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MEMBER PROFILE JANUARY/FEBRUARY Noah Murdock Office Manager Blasingame, Burch, Garrard & Ashley, P.C. Member of AALA since: October 7, 2004 Firm / Professional Info you’d like to share: 21 Attorneys; 3 Offices; 41 Staff Personal Info you’d like to share: I am married to my husband, Mike; we have two daughters, Melissa 18 and Julie 14; we also have two golden retrievers – Daisy & Duke. AALA Involvement: I am in ...

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There's a reason continuing education and professional development look good on a resume. It reveals one's resolve to never stop learning and strengthening their skill-set, regardless of their years of experience. Volunteer positions within a professional organization, such as the AALA, indicate a person's ability to lead and work with leaders in their own profession. These qualities make us invaluable to our employers because they make us great at what we do! Now, more than ...

By Marianne Lawhead I know we all probably say this every year, but I really mean it this year. Where did the time go? Now that December is here, it seems like it’s all gone by so fast. Yet, some of the individual days seemed awfully long at the time. Fortunately, I have had the pleasure of spending the last 9 months as President of this wonderful organization and had the pleasure of working with a collective board made up of some of the hardest working and most ...

Ritz Carlton Buckhead on December 9 By Sheri Rowand A magnificent room on the crisp December day at the Ritz Carlton Buckhead set the stage for the 2009 AALA Holiday Luncheon. This yearly event has proven to be a favorite among chapter members and business partners alike. At the luncheon our Chapter sponsored the annual Toys for Tots. Lance Corporal Reece was in attendance to tell members a little bit about what Toys for Tots does for children ...

By Sarah Turner, CLM Every year, the Spirit of AALA trophy is awarded to the person or organization that exemplifies the characteristics necessary to help our organization achieve its mission… "to promote and enhance the competence and professionalism of legal administrators and all members of the management team; to improve the quality of management in law firms and other legal service organizations; and to represent professional legal management and managers to ...

Roll Out the Red Carpet! Please welcome our newest AALA Members! Allison Davis Ledbetter Wanamaker Glass LLP Office/Business Manager Sarah Popowski Arnall Golden Gregory, LLP Support Manager/Functional Specialist Emily Dollar Drew Eckl & Farnham HR Assistant Mary Coggins Smith, Welch & Brittain, LLP Operations Manager

By Patti Lane, CLM, Michael Stephens, PHR, Marshall Fletcher and Lisa Nietzel, CLM Evidence is everywhere throughout the Association of Legal Administrators that the dynamics of the vendor/administrator relationship have changed and matured. Far from being the “enemy,” vendors are our business partners. We need them and they need us, and it is in all of our best interests to change our thinking and our paradigms. Through the efforts of the Vendor Relations ...

By Anthony K. Greene, CRM, CIC, Jamison Insurance Group As we come to the end of 2009 most insurance companies have seen an increase in reports of actual and/or potential lawyers’ professional liability claims. This is no surprise since historically claims against law firms and other professional advisors have increased after every major economic downturn. In many instances billings, collections and fee dispute related issues put administrators and other staff ...

An introductory look at what it takes to maintain your facility By Stephen Lewis, Technical Director, MilliCare Choosing a Sustainable Maintenance Plan Equals Financial and Environmental Savings Carpet is an important investment for any organization; it is both a costly asset and, visually, makes a big impression on visitors and clients. As an investment, protecting and extending the life of carpeting should be considered a top priority. Being proactive and ...

Worthy Waypoints: How Life's Adventures Led One AALA Member Forward. By Elizabeth Sprouse When the peach drops December 31, it will signify different things for everyone; however, for one legal administrator, it will represent an opportunity to give back to an association that has supported him since he moved here more than 14 years ago. For 2010, Jack Huddleston, Director of Operations for Thomas, Kayden, Horstemeyer & Risley, LLP, has been nominated to proudly serve ...

Did you play along in our year-long virtual adventure to Beantown? In 2009, the AALA played The Great Beantown Adventure where the goal was to find hints and figure out clues to determine a ‘final destination’ in Boston. The final destination was the Boston Athenaeum! Congratulations to Amy Hutcheson for winning the 2010 Scholarship to the ALA National Conference in Boston, MA which will be held in early May. It is our hope to host a social and/or tour of the ...

“’Magic” is all around us, just waiting to be captured! Welcome to 2010! Our theme for the year is ‘Capture the Magic of AALA!’ The Magic of AALA can be captured in the camaraderie of its members, the endless educational opportunities, the hard work of its committees and the resources of its website and newsletters. Enjoying the Magic of AALA is even more rewarding than ever. Not only do you benefit from using these tools, you also gain the ...

President: Dina Wolfe President-Elect: Will Lee Past President: Marianne Lawhead Secretary: Sarah Turner Treasurer: Sheri Rowand 2010 Board of Directors Nominees Director of Newsletter: Jack Huddleston Director of Membership: Elena Lee Director of Vendor Relations: Joe McAdams Director of eCommunications: Amanda Davis Chapter Manager: Jennifer Brinkley

Click here to see pictures taken in Savannah! By Sharon Chalmers In attending the recent Region 1&2 Conference in host city Savannah, GA, I learned that regional conferences truly are "mini national" conferences. As a small firm Administrator, I was thrilled to have so many educational sessions to select from; the ones I attended on budgeting and collections trends provided valuable information during these difficult economic times. Of course, value also lies in the ...

If there is enough interest in any given ALA Webinar in 2010, and it does not conflict with an AALA Speaker Series, they will be hosted at Constangy, Brooks & Smith. There will be a $25 participant charge to cover the cost of the webinar. March 17, 2010 Law Firm Innovation: Will You Lead or Follow? April 21, 2010 The Administrator’s Role as Coach in a Multi-Generational Workplace May 19, 2010 The Social Networking Revolution June 16, ...

ALA Members Share Reasons for Attaining the CLMSM By Sue Powers In today’s rapidly changing economy, it might help to know that certification is one commodity whose value is increasing. From personal satisfaction to savings on liability insurance, the Association of Legal Administrators’ (ALA) Certified Legal Manager (CLM)SM* designation is today helping in ways not imagined when many CLMs first made the decision to seek certification. Consider its ...

By Sheri Rowand As this year comes to a close, we have all been impacted by the economic downturn either personally or professionally. I don’t know if our industry has ever felt this much pain. Our chapter, like many others, came together to assist our colleagues who have been affected by the economy. One task was an online job bank, where we post job vacancies and resumes. Many members and business partners have volunteered to help and to that end, we will remain ...

MEMBER PROFILE DECEMBER Nina G. Sharpe Regional Office Administrator Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi, LLP Member of AALA since: March 13, 2009 Firm / Professional Info you’d like to share: I became the Regional Administrator for RKMC in March 2009. Prior to coming to RKMC, I worked for a short time in the field of clinical research after moving to Atlanta from Mississippi. Prior to my move to Atlanta, I was the HR Director for Watkins & ...