NIPA News

Be sure to check your inbox for the NFPA Survey that landed last week. This is your opportunity to give feedback to NFPA about the benefits and issues important to you. 

The Indiana Paralegal Association, Paralegal Members of the Indianapolis Bar Association, and Affiliate Members of the Indiana State Bar Association will host a meeting on April 16, 2025, to discuss licensing programs and the potential for development in Indiana.  As the ISBA explores the possibility of limited licensure in Indiana, this is an important meeting about the future of legal services and the paralegal profession in Indiana.

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Mark your calendars! The annual Paralegal Symposium will take place on May 15-16, 2025.  The symposium will feature a panel discussion on Allied Legal Professional (ALP) programs.  Exploration of the potential for an ALP program to address the access to justice gap in Indiana is a priority for the ISBA in 2025.  Save the date and plan to attend the symposium for this important discussion.

In case you missed it, NIPA sustaining member Dean Boerger of Boerger Investigative Services penned a comprehensive guide for paralegals in the Winter 2024 issues of the National Paralegal Reporter.  Dean's guide covers social media searches, interviewing witnesses and collaborating with private investigators.  You can log into the NFPA website and find the Winter 2024 issue of The National Paralegal Reporter to read Dean's article.

The Fall issue of the National Paralegal Reporter includes a great article by the In-House Paralegal Committee that summarizes the CLE sessions offered at the 2024 Annual Convention.  The CLE's feature many topics relevant to in-house paralegals, some of which are offered as recorded sessions on NFPA's website for replay for as little as $25. Topics include Building an Affective Compliance Program, Healthcare Compliance Top 10 Issues, Public Due Diligence and more.   

NIPA's Spring Seminar was held on April 25, 2024.  For the morning sessions, we were honored to have Superior Court Judge Andrew Williams as our Keynote Speaker.  Learning about the Court process for mental health commitments was eye-opening and engaging, and encouraged us to have important discussions about mental health in our communities.

Amy Thompson of Rothberg Logan & Warsco LLP led our second in-person session, breaking down the different types of bankruptcy filings for businesses, including the recently enacted subchapter 5 bankruptcy.

NIPA members participated in a friendly round of Jeopardy, testing their knowledge of bankruptcy terms.

Amy thoughtfully included NIPA as an answer in a category, and Team 1 pulled away with the victory.

Finally, a seminar would not be complete with proper caffeination & snacks - special thanks to Stewart Richardson Deposition Services for sponsoring NIPA!

The two afternoon sessions of the seminar were held virtually. 

Cari Sheehan led a session regarding Tech Ethics and AI,  discussing the use of ChatGPT in a law firm (and how not to use this tool!).  Deanna Marquez wrapped up the day with a lesson on Microsoft Excel, including the creation of handy Pivot Tables in Microsoft Excel.  Data enthusiasts rejoiced!

Thanks to all our speakers and members who participated in this year's NIPA Spring Seminar!

Mark your calendars for Thursday, April 25, 2024 for NIPA's Spring Seminar. This seminar will offer 4 sessions of CLE. Participants have the option to participate in individual sessions or a full day of all sessions. In-person and virtual sessions will be available. Topics include mental health cases, bankruptcy, AI, and Excel. Watch for more specific information coming soon. Registration expected to open on March 18th.

Garrett McNamee from Burt Blee Dixon Sutton & Bloom spoke with NIPA members this month about the new Corporate Transparency Act. These new reporting requirements have been confusing and uncertain since this Act became effective January 1st for new corporations. Garrett explained the purpose of the Act and who is required to report corporate information. Garrett shared the reporting exemptions that may benefit clients and the key roles identified in the Act, including beneficial owners and company applicants. Members shared their initial encounters with the reporting process and how area firms are handling the reporting for clients. There will be much to learn as the Act is further interpreted and clarified. We hope Garrett will come back to join us as new information comes to light.

The NFPA National Paralegal Reporter is now available online. NIPA members should have received an NFPA email with a direct link. The edition can also be accessed by logging into the NFPA website. The Winter edition features a complete recap of the 2023 NFPA Convention. In addition to details of the policy meeting and agenda topics, members will find a full report of the award winners and an article from one of the convention's workshop leaders addressing the importance of resuming our in-person, human interactions post-covid. This edition also features an article written by the 2023 student scholarship recipient. Don't forget to read the President's Message with a reminder about effective goal setting.

Have you ever needed to verify a professional license or prove paternity involving a deceased parent?  NIPA members met at Electric Works for its January meeting and discussed all kinds of favorite tips. From preserving text messages to locating debtors, members shared all of their favorite paralegal hacks. If you missed this meeting, be sure to check your in-box for a summary coming soon. Join us on February 20th to talk about the new corporate disclosure requirements.