on the pricing side is our cost to serve is so much lower than the national companies. We don’t have to build in advertising, national warehousing and expanded payrolls into the price we charge you.
 
At the end of the day we report to customers, not shareholders.  Miller’s Supplies at Work is not beholden to any specific outside entity, so we can make the best possible decisions for our employees and customers.  We know how we are doing every day by not just a sales report, but the longevity of our employees and customers.  We have been fortunate to land another large customer who was very pleased with how the relationship has started, but wanted more.  By becoming true partners with this company, we have them utilizing our technology tools to analyze their own buying patterns and processes.  Years ago, this would have been unheard of to share this type of data, but Miller’s listened to their stockholders – the customer and have adapted to provide these type of tools to bring unprecedented VALUE to the end users.

Joint OOMS and D&I Community Meeting: Universal Design in the Workplace

Victoria Lanteigne
Director of Strategic Partnerships​, FOX Architects

On Wednesday, June 5th, Brent Kruse, Senior Project Manager with FOX Architects and I presented to the ALA Diversity & Inclusion Committee and Office Operations Management Community on the topic of Universal Design. While Universal Design is rooted in creating inclusive environments for people with disabilities, we highlighted the principles and 8 goals of Universal Design which promote the design of equitable and usable spaces for people of all abilities, sizes, ages, and backgrounds. With over 57 million Americans living with disabilities, we emphasized how creating inclusive spaces can increase employee retention and attraction with significant ROI for employers. Universal Design encourages going above and beyond what is required by federal accessibility regulations, emphasizing a design for all approach that aims to meet the needs of individuals of diverse abilities while benefiting the greatest number of people. Universal Design strategies include wayfinding, increased structural access, ergonomics, health and wellness, among others, that welcome and empower people of all abilities. Our presentation emphasized the notion that Universal Design is really about applying thoughtful, smart and innovative design strategies that promote flexible, usable, and intuitive spaces for all building occupants. 

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: Cheryl Flynn (Chair), cflynn@wileyrein.com; Beth Fowler (Co-Chair), bfowler@robbinsrussell.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: Sheri Shifflett (Chair), Cheryl.Shifflett@saul.com; Valerie Williamson, valerie.williamson@bassberry.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: Dot Mooney (Co-Chair), dmooney@powerslaw.com​; LaVerne Anenia (Co-Chair), LaVerne.Anenia@dbr.com


Educational Communities

Branch Office Administrators
The Branch Office Adminsitrators Community focuses on a broad range of topics of interest to local adminisraotrs who must coordinate with other officees of their firms. The Community'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: Barbara Kernus (Chair), bkernus@gsblaw.com; Joanna Hurt (Co-Chair), jhurt@mccarter.com
Listserv: branch@lists.alacapchap.org
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Office Operations Management
The members of the Office Operations Management Community 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:  Kenia Garner (Chair), kenia.garner@pillsburylaw.com; Jacqueline Keener (Co-Chair), jackie.keener@threecrownsllp.com
Listserv: ooms@lists.alacapchap.org
Intellectual Property (IP)
The Intellectual Property (IP) Community 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: Matthew Cichocki (Chair), mcichocki@cooley.com; Judi Heston (Co-Chair), jheston@nixonpeabody.com
Listserv: ipadmin@lists.alacapchap.org



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

Contact: Valerie Williamson (Chair), valerie.williamson@bassberry.com; Tabatha Harris (Co-Chair), tsh@dwgp.com  
Listserv: smallfirm@lists.alacapchap.org


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Human Resources
The Human Resources Community operates as a venue for educational information on global human resources issues.  While the Community 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: Tiffany Montgomery (Chair), tmontgomery@velaw.com; Cindy Schuler (Co-Chair), cindy.schuler@hugheshubbard.com

Listserv: hr@lists.alacapchap.org

Next Generation Leaders
The mission of the Next Generation Leaders Community 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 meetings, pop-up events, and educational sessions, and provides 2-way mentoring opportunities. 

Contact: Kate Fettrow (Chair), kfettrow@wileyrein.com; Amy Walkowiak (Co-Chair), awalkowiak@dcwhitecollar.com 
Listserv: nextgen@lists.alacapchap.org