__________________________________________________________________

SNAP SHOT

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     Sierra Nevada Association of Paralegals					         SEPTEMBER 2007
____________________________________________________________________________________

Visit our web site at www.snapreno.com 
This Issue:
President’s Message………………...…….….1
New/Renewing Member Recognition……….2
Membership Renewal Form……...……….….3 Meeting Reservation Form……………………4
CLA Study Group……………...………………5
NALA Convention - Immigrant Issues…….5-6
Getting to Know – Mary Ann Cushman...…7-8
CLE Opportunities………………………….….9
Washoe County Library-Seminar……...…….9
SNAP Committees….…..……………………10	                   
SNAP Officers & Contact Info…………...….11
Job Bank......................................................12
Treasury Report……………………………...13

SNAP Calendar
September 12, 2007, Wednesday, 5:30 pm
Study group for upcoming CLA/CP exam.  See page 5 for details

September 18, 2007, Tuesday at 12 Noon
Monthly meeting- at the Black Bear. 
Wesley Ayres, Discovery & Arbitration
Commissioner and his Clerk, Wendy Vanderpool, on the Nevada Short Trial Program. Reservation Form on page 4.

October 2, 2007, Tuesday at 12 Noon
Monthly Executive Committee meeting,
Washoe Legal Services, 650 Tahoe St., Reno
All members welcome!

October 16, 2007, Tuesday at 12 Noon
Location – To Be Announced
Ira Victor on Payment Card Industry (PCI),
security standards and controls
	
 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 

The response of membership renewals has been great, so far. Just a reminder to all of those who have not renewed your SNAP Membership, time is running out for you to continue to receive the SNAP Shot and Job Bank information.

I want to thank Kathryn Vitalie, CP for organizing a new study group for the CLA/CP Exam. If you are even considering sitting for the exam in 2007 or 2008, this will be your only chance to join a study group. The study group is a commitment not only for those studying but also for Kathryn to attend and moderate each week. Remember that you do not have to be a member of SNAP to join the study group, please spread the word to anyone you know who might be interested. I feel that the advantage of being in a study group is that you do not feel alone, or the only person who is having trouble understanding the chapter. Finally, SNAP cannot guarantee as to when the next study group will be organized. 

Feel free to contact me at any time with questions and suggestions.

Christine (Christi) Saito, ACP
csaito@washoelegalservices.org

SEPTEMBER 11 IS PATRIOT DAY – A day for remembrance and resolve - FLY THE FLAG!

 WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS!

Michael Billino
Anne Cates
Melanie Owen
Ariane Wittman
Misty Wolverton

THANK YOU TO OUR RENEWING MEMBERS! 

	Nicole Aalgaard (Mills)			Roxanne Maples, CLA 		
	Luis Aguilar					Merrilyn Marsh
	Kelly Anderson				Janice Moulian
	Cyndy Arnold				Margie Nevin
	Laura Carlson, CLA			Debra Newman, CP
	Ginny Casazza				Anne Potter
	Mary Ann Cushman			Amanda Skiba
	Susan Davis					Frances Smith
	Christie Gellman				Doreen Smith-Power
	Gale Hauskins				John Stafford
	Dirk Hodges				Shannon Stout
	Debra Hill					Lynn Strahm
	Gloria Jaureguy				Kathryn Vitalie, CP
	Renee Kelly, CLA				Connie Wharton, CP			
	Susan Kuznar				Mona Zumwalt
	Orlene Malloy

MORE RENEWALS ARE COMING IN…….YOUR NAME HERE NEXT MONTH?
You must renew by October 1 in order to continue as a member and to continue receiving the newsletter.  Renewal form on next page.  

			SIERRA NEVADA ASSOCIATION OF PARALEGALS
			Affiliated with the National Association of Legal Assistants
				P.O. Box 2832, Reno, NV  89505

			2007 - 2008 MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL APPLICATION

SNAP's membership year runs from July 1, 2007, through June 30, 2008.  Membership dues are 
payable July 1, 2007, in the following amounts:

			Active		$50.00 		or	$45.00	(If Paid Before August 20)
			Retired		$20.00		or	$15.00	(If Paid Before August 20)
			*Associate	$30.00		or	$25.00	(If Paid Before August 20)
			*Student	$20.00		or	$15.00	(If Paid Before August 20)
			Sustaining 	$75.00

*If you wish to upgrade your membership to active status, you will need to fill out a separate, full 
membership application.  Please use the APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP available on our 
website at www.snapreno.com

Make your check payable to SNAP, and mail application and check to:
SNAP, P.O. Box 2832, Reno, Nevada 89505

Name: _________________________________________ CLA Designation: _________ M/F  ____
			[Please Print]
Residence 
Address:  ________________________________________________________________________	
Residence 					Business
Telephone:  ___________________________ 	Telephone:  ___________________________

E-mail address:  ___________________________________________________________________

Employer:  _______________________________________________________________________		

Employer 
Address:  ________________________________________________________________________

Area(s) of Specialization:  ___________________________________________________________

Experience in States 
Other than Nevada (list):  ___________________________________________________________ 

Membership 
Category:   	Active _________   Retired ___________   Associate __________   Student _________

	I agree to continue to be bound by the Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility adopted by 
the National Association of Legal Assistants, Inc., subscribed to by the Sierra Nevada Association of 
Paralegals, and the By-Laws as adopted by the Sierra Nevada Association of Paralegals.

___________________________________________________		__________________
[Signature]									  [Date]

I prefer SNAP information to be sent to my:		home  _____		office _____

Sierra Nevada Association of Paralegals
SNAP MONTHLY MEETING
Tuesday, September 18, 2007, at 12 noon

SPEAKER:	Discovery & Arbitration Commissioner, Wesley Ayres,
	and his Clerk, Wendy Vanderpool

TOPIC:	Nevada Short Trial Program – a form of Alternative Dispute Resolution
	used to expedite civil jury trials through procedures designed to control the 	length of the trial, including restrictions on discovery, use of smaller juries,	and time limits for presentation of evidence.	

PLACE: 	BLACK BEAR DINER
	2323 South Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada

COST:	$18.00 – Members & Guests		$15.00 – Student Members

Name:		______________________________________________________________________

Office:	______________________________________________________________________

Work Phone: 	___________________		Home Phone: 	________________

______Member		______Guest		______Student Member

Please indicate one luncheon item – No substitutions, please

TRI-TIP DIP (Steak) 				GARDEN BURGER
with grilled onions, mushrooms, 			with fries
Swiss, French roll, fries

BROILED CHICKEN AND AVOCADO	GRILLED SOUTHWESTERN
CLUB, bacon, lettuce, tomato, Swiss,		STEAK SALAD, with ancho-cilantro
with potato salad					dressing, onions, jack/cheddar cheeses,
                                                                                    guacamole, tortilla strips

Please mail your check and reservation form to SNAP, P.O. Box 2832, Reno, Nevada  89505.  
Prepaid  reservations must be received by Friday, September 14, 2007.  Sorry no refunds.

NALA NEWS

SNAP Study group for upcoming CLA/CP Exam

Please join us -- a study group is underway to prepare for the November/December CLA/CP Exam.  The study group will be meeting on Wednesday evenings beginning September 12, 2007, at 5:30 p.m., at the U.S. Bank building, located at the corner of Virginia and Liberty.  The study group will meet in the 6th floor conference room at the offices of David L. Riddle & Associates.  Parking is available in the building parking lot.  We will be using the CLA Review Manual, Second Edition, which can be ordered at NALA.org for $110./members or $125./non-members and the CLA Mock Exam & Study Guide, Third Edition, also available on the NALA.org website for $25./members or $35./non-members.  Please come prepared to discuss the first week's study chapter -- Communications.  Thank you. 

Kathryn Vitalie, CP
NALA Liaison
vitaliek@prodigy.net						

--------------------------------
More from the NALA Convention
By Christine (Christi) Saito, ACP, SNAP President 

“Vulnerable Immigrant Populations”

On Friday, July 13, I attended a session of the 2007 NALA Convention taught by Kathleen Anne Harvey, Esq., from Overland Park, Kansas.  I want to share a portion of what Ms. Harvey covered. Warning: this is not one of my funny stories. 

Vulnerable immigrants are those who are themselves victims of crimes. If your firm practices in Family, Juvenile, Criminal Defense, or Corporate Law the possibility of a victim may be there and questions should be asked.

I quote Ms. Harvey:“The next prostitute, stripper, illegal immigrant, runaway youth, domestic servant, or migrant worker you encounter may be a victim of human trafficking, abuse, or domestic violence.”

Ask your clients about:
•	Fraud or financial coercion
•	Physical abuse
•	Lack of freedom of movement
•	Psychological coercion

Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000
o	Prostitution
o	Forced Labor
o	Modern Day Slavery
o	
In human trafficking for labor or services (including commercial sex acts), people are recruited, harbored, and transported.  They are recruited through fraud (non-existent jobs), force, or coercion, and subjected to involuntary servitude, debt, bondage, or slavery. These victims are eligible to apply for a T Visa.  The victims must actively provide assistance to law enforcement in investigation or prosecution of human traffickers. There are an estimated 17,500 foreign nationals trafficked annually in the US. There are 5,000 T Visas available each year.  Normally, the full amount is not utilized, as victims do not know of the visa or they are too afraid to assist law enforcement.

Victims of Domestic Violence and Other Serious Crimes
o	Domestic violence, incest, sexual exploitation
o	Being held hostage, kidnapping, abduction, unlawful criminal restraint
o	Blackmail, extortion, manslaughter, felonious assault
o	Witness tampering, obstruction of justice, perjury
o	Or attempt, conspiracy or solicitation regarding the above crimes

These victims are eligible to apply for a U Visa. The victims must show that they have been or will be helpful in the criminal investigation or prosecution of the crime with law enforcement. There are 10,000  U Visas available annually, and all are utilized. 

Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) 
This provides lawful permanent residency to children who are under the jurisdiction of juvenile court and will not be reunified with their parents due to abuse, neglect or abandonment.

Family court must find that the child is deemed eligible for long-term foster care because of abuse, neglect or abandonment; and that it is not in the child’s best interest to return to his or her country of origin. “Child” in this case refers to “under the age of 21 and unmarried.” The child must remain under juvenile court jurisdiction until the immigration application is decided; because of backlog and complexity this type of visa can take three years or longer.

Complex problem
None of these are happy cases, but this illustrates that there are undocumented immigrants in the US who did not choose to be here, but are victims of crimes themselves. There are other types of special visas (VAWA, S Visa), but that’s a report for another month. 

The undocumented immigrant is a complex problem and I am not an expert on the topic. This is intended to be “food for thought.” SNAP is planning to have a local attorney speak on Immigration later this year. If you have question of Ms. Harvey, her email address is: kharveylaw@cs.com. If you would like to see a copy of the handouts from her lecture; I have one copy and so does our SNAP Librarian.

------------------------------------------------

www.nala.org - website has a wealth of information for you

UPCOMING NALA DATES – 2007

October 1	Application Filing deadline for December CLA exam 	
October 16	Late Application Filing deadline	
November 30 &
December 1	CLA Exam	

View the latest issue of the Affiliates Brief at http://www.nala.org/Aff-Brief.pdf
Visit www.nalacampus.com to review the many online learning opportunities

			

Getting to know……..Mary Ann Cushman,
Student Liaison & Website Manager

Growing up in a military family, I never really felt at home until moving to Reno.  After Florida, my family moved to Kansas, Oregon, Maryland (shout out to Kate Cline!), several locations in Germany, then returned to Maryland (Annapolis), where I finished my third high school.

I graduated from college in Washington, D.C. with a B.A. in Botany and a minor in German.  I worked as a janitor, waitress, gardener (more on that later), and a boat and house painter.  My first science job was in a cancer genetics lab at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.   Until recently, I considered the D.C. area home.

I earned a Master’s Degree in Plant Genetics (and met my husband!) in Tucson, Arizona.  After graduating, I worked for several years as a laboratory manager, studying mice as a model for human obesity, then in plant genetics and biochemistry labs studying how seeds develop and how plants respond to drought and salt stress.

When our lab initiated a patent prosecution, I learned the legal concept of “inventorship,” which led to my interest in intellectual property, and to the paralegal studies program at TMCC in the Spring of 2005.  I joined SNAP and became the Student Liaison for 2006-2007.  I continue to serve as Student Liaison and assumed management of the SNAP website, www.snapreno.com, from Crystal Huss this year.  Bravo! and Thanks! to you, Crystal, from everyone in SNAP.  You assembled an amazing amount of information and brought SNAP to life in cyberspace.

My biggest challenge in redesigning SNAP’s website has been obtaining permission for “fair use” of copyrighted photographs to convey a distinctive Northern Nevada sense.  The tricky part was finding out whom to ask.  I would like to thank the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors’ Authority for their permission to use images from their collection.  I welcome any comments or suggestions for new content or features; e-mail them to me at  websitemanager@snapreno.com

Outside of work I am a super-avid gardener – let’s just say one of my nicknames is Flora.  I think I need a bumper sticker: I brake for flower photos.  I enjoy hiking and cross-country skiing.  Occasionally my husband and I travel to scientific meetings to re-connect with colleagues and collaborators on every continent (except Antarctica).

I enjoy having the creative project of the SNAP website and being able to practice my writing skills.  I love “networking” and assisting students entering our profession.  I love learning about the worlds of business and law.  I see a lot of parallels  between science and law; it’s all in the details.  It’s great to finally be home in Northern Nevada. 

	

			
NEWSLETTER CONTRIBUTIONS WELCOME!
ANNOUNCEMENTS – NOTICES – ARTICLES - SUGGESTIONS
Submit by the 25th of each month to your newsletter editor: ggailgaur@pyramid.net	

	

Our website is getting a new look. Check it out at www.snapreno.com for upcoming events and links to great legal sites.  While there you can review our Bylaws, get membership forms, and obtain other information to keep you “in the loop.”

CLE OPPORTUNITIES

September 17	
“The Probate Process From Start to Finish for Paralegals” Las Vegas, NV

Presented by the Institute for Paralegal Education, www.ipe-sems.com

September 18	
“Title Law in Nevada” Las Vegas, NV

Presented by the National Business Institute, www.nbi-sems.com

September 20-21	
“Paralegal Trial Institute” Las Vegas, NV

Presented by Estrin LegalEd, www.estrinlegaled.com

November 27	
“Countdown to Trial: A Crash Course in Trial Preparation for Paralegals” Las Vegas, NV                                                               NALA Credit

Presented by the Institute for Paralegal Education, www.ipe-sems.com

WASHOE COUNTY LAW LIBRARY
75 Court Street, Room 101, Reno, NV
(775) 328-3250
September 2007
Library Hours
Monday through Thursday	8 am to 9 pm
  Friday 			8 am to 5 pm
Saturday & Sunday 	        10 am to 5 pm
FREE LEGAL SEMINAR
“The American Jury System: People Participating in Government”
Thursday, September 27, 2007 from 5:00-7:00 pm at the Washoe County Law Library, R. Z. Hawkins Conference Room, Reno, Nevada. 
Speaker: Judge Jerome Polaha.  Please call 328-3250 to reserve a space. 
 
Check the Washoe County Law Library website www.washoecounty.us/lawlib/ for continuing information on legal seminars, legal links, and much other information.

	

SNAP COMMITTEES FORMING – BYLAWS & SCHOLARSHIP ISSUES

Committees are being formed to review and update SNAP’s Bylaws, and to set guidelines and requirements for scholarship awards.   The Bylaws Committee is chaired by our Parliamentarian, Laura McCarron and includes Christi Saito, Gloria Jaureguy, and Mary Ann Cushman.  The Scholarship Committee includes Renee Kelly, April Sferrazzo, Amy Hodgson, and Susan Sunday. 

To participate on one of these committees, contact a committee member, or SNAP President Christi Saito at csaito@washoelegalservices.org.

-----------------------

					PERSONAL PASSAGES

Congratulations to Jennifer Grundy.  She had a little boy on August 6, 2007 at 8:35 pm.  His name is Cade Kurtis.  He weighed 7 lbs., 14 oz.

Congratulations to Crystal Huss.  Her baby boy, Logan Dean Huss was born on July 18, 2007, at 9:24 pm.  Mom and baby are doing fantastically well.

Congratulations to Misty Taylor on her recent marriage.  She is now Misty Best.

And our heartfelt condolences and sympathy to Laura McCarron whose father recently passed away.

SNAP Officers and Chairpersons for 2007-2008

President:
CHRISTI SAITO, ACP
Washoe Legal Services
Phone:  329-2727, ext. 123
csaito@washoelegalservices.org

	First Vice President/Education: 				Parliamentarian:	
	RENEE KELLY						LAURA MCCARRON		
	Phone: 425-8616						Kummer Kaempfer Bonner Renshaw &
	reneemkelly@sbcglobal.net				Ferrario
								Phone: 842-3030
								swood1973@charter.net

	Second Vice President/Membership/Job Bank:		Social Activities & Librarian:	
	MISTY BEST				 		GAIL HAUSKINS	
 	Kummer Kaempfer Bonner Renshaw &			McDonald Carano Wilson
	Ferrario							Phone: 326-4323
	Phone: 741-7330						ghauskins@mcdonaldcarano.com
	mbest@kkbrf.com

	Secretary/ Public Relations/LAD Liaison:			Student Liaison &  Website Manager:
	GINNY CASAZZA, RG					MARY ANN CUSHMAN
	Casazza Professional Services, Inc.				Phone: 232-4229			
	Phone: 287-5005						maryanncushman@mac.com
	ginnycasazza@clearwire.net
			
	Treasurer:						Newsletter Editor:
	APRIL SFERRAZZO,  CLA				GLORIA JAUREGUY             		 	Walraven & Harris					Phone: 887-0556
	Phone: 828-5005						ggailgaur@pyramid.net
	april@mvh.com
				
	NALA Liaison:							
	KATHRYN VITALIE, CP 			 	
	Phone: 825-5642			
	vitaliek@prodigy.net

SNAP Shot is an official publication of the Sierra Nevada Association of Paralegals (“SNAP”).
SNAP Address:  Post Office Box 2832, Reno, Nevada  89505

SNAP Shot is published monthly. The 2007-2008 Editor is Gloria Jaureguy. Please e-mail Gloria at ggailgaur@pyramid.net
to submit newsletter information. Deadline for submitting articles for publication in the newsletter is the 25th of each month.
SNAP does not endorse any specific educational program. Information provided in the SNAP Shot is to be evaluated by the reader. All editorial material is to be used at the discretion of the reader and does not imply endorsement by the editor, SNAP, its officers or members.
SNAP may make members’ names and business addresses available to legal related entities without the direct consent of each member. Members who do not want their information released must advise the Executive Committee in writing.