I recently returned from the 84th Annual Conference of Legal Secretaries, Inc. (LSI) held in North Hollywood, California. The Marin County Legal Professionals Association (MCLPA) was well represented at this conference for legal support staff from across the state. In addition to plenty of networking opportunities and attending to the business of the corporation, the conference offered plenty of useful and topical Continuing Legal Education, all taught by expert attorneys.

The Complex Trust seminar was very valuable to me, as I work in an estate planning office and draft trusts for my attorney’s review. I also attended the Fake News and Common Sense: a First Amendment Discussion seminar given by Jeremy Geltzer. Mr. Geltzer has written several books on the effect of media, particularly motion pictures, on freedom of speech. His presentation was fascinating and somewhat chilling, considering current events. Other timely seminars included: The Surprising Origin, Continued Relevance, and Uncertain Future of Privacy in Our Data Driven Age; Asylum/Special Immigrant Juvenile Status; and Transportation Network Company Law (Uber, Lyft).

The conference also offered separate workshops for each of the different organization officer positions, which provided useful training and great ideas for local associations, including in advertising and social media. MCLPA received first place in local associations of our size for increase in membership this last year: a 27% membership gain raised our 2017-2018 membership to 14 members – small but mighty!

MCLPA also won a free ticket to the CCLS (California Certified Legal Secretary) Study Group. This was quite welcome as one of our members is currently studying for this certification which requires passing an all-day exam covering seven topics: California legal procedure; legal terminology; legal computations; skills; ability to communicate effectively; reasoning and ethics; and law office administration. To learn more about this excellent program, visit LSI's website.

Jennifer L. Page, CCLS, of Ragghianti Freitas, was appointed Executive Advisor to the Executive Committee of LSI. This appointment comes after serving LSI over 12 years: four years on the Legal Specialization Sections and two years each as LSI Treasurer, Secretary, Vice President, and, most recently, President. That represents a tremendous commitment, an immense amount of volunteered time, a lot of travel, and at least a million emails delivered to her inbox.

I was honored to be appointed to a second term as LSI Parliamentarian by incoming President Heather Edwards from San Fernando Valley LSA. Prior to serving the past two years as Parliamentarian, I served LSI as 2016 Annual Conference Co-Chair and three years as the Legal Specialization Sections Probate Section Leader. Quite a few emails have passed through my inbox during this time as well.

Both of our journeys through LSI started with membership in MCLPA, where Jennifer and I have served in many capacities. Our commitment to MCLPA and LSI demonstrates the value we see in membership in these associations, and we look forward to working with associates from across California to spread the word about the educational opportunities and benefits of membership in LSI.

Every other month on the second Thursday, MCLPA holds a dinner meeting with a guest speaker at 6 p.m. at Sam’s Restaurant in Novato. Check our website for further information or contact me. We welcome new members and guests. The topic of discussion often qualifies for CLE. The next LSI Quarterly Conference will be within driving distance, August 17-19, 2018, in Stockton, CA. CLE will be the focus of that conference and there will be seven seminars to choose from, covering Civil/Criminal Grand Juries, Probate/Estate Planning, Federal Law, Criminal/Family Law, Law Office Administration, Specialty Law, and Civil Litigation. If you cannot spare the time to attend a conference, LSI is offering a multitude of online CLE webinars. I recently attended the California Style Manual v. Blue Book webinar given by Mary Ann Moylan. Please contact me or visit LSI's website for dates, times and topics.

Kristi L. Edwards, CCLS
LSI Parliamentarian
Legal Assistant to Froneberger & Leviloff