March 2014

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; Cindy Conover   Contributing Editors: Dorothy Mooney; Michelle Carnabuci; Lauren Stanley; Paul H. Burton; Kenny Mitchell Newsletter Designed By: Scoti Dodson


In this issue:

President's Message:  Time Flies

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As I prepare to pass the gavel to a new leadership team, I wanted to take a moment to reflect back on my year as President.  Everyone tells you it goes by fast.  All I can say is, “Wow, what a ride!” 

My year as President coincided with the Chapter celebrating 40 years.  What an amazing accomplishment and one that can only be achieved by the countless volunteers and business partners who support our organization.  At the Change of Gavel we were able to watch a heartwarming historical presentation with clips of members and events over the past four decades.  Keeping with the theme of “40”, the Chapter was able to provide 40 scholarships for members to attend the ALA National Conference.  This year it was at the Gaylord at National Harbor.  Over 100 ALACC members attended the educational and networking events and our incredible business partners came out in force and sponsored the conference.  Many hosted numerous social events ranging from dinner to dancing and even karaoke, yes, karaoke.  I will never forget “Don’t Stop Believin’”…you know who you are and I have it on good authority that the band, Journey, wants to cut us a royalty check (not to sing it again – ever)! 

The Annual Conference was followed by attendance at the Chapter Leadership Institute (CLI) in Atlanta and the Region 2 Conference in Memphis.  At CLI, the Chapter leaders bonded over educational events to make our Chapter stronger, better.  And we will never forget hilarious stories of “sashaying”.  At Region 2 Conference, ALACC had a strong showing with 30+ members attending.  We experienced exceptional educational sessions, the “ducks” and Graceland.  Thank you Jenifer, Jill, Beth and Paula for humoring me in my lifelong quest to visit Graceland.  The only thing that made visiting Graceland even better was having you experience it with me.

The Chapter hosted numerous quality educational events this past year.  We learned how to memorize, deal with generational differences, have difficult conversations, looked at the frightening world of cybersecurity, the confusing world of the healthcare act, negotiate a lease, control email (sorta), evaluate and forecast financial trends, and lead and manage our firms more effectively.  On top of the Chapter hosted events there were 12 webinars, monthly educational section meetings and a leadership summit. 

The social events were plentiful.  I have the “Freshman 15” to prove it.  With Quarterly Networking lunches, Chapter Happy Hours, Annual Fundraiser, Business Partner Appreciation events, lunch meetings, dinner meetings and countless Business Partner socials, my calendar for the year was booked.   Not complaining (except for the Freshman 15) and appreciated the invitations, conversations and friendships.

The year was about being a a part of a team.  We had an outstanding Executive Committee and Leadership Team.  The Executive Committee updated the by-laws, added positions to the Executive Committee, evaluated duties and responsibilities, held monthly leadership team conference calls, held the first Leadership Summit, and laid the groundwork for future efforts to make our Chapter even better.  Thank you Joe, Beth, Tracy, Lisa, Janeanne, Cathy, Dina and Paul.  Our Chapter is stronger because of your insight and efforts.   Not only do I respect each and every one of you – but I really cherish the friendships we developed.  Our Leadership Team (the Chairs and Co-Chairs of the Educational Sections) went above and beyond to make sure to communicate the Chapters efforts to the members, they tackled every task, rose to take on every challenge, participated and completed everything that was asked of them.  Thank you Sheri, Richard, Cynthia, Donna, Dina, Kristine, Barbara, Greg, Adele, Melody, Kenny and Janis.   Your time and energy is most appreciated and I hope you are proud of what you accomplished – I certainly am – and the membership is better for it! 

The Chapter is what is today because of the Past-Presidents.  Thank you for setting the example, paving the way, providing support and offering advice.  You are amazing and I appreciate all that you have done, and continue to do, for the Chapter.

The Business Partners are incredibly important to our Chapter.  With their sponsorship, the Chapter can continue to provide exceptional educational programs, networking and social opportunities for our members.  I can’t tell you the number of times I picked up the phone and called a business partner to help me with information and guidance to perform my job as an Administrator.   Always at the ready, always “yes” and always making me look good.  The business partners truly are subject matter experts.  Thank you for supporting our Chapter and for supporting me. 

Finally, the Chapter would not be as successful if it were not for the leadership of Paula and Scoti.  I had a saying “A Day Without Talking With Paula, Was A Day Without Sunshine”.  I appreciate the honesty, integrity and hard work that you both have put into this organization.  Our Chapter is better for having you at the helm bringing new ideas and supporting our members and business partners.  Thank you! 

What an incredible journey.  I am so thankful that I did not go on this journey alone.  Thank you for allowing me to serve as your President.  I believe I accomplished the 3 E’s – “Energize” the membership, “Educate” the leaders and “Enjoy the Ride.”  Boy did we work hard and I sure did Enjoy the Ride! 

New ALA Capital Chapter Members

Alejandra Bustamante Jubran
Office Administrator
Novak Druce Connolly Bove & Quigg LLP
1875 I Street NW
11th Floor
Washington, DC 20006
Nicole Yun
Regional Manager, Patent and Trademark Support
Foley & Lardner, LLP
3000 K Street NW
Washington, DC 20007
Jane Schindler
Human Resources Manager
Foley & Lardner LLP
3000 K Street NW
Washington, DC 20007
Deana Hollister, SPHR
Human Resources Manager
Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP
2300 N St NW
Suite 700
Washington, DC 20037
Christine Bekelja
Firm Administrator
Rossi, Kimms & McDowell LLP
20609 Gordon Park Square
Suite 150
Ashburn, VA 20147
Lourdes N. Almeda
Senior Accountant
Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP
1850 K Street NW
International Square Building
Washington, DC 20006
Jeffrey L. Cole
Regional Facilities/Records Manager
Squire Sanders (US) LLP
1200 19th Street NW
Suite 300
Washington, DC 20036
Dorothy J. Morrison
Director of Business Affairs
Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP
1875 K Street, NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC  20006

SunTrust Spotlight: Legal Cash Manager

A Customized Package of Business Accounts and Cash Management Services Designed for Law Firms

Benefit from What We Know
Rising costs, shrinking margins, the ever-changing world of insurance — the pressures facing law firms today are many and time is in short supply. Going to the bank, calling to review balances, and endlessly managing your accounts are all tasks that can be streamlined allowing you and your staff to focus more fully on your clients rather than your finances.

Our Legal Specialty Group understands the needs of law firms. Our goal is to help strengthen your firm’s financial position by improving your cash flow and simplifying the management of your payables and receivables. Day in and day out, our dedicated Client Advisors work only within the financial aspect of the legal industry. It’s all we do.

Optimize Your Working Capital
With the products included in Legal Cash Manager you can use a scanner right at your desktop to capture check images and transmit them electronically to SunTrust for deposit, view and refer to payments easily online, transfer funds and control your accounts while reducing your administrative time. Our legal suite of solutions was designed to help with the unique needs of law firms.
Click here to read more. Questions, click here.

Presidents' Award of Excellence: Roadmap to Success
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This award, named in honor of ALA’s Past Presidents, recognizes chapters for their efforts in effective chapter leadership. 

ALA is the undisputed leader for the business of law, focused on the delivery of cutting-edge management and leadership products and services to the global legal community. We identify and provide solutions to the most strategic and operational challenges our members and customers face today, while we prepare them for the opportunities and challenges of tomorrow. 

The Presidents’ Award of Excellence is a chapter performance guideline to encourage chapters to take effective and collaborative action in support of ALA’s mission to promote and enhance the competence and professionalism of legal administrators and all members of the legal management team; improve the quality of management in law firms and other legal service organizations; and represent professional legal management and managers to the legal community and to the community at large. 

The Capital Chapter has attained the highest level of achievement again this year... the Platinum level.

Gunlocke Spotlight: Gunlocke Addresses Legal Workplace Changes with Design and Function in Mind

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The legal industry has seen significant change in its workplace environments and new trends developing in just the last ten years. In our experience, understanding these changes is the key to maximizing any office space.

PRIVACY AND COLLABORATION
Changing legal workplaces requires furniture that supports new ways of working, balancing the needs of the office with the needs of individual workers. Legal office furniture should accommodate private and confidential work, while offering collaborative features for occasions that require teamwork.

FLEXIBILITY
Whether furnishing new offices or renovating existing ones, a furniture solution should optimize the legal work environment. As technology enables people to do more with less office, furniture balances the need for physical storage while integrating flexible features for the digital world.

DESIGN DEPTH
Workplace furnishings reflect the image of a firm. There is something to be said for a professional, sophisticated aesthetic that is carried through an entire office. Substantial presence, high-end fit and finish, and warmth of materials are all qualities office furniture can bring to a space, from private offices to support areas and collaborative areas.

As the legal workplace continues to evolve into a more collaborative, open-office environment, Gunlocke understands that partners in a law firm do still require a private office, one that provides necessary discretion regarding business of a sensitive nature. Such an office not only should provide privacy but an overall feeling that reflects a partner's stature and expertise.  The finely tailored, purposeful architecture of Gunlocke's latest casegoods offering - Credentials - is ideal for private offices within the legal office environment. It boasts refined, yet effective, details -- ample storage, discreet wire management, optional leather and stone accents -- to deliver a distinctive statement that's not just about the private office itself, but also the person sitting behind the desk. Credentials embodies accomplishment, confidence and luxury with a distinct "less-is-more" design and functionality.

The Gunlocke Company is an industry leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of wood contract furniture: casegoods, seating and tables.  As it focuses on developing fresh, responsive new solutions for the workplace, the company carries forward a tradition of quality craftsmanship, technical expertise and conscientious customer service.  The Gunlocke name is synonymous with design integrity, manufacturing excellence and enduring value. Eight U.S. Presidents and leading decision makers in a range of industries have made the company’s products their choice. 

Gunlocke understands legal workplace trends and recognizes the fact that there is more to purchasing law office furniture than meets the eye.  Ever-changing legal workplace environments and developing trends as discussed are always evaluated by Gunlocke to create a functional legal office that maximizes space, thus enhancing the work that is done.

Gunlocke has a growing North American presence, with showrooms located in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, New York City, Santa Monica, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. For more information about Gunlocke, contact 1-800-828-6300 or visit www.gunlocke.com.

What is the Most Important Service You Expect from Your Chapter?

We asked and you answered! Here are the results of the first poll question from the new website:
Educational Programs: 45%
Social Networking: 35%
Information on Legal Administration Topics: 17%
I Rarely Use My Membership: 2 % 

Royal Cup Coffee Spotlight: Leak Prevention

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Imagine heading into the office on a Monday morning, thinking about your to do list for the week and what you need to accomplish, only to find that five floors of your office space have been flooded throughout the weekend.  Throw that to-do list away, because you’ve got bigger problems.  Imagine that this all started just because the tubing on the back of a coffee brewer split which caused damage to carpet, hardwood floors and ceilings.  What a nightmare.  Just think, an incident like that could be prevented with one simple device.

When it comes to office coffee, there are many details.  What machine will work the best for the space, which company offers the best service and which program works best for the budget?   Most end users don’t put the installation and leak detection programs into the decision making process.  When it comes to leak prevention, most companies are reactive instead of proactive.  This is not because they don’t think leaks are a big deal, it’s because unless you’ve experienced such a disaster, it’s not on the radar screen.  

In today’s world, office refreshment programs have become pretty complex.  In one kitchen, you will find automatic coffee equipment, fountain soda machines, point of use water filtration and icemakers.  All of this equipment is lined up on a counter cop and is all attached to a one water line.  After being in the OCS world for decades and seeing how things have changed, Royal Cup has truly become a consultant to its clients.  After seeing the good, bad, and the ugly in regards to leaks in the office place,   Royal Cup Coffee offers an extremely effective leak detection program which prevents catastrophic damage to the workplace.  This program includes three very important components; a water pressure regulator, a water block, and braided beverage tubing. It sounds fairly simple, but these three mechanisms are proven solutions to prevent and stop water leaks.  

Each piece has a job to do to ensure that no horrific damage can be done.  The water block measures water flow and stops it if it exceeds a pre-determined value.  If the volume does not surpass the established value, then the device resets automatically and mechanically for the next measurement cycle.  The water block does not require external energy, simply water flow through it.  The braided beverage tubing is industrial strength; reinforced, flexible tubing that is superior to the standard plastic and copper tubing that is normally used.  This tubing includes polyester reinforcement which provides pressure performance and kink resistance as well as core tube construction which provides excellent resistance to stress cracking.   The water pressure regulator prevents catastrophic spikes in water pressure, from reaching your equipment, blowing lines and destroying your break room. 

 Royal Cup understands the risks associated with any type of equipment connected to a water line.  Our goal is to help make your job easier, not harder.   It is extremely important to understand your current leak detection program, if there is one at all.  Once you know what you need, you won’t have to stress all weekend, worried about what might be waiting for you on Monday morning.

Make Time To Be On Time

By: Paul H. Burton of Quietspacing LLC

Being on time is more than just polite. It's terrific leadership and highly productive. Here are three reasons why and three reasons how to be more timely. 

Bruce Turkel is a nationally recognized expert on branding. He’s also a prolific blogger, one that I follow. Bruce recently wrote about his serendipitous early arrival to the airport in a post titled “Early To Bed. Early To Rise.” It’s a worthy read.

I commented on his post, focusing my message on the importance of being on time. It’s what I call Making Time To Be On Time.  Here’s the way I see it.
Paul H. Burton is a former corporate finance attorney work helps lawyers and legal professional get more done and enjoy greater personal and professional satisfaction. You can learn more about Paul and his work at www.quietspacing.com
Why Being On Time Is Important
Being on time – in any form and for any purpose – is important in three specific ways:

  • Leadership – Being on time demonstrates leadership.  It communicates that we command our schedule and we fulfill our obligations. Others follow those who lead, resulting in more people showing up on time.
  • Respect – Being on time respects other peoples’ time. Forcing others to wait for us is impolite regardless of the reason. They’ve made time for us and we are professionally obligated to make good use of that time.
  • Productivity – Being on time is productive. As obvious as this seems, many miss the point. Gathering people for a meeting consumes two valuable and limited resources - money and time. When meetings start late and, as a result, run long, time is lost, productivity is lost and money is wasted. The aggregated effects of that loss can be staggering. 

How to be on Time
These suggestions will improve timeliness:

  • Set/Follow Alerts – Most productivity tools, like Outlook, as well as all mobile devices, have alert functions. Use them and obey them. Set an appointment reminder at least 15 minutes prior to its start. When the alert sounds, finish up the current task, grab what you need and head that way. Do NOT start on a new task thinking there’s plenty of time. There isn't. 
  • Anticipate Transition Time – We are all optimists. We routinely underestimate how long things will take, including the time it takes to get from one meeting to another. If an appointment is outside the office or even on a different floor, leave plenty of time for inconvenient transition events - traffic, busy elevators, etc. It’s always better to be slightly early, than slightly late. In addition to sending a positive message to others, you’ll experience less stress.
  • Hard-Schedule Open Intervals – Another mistake many make is scheduling appointments back-to-back. Like Dominos, when one meeting runs long, the entire schedule tips over towards lateness. Hard-schedule small breaks between each meeting – as little as 15 minutes - right on the calendar. This builds a cushion into every meeting and allows us to gather our thoughts and check in with other activities between appointments.

It’s Your Time; Make the Most of It
Make a commitment to be on time, regardless of what other people do. It demonstrates better leadership while respecting others, and until everyone’s on time all the time, you might also get some extra work done while waiting for them

Thanks, as always, for your time,
Paul Burton

Critical Conversations, Marguerite Ham of Igniting Success

Members gathered at Sidley Austin LLP for a Lunch & Learn with Marguerite Ham of Igniting Success.  How many times have you been in a conversation and all of a sudden you feel threatened, or someone clams up and stops communicating or someone becomes aggressive and defensive? We have all been there, in all of these scenarios! How do we turn that conversation from a disaster to an effective communication? In this session members conquered the "elephant in the room" and learned how to handle critical conversations using effective communication strategies. 

Technology Update

Impact Office hosted a lunch and learn for the Technology Committee on Thursday the 27th titled “There’s and App for That & What About 3D Printing”. Kevin Hoverman, Impact’s Director of Imaging & Technology, was the lead presenter.  Most of the presentation and discussion was centered on “new” document management.  As copier technology has changed manufacturers have developed “apps”, just like smartphones, that allow for integration with just about any software available.  Google has an app for Canon that allows user to print or scan from the MFP to their Gmail account, OCR to searchable-pdf, Microsoft Word or PowerPoint, an embedded WorldDox app for Canon and Xerox, and what interested the group the most was the integration with employee HID badges for secure print release as well as group-policy enforced customized scanning.  This enables employees to print and their job will “follow” them to any device where they simply swipe their badge and the job prints.  The same app can be used to build customized scanning workflows for each user that will “follow” them from device to device. 

The second half of the presentation was about 3D printing and what impact it may have on the legal industry.  The 3D printing industry is projected to be a $5 billion dollar industry by 2020.  Gartner has said there may be up to $100 billion in IP losses per year due to the ease of use and availability of both printers and blueprints.  There was also discussion about the impact 3D printing is having in healthcare with customized joint replacements and how that may alter malpractice law as well as whether the FDA is going to be able to regulate the industry.  There have even been developments in 3D “meat”; using biopolymers to print meat and NASA is even piloting a “pizza in space” program with portable 3D printing.  The uses that had people the most concerned was the recent reports of fully functional plastic guns and how that may impact how TSA screenings are done in the future.  There are concerns that the ease of use and low cost availability of the printers and the medium used to print may necessitate more invasive search procedures.  It’s still unclear just how much impact 3D printing will have on the legal industry but it is clear it is a growing technology that will become more disruptive in the intellectual property space for many years.

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: Paula Serratore, pserratore@alacapchap.org
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: Catherine S. Barron (Chair), cs_barron@yahoo.com; Dina Dalecki (Co-Chair), ddalecki@wenderoth.com
Listserv: finance@lists.firmseek.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: Sheri Shifflett (Chair), cshifflett@saul.com; Richard Gibson (Co-Chair), rgibson@nixonpeabody.com
Listserv: branchofcadmin@lists.firmseek.com
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: Dina Dalecki (Chair), ddalecki@wenderoth.com; Kristine Miller (Co-Chair), kmiller@nixonpeabody.com
Listserv: ipadmin@lists.firmseek.com
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: Cynthia D. H. McEwen (Co-Chair), cmcewen@cgsh.com; Donna Williams (Co-Chair), donna.s.williams@bakermckenzie.com
Listserv: hr@lists.firmseek.com

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 third Wednesday of every month to discuss operation0related 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: Barbara Mannix (Chair), mannix@fr.com; Gregory Fudge(Co-Chair), glfudge@ober.com
Listserv: ooms@lists.firmseek.com

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: Melody R. Watson (Chair), melody.watson@gpmlaw.com; Emily Christianson (Co-Chair), echristianson@relmanlaw.com
Listserv: smallfirmadmin@lists.firmseek.com

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), kmitchell@wbklaw.com; Janis Foster (Co-Chair), jfoster@bakermckenzie.com
Listserv: alacaptech@lists.firmseek.com