Paralegal Division

Committees and Chairs

The Division Standing Rules provide for Standing Committees which are permanent, and for Special Committees which are established by the Board of Directors from time to time as the need arises.

Budget and Finance

This committee is chaired by the Treasurer and is responsible for analyzing financial information of the Division, provides reports, makes recommendations when requested, proposes amendments to the current year's budget and assists the Chair in preparing the budget for presentation to the Board and the State Bar.
Chair:  Claudia J. Ravanelli

Committee Members:  Carolyn Cochran

                               R. Patrick McAuliffe

Bylaws and Rules

This committee receives all written suggested amendments to the Bylaws, studies such suggested amendments and makes recommendations to the Board and may also initiate suggested amendments to the Bylaws and make recommendations to the Board concerning the Standing Rules.
Chair:  Linda A. Murphy

Committee Members:  Nettie Condit

                               Kay L. Homan, CP

                               Ruby Silva

Communications

This committee is responsible for the publication of the Division's quarterly newsletter FOCUS and for the design and maintenance of the Division's web site and other media-related services as needed.
E-News Sub-Committee Chair:  Joni L. Sterrett, CP
Web Page Sub-Committee Co-Chairs:  Claudia J. Ravanelli
                                                     Deborah R. Tope, CP

Committee Member:  Kate Cotner

Continuing Legal Education

This committee develops and presents programs, seminars and materials relating to continuing legal education for the members of the Division, registers and monitors members' adherence to the minimum CLE requirements and reports CLE credits to the Membership Committee.
CLE Tracking Sub-Committee Chair: Tina L. Kelbe, CP

Committee Members:  Kay L. Homan, CP

                               Linda A. Murphy

                               Linda C. Stocky, CP
CLE Coordination Sub-Committee Co-Chairs:  Bonita Ortiz, CP Specialist

                                                              Evonne Sanchez

Area CLE Coordinators:

Albuquerque -  Cheryl Passalaqua and Evonne Sanchez
Las Cruces    -  Deanna Steinman
Roswell        -  Dora Paz
Santa Fe      -  Darryl Brown and Yolanda Sandoval             

Elections

This committee is concerned with the process of elections of officers and board of directors and with the process of ballots for amendments to bylaws.
Chair:  Ruby Silva

Committee Member:  Nettie Condit

Equal Access to Justice

This committee develops and implements systems in which Division members may volunteer their time and talents to assist established programs which provide legal services to the disadvantaged in New Mexico.
Chair:  Lynn Gentry, CP

Committee Members:  Kay L. Homan, CP
                               Joyce Lesperance                              
                               M. Esther Lopez
                               Bonita Ortiz, ACP

                               Ashley Salazar

Events Coordination

This Committee shall work with the CLE Coordination Subcommittee and the Vendor/Sponsor Subcommittee as necessary and be the liaison with the State Bar for the planning of events including, but not limited to, the CLE/Annual Meeting Day, State Bar Convention CLE and/or events, the annual “Meet and Greet”, and the December dinner meeting of the Board of Directors.
Chair:  Tricia A. Bain

Committee Members:  Ruby Silva

                               Carolyn Cochran

Awards Subcommittee

Chair:  Ruby Silva

Independent Contractors

This committee is open to any Division member who is interested in providing legal assisting services to licensed New Mexico attorneys as an independent contractor. Analyzing and disseminating information about current business trends and mutual concerns of independent contractors is the focus of this committee.
Chair:  Jeanne Adams

Membership

The Chair of the Membership Committee is the Chair-Elect. This Committee promotes membership and growth within the Division.
Co-Chairs:  Yolanda Ortega
               Tina L. Kelbe, CP

Committee Members:  Kay L. Homan, CP

                               Linda S. Stocky, CP
Mentorship Subcommittee Chair:  Linda A. Murphy

Professional Development

This Committee shall interpret and make recommendations for amendments to the Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility.  The Board may consult with this Committee regarding disciplinary procedures in furtherance of Standing Rule VIII.   This Committee shall also:
a. Study, develop and implement various means to better inform the legal profession and the general public about the paralegal/legal assistant profession;
b. Assist in various projects for enhancing the professional development of paralegals/legal assistants;
c. Study and collect information with respect to standards for schools offering paralegal/legal assistant education and training;
d. Interact with instructors and students of paralegal/legal assistant programs; and
e. Nurture positive relationships with local and national paralegal/legal assistant associations and other associations throughout the country.
Co-Chairs:  Robin Gomez

               Lynn A. Gentry, CP

Committee Members:  Tricia Bain
                               Sandra Byer, CP
                               Kathleen F. Campbell, CP
                               Carolyn L. Cochran
                               Nettie Condit
                               Kay Homan, CP
                               Tina Kelbe, CP
                               Marcie G. Kercher
                               Linda A. Murphy
                               Yolanda Ortega
                               Bonita Ortiz, ACP
                               Ruby Silva
                               Linda Stocky, CP
                               Deborah R. Tope, CP
Regulation & Licensing Task Force Subcommittee Co-Chairs:  Kay L. Homan, CP
                                                                                   Deborah R. Tope, CP

Taskforce Members:  Kathleen F. Campbell, CP

                             Lynn A. Gentry, CP

                             Yolanda R. Ortega

                             Linda C. Stocky, CP
Speakers Bureau Subcommittee Chair:  Robin Gomez

Scholarship

The Scholarship Committee supervises the award of scholarships to paralegal studies students at junior colleges, community colleges or universities in New Mexico based on the budgetary allocation by the Board of Directors of the Paralegal Division.

Chair:  Patricia M. Marsh, CP