Get Excited! The NFPA Annual Convention is Here, Sept. 24-27

Episode Notes

Transcript

Tony Sipp:

Welcome to the Paralegal Voice. My name is Tony Sipp and I’m here with Lori Wagner and Patty Meagher. Welcome ladies. I’m happy to have you on as guests. For those who don’t know, there is a conference happening next month, the annual conference for NFPA. And the convention chair is here, Patty. And we also have Lori Wagner, the NFPA President. Lori and Patty, welcome to the Paralegal Voice.

Laurie A. Wagner:

Thank you. Thank you.

Tony Sipp:

For our listeners who don’t know who you are, Laurie, could you please introduce yourself?

Laurie A. Wagner:

Sure. I’m Laurie Wagner. I’m a PACE registered paralegal and I’m also an Indiana registered paralegal along with NFPA’s president. I have been a paralegal for more than 30 years and I currently am employed with Haller Coven in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and we specialize in criminal defense.

Tony Sipp:

Excellent. Patty.

Patricia Meagher:

Hi, I’m Patty Meagher. I’m in Minnesota. I’m a Minnesota certified paralegal. I currently work as a corporate paralegal at 3M Company in Minnesota, and I have been a paralegal for over 30 years as well. And I’m on the Minnesota Paralegal Association Board, director of issues and positions, and also the chair of the convention, as you mentioned.

Tony Sipp:

Awesome. Awesome. So Laurie, we kind of get into some very interesting topics, but we’re going to talk about leadership first. What made you step into the role as the NFPA president? What drew you to the leadership and the association?

Laurie A. Wagner:

Well, early in my career, my boss encouraged me to join the Local Paralegal Association just to see what it’s all about. So after being in the association for a couple of years, I joined the local board and eventually I became president and the primary for that board. Well, I attended my first NFPA convention in 2010, and I have been hooked ever since. You know how it goes. I started off by joining a committee and then I got involved being a coordinator on a couple different committees. And then I was encouraged by a good friend of mine to join the NFPA board, and it just kept going until eventually I became president. And the more I became involved with NFPA, the more I discovered how much this organization has really done over the years to help move the profession forward. And so I just decided that, you know what, this is my time.

I really wanted to dedicate my career to being a paralegal because I’m very passionate about it. And then I became very passionate about NFPA and all that it does. And I just want to help make a difference in the paralegal profession and what better way than to lead NFPA?

Tony Sipp:

I have to agree. That’s the one thing that I find in common with so many paralegals, we just want to help. We just want to help. I’m sure a similar vein is the same story for you.

Patricia Meagher:

Yeah, very similar story for me. I was at a Minnesota paralegal event and someone said, “Hey, you should join the Minnesota Paralegal Board.” And I said, “What? What do you mean? What is that about?” And then you say yes because you get really in the conversation, then you have no idea what you signed up for. But then once you get involved, you’re making a difference and you’re passionate about the paralegal career, which I love. And then I took a little break, but Laurie’s timing was about the same as mine. In 2011, Minnesota hosted the NFPA convention and I was the host coordinator that year because I was the board representative as well. And then after that, I took a little bit of a break from the NPA world and came back in 2020 when Minnesota was going to host again and then we had to go virtual because of COVID.

But I’ve done a lot of events in the last six years locally in Minnesota. And then when the position came available for the national convention, I volunteered for that. And again, like Laurie, once you kind of get in, you’re hooked and you know all the right people and you really enjoy where the profession is going and how you can make a difference.

Tony Sipp:

It’s so true. Once you get involved, you do get hooked and you do start to network and find out that you have all these other people that have the same passion and goals that you have as well. So for people who don’t know, you’re massive, you’re huge. Tell us a little bit about the mission and why others should get involved and join.

Laurie A. Wagner:

So NFPA, we strive to give our members the resources that can make them successful. We offer networking events so that you can meet people who can help you advance your careers. We provide CLE webinars and in-person seminars to help you educate you not only in your present field, but sometimes I like to take classes that I don’t know anything about because I want to know more about what else is going on. And so we give you opportunities to also learn and to grow as a leader. I would’ve never been able to be in the position that I’m in had I not started with NFPA and they kind of nurtured me and brought me along. So it can be as simple as polishing your skills for your day-to-day job or however it takes for you to succeed, but that’s what NFPA wants to help you with.

Tony Sipp:

That’s noble. And Gloria, I mean that’s something that we really, really, really encourage. The furthering your education, getting more secure in your position and learning what’s new, what’s happening out there, which brings me to the convention. This year’s theme is resilience empowering paralegals nationwide. What inspired that theme?

Patricia Meagher:

So our committee kind of really looked at how things have changed over the past six years really, and we really wanted to highlight the role of paralegals and how resilient we are from technology changes, regulation, remote work. Paralegals are really resilient. We take on new challenges and adapt to change all the time. And so that was really what our theme was based on this year.

Tony Sipp:

Very, very noble. And I heard there are some fantastic speakers speaking at the convention this year. I may know one or two, but what might excite you about some of the speakers that are going to be presenting this September?

Patricia Meagher:

We really have a full slate of speakers and especially you, Tony. Oh

Tony Sipp:

Man. Oh, thanks. Appreciate it.

Patricia Meagher:

We have 38 speakers. We have three fantastic keynote speakers. There’ll be 24 different CLE sessions, 12 each day, and two wellness workshops we’re really excited about. And we have lots of different topics from litigation, corporate law, AI, ethics, diversity and inclusion, technology, you name it. I feel like we have something for everyone. Really excited about your AI presentations as well.

Tony Sipp:

Let’s take a quick commercial break and we’ll be right back and talk about what’s happening at the conference this year. And welcome back to the Paralegal Voice. My name’s Tony Sipp. I’m here with Laurie and Patty, and we’re going to talk about some of the industry trends that are happening. So either one of you, can you tell us what trends are you seeing in the profession right now, like the AI remote work, the employer expectations? Take it away.

Laurie A. Wagner:

Yeah. So AI is significantly changing the value of a paralegal. AI will never replace the paralegal, but it’s enhancing what we can do. I think AI will eliminate a lot of the routine tasks on what we do, how we review documents, how we summarize and organize discovery, things like that. And I also think that AI will help streamline these basic tasks so we can concentrate on the more meaningful things. I really, really think that paralegals are becoming more valuable to the attorneys more than just the support staff. I mean, I think we’re becoming their partners and helping them free up some time so that they can concentrate on what makes them more money.

Tony Sipp:

I have to agree. It’s the business of law, right?

It’s really moving from doing some of the mundane stuff that we typically do, sometimes not billable. So if we can get the machine to do that part of it, it makes our life a lot easier. In fact, where I’m working now, we take advantage of using AI and using that technology that really enhances what I do, the work product, and creates more opportunity for me to start using more critical thinking and think outside of the box while letting AI do some of the grunt work of what I’m doing. Petty, are you seeing similar things in your industry as well?

Patricia Meagher:

Exactly. We are getting challenged on how to use AI, and I’m in the corporate legal world, and so it’s a little bit harder for us, but again, we’re trying to find ways to maybe look at policies that we’re writing or contracts and say, “Hey, AI, make this a little shorter, more concise,” or whatever. I just got a new tool called Copilot, which may not be new to others, but we just got licensed for it, so we’re using that and it can put presentations together. So it’s really a great opportunity. Another trend we’re really seeing is related to regulation though, and there’s a lot of states like Minnesota that have legal paraprofessionals. And so that’s another way paralegals are moving into another area of law where they can provide access to justice to those that can’t afford having an attorney.

Tony Sipp:

I have to agree with you. As far as NFPA’s concerned and the profession, do you see more activity happening, like you were mentioning, Patty, about some of the other developments that I think is going to really enhance opportunities for others, create more opportunity for access to justice and the ethics of that, and dealing with creating more opportunities for people to have more access to justice. So I see that there’s a trend kind of happening in that direction, not kind of, it is happening in that direction. So what more have you seen as well as far as the profession is concerned?

Patricia Meagher:

I think it can change in many different ways. Laurie, maybe you want to share about the summit?

Laurie A. Wagner:

Yeah. So NFPA thinks that collaboration is very, very important, and so that’s something that we have been striving to do. So we are part of a group called the Summit. It’s multiple legal organizations throughout the US. So it has all of the alphabet soups. It has NFPA, it has ABA, it has AFB, ILS, NALA, IMPA, NALS, all of them. And what we do is we meet quarterly to discuss the paralegal profession and what the profession is facing and what this group can do to help. Last year we worked and we put together National Paralegal Day on August the 6th. That was exciting, and that was something that we wanted all of us to come together. It doesn’t matter what organization you’re from, we want to celebrate the paralegal profession, so we did something like that. We are trying to collaborate as much as we can to do what we can to move the profession forward.

Tony Sipp:

I love that. That really excited me. I was reading about that in the ABA and how that came together. I’m not only impressed, I’m excited about that, the collaboration and the working together. I mean, sometimes we can be a little bit competitive. Right,

Laurie A. Wagner:

Right. We have

Tony Sipp:

To

Laurie A. Wagner:

Break down those

Tony Sipp:

Walls. We got to break down those walls, which is why I’m doing this. I really love the profession and I love what we do, and I get to meet all of you, and you guys are just great people. So it is really fantastic.

Laurie A. Wagner:

And the other thing is NFPA advocates on behalf of our associations and the states. As Patty said, there are so many different states that are looking to the Allied professional programs and the community justice workers and things like that. So we write letters of support, we become part of the discussion, we offer suggestions, we help guide some of these programs to put some criteria together. That’s very exciting for us.

Tony Sipp:

Is there still time to register for the conference?

Patricia Meagher:

Absolutely, yes. Registration is open until September 18th online, and we will still accept people at the door as well. And then our hotel reservations are set for, the deadline is September 2nd, and it’s at the Double Tree Hilton in Minneapolis right by the airport, and the Mall of America is right across the street, so it’ll be very close by to go over there.

Tony Sipp:

That is awesome. Do you have any fun activities planned? Anything exciting?

Patricia Meagher:

We certainly do. So Friday night is our, I’m calling it a dance party. The band is a local group of Minnesota retired or active judges that have a band called The Reasonable Doubts, and they play anything from AC/DC to Elvis to Beyonce. So their requirement is show up and dance. And one of my hidden passions is that I love to dance. And then we have some really fun raffles we’re going to have that evening too, so people can win door prizes. And then we’re also going to have a contest, so we’re your favorite either concert or band or t-shirt, and there’ll be a prize. That’s our Friday night fun. And then on Saturday, the morning will be full of meetings, but we’ll have region dinners. So there are five regions within NFPA based on your state, and so we break into our five regions and have dinner.

And then the third annual board game night will be Saturday night. And my other hidden passion is board games. And so we are going to have board games live. Last year we did it virtually. We’ll have it live. I’ll bring a whole bunch of board games and we’ll have fun snacks, prizes, and tons of laughs, and it’s a great way to unwind after three full days of conference.

Tony Sipp:

You’re such a nerd. So nerdy. Oh gosh, I love it. I love it.

Laurie A. Wagner:

But it is so much fun. It is fun.

Patricia Meagher:

Well, what’s your favorite board game, Tony? Come on. Don’t you have one?

Tony Sipp:

Monopoly. Monopoly. Fun. All right. I love that candy shoe. I have a few, so I love that. I think this is going to be fun. I’m looking forward to, this is going to be my first time being there, and I think my first time actually going to Bloomingdale, Minneapolis. I’m excited. I’m excited about this. So let’s take a quick break, and when we come back, I didn’t tell you about this, but we’re going to have some rapid fire questions for both of you, so we’ll be right back. And welcome back to the Paralegal Voice. My name’s Tony Sipp. We’re here with Laurie and Patty, and we’re going to do rapid fire questions. Are you ready?

Laurie A. Wagner:

Yes, hope so.

Tony Sipp:

Laurie, you go first. Ready? Coffee or tea?

Laurie A. Wagner:

Coffee.

Patricia Meagher:

Mocha.

Tony Sipp:

One word to describe a NIFA convention.

Laurie A. Wagner:

Networking. One

Patricia Meagher:

Word. Dance party. No, it’s not one word. Engagement.

Tony Sipp:

Number four. If you weren’t a paralegal, what would you be doing?

Laurie A. Wagner:

Something with music.

Patricia Meagher:

I would be an event planner. It’s a long-term passion I have, which is why I like to plan conventions.

Tony Sipp:

Favorite way to unwind after a long week at the office?

Laurie A. Wagner:

I play the piano as a hobby. Very much relaxes me.

Patricia Meagher:

I like to read a book and it’s usually about law or crime or something, but I really like reading and I didn’t before. So ever since when you don’t have to read anymore, then you enjoy it.

Tony Sipp:

I got you. I got you. All right, last question. Best piece of career advice you’ve ever received?

Laurie A. Wagner:

Always be flexible. Be willing to change.

Patricia Meagher:

That is good. I like to volunteer for things and not necessarily whether I’m qualified or not. So showing initiative, I guess, would be the advice I was given.

Tony Sipp:

Nice. I like that. Great job. Proud of you. So I’m going to do a little tip. Get involved. These are leaders. They didn’t start off in that. There were curiosity. Someone asked them, get engaged, get involved, participate. Once you get in there, you tend to just rise. Really, you have that support and a whole group of us that are out there really here that want to see you succeed. So make sure you get involved, get engaged, reach out to them, reach out to me. Trust me, we will get back to you. And speaking of which, what is the best way for people who want to know more about what’s going on? Lori, where can they reach you?

Laurie A. Wagner:

So NFPA’s website is a great resource, paralegals.org, or you can look me up, Laurie Wagner, RPIRP on LinkedIn or at paralegals.org.

Tony Sipp:

Awesome. Patty.

Patricia Meagher:

You can find me on LinkedIn. Patty Meagher. I’m a senior paralegal at 3M Company listed on the LinkedIn page. And really all the convention details are on our events tab, so I encourage you to that. And to get involved, attend a board meeting. They’re free. They’re the third Tuesday every month, and you can register on the NFPA website as well.

Tony Sipp:

That is awesome. Thank you both for being my guests. I look forward to seeing you in September. I’m really excited that we got an opportunity to do this. So until next time, have a wonderful day. We’ll see you again, folks.

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