By Shawana W. Almendarez

Did you know . . . ?

“85% of juveniles in the criminal system have below-average reading skills.” –  U.S. Department of Education

Children “do better academically when they read more . . . and have greater access to books and other reading materials in their environment.” – National Center for Education Studies

“For 85% to 90% of poor readers, prevention and intervention programs implemented before third grade can increase a child’s reading skills to the average grade levels. However, if intervention is delayed until 9 years of age, approximately 75% of children will continue to have difficulties learning to read throughout high school and their adult years.” – Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research

Research has shown that 96% of students who read on grade level by the end of third grade will likely graduate high school on time. If you would like to positively engage with some of North Carolina’s youngest residents, then join the NC Bar Foundation’s Lawyers for Literacy Program as a reading volunteer.

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By Rachel Royal

Holidays were never a big deal for my family when I was growing up. We never put up a Christmas tree, never had extended family over for dinner, never put up Christmas lights. However, November and December have always been one of my favorite times of year, as there is something magical about the lights and the general excitement of the holidays. Living in the mountains where there was snow a good deal of the winter probably also lent to the ambience. After becoming an adult and getting married, my husband and I have worked to create our own holiday traditions, although they have changed over the years. Because neither of our families does much to celebrate the holidays, we have had to adapt and either make the most of them with our little family or celebrate with friends.

Since I was fourteen, I have lived in the vicinity of Camp Lejeune (Jacksonville, NC). Consequently, many of the friends I have made over the years have been affiliated with the military. I have said good-bye to more friends than I can count when they have moved on to the next duty station, but each one of them holds a special place in my heart. One of the things that has always struck me about the military lifestyle is the resilience it requires. Individuals who serve in the armed forces, and those who sacrifice as their spouses, children, and extended families often spend the holidays away from the ones they love the most. Countless births, birthdays, anniversaries, and other important life events are missed, but the holidays are especially difficult.

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By Shawana W. Almendarez

The Paralegal Division Council Pro Bono Committee is happy to announce another opportunity for our division members to move with purpose in our community.  The NC Bar Foundation’s (“NCBF”) Lawyers for Literary Program needs reading mentors for the children of North Carolina.  NCBF has the following existing groups in school classrooms in several cities and areas  undertaking this work:  Brunswick County, Greensboro, Charlotte, Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Durham, Goldsboro, Wilmington and Winston-Salem.

Through this program “legal professionals help to improve students’ reading skills and spark their interest in books, civic and history.”  We are looking for volunteers to commit to reading to a child in a classroom for 30 minutes once a week for 4 weeks starting January 2020 ending May 2020.  NCBF provides the books to be read.  If you are interested in volunteering, click the link below to get started:

https://www.ncbarfoundation.org/our-programs/lawyers-for-literacy/

If your county or city does not have a program listed, do not hesitate to contact Paul Vaughan, Program Coordinator at [email protected] and become a program coordinator for your county.  Thank you for your support!

By Ann Pearson

Indispensable paralegals know that their paralegal certificate is only the beginning of their paralegal training. If you’re like most, you probably spent a good sum of time and money to receive that paralegal certificate, so it’s not easy to immediately start thinking about more school or more courses.

If you’re already employed as a paralegal, it doesn’t take long to figure out that your paralegal certificate was just the start to your paralegal education.  That paralegal certificate was the base, or the foundation that you can build upon with additional training in your practice area.

Ask Any Experienced Paralegal:  How Well Did Your Paralegal Certificate Prepare You for that First Year?

Regardless of the practice area or experience level, all paralegals agree on one thing:  if you want a successful career, don’t ever stop looking for opportunities to attend paralegal training events (online or in person). Think about any skill or hobby that you are really good at – and you know – it takes more than an introductory video or course to get you to the point where you’re really good at it.

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