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LAPA’s Annual October Conference Review:LAPA Presents Its Annual Awards at the 42nd Annual October ConferencePractice Aligned Resources Receives LAPA’s Sponsor of the Year AwardKeynote Speaker – Superior Court of California Commissioner Eric IsaacSeasonal Changes and Ethics with Teresa J. Schmid, Esq.Internal Investigations – Employment Law MCLE Seminar
President’s Message:LAPA Hits Another One Out of the Park!
Book Review:Products Liability Law by Tim Kaye
LAPA Santa Clarity Halloween Networking Mixer Review: It’s a LAPA Halloween Celebrarion
Peanut Gallery: Packaging, and then Unpacking Your Experience for Your Dream Job
Travel Log:What’s for Dinner?
Student’s Perspective:Bobby Rimas Presents NALA & LAPA Membership Benefits to CSULA Paralegal Program Students
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Also In This Issue:Calendar of Events 3LAPA Holiday Benefit Gala Ad 10LAPA Career Center Info 14/21LAPA Member Benefit Health Insurance 21LAPA Members Only Benefit Ad 22Bet Tzedek Volunteers Flyer 23LAPA Probate & Estate Planning Section Ad 24 New & Renewing Members 25Board of Directors Listings 26Sections, Committees & Other LAPA Info. 26LAPA Member Benefit Dental Insurance 26
LAPA Presents Its Annual Awards at the 42nd Annual October ConferenceLAPA continued its annual tradition of presenting several of its awards at LAPA’s 42nd Annual October Conference at the Los Angeles North/Glendale Hilton on October 13th in front of a crowd of over 270 attendees. Such awards recognize phenomenal individuals and/or organizations that have contributed to the association, the paralegal profession, the community, and more. This year’s
reporterwww.lapa.org
NOVEMBER 2018 VOLUME 46 / ISSUE 11
I N R E V I E W . . .
P R E S I D E N T ’ S M E S S A G E
L A P A ’ S A N N U A L O C T O B E R C O N F E R E N C E R E V I E W
LAPA Hits Another One Out of the Park!by Terry L. Wright, ACP – LAPA President, October Conference Chair
On October 13, 2018, LAPA proudly presented its annual 42nd October Conference, selling out the day prior to the Conference. It wasn’t quite as intense as the 2018 World
Series, but it was just as exciting with a day filled with spectacular speakers, amazing exhibitors, fabulous keynote addresses, and awesome networking
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(left) The crowded ballroom at LAPA’s 42nd Annual October Conference. (right) Michelina Gibbs, Representative of Practice Aligned Resources (PAR), is all smiles receiving LAPA’s Sponsor of the Year Award with LAPA Executive Vice President Bobby Rimas.
VOLUME 46 / ISSUE 11 / NOVEMBER 2018 LAPA 2
by Christine Langteau
Products Liability Law by Tim Kaye A smart phone that dials by itself, a fabric separating at the seams on a brand-named shirt, a heel falling off a shoe worn only three times, are all defective products.
Purchasing a product that just doesn’t work or work properly can be frustrating and disheartening and these three are relatively minor examples. However, there are a range of actual products liability cases that resulted in huge verdicts and settlements, such as the pain killer Vioxx, which causes horrendous side effects, a 180° cup of coffee purchased at
LAPA’S OFFICE HOURSDirect your inquiries to LAPA’s Administrative Manager, Tracey Booth, at 866.626.LAPA: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.
L A P A R E P O R T E R
The Reporter is published monthly by the Los Angeles Paralegal As-sociation. The news and views presented express the authors’ views and not necessarily those of LAPA. Publication of any article or adver-tisement does not imply endorsement of the opinions, products or services offered. LAPA assumes no responsibility for verifying facts of-fered by contributing authors or in reprinted articles. Readers should consider information contained in these articles as guidelines to be independently confirmed as to timeliness. ©2018 Los Angeles Paralegal Association. All rights reserved.
THE ADVERTISING AND EDITORIAL DEADLINE IS THE 5TH OF THE MONTH PRIOR TO PUBLICATION. Articles and news items should be directed to LAPA at [email protected]. Inquiries about making a submission should be directed to LAPA at [email protected], or call Tracey Booth at (866) 626-LAPA. Inquiries about advertising placement, applications, membership materials and address changes should be directed to Tracey Booth, LAPA Administrative Manager, at (866) 626-LAPA. Articles will be published as space permits. The Newsletter Committee reserves approval and edit rights on any article submitted. The Los Angeles Paralegal Association is a non-profit, mutual benefit corporation and is tax exempt within the meaning of section 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code. Membership dues and donations to LAPA are not tax deductible as charitable gifts, but may be deductible as related business expenses. LAPA suggests that you consult your tax advisor in this regard.
JOIN LAPA ON... & WWW.LAPA.ORG
B O O K R E V I E W
McDonald’s that scolded an elderly woman, and coolant used in General Motors’ vehicle engines which contained a dangerous chemical. These are serious issues that were resolved for millions in lengthy court battles. Products Liability Law by Tim Kaye explains this unique area of law in relation to the Restatement of Torts and Contract law.
Chapter one, “The Five Elements of a Products Liability Case,” begins with the statement that products liability law developed on American soil. Over time it has had incremental change and courts in different jurisdictions reached different decisions including whether an issue is law or fact, contract or tort, and state or federal. Areas of law involved in products liability are breach of warranty, misrepresentation, negligence, and product defect. Furthermore, there are five elements for a potential products liability claim – a product, which has been sold, but was defective, and causes or is likely to cause personal injury or property damage to a victim using the product or to a third party. Anything which constitutes a “good” under the Uniform Commercial Code can be considered a product. Sellers are not just manufacturers, but retailers and wholesalers. Defects take many forms including manufacturing, design, and failures to warn. The jury usually determines if the plaintiff has sustained a “compensable form of harm.” Economic loss, such as medical bills or costs to repair the damage caused by the product can be claimed in a products liability suit.
Breach of warranty claims, chapter two, are covered by the law of contracts and differ from tort law as to the statute of limitations time frame. Strict liability is the determining factor in breach of warranty claims as the victim only needs to identify the warranty provided, who provided the warranty, demonstrate that the warranty’s terms were not satisfied, and show the harm sustained as a result. The doctrine of “caveat emptor” can be overcome if the “defendant had either expressly or implied warranted that the goods supplied were of a certain quality or composition.” A breach of express warranty can only be established if the product does not live up to the warrant’s claim. The author spends considerable time discussing implied warranties and privity – who can sue and be sued within the confines of the contract. In other words, can a third party sue in a products liability incident? continued on page 3
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C A L E N D A R O F E V E N T S
N O V E M B E R
1 - All Saints Day6 - LAPA Executive Board Meeting – Conf. Call; Contact Terry
Wright, ACP at [email protected].
6 - Cannabis MCLE – National University in Los Angeles, Contact Paula Delp at [email protected].
7 - Diwali - Festival of Lights12 - Veterans’ Day13 - LAPA Board Meeting – Pasadena City College; Contact
Terry Wright, ACP at [email protected].
15 - LAPA’s Probate & Estate Planning Section Seminar – Lewitt, Hackman, Shapiro, Marshall & Harlan in Encino; Topic: Estate, Gift and Property Tax Planning, Contact LAPA at [email protected].
22 - Thanksgiving Holiday
D E C E M B E R
2 - Hanukkah Begins
4 - e-Discovery Day – in the City of Los Angeles
4 - LAPA Executive Board Meeting – Conf. Call; Contact Terry Wright, ACP at [email protected].
5 - Holiday Benefit Gala – Howl at the Moon Dueling Piano Lounge, Universal City; Contact LAPA at [email protected].
10 - Hanukkah Ends
13 - LAPA Board Meeting – TBD; Contact Terry Wright, ACP at [email protected].
21 - Winter Solstice25 - Christmas Holiday26 - Kwanzaa Begins
B O O K R E V I E W - continued from page 2
Chapter three, “Misrepresentation,” continues the discussion of privity. Originally only the parties who had “bargained directly with each other” could bring a breach of warranty action. The way to remedy harm from a defective product for a party outside of this relationship was through the law of torts, not contracts. There are different elements to a claim of misrepresentation. The first is that the defendant must make a representation or a statement and it was reasonable in all circumstances of the case it to be relied upon, the second element. The tort of misrepresentation is derived from the English common law tort of deceit. Negligence is discussed in chapter four. The plaintiff must prove, by a preponderance of the evidence, all of these elements: defendant owed a duty of care to the plaintiff, defendant breached that duty, this breached caused harm to the plaintiff,
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opportunities. LAPA hit it out of the park this year with over 250 registering for the Conference, over ten sponsors, and over 25 exhibitors!
On behalf of LAPA, I’d like to thank our exceptional sponsors, each playing an integral part in the October Conference. To name just a few of this year’s sponsors, Aquipt Legal Technology Services, Unisearch, and First Legal Network, Taylor Morse, Galaxy Document Services, Inc., and Coalition Court Reporters, assisted in making this year’s Conference a success.
We would also like to thank our wonderful exhibitors, each arrived bright-eyed and early Saturday morning ready to meet LAPA’s guests. With over 25 exhibitors in attendance, all attendees were invited to take the time to speak with the exhibitors first thing in the morning and before lunch was served. The sponsors are key to making the Conference a success, as they bring their expertise to the forefront and share information with paralegals and attorneys’ regarding their services for future reference and needs.
Inspiring speeches relating to this year’s theme of “A Season for Change,” emphasizing that it’s never too late to further your education and enhance your
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career, were provided by Chere Estrin, CEO of Estrin Legal Staffing and Michelle Tabb, ACP. Additionally, Commissioner Eric Isaac and Philip Lam, Esq. delivered phenomenal and moving keynote speeches during the break while we enjoyed a delicious lunch provided by the Hilton Los Angeles North / Glendale & Executive Meeting Center.
In attendance was Pat Springer, CEO of Clothes the Deal, LAPA’s charity for this year’s October Conference. Ms. Springer provided an inspiring presentation during the lunch break. This organization does fantastic community benefit work in helping men and women to re-enter the work force by providing business attire to those in need.
LAPA was proud to present Ms. Ussery as its Lifetime Achievement awardee, Eric Cooke was presented with a $1000 Scholarship, Ms. Chang was honored as LAPA’s volunteer of the year, and Lewitt, Hackman, Shapiro, Marshall & Harlan, LLP was named as law firm of the year, each awardee well-deserving of these acknowledgements by LAPA and its members.
More than 15 educational break-out sessions, including corporate, employment, immigration, workers’ compensation, criminal, appellate, body camera, environmental, probate, and transactional law, litigation, and legal research were offered to the attendees. One hour of ethics MCLE, “Social Media Ethics Evidence Collection & Use,” was provided by Joseph Jones of Bosco Legal Services and an additional hour of ethics, “A Season for Change for Legal Ethics,” was presented in the afternoon by Teresa Schmid, Esq. of Schmid & Watson, LLP. We are extremely grateful to all of the speakers for taking time out of their busy weekends to present to LAPA and its guests so that we can all meet our educational requirements as working paralegals.
I look forward to seeing each of you again next year at LAPA’s annual October Conference. But, in the interim, I’ll see you soon, as we host and invite you to attend additional events. Please check LAPA’s website, www.LAPA.org, for upcoming seminars, workshops, and networking events. G
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The Los Angeles Paralegal Association would like to congratulate the
following recipients of LAPA’s 2018 Awards presented at LAPA’s 42nd
Annual October Conference: Lifetime Achievement Award:
Kathy Ussery
Sponsor/Exhibitor of the Year Award: Practice Aligned Resources
Joy Murao, CEO
Law Firm of the Year Award: Lewitt, Hackman, Shapiro, Marshall & Harlan
Student Member Scholarship Recipient:
Eric Cooke of the UCLA Extension ParalegalTraining Program
Volunteer of the Year:
Camille Chang
VOLUME 46 / ISSUE 11 / NOVEMBER 2018 LAPA 6
L A P A S A N TA C L A R I TA H A L L O W E E N N E T W O R K I N G M I X E R R E V I E W
It’s a LAPA Halloween Celebrarionby Terry L. Wright, ACP – LAPA President
The evening of Thursday, October 25, 2018 took us up to Santa Clarita to visit with paralegals and College of the Canyons paralegal students. We had a fun evening at the Brewery Draconum, and in the spirit of Halloween, LAPA hosted a masked Halloween networking mixer. All were in the spooky spirit and came with masks, some scary, some fun, and some very pretty!
We talked with multiple College of the Canyons paralegal students to learn how LAPA might benefit them in their journeys as each proceeds through his or her educational path to a career as a paralegal. It was very exciting to hear the students’ stories with respect to their educational courses, their studies, and career interests and goals.
We hope to see more interest from friends and colleagues from the Santa Clarita area at future LAPA events. Happy Halloween from LAPA! G
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B O O K R E V I E W - continued from page 3
and the harm was suffered within the scope of defendant’s liability.
The restatements debate is quickly covered in chapter five. Courts initially devised the law of products liability because the reason the product was defective was not plaintiff’s concern. Imposing strict liability on manufacturers or distributers of products for reasons of public safety called for development of this area of law. Manufacturing defects is the focus of chapter six. “So far as the law of contracts is concerned, any member who supplies a food item will be deemed to have provided a warranty as to the item’s fitness at the same time. So far as the law of torts is concerned, however, strict liability will come into play only if the product in question has been “manufactured.” Strict products liability holds a manufacturer or distributor liable for a defective product that they introduced to the marketplace even if the defect was not the manufacturer’s fault.
Design defects are the focus of chapter seven. Courts have usually agreed that “the defect need not be the only cause of the victim’s injury.” The
defect needs only to be a cause of the harm; it does not necessarily have to be the cause.” A product is defective if it fails to meet consumer expectations according to the Second Restatement of Torts. Two classes of products require special treatment—medical devices and prescription drugs, since they require FDA approval. When products are inherently dangerous, the law requires the user or consumer to be careful when using them and the manufacturers and distributers to warn about using or consuming the product. A complete defense to a claim is found in chapter eight, “Marketing Defects or Failures to Warn.” The claim is for failure to warn and the harm sustained was the type of harm that could be obvious. When there is a duty to warn the manufacturer or distributor should reasonably have foreseen specifics risks of harm, the risks mean the product is not reasonably safe, it would be reasonable to provide instructions or warnings, and heading the warnings would reduce or avoid risk.
Causation is discussed in chapter nine. “So far as the law of products liability is concerned, the doctrine of
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A monthly column where sponsors and/or vendors share helpful hints
Packaging, and then Unpacking Your Experience
for Your Dream Job by Mitch Rufca – Principal at Rufca Recruiting Services
The first step towards finding your dream job is getting your experience packaged neatly onto a document in the form of a resume. Then, once you’re well-packaged resume earns you an interview, the next step will be describing your work and skills in an interview, essentially “unpacking” everything on your resume.
PACKAGING yOUR RESUME
One of the hardest things to do in your resume is to write down all the work you’ve done, your accomplishments and duties in a way that comes off clearly and concisely. How do you represent the “blood sweat and tears” you’ve put in and the type of employee you are in a 1- or 2-page document? Here is where I would start:
Start looking at job postings regularly (you can set up job alerts on Indeed.com, Glassdoor, ZipRecruiter, etc.), and when you see positions you’re interested in, pay close attention to the requirements that the job posting has highlighted. Have you done the work that is described? If so, is it reflected on your resume? If it’s not reflected, then consider adding it. If you haven’t done the work that your dream job is describing, then examine ways that you can take on additional duties in your current role in order to take on more of those duties.
Set a calendar reminder to look at and update your resume every 3-6 months. I recommend updating your resume often, even if you aren’t in a current job search. Updating your resume frequently allows you to add details as your work expands at your current position. When you complete a large project, or get a big “win”, make a note of that on your resume. As you take on new duties, make a note of those new duties on your resume. Have you begun using
P E A N U T G A L L E R y
any new software? If so, add it to your resume. At this stage you’re not worried about resume length (you can edit it later as you see fit). Then, when it comes time to begin your job search you are merely polishing up the resume that you have been updating regularly in the past.
Other suggestions for packaging your resume:
• Use a chronological resume, with your most recent experience at the top
• Avoid any long summary statements or paragraphs on your resume. Your most relevant work should be closest to the top of the page as possible.
• As a general guideline, if you have less than 5 years of experience, keep your resume to 1 page. If you have over 5 years of experience you can and probably should have a 2 page resume (but this will vary by the individual, depending on the number of positions you’ve held, the changes in duties over that time frame, etc.)
• Don’t write in the first person. Avoid statements such as “I managed a case load of 80-100 cases at any given time”. Rather, “Managed case loads of 80-100 cases concurrently.”
• Use the same tense at each position. Use past tense (“Managed”, etc.) for your past work history, and present tense for your current position (Manage).
• Use bullets whenever possible- this is easier to read and decipher as a hiring manager.
• Consider an Objective Statement, that you can tailor specifically for a position that you apply for in the future.
• Use a skill section to list your software skills, or anything that might be desired in a job description (such as being bilingual, e-filing experience, legal programs used).
• Avoid vague descriptions in this section like “hard-working, dependable, detail-oriented” etc. Listing those traits don’t distinguish you on a resume, and thus don’t add much value to a resume.
Once you have your resume together, invite trusted friends, and those in your professional network to review it and add their suggestions, but be prepared- everyone will have different advice about what you should do with your resume, so use your
continued on page 20
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LAPA's Holiday Benefit Gala
Dueling Piano Lounge
Join LAPA
Under the Winter Moon
My Friend’s Place assists and inspires homeless youth to build self-sufficientlives. We advocate a low barrier service structure which minimizes thepsychological, physical, and social barriers that typically deter youth fromseeking and accepting assistance from a social service agency. Name: _________________________ Firm Name: ___________________ Billing Address: __________________________________________________ Telephone: __________________ E-mail: __________________________ Amount enclosed or to be charged: $______________________________ Credit Card No. (Visa/MC/AmEx): ____________________________________ Expiration date: ______________ CVV_______________
VOLUME 46 / ISSUE 11 / NOVEMBER 2018 LAPA 11
L A P A ’ S A N N U A L O C T O B E R C O N F E R E N C E R E V I E W - continued from page 1
awards included the LAPA Lifetime Achievement Award, Sponsor of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Law Firm of the Year, and last but not least, the LAPA Student Member Scholarship.
The 2018 LAPA Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Ms. Kathy Ussery who, for years, has exhibited the true spirit of generosity. Ms. Ussery has also made it a mission of hers to talk to paralegals and paralegal students and encourage them to get involved with the Los Angeles Paralegal Association. To volunteer, attend conferences, to take their careers seriously – and have fun doing it. Part of that is her steadfast belief that engaging in a professional association will enhance an individual’s career. The Mabel Ussery Family Trust donates three LAPA membership each year. Ms. Kathy Ussery also supports the next generation of paralegals. Prior to LAPA’s annual October Conference, and without fanfare, Ms. Ussery will reach out to LAPA’s leaders, as well as paralegal instructors at local programs, to offer financial assistance to deserving students who otherwise would not be able to attend the LAPA’s Annual October Conference. If each one of us was able to define just one belief that we feel strongly about and put action to it as Kathy Ussery does, imagine what a more thoughtful and caring world we would live in. Congratulations to Kathy Ussery for receiving the 2018 LAPA Lifetime Achievement Award!
One of the many ways the Los Angeles Paralegal Association gives back to the community is by awarding its $1,000 LAPA Student Member Scholarship. This year, the $1,000 scholarship was awarded to Mr. Eric J. Cooke, a student at both the University of California (UCLA), Extension Paralegal Training Program and the University of California, Riverside (UCR). Mr. Eric Cooke has been very active on campus and other communities in his positions as a United Way Community Activist, UCR Representative, and currently works with “at risk” youth. Such an individual exemplifies how paralegal students and paralegals can be multi-faceted, multi-dimensional, and still contribute to society. Congratulations to Mr. Eric J. Cooke for receiving LAPA’s 2018 Student Member Scholarship.
More articles and social media postings have been or will be posted regarding LAPA’s 2018 awardees.
Congratulations to all 2018 LAPA awardees for your contributions to the paralegal profession, the association, and the community! G
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Practice Aligned Resources Receives LAPA’s Sponsor of the Year AwardPractice Aligned Resources LLC (PAR) was awarded the 2018 LAPA Sponsor of the Year Award in front of a sold-out crowd of more than 270 attendees at the Los Angeles Paralegal Association’s 42nd Annual Conference at the Los Angeles North/Glendale Hilton Saturday, October 13th.
LAPA Executive Vice President Bobby Rimas presented the award to PAR in recognition of the strong support PAR provided for LAPA’s Technology Expos and the annual LAPA October conferences. In addition, PAR sponsored the 2017 LAPA Holiday Benefit Gala which assisted Puerto Rican hurricane victims and has generously provided additional support at other LAPA events throughout the year.
Unfortunately, PAR CEO Joy Murao was unable to receive the honor in person due to a prior commitment at the San Diego Paralegal Association’s Career and Technology Conference on the same date. PAR Representative Michelina Gibbs accepted the award on behalf of PAR and
thanked LAPA for the award in recognition of PAR’s contribution to the legal community.
Upon being reached for comment Joy was deeply honored to be recognized by LAPA as she shares LAPA’s passion for building a stronger paralegal community through education and collaboration. Joy expressed her gratitude to LAPA and looks forward to continuing to build the relationship between LAPA and the Los Angeles paralegal community.
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For your reading pleasure, a regularly recurring column on the fun of travel.
What’s for Dinner? by Elisabeth Patmore Sillars
In looking over the itinerary for the trip Paul and I took to Alaska in the summer of 2017, it’s clear that the main thing on my to-do list which didn’t really pan out as I intended was getting to a lot of the places I had earmarked for shopping. Oh, I did a little Christmas shopping here and there, and we did pick up a couple of nice little pieces of First Nations artwork (one from the dramatic Museum of the North at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks and the other from the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage). Nonetheless, there are close to a dozen places I had really wanted to check out that we never found ourselves visiting on this trip.
On the other hand, everybody’s gotta eat, so we pretty much went to all the restaurants on my list. In the interests of sharing some of our opinions with all of you (in case any of you decide to put together your own Alaskan adventure), what follows are a few observations on this topic.
T R A V E L L O G
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Practice Aligned Resources, based in Downtown Los Angeles, provides services and training in e-discovery and litigation support management.
Joy Murao, the founder and CEO of Practice Aligned Resources, LLC, is a prolific leader in the litigation support industry. Joy has dedicated her career to implementing new strategies, technologies and services in various practice areas for some of the largest firms and corporate clients in the world. Joy graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and earned her paralegal certificate from the University of San Diego. Joy spent most of her career at Latham and Watkins, Paul Hastings, and O’Melveny & Myers building, structuring, and supporting top-notch global practice support teams. Her career transitioned from employee to entrepreneur with the creation of Practice Aligned Resources.
Joy is an active teacher and mentor in the legal community. She is the Regional Director (Southwest) for Women in eDiscovery and an instructor of UCLA Extension’s Paralegal Training Program. Joy also offers a variety of live training opportunities at The PAR Center. To learn more about technology training for paralegals, visit www.PracticeAligned.com or email [email protected].
Congratulations to Practice Aligned Resources and CEO Joy Murao for receiving LAPA’s Sponsor of the year Award! G
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L A P A ’ S A N N U A L O C T O B E R C O N F E R E N C E R E V I E W - continued from page 11
Keynote Speaker - Superior Court of California Commissioner Eric Isaac On Saturday, October 13, 2018, at Los Angeles Paralegal Association’s 42nd Annual October Educational Conference that took place at the Los Angeles North/Glendale Hilton, Superior Court of California Commissioner Eric V. Isaac gave a keynote address in front of a crowd of over 270 attendees. Commissioner Isaac delivered a powerful speech about the limitless possibilities for growth that Paralegals may pursue through education. With a consistent tone of optimism in his presentation, his message of perseverance and tenacity in chasing one’s goals fit seamlessly well with this year’s LAPA October Conference theme, “A Season for Change.” LAPA Executive Vice President and West Los Angeles College Adjunct Asst. Professor Bobby Rimas, who introduced the keynote speaker at the conference, indicated that “Commissioner Isaac’s speech was inspiring and a reminder about how education can be key to great change. I was honored to introduce such an accomplished individual.”
A Los Angeles native, Commissioner Isaac was born in Los Angeles where he attended Crenshaw High School. After graduating from high school with honors, he enlisted in the United States Air Force while attending college at night and on the weekends. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Vocational Education from Southern Illinois University. He became an Insurance Claims Adjuster, clerked at several small law firms, then was employed as a Paralegal for the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office while attending American College of Law where he graduated 2nd in his class in 1996. While attending law school, Commissioner Isaac was awarded the American Jurisprudence Award for Trial Advocacy.
During his time as Deputy Public Defender, Commissioner Isaac tried over 100 cases and in 2004, received the award “Felony Attorney of the Year” from the Public Defender’s Office in Riverside County. Commissioner Isaac left the Public Defender’s Office in November 2012 and was hired From left: Terry Wright, ACP, LAPA President,
with Commissioner Eric V. Isaac continued on page 16
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by the Superior Court of California, Riverside as a Hearing Offer and Judge Pro Tem. As a Hearing Officer, he handled all parole and revocation matters and post release community supervision matters for Riverside County. Commissioner Isaac’s current assignment is Family Law Court at Superior Court of California, Riverside, where he handles a full family law calendar. G
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Seasonal Changes and Ethicswith Teresa J. Schmid, Esq.by Terry L. Wright, ACP – LAPA President, October Conference Chair
LAPA presented Teresa J. Schmid, Esq. as its afternoon ethics speaker at this year’s October Conference. Ms. Schmid present “A Season of Change for Legal Ethics,” and was well received by her audience. Even though it was a day full of phenomenal speakers and continuing education, this presenter managed to get a few chuckles at the end of the day on October 13, 2018.
Theresa J. Schmid, Esq. is a partner at Schmid & Watson LLP. Her practice includes legal ethics and discipline. She is also a consultant to bar associations on regulation, public policy, and management.
Ms. Schmid began her career in legal ethics and discipline by serving as Chair of the Disciplinary Rules and Procedures Committee of the Oregon State Bar. Subsequently, she served as Assistant Disciplinary Counsel for the Oregon State Bar, which she represented before the Oregon Supreme Court in appeals relating to lawyer admission and discipline. As Deputy Trial Counsel, Senior Trial Counsel, and Assistant Chief Trial Counsel for the State Bar of California, she represented the state bar before the Trial Department and the Review Department of the State Bar Court. She is also a former Executive Director for the Oregon State Bar and for the State Bar of Arizona.
She is a current member and former chair of the Professional Responsibility and Ethics Committee
of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and a current member of the State Bar of California’s Standing Committee on Professional Responsibility and Conduct.
The presenter spoke about how legal ethics apply to our daily work and the governing bodies surrounding legal dilemmas. She also provided information and handouts with regard to the new Rules of Professional Conduct that were approved by the Supreme Court on May 10, 2018, and that will take effect November 1, 2018. Ms. Schmid discussed confidentiality and how it applies to client communications. She also discussed varying examples with respect to conflicts of interest.
Ms. Schmid wrapped up her presentation by touching on the responsibility of lawyers and non-lawyers, noting that discrimination, harassment, and retaliation are ethically prohibited by the Rules of Professional Conduct. Multiple attendees stayed to talk one-on-one with Ms. Schmid, as it is quite apparent that she is a wealth of information with an excellent background with regard to legal ethics.
Should you still need ethics MCLE, please contact one of the LAPA board members or check the LAPA website https://www.lapa.org/, events tab for upcoming seminars. G
L A P A ’ s A N N U A L O C T O B E R C O N F E R E N C E R E V I E W - continued from page 15
continued on page 18
continued on page 25
B O O K R E V I E W - continued from page 7
general causation requires the plaintiff to prove, on a preponderance of the evidence, that the product in question was capable of causing the type of harm sustained by the alleged victim.” This general causation is often ignored in products liability cases because who can doubt that a defective automobile or lawnmower would not cause harm. For other products, such as drugs the causation is less clear. Chapter ten looks at affirmative defenses as a means to challenge the plaintiff’s prima facie case. The three groups of affirmative defenses are “limitations of time, defenses based on a contract, and defenses based on the victim’s own conduct. “ Of these three a defense based on the victim’s own conduct has three elements – implied assumption of risk, contributory negligence, and comparative fault.
Although product liability cases fall under state law, occasionally issues arise under federal jurisdiction as
VOLUME 46 / ISSUE 11 / NOVEMBER 2018 LAPA 17
Bobby Rimas Presents NALA & LAPA Membership Benefits to CSULA Paralegal Program Studentsby Anzhela Babayan – LAPA Student Member
On October 8, 2018, one of California Status University, Los Angeles’ (CSULA) evening Paralegal Program classes had the honor of hearing from Los Angeles Paralegal Association’s (LAPA) Executive Vice President and National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) Liaison Bobby Rimas. Mr. Rimas, who teaches Administrative Law at CSULA’s Paralegal Studies Program, introduced students to NALA and LAPA membership benefits and the keys to being successful utilizing the membership benefits of these two great organizations. He discussed detailed membership information as a student and non-student member and notified students of the huge membership discounts they receive as a student member for both NALA and LAPA.
The presentation, which lasted about 30 minutes, was full of information. Mr. Rimas explained the commonalities and differences between NALA and LAPA and why you should be a member of both organizations. He also introduced the students to the Certified Paralegal Exam given by NALA and the advantages it would have on some individuals who passed the exam. Upon passing the voluntary certification exam, the “Certified Paralegal” designation can be recognized by law firms and companies both in and outside of California, although he hopes we, as future paralegals, all stay in California and better our communities instead. For those who are interested in being successful in a specific area of law, NALA members who earn the “Certified Paralegal” designation can become “Advanced Certified Paralegals” via NALA by passing additional voluntary exams that concentrate on certain legal specialties.
Mr. Rimas mentioned that LAPA and NALA offered phenomenal educational and MCLE events, discounts to members, such as preparatory courses for those
S T U D E N T ’ S P E R S P E C T I V E
who are seeking to take the NALA Certified Paralegal Exam and helpful webinars that are offered to help paralegals in their areas of law. He extensively talked about the two organizations’ annual conferences, one of which was LAPA’s 42nd Annual October Conference and its $1,000 scholarship award given to a deserving, current LAPA Student Member. What he kept emphasizing was that one of the ways to connect with others and to possibly become successful through either organization was to “Network! Network! Network!” Let your future employers know your name, your educational background, skills, strengths, and your smiling personality! Anzhela Babayan is a current, part-time student at California State University, Los Angeles’ Paralegal Studies Program, expecting to graduate Spring of 2019. Additionally, she is working full-time for the Los Angeles County Counsel as a Legal Office Support Administrator.
Anzhela plans on attending law school after she completes the Paralegal Studies Program to concentrate on Cyber Law and International Law. She also has a passion in Immigration Law and has done extensive volunteer work for immigrant communities, including volunteering with the Justice and Immigration Clinic of the University of La Verne College of Law for Naturalization and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals workshops, among others. G
CSULA student Anzhela Babayan (left) with LAPA Executive Vice President &NALA Liaison Bobby Rimas
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Internal Investigations – Employment Law MCLE Seminarby Terri Walters – LAPA Director, Employment Law Chair
Packed to capacity with eager and attentive paralegals and legal professionals, the Internal Investigations A.M. Employment Law MCLE was well attended and received. Elsa Banuelos, Esq., Senior Litigator at Ballard Rosenberg Golper and Savitt, outlined the A to Z’s of Internal Investigations in her MCLE presentation.
Detailing the retention and preliminary due diligence needed in performing internal investigations, Elsa discussed the role of an investigator when performing privileged vs. non-privileged investigations. City of Petaluma v. Superior Court (2016) 248 Cal. App.4th 1023, was the leading case illustrated to distinguish between the investigator’s role of “providing legal advice” vs. being limited to being solely a “fact-finder.” Illustrating the steps needed in order to establish an investigator’s report which would summarize the retention of facts and documents for the scope of the investigation, lists of witnesses interviewed and documents reviewed, factual legal summaries and finding and conclusions resulting from various internal investigations, Elsa relied on her experience as an attorney investigator to give the
attendees examples of situations where companies retain attorneys and non-attorney investigators to perform internal investigations.
Client contact, internal filing systems, the initial meeting with the client, witness interviews, the order of witness interviews, explaining the non-retaliation policies, emphasizing the importance of confidentiality and fact finding were key topics covered at the presentation. Elsa stressed the importance of conducting the interview and not a trial cross-examination. She also touched on the interview process of asking the tough questions, avoiding the appearance of favoritism and interviewing of both the alleged harasser and person or persons allegedly harassed.
Elsa practices exclusively in the area of labor and employment law, representing clients in a wide variety of industries. She represents employers before state and federal courts and administrative agencies in all areas of employment law, including jury trials. Elsa also counsels employers in day-to-day employment relations issues such as the hiring, promoting, discipline and termination of employees, and compliance with state and federal employment laws. In addition, she conducts independent sexual harassment investigations and training seminars for management personnel on all aspects of employment law. Elsa is a frequently featured speaker for various trade groups and organizations. Prior to joining Ballard Rosenberg Golper & Savitt, Elsa was a partner at a major Los Angeles law firm where she headed its employment law group.
Elsa represents employers in a wide variety of industries, including many public employers and educational institutions. She litigates workplace disputes before federal and state courts and administrative agencies in all areas of employment law. She also counsels clients on employment law strategy and compliance and conducts workplace investigations for large and small employers. Her work includes such matters as: Whistleblower complaints; Sex harassment complaints; Discrimination and retaliation charges; Strategic claims prevention planning in connection with employer policies and proposed personnel actions (layoffs and individual employment terminations); Wage and hour claims;
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continued on page 19
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T R A V E L L O G - continued from page 14
Discounting two or three classic steakhouses in the heart of town, there is a relatively short list of highly rated, sophisticated restaurants to choose from in Anchorage, and the key thing to remember is that almost all of them are closed on Sundays (some are even closed on Mondays).
However, our very first Anchorage dining experience (on a Saturday evening) was a winner. The Kincaid Grill was located near our “mid-town” hotel, and the restaurant decor, service and food are all excellent. One thing that’s a little unusual is that they’re not open for lunch but do offer both catering and an “Inflight Menu,” which I have yet to investigate. The restaurant is only a short (five-minute) drive from the Ted Stevens International Airport, so it sounds as though maybe one could pick up something wonderful (or have it delivered?) for one’s flight home. Hmmm.
Of the available options the following (Sunday) evening, we chose “a room with a view,” the venerable landmark Simon & Seafort’s Saloon & Grill, which is set overlooking the Cook Inlet at the western edge of the city. Other than missing it completely on our first pass (and what would a Sillars road trip be without at least one of those), we had no complaints. While the menu isn’t as inventive as Kincaid’s, it’s classic American steak and seafood, well prepared and served in a warm and inviting environment, and you can see that it’s a favorite with the locals as a reliable special occasion restaurant.
We also had a very nice lunch on Sunday at Muse, the little restaurant in the Anchorage Museum, before taking our (self-guided) tour around the gift shop and various exhibits. Not all museums have good “cafes,” but many do, and over the years, they’ve become some of my favorite places for a lunch (or brunch) break during a visit to a museum, especially in a new city.
One of our favorite finds was a tiny restaurant in Seward called The Cookery & Oyster Bar. There are approximately a dozen tables, plus a short bar which overlooks the little kitchen/food prep space, so we sat and watched the chefs/owners putting out what is a surprisingly creative and ambitious menu for such a small neighborhood restaurant, including a nice selection of wines and beers, all served with enthusiasm and genuine friendliness. The focus is on the use and presentation of as much seasonal and local food as possible, so the choices change regularly. The one caveat is that their hours vary from winter to summer, and because they
don’t take reservations, we were advised to get there by 6:30pm to avoid a wait because of their limited seating capacity, which turned out to be useful advice.
As a rule, I’m disinclined to eat someplace without a website. I like to preview the menu and get a feel for the eatery before showing up. That’s not always possible, and we are sometimes pleasantly surprised. Such was the case at the Sheep Mountain Lodge restaurant on the Glenn Highway, where we stayed overnight on the way to Valdez, and enjoyed a wonderful dinner and a delightful breakfast before setting out on the road again. There’s truly an exception to every rule.
Then we had another enjoyable impromptu experience at a really out-of-the-way place: the Roadside Potato in funky little McCarthy, where we had lunch at the suggestion of our shuttle van driver before continuing on the last few miles to Kennecott, deep in the heart of the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.
Of the various “in-house” dining experiences we had on the trip, I think Paul and I would agree to give our best review to the Foraker restaurant in the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge, where not only did we have a couple of fine meals, but if Denali had deigned to show itself during our stay, the view would have been magnificent!
Speaking of views, we ended the trip at one of the only two AAA 4-Diamond restaurants in the Anchorage area, the Seven Glaciers at the top of the Alyeska Hotel in the Girdwood ski area, which does have remarkable views, as one would expect. I wish I hadn’t been still “under the weather,” since I found myself seriously underdressed while waiting outside for the tram rides to and from the restaurant…. As it was, I was extremely impressed (and comforted) by their signature scallop bisque, which deserves all its accolades.
What’s important is that there some great places to try – and some we haven’t even tried as yet, which is one of the many good reasons for our return to Alaska in 2018! G
LAPA’S ANNUAL OCT. CONF. REV. - cont. from pg. 18
Layoffs, restructurings, employee terminations, and other sensitive human resources matters; Management training on employment law risk management and dispute avoidance; Sex harassment investigations for private and public employers; drafting of comprehensive employment policies, including employee handbooks; and Arbitration of workplace disputes. G
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Looking for a Paralegal Position? Submit your resume at LAPA’s Career Center webpage found via LAPA’s website, www.LAPA.org.
P E A N U T G A L L E R Y - continued from page 9
own judgement and make your resume a document that you feel proud of and is packaged well.
Your finished product will be a document that is compact and succinct, yet powerfully delivers your work experience and skillset to potential employers.
UNPAckiNG YoUR ExPERiENcE
Many candidates work so hard on the perfect wording for their resume, then stumble when a potential employer asks them to explain exactly what those words mean. I encourage you to spend more time reviewing your work and practicing your answers about your work before your next interview. (Typically candidates spend all of their interview prep time researching the company and not enough time understanding how they’re going to describe the things they’ve done.)
Start by sitting down with a pen and paper and look at your resume and your description of the work you’ve done. How are you going to expand on those answers in an interview? Let’s look at an example together:
Here is what a bullet might look like on your resume:
• Researches best practices and develops proactive approach to identify Human Resources challenges in acquisition integration, solution recommendation and high-level reporting.
If you are in an interview you must be ready to explain what this means- rather than just repeating the statement on your resume, be prepared to explain in detail what you did. Here is how you should practice:
Describe the problem or challenge your company faced. In 2016 Our firm was acquiring a small litigation practice based in Northern California, which would add an additional 20 staff members under my HR supervision.
What work needed to be done to fix this problem or challenge? We knew this could be difficult to manage if there was turnover with our staff, and also knew it was important to communicate effectively with this satellite office, so they would feel like part of the same firm.
Explain exactly what you did- what did your day-to-day tasks looks like in order to resolve this problem?
I researched several solutions, and ultimately focused on and investigated technology resources that would allow us to move to a cloud-based employee management system that would get all our employees the same access to information.
How did you work impact the results? After bringing 3 technology options to our Managing Partners, we selected one that was most appropriate for our firm size in price and capabilities. We implemented the system in August, and then I sent out an employee survey on October 1st.
What was the change that the company felt from your work? When you describe this change, be as specific as you can. Did the company take on 3 more clients due to your work? Did you increase their proposal-to-wins ratio by 25%? Be able to describe these results in detail. We found that our employees rated the HRIS system extremely high, and morale was at an all-time high due to employees being able to access all of their compensation information (including a total compensation summary), vacation & sick days, and review schedule.
Remember to be specific and brief with each example you give. Give enough detail for the interviewer to understand exactly what YOU did, and do your best to not make the story too long winded or verbose.
You should take this approach in preparation to every line on your resume. This work will help you prepare to unpack your experience when you’re in an interview, and allow you to differentiate yourself from other candidates that give vague answers, or repeat exactly what is listed on their resume. It’s time well-spent if you’re preparing to interview for your dream job.Mitch has over 15 years of recruiting experience. His experience has ranged from aerospace to engineering, with the last 5 years focused on legal and technical support to law firms and Fortune 500 companies. He enjoys being involved and learning how technology is constantly creating demand for new skills and employees. Mitch’s goal is to recruit with passion & energy, and treat both candidates and clients with the utmost integrity and honesty. Originally from the Midwest; Mitch earned a Sports Marketing degree from Indiana University, and a Masters of Business Administration at Pepperdine University. As a Part-Time Instructor at Loyola Marymount University, Mitch teaches classes on professional recruiting within the College of Business Administration. Mitch is an avid skier, cyclist, urban farmer and home winemaker. G
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Members Only Benefits
Regional and Networking Sections LAPA has many opportunities for meeting and connecting with your paralegal colleagues and other legal industry professionals. Such opportunities include seminar and networking events based on geographical locations such as Downtown (Los Angeles), South Bay, West L.A., the San Fernando Valley, Santa Clarita, and more. LAPA also provides educational seminars in various legal specialties, including, but not limited to, Litigation, Probate Law, Intellectual Property Law, Corporate Law, Immigration Law, and Ethics. Additionally, with the support of our legal industry partners, LAPA also hosts other networking and charitable events and mixers. Your participation in LAPA is encouraged, so be sure to reach out to a LAPA Section or Committee Chair, develop your leadership and networking skills, and make LAPA an even better association.
Vital Savings This benefit provides LAPA members a discount program for dental and vision services, long term care, as well as many pharmaceuticals. LAPA has been able to obtain special pricing of Vital Savings discount cards through Aetna. By using the discount cards and Aetna approved providers, LAPA members can save dramatically on the services provided by these professionals. For more information, please visit LAPA’s website, www.lapa.org. Working Advantage LAPA members may join a program that offers discounts up to 60% on tickets, travel, shopping, and more. LAPA helps you save money on items from clothing to theater tickets to flowers. This benefit is available by logging onto the LAPA website “Members Only” section. United Insurance Partners LAPA has teamed with UIP - United Insurance Partners - to bring LAPA members the opportunity to purchase health, dental, and/or vision insurance. When you access UIP through the link provided on the Benefits webpage, you will find an array of insurance products available for you to purchase with companies such as Blue Cross, Aetna, and many other top insurance companies. Please visit LAPA’s website, www.lapa.org, for more information. NALA Affiliation LAPA is an affiliated member of the National Association of Legal Assistants. NALA is the nation’s leading professional association for paralegals. As a member of an affiliated association, the initiation fee for individual membership in NALA is waived for LAPA members. NALA boasts some of its own benefits. Access its NALA Campus Live for online continuing legal education, self-study courses, and preparation for the CLA/CP Exam. Its annual educational convention in July allows you to expand your network beyond your state’s borders as you network with other paralegals from around the country, attend educational institutes and member related activities. Freelance/Contract Paralegal Listing LAPA provides a “Freelance Paralegals” section on its website to assist LAPA members who are freelance, contract, or independent paralegals, as defined by California Business and Professions Code Section 6450. For a nominal fee of $60, you can post your contact information on LAPA’s website for six months. You can sign up online through the Members Only section of the website. Membership Database Available only to LAPA members, the Membership Database is a valuable tool in locating other paralegals or legal professionals with whom you have worked or networked. The Membership Database also provides up-to-date contact information as well as members’ legal specialties and geographical areas. Credit Union LAPA members are eligible to join Southland Credit Union. Southland Credit Union, with over $435 million in assets, offers an online presence, a new full-service branch in downtown Los Angeles, an upgraded ATM network and five new proprietary ATMs. Southland Credit Union has expanded its product line by introducing a new high-yielding certificate of deposit, a Rewards Plus program and a market-leading high interest yielding checking account. Southland Credit Union prides itself on outstanding service to its members and has recently earned a 95 percent Member Service satisfaction rating. Lorman Education LAPA is dedicated to providing efficient and readily-available continuing education opportunities that meet the needs of our members and enhance their skills, knowledge, and competencies. LAPA has partnered with Lorman Education to provide continuing education in a variety of topic areas. LAPA members receive a 20% discount on all orders.
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Bet Tzedek Needs YOUR Help!
Intake Services Volunteers Sought
Bet Tzedek’s Intake Services volunteers conduct pre-screening assessments in order to determine the appropriate course of action for individuals who call seeking legal assistance. Our volunteers are often the first contact our community has with our organization, and we rely on our volunteers to handle a high volume of calls from a diverse population of individuals with a broad range of needs. Gain Issue Spotting and Client Interview Experience
Under attorney supervision, volunteers develop foundational legal skills, including learning to spot legal issues; to conduct telephone interviews with potential clients dealing with challenging, stressful situations; determining what information provided by the caller is relevant; and to begin to develop judgment of potential cases in a wide array of legal areas. Volunteering with Intake Services also provides first-hand knowledge of the landscape of legal services available in Los Angeles County and exposure to and understanding of the issues faced by the communities we serve. Commitment: 40+ hours. During the school year, we ask that volunteers commit to working in the Intake Center for 8-10 hours/week for 8-10 weeks. During certain periods, such as winter break, we may be able to accommodate schedules that include a higher number of hours per week for fewer weeks. Work must be completed during normal business hours (M-F, 9am-5pm). To Apply: Email [email protected] or call (323) 549-5839 with any questions. Spanish language skills are highly preferred, but not required.
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ASSOCIATE cont.
Jessica Le All In One Inc. [email protected] Martin Holt [email protected] Morris West Los Angeles College [email protected] Stephen County of Los Angeles - [email protected] Superior CourtErika Vodvarka Fragomen Del Rey Bernsen [email protected] & Loewy LLPSuzette H Weber [email protected]
Donna Austell Cruz Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard [email protected] & SmithKatherine Bailey NBC Universal, Inc. [email protected] Chapple UCLA Extension PTP Program [email protected] Conover [email protected] Cooke UCLA Extension PTP [email protected] Dougherty UCLA Extension [email protected] Erese [email protected] Goldberg UCLA Extension PTP [email protected] James WLAC [email protected] Maddrey Twentieth Century Fox [email protected] Mercado [email protected] Mikova UCLA Extension PTP [email protected] Pitts AT&T [email protected] Slovinsky [email protected] Watts West Los Angeles College [email protected] Yamamoto [email protected]
Brian Aubol Registered Agent Solutions, Inc. [email protected] Soukeras Unisearch, Inc.
W E L C O M E N E W & R E N E W I N G L A P A M E M B E R S
The following is a listing of legal professionals and paralegal students who joined or renewed their membership in Los Angeles Paralegal Association within the last 30 days. The employer and work telephone number also are included when available. If any information is incorrect, please fax corrections to 866-460-0506, call LAPA at 866-626-LAPA or e-mail updates to [email protected].
VOTING
Manette Baltazar-Moreno Toyota [email protected] J Broussard Cast & Crew Entertainment [email protected] Services, LLCVictor Campos Light Law Group, APC [email protected] Condragh Richardson Harman Ober [email protected] Derac Schomer Law Group [email protected] Fitzpatrick Lewitt, Hackman, Shapiro, [email protected] Marshall & HarlanLisa Fonesca LA Law Center, PC [email protected] Gallo Hayes Revere & Wallace [email protected] Gelzer Goodson & Wachtel & Petrulis APC [email protected] Jo Godfrey The Chavas Legal Group [email protected] Guerrero Ford & Harrison LLP [email protected] Hada Law Office of Lee Harwell, Jr. [email protected] Howell Case Knowlson LLP [email protected] M Hughes Christa & Jackson [email protected] Johnson The Law Office Of Vikram Brar [email protected] M Kingsbury Giovanniello Law Group [email protected] Klunder [email protected] Konno Digital Garage, Inc. [email protected] Leblanc SwedelsonGottlien [email protected] Lewis self-employed [email protected] Loveless Wesco Aircraft [email protected] Marion Independent Contractor [email protected] Martin Kilroy Realty Corporation [email protected] Miyamoto Lanzone Morgan, LLP [email protected] Moreno Lewitt Hackman Shapiro [email protected] Marshall & HarlanCarolyn Pehrson Morelle Administrative [email protected] Outsourcing, LLCGregory Peralta MedFax [email protected] Phu CFT NV Developments, LLC [email protected] Robbins Cox Law Group, Inc. [email protected] Robbins Brutzkus Gubner [email protected] Robinson The Decurion Corporation [email protected] Salandria Weiss and Stepanian LLP [email protected] Santos Konami Digital [email protected] Entertainment, Inc. Siran Christy Saradzhyan LA Law Center, PC [email protected] Schabath Rose Klien & Marias [email protected] Torres Law Offices of Stuart D. Zimring [email protected] P Tuchman Lowe Enterprises Inc. [email protected] M Ussery Arthur B. Wood Esq. [email protected] Watson Brown & Goodkin [email protected] Wayne Nationwide Mutual Insurance [email protected] Zuniga LA Law Center [email protected]
Elizabeth Arteaga Northrop Grumman Corp. [email protected] D Bazzelle UCLA [email protected] Friedman [email protected] E Hartman Law Office Of Cynthia [email protected] R. PollockAshley Helms Sheppard Mullin Richter [email protected] & Hampton LLP
discussed in chapter eleven. Four steps are employed to determine whether a conflict exists between federal and state law: express pre-emption, conflict pre-emption, frustration pre-emption, and field pre-emption. Mass torts litigation and class action lawsuits are also covered in this chapter. As reviewed in chapter twelve, there are three different types of damages – nominal, compensatory, and punitive. Nominal are where a jury says the case was basically a waste of time. More common are compensatory damages which provide the plaintiff/victim with reparations for their loss. If the defendant’s conduct was especially egregious punitive damages can be awarded.
Kaye mentions that there is no national law of products liability but that “proven techniques of legal reasoning” are relied upon everywhere in litigation. These techniques, along with legal theories of contracts and torts, are straight forwardly examined and explained in Products Liability Law. G
B O O K R E V I E W - continued from page 16
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L O S A N G E L E S P A R A L E G A L A S S O C I AT I O N - 2 01 8 B O A R D O F D I R E C T O R S
S E C T I O N S , C O M M I T T E E S & O T H E R L A P A I N F O R M AT I O N
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEEName Title Employer Office # EddressTerry Wright, ACP President Dignity Health 626.744.2395 [email protected] T. Rimas Executive V.P. OneWest Bank 213.952.9914 [email protected] Sipp V.P. Membership & Policy Litchfield Cavo LLP 626.683.1100 [email protected] Dang V.P. Marketing & Planning Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office 626.500.5361 [email protected] Toghia Treasurer Lewitt Hackman Law Offices 818.907.3008 [email protected] Ortiz Secretary Pro Tem Employee Justice Legal Group, LLP 626.230.9754 [email protected]
DIRECTORS AT LARGEName Employer Office # EddressMaria Teresa Bravo Law Offices of Neil Newsom & Assoc. 310.278.7555 [email protected] Delp, ACP Law Offices of Schlossberg & Umholtz [email protected] Kuhn, CP Rose, Klein & Marias, LLP 213.626.0571 [email protected] Reznick-Goodich Alston & Bird LLP 213.576.1002 [email protected] Torres Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office [email protected] Walters Ballard, Rosenberg, Golper & Savitt, LLP 818.508.3700 [email protected]
Administrative Manager Tracey Booth 866.626.LAPAAdvertising Tracey Booth 866.626.LAPALAPA Pro Bono Counsel Susan Oder, Esq. [email protected] Section 866.626.LAPABoard Advisor 866.626.LAPABudget & Finance Committee 866.626.LAPACAPA Web Site www.caparalegal.orgCompliance Committee 866.626.LAPACorporate/Real Estate Section 866.626.LAPACorporate Sponsors [email protected]/866.626.LAPADowntown Section Tammi Loveland [email protected] of Reporter [email protected] Law Section 866.626.LAPAGeneral Information 866.626.LAPAHoliday Benefit Gala Committee 866.626.LAPAImmigration Law Section 866.626.LAPAIntellectual Property Section 866.626.LAPALegislative Committee Maria Teresa Bravo [email protected] Section 866.626.LAPAMarketing Committee Jonathan Dang [email protected] Review Committee Donna Reznick-Goodich [email protected] Committee Maria Teresa Bravo [email protected] Tony Sipp [email protected] Liaison Bobby T. Rimas [email protected] Committee [email protected] & Elections Committee Andrea Mitchell [email protected] Kimberly Bradley, ACPOctober Conference Committee Terry L. Wright, ACP [email protected] Education Section 866.626.LAPAParalegal Certification Committee Michelle Tabb, ACP [email protected] & Estate Planning Section 866.626.LAPAPro Bono Committee Maria Teresa Bravo [email protected] Herbert Ortiz [email protected] Fernando Valley Section Marianne Toghia [email protected] Clarita Section 866.626.LAPAScholarship Committee 866.626.LAPA
Schools Liaison 866.626.LAPASouth Bay Section 866.626.LAPASpeakers Bureau Coordinator 866.626.LAPASpring Career Conference David Torres [email protected] Advisory Committee 866.626.LAPAWebsite Committee Bobby T. Rimas [email protected] Section 866.626.LAPA
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Los Angeles Paralegal AssociationP.O. Box 71708Los Angeles, CA 90071Telephone (866)626-LAPAFax (866)460-0506
