The Pittsburgh Paralegal Association is a voluntary, non-profit association formed in 1977 to promote the professional development and continuing education of paralegals. |
PITTSBURGH PARALEGAL ASSOCIATION
COMMITTEES AND SPECIALTY SECTIONS
COMMITTEES
The PPA maintains several Committees to serve the needs of its members. The Committees have various responsibilities, including revising the by-laws and procedures, marketing, running the mentoring program, updating the job bank, organizing social events, etc.
SPECIALTY SECTIONS
PPA Specialty Sections are subgroups of different areas of law. The Specialty Section members organize meetings and seminars specific to those fields.
All PPA members are encouraged to join Committees and Specialty Sections. For more information, contact any of the individuals listed below.
| Committee | Description | Chair & Members |
|---|---|---|
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Awards
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The Awards Committee solicits nominations for the Paralegal of the Year and Pro Bono Paralegal of the Year awards given out by PPA at the annual Christmas Luncheon. The Committee reviews the nominations and selects the winners. |
Donna Patrina dpatrina616@gmail.com |
By-Law/Procedures Manual |
The By-law Committee keeps the PPA By-laws and Procedures Manual updated. |
Christine Boyd clb@qrlegal.com Virginia Baumgardner vb@limbachinc.com Saveria Saunders sssaunders@mcguirewoods.com Laura Timm laura.timm@kennametal.com |
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CLE
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This committee obtains CLE approvals from the Keystone Alliance and NFPA for seminars hosted by the PPA. In addition, the committee maintains the CLE database for PPA members to confirm Voting Member eligibility and certification applications and renewals. |
Bobbi Cramer - Chair rcramer@dflegal.com Laura Timm laura.timm@kennametal.com |
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Job Bank
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The Job Bank is a free service for members and potential employers. Employers may contact our job bank coordinator to post paralegal employment opportunities. |
Bobbi Cramer rcramer@dfllegal.com |
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Marketing
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The Marketing Committee meets monthly to develop programs to market member benefits to current, new and potential PPA members. The committee also works with PPA's Business Partners and sponsors. |
Anne Newcomer - Chair atnparalegal@gmail.com |
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Membership Administration
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The Membership Administration Committee maintains the PPA membership database, sends welcome packets to new PPA members, and updates membership information with the NFPA. |
Saveria Saunders - Chair sssaunders@mcguirewoods.com
Christine Barczy clb@qrlegal.com Anne Newcomer atnparalegal@gmail.com
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Mentoring
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The mentoring program matches up seasoned paralegals with new or aspiring paralegals to provide career guidance. |
Laura Leonard laura.leonard@crowncastle.com Anne Newcomer atnparalegal@gmail.com |
Nominating |
This committee sends out the nomination forms and ballots for the PPA's Annual Election. Committee members also count the ballots and announce the results of the election. |
Virginia Baumgardner vb@limbockinc.com Bridget Wood bwood@tuckerlaw.com |
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Paralegal Certification Ambassador
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The paralegal certification ambassador promotes the PACE® and PCCETM exams to paralegals, paralegal educators, lawyers and the public. The certification ambassador assists with answering questions on eligibility to sit for certification exams, forming study groups, providing practical advice on studying for and taking a certification exam and answering questions on maintaining credentials. |
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Pro Bono
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Pro Bono Committee welcomes members to join them as they plan seminars on pro bono topics and pro bono events. |
Allison Gilbert agilbert@bernsteinlaw.com |
Special Events  |
The Special Events Committee plans all PPA social events, including happy hours, the Pirates Game, Paralegal Day Luncheon, and the Holiday Luncheon. |
Christine Barczy - Chair clb@qrlegal.com Saveria Saunders ssaunders@mcguirewoods.com Kimberly McCann |
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Student Liaison
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This committee is responsible for maintaining communication with local schools and paralegal programs about the PPA and the paralegal profession. |
Bridget Wood bwood@tuckerlaw.com Christine Barczy - Chair clb@qrlegal.com Laura Leonard laura.leonard@crowncastle.com |
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Social Media
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The Social Media Committee updates the PPA's Facebook and LinkedIn pages. This committee also oversees The Parascope blog, containing information and articles regarding both national and local news and events. |
Bridget Wood bwood@tuckerlaw.com Danielle Pollini dpollini@dmclaw.com Jillian Szalankiewicz jillian.szalankiewicz@fedex.com |
| Specialty | Description | Chair/Co-Chair |
|---|---|---|
| Animal Law |
The Animal Law Specialty Section provides a forum for education and advocacy aimed at protecting the lives and advancing the interests of animals through the legal system, and raising the profile of the field of animal law. |
Laura Leonard laura.leonard@crowncastle.com |
| Estates and Trusts | This section focuses on estate plans, including wills, trusts, power of attorney and healthcare reform. Elder law, planning for an aging family member whether it is long-term care, home-based care, assisted living, guardianship, abuse, neglect or fraud, is also included in this section. |
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| Family Law | The Family Law Specialty Section focuses on continuing education for paralegals in the areas of divorce, child support, custody, adoption and protection from abuse claims. |
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| Litigation | The Litigation Specialty Section covers all aspects of litigation. From civil and commercial litigation to consumer collections and trial preparation, this group tries to cover it all and is always looking for suggestions. |
Jillian Szalankiewicz jillian.szalankiewicz@fedex.com Anne Newcomer atnparalegal@gmail.com
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| Real Estate | This section provides education regarding real estate procedures focusing on commercial and residential transactions, contracts, real property, tax laws and legal documentation. |
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| Technology | The Technology Specialty Section offers education regarding recent trends in technology, IP, and internet research. |
Anne Newcomer atnparalegal@gmail.com Bridget Wood bwood@tuckerlaw.com |
| Workplace Law | Workplace Law develops continuing education for paralegals in the various areas concerning the workplace, including employment law and workers’ compensation. |
Christine Barczy clb@qrlegal.com |
| Bankruptcy Law |
The Bankruptcy Law Specialty Section covers all procedural aspects of the bankruptcy process as governed by the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, along with local rules of each bankruptcy court, and focuses on dealing with the debt problems of individuals and businesses. |
Vacant |