When writing about professionalism, I want to be clear that I am not talking about whether you wear a suit, heels, or business casual (although your professional attire does matter). Rather, professionalism is how you conduct yourself regardless of someone watching. It is how you respond when you are frustrated. It is how you treat the receptionist, the new hire, the opposing counsel, and the person who just asked you the same question for the fifteenth time. It is how you handle a mistake. It’s whether people can trust your word. It’s your integrity.

Today’s Tip: In the legal world, professionalism is not just a nice quality to have. It is part of your reputation, and your reputation follows you.

You might ask, “what does professionalism look like?” It looks like this:

• Doing what you said you would do. If you commit to a deadline, meet it or communicate EARLY if you are unable to meet it.
• Owning your mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes. Read that again. Someone with great professionalism does not cast blame. They assess the mistake, admit the mistake and fix the mistake.
• Keeping your emotions in check. You can be frustrated without being disrespectful. You can disagree with someone without being dismissive.
• Respecting confidentiality. Not everything needs to be shared, forwarded, discussed, or posted.
• Being prepared. Preparation tells people you respect their time and take your responsibilities seriously.
• Communicate clearly. Do not make people chase you for answers! Do not leave people guessing about what happens next.
• Treating EVERYONE with respect. The way you treat people who cannot do anything for you says more about your character than the way you treat people who can.

You do not have to be the loudest, most experienced, or boldest person in the room to be respected. You do not have to know everything. You do not have to have the most impressive title. You do not have to prove your value by working yourself into the ground. What you need to do is show up, be dependable, be prepared, be kind, be accountable, and keep learning. In other words, be professional. 

When you don’t know the answer (and that time will come), have the professionalism to say: “I don’t know, but I’ll find out.” That builds more trust than pretending to know everything. Your technical skills may get you hired, and your work ethic may get you noticed. But your professionalism is what people will remember. It isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being someone others can trust to handle imperfect situations with integrity, respect, and grace.

Action Item for You: Take five minutes today and ask yourself: “If someone described my professionalism in three words, what would I want those words to be?” Write those down and then ask yourself the harder question: “Do my daily actions consistently reflect those three words?” Then, pick one area you can strengthen this week and then practice intentionally.

Professionalism is not built in one big moment. It’s built on the choices you make each day. In a profession where relationships, trust, and reputation matter, professionalism is an asset you need to develop and build. Your career will thank you.

One of the unspoken pressures in the paralegal field (and in the legal field in general) is this: the feeling that everything will fall apart if you step away. But it is important to remember that you are not valuable because you never stop. Rather, you are valuable because you know how to sustain excellence over time.

Here’s the reality of this field: deadlines are constant; calendars are full; there is always one more contract, one more filing, one more regulatory detail that needs attention. Consequently, when your paid time off approaches, instead of feeling relief, you may feel guilt.

Today’s Tip: Take your paid time off. Rest. Reset. Return Stronger.

A very important truth that you should learn early in your career before you burn out is this: taking your paid time off is not a failure of dedication. It is part of maintaining your professional effectiveness. You are not just managing tasks. You are managing risk, accuracy and compliance. That level of responsibility requires mental clarity. Fatigue and burnout do not make you stronger. They make you more vulnerable to mistakes.

Even the most seasoned paralegals cannot operate at peak performance without periods of reset. Your brain needs distance from the constant urgency and pressure of the job in order for you to return with sharper judgment, stronger skills and perspective.

You need to know that taking your paid time off is not shirking your responsibilities. Taking your paid time off protects your ability to perform well. The strongest paralegals understand and protect this balance between reset and work. They prepare their matters, communicate clearly with their teams, document status appropriately and then allow themselves a period of rest. Rest and reset support consistency, accuracy and sound decision making. These attributes are foundational to protecting your organization, firm, attorney and your professional reputation.

You deserve the rest you have earned. When you return, you will serve your team better because of taking the break. 

Action Step for You: 

Before your next paid time off, create a brief coverage summary listing out:

• Key deadlines
• Matter status
• Any priority items

Communicate your summary clearly. This does not have to be an onerous task either. Make good use of the tools your firm/organization provides you to list and then communicate. If you've communicated to your team, when you take your time off you will be able to DISCONNECT confidently knowing that you have left things in a good place. Most importantly, enjoy your time away! 

Back in the summer and fall of 2024 when the Commonwealth of Virginia Paralegal Association (CVPA) was forming, the members of CVPA’s initial Board of Directors decided they wanted to affiliate with the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) also known as NALA “The Paralegal Association”.

Why did CVPA’s Board of Directors decide to become a NALA affiliated association? The answer is because of the many benefits of being a NALA affiliated association offers CVPA and its members, chief among it is that NALA offers the only nationally accredited “Certified Paralegal” (CP) examination where a paralegal, after taking and passing both the knowledge and skills portion of the CP exam, obtain their “CP” credential¹. After earning their CP credential a Paralegal can earn their “Advanced Certified Paralegal” (ACP) credential in a specialized area of law by taking one of the ACP online course offered by NALA².

What are the other benefits of being a NALA affiliated association or a member of NALA affiliated association? Let’s take a look:

1. Webinars and Online CLE Courses: Access various educational topics relevant to the legal industry.

2. Discounted NALA membership for members of NALA affiliated associations ($5 for Students, $50 off Active type).

3. Publications: like Facts & Findings and the NALA Utilization & Compensation Report.

4. Affiliate Connection: A quarterly newsletter focused on strengthening your association, offering resources, celebrating affiliate success, learning from challenges, and upcoming events and awards.

5. CLE Approval: NALA CLE approval for all your substantive, technology, legal ethics, and non-substantive educational events.

6. Free CLE Sessions: NALA provides affiliated associations with up to two on-demand webinar courses (*excluding course bundles) per calendar year at no cost.

CVPA also receives recognition and creditability through the following items:

1. Permission to use NALA’s “Affiliated Association Logo and Digital Badge”.

2. Through NALA Affiliate Awards, which recognize a member or committee of NALA affiliate for substantial contributions to the Paralegal profession.

NALA also offers CVPA and its members networking opportunities via the following events:

1. The annual NALA Conference and Expo, which is being held in Denver, Colorado this year.

2. The Affiliated Associations Annual meeting at the NALA conference. This meeting features the announcement of elections, recognition of award winners, and an affiliate presentation.

3. Regularly Scheduled Online Forums: that help NALA affiliated associations engage with other paralegal associations and legal professionals through the following:

a. NALA Commons: NALA’s online community forum and network

b. Affiliated Association Town Hall Meetings: which provide a platform for open discussions, sharing of ideas, and addressing common challenges, fostering a sense of community among affiliated associations.

c. Affiliated Association Presentations: a wide range of topics relevant to paralegal associations, providing valuable insights and knowledge-sharing opportunities. NALA online discussions, meetings, and focus groups.

d. The Affiliates Showcase: where NALA affiliates get to market their association and share ideas with other NALA affiliated associations.

CVPA receives support from NALA in the following ways:

1. Technical Assistance: receiving free consultations from NALA’s experienced staff, Affiliate Director and Secretary, and NALA Board members.

2. Promotional Materials: By requesting NALA promotional materials that will help both CVPA and NALA attract new members.

3. By request, speakers from NALA for virtual and onsite speakers for events.

4. And as mentioned above, discounts: affiliated association members receive $50 off an active type NALA membership, and affiliated association student members receive $5 NALA Student membership.

Finally, by being a NALA Affiliated Association, CVPA also gains influence and advocacy through NALA’s recognition as a national paralegal association such as:

1. Policy Development: by participating in developing NALA’s policies and positions.

2. By electing the “Affiliated Associations Director, who sits on the NALA Board of Directors, and the “Affiliated Associations Secretary” whose roles are to advocate for NALA affiliated associations.

3. Legislative Support: by NALA advocating for legislation that benefits the paralegal profession and issues such as “Access to Justice”.

With all those benefits, that is why the forming Board of CVPA chose to become a NALA affiliated association. Please feel free to contact me or CVPA’s Board of Directors regarding more about NALA on these benefits.

¹ The CP be credential must be renewed every five years by the holder earning 50 hours of “Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits 5 of which must be in “Legal Ethics” and no more which can be 10 hours “Non-Substantive” CLE and paying a renewal fee.

² ACP credentials are renewed at the same time CP credentials are renewed

On March 19, 2025, paralegal students and undergraduates interested in pursuing careers in law gathered at the University of Richmond for a valuable networking event. The event featured a diverse panel of speakers from various sectors of the legal profession, offering insights into different aspects of working in the field. Panelists included attorneys, paralegals, and representatives from multiple law firms, all sharing their experiences and advice with the next generation of legal professionals.

Jessica Glickman and Quinn Gomola Mullin were among the distinguished speakers. Reflecting on the event, Glickman expressed her appreciation for the opportunity to engage with the students. “I was honored to be chosen to speak to so many intelligent and driven upcoming legal professionals and look forward to them being my colleagues one day. CVPA is so grateful for this partnership with the University of Richmond. Events like this support our mission and create incredible networking opportunities,” she said. The event provided a unique platform for students to learn from professionals and make connections that could help shape their careers in the legal field.

The Federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 5 U.S.C. § 552 requires the full or partial disclosure of previously unreleased or uncirculated information and documents controlled by the U.S. government upon request. Even though FOIA requires mandatory disclosure of records in possession of a federal agency, there are some exceptions to that mandate and this article will take a high-level look at the nine exemptions to FOIA.

Exemption 1 of FOIA exempts information that is classified to protect national security.

Exemption 2 exempts from mandatory disclosure records that are “related solely to the internal personnel rules and practices of an agency.” The Supreme Court has held that agencies must look to the plain language of Exemption 2. This was in the case of Milner v. Dep’t of the Navy, 562 U.S. 562, 569-70 (2011) in which the Court stated that “Exemption 2, consistent with the plain meaning of the term ‘personnel rules and practices,’ encompasses only records relating to issues of employee relations and human resources.”

Exemption 3 exempts information that is prohibited from disclosure by another statute, for example the Tiahrt amendment which prohibits the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms from releasing gun trace information to non-law enforcement entities.

Exemption 4 protects "trade secrets and commercial or financial information obtained from a person [that is] privileged or confidential. This exemption is intended to protect the interests of both the government and submitters of information. This exemption covers two distinct categories of information in federal agency records: (1) trade secrets; and (2) information that is (a) commercial or financial, (b) obtained from a person, and (c) privileged or confidential. 

Exemption 5 of FOIA covers the following: 1. Deliberative Process Privilege (provided the records were created less than twenty-five (25) years ago) The initial consideration under the deliberative process exemption is whether a record is of the type intended to be covered by the phrase "inter-agency or intra-agency memorandums 2. Attorney-Work product Privilege 3. Attorney Client Privilege 4. Presidential Communication Privilege

Exemption 6 of FOIA prohibits disclosure of information that would invade another individual’s privacy. This exemption can also be applied to survivors (family members of a deceased person). I personally call this the Kobe Bryant exemption because his spouse won a case against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s office for the unauthorized release of photos of his body at the scene of the helicopter crash where Mr. Bryant and his daughter died.

Exemption 7 of FOIA exempts information compiled for law enforcement purposes that:

• 7(A) Could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings. This part of exemption 7 is why federal law enforcement agencies state that they will not comment on an open investigation. If you work for a firm that has insurance companies as clients and a fire or something is suspicious, exemption 7A is the reason you will not receive the origin and cause report as fast as you would like to receive it.
• 7(B) Exempts records that would deprive a person of the right to a fair trial or an impartial adjudication such as information that could potentially contaminate a jury pool.
• 7(C) Exempts records that could reasonably be expected to constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. An example of this is identifying information of individuals associated with a law enforcement proceeding, i.e. law enforcement officers’ names, witness/interviewee identifying information.
• 7(D) Exempts documents that could reasonably be expected to disclose the identity of a confidential source.
• 7(E) Exempts from disclosure documents that would disclose techniques and procedures for law enforcement investigations or prosecutions or disclose guidelines for law enforcement investigations or prosecutions if such disclosure could reasonably be expected to risk the circumvention of this law. Documents that could be exempt for disclosure under 7(E) are law enforcement manuals, and records pertaining to Watch Lists. 
• 7(F) Exempts documents that could reasonably be expected to endanger the life or physical safety of an individual. The documents covered by this part of Exemption 7 are documents identifying information of law enforcement officers.

Exemption 8 prohibits disclosure of information that concerns the supervision of financial institutions.

Exemption 9 exempts disclosure of geological information on wells.

These nine exemptions and their subparts are why you may not receive all the information you requested in your Federal Freedom of Information Act request.