Introducing This Year’s Paralegal Division Leaders

As this bar year kicks off, the Paralegal Division Council wants to introduce the members that are serving in leadership roles this year. The Paralegal Division offers members the opportunity to play a role in shaping the direction of the division in a variety of ways, from serving as an officer, council member, committee chair or section liaison to planning CPEs, volunteering for a pro bono opportunity or contributing to the blog!

Please take a minute to get to know this year’s officers and be on the lookout for future posts introducing more members of the council.

Debbie Harris, Paralegal Division Chair

Hopefully you were able to read Debbie’s Aug. 18, 2017 Blog entry detailing her vision for the year and sharing a little about herself, but for quick reference:

Hopefully you were able to read Debbie’s Aug. 18, 2017 Blog entry detailing her vision for the year and sharing a little about herself, but for quick reference:

Debbie Harris has been employed with Davidson County Government in Lexington since 2003, and is a government/public sector paralegal and clerk to the Board of County Commissioners. Debbie has been a member of the Paralegal Division since 2005 and serves in the division as the Scholarship Committee Chair and the division’s liaison to the Juvenile Justice and Children’s Rights Section.

Leslie Pegram, Paralegal Division Vice Chair

As vice chair, Leslie will utilize this bar year to learn about the role of Chair, provide support and prepare for next year.

Leslie Pegram is a paralegal with the UNC Health Care System. Leslie has over 12 years of experience in litigation, corporate, regulatory/compliance and real estate. She enjoys volunteering with the North Carolina Bar Association Paralegal Division and is currently serving as Vice Chair of the Division and Chair of the Publications Committee. Leslie has been a member of the Paralegal Division Council since 2012, previously serving as a council member and Chair of the Student Relations Committee. Leslie received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of North Carolina and her Paralegal Certificate from Duke University.

Tina Dadio, Secretary

As secretary, Tina is responsible for taking the minutes of each Paralegal Division Council meeting. It’s an important role, and she is doing a great job! Meeting minutes are available to members on the Paralegal Division’s page on the NCBA website.

Tina Dadio is the University Public Records Officer at UNC Charlotte and has also served as the Paralegal for the Office of Legal Affairs since 2010. She has over 20 years of experience in the paralegal field, having worked previously at litigation law firms in North Carolina and Connecticut. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Legal Studies from Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn. Tina has been a council member for the Paralegal Division since 2014 and currently serves as liaison to the North Carolina Bar Association Young Lawyers Division. Tina was the recipient of UNC Charlotte’s 2015 Employee of the Year, Devotion of Duty, for outstanding state government service. Dadio has written articles for the Young Lawyer’s Division’s newsletter, The Advocate, and for the North Carolina Bar Association Paralegal Division’s Paralegal Perspectives newsletter. She has also been featured in UNC Charlotte’s Inside UNC Charlotte’s FACES newsletter and in the Carolina Paralegal News, a North Carolina Lawyer’s Weekly publication.

Morag Polaski, Treasurer

While the NCBA Liaison for the Paralegal Division manages the division’s budget, Morag’s role as treasurer is an introductory role and first step on the path to serving as chair. Members who have served three years as a council member are eligible to be nominated for this role.

Morag Polaski began her career as a receptionist in a small law firm in Norfolk, Va., and gradually added more duties until she became a legal assistant and completed a paralegal certificate program at Old Dominion University in 1996. Ms. Polaski earned her Bachelor of Science degree in 2003 from Excelsior College while continuing to work in the legal field, predominantly in worker’s compensation and family law. In 2006, Ms. Polaski earned her Certified Paralegal (CP) credential from the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA), and the North Carolina Certified Paralegal (NCCP) credential from the North Carolina State Bar. In 2011, Ms. Polaski launched her own freelance virtual paralegal business, Just A Paralegal Virtual Services, and continued her education, earning her Advanced Certification (ACP) from NALA in Social Security disability in 2012, and in child custody and visitation in 2013. In 2014, Ms. Polaski completed the LEAP leadership training program offered by NALA.  Additionally, Ms. Polaski earned her Master’s of Liberal Studies degree from Fort Hays State University in May 2015.