Ever wonder what it takes to pass the NALA Certified Paralegal (CP®) certification exam? Let’s break it down and set you apart in your field. You can do this. 

Guest Lori Young is a full-time faculty member at the College of the Canyons in California and a part-time instructor at the University of California Santa Barbara. She has been a paralegal professional for more than 25 years and specializes in legal tech, contract law, estate planning, and helping students just like you prepare for and pass the CP exam. 

Young knows firsthand the ins and outs of the CP exam. She freely admits she failed it the first time, so she’s been there, done that, and knows what it takes. She buckled down and passed, then helped develop a curriculum to help others pass the exam the first time. She offers tips and inspiration for anyone considering taking the plunge. (Spoiler: Taking a prep course can give you the confidence you need). 

In California, CP Exam test prep programs are free at community colleges, but they’re also available at a very low cost online for those outside the state. Certification can boost your career, elevate your performance, increase your confidence, and make you more valuable to your team. Bottom line: the CP designation opens new doors. No more putting it off. 

Lori also offers her first hand experience with the recent California wildfires. The College of the Canyons became an evacuation center for the community and served as a center for the Incident Command team. She urges paralegal students to become more involved in their communities via volunteer opportunities and working with legal clinics to assist those impacted by disaster. 

Mentioned in This Episode:

NALA Certified Paralegal (CP®) program

NALA CP practice exam

Certified Paralegal Exam Test Preparation Program, College of the Canyons

NALA Conference & Expo 2025

NALA, The Paralegal Association

Los Angeles Paralegal Association (LAPA)

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Life is an opportunity to learn, and learning never stops. Guest Jonathan Dang served in the military, then earned a bachelor’s degree, and then earned his master’s degree. He’s a big believer in lifelong learning, there’s never a bad time to take a course, boost your career, and learn something new. 

Hear how Dang started out looking for direction, found his way, learned from mentors, and finally became a leader in his field. If you’re new to the field and want to take on a leadership role, start with being a “servant leader,” go above and beyond and accept new challenges and volunteer for unexpected tasks. Learn something new every day. Yes, it’s hard. But it’s also fun. 

Dang’s openness to new experiences, his networking and involvement in his local Paralegal Association, and his journey from mentee to mentor continues to fuel his career. You can do this. Break out of your shell and be excited. 

Mentioned in This Episode:

Los Angeles Paralegal Association (LAPA)

LAPA on LinkedIn

LAPA events page

Marine Corps, Toys for Tots

NALA, The Paralegal Association

NALA Conference & Expo 2025

NALA, The Paralegal Association

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Digital information management is a delicate balancing act, connecting the moving parts of a busy legal operation with the information technologists who manage the data. How do you pull an entire office together and manage and leverage all that information? 

Guest Stephanie Clerkin is the Director of Litigation Support at Korein Tillery and a 2024 recipient of the Gayle O’Connor Spirit Award, which celebrates e-discovery and legal technology leaders who make noteworthy contributions to the fields of e-discovery, legal tech, information governance, cybersecurity, and data privacy. The award is named for the late Gayle O’Connor. 

Hear some of the secrets of bringing people together around technology (even dragging along some of the stragglers who have “always done it this way”). You’ll learn to adapt to different styles, demonstrate the value of efficient data management, and sometimes do more with less. Legal tech and data management never sleeps. Helping everyone – from support staff to senior attorneys – keep up is a challenge. 

Finding a mentor, establishing a work life balance, and mastering technology test us all, but Clerkin has tips you can put to work now. 

Mentioned in This Episode:

Gayle O’Connor Spirit Award announcement

Relativity e-discovery platform

Relativity certifications

Make-A-Wish Young Professionals

NALA Conference & Expo 2025

NALA, The Paralegal Association

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Where do technology and the paralegal profession intersect? Everywhere. Guest Karen Tuschak is a legal tech pioneer with more than 30 years of experience in the legal profession. She combined her experience, knowledge, and her passion for innovative technology to form her own company, Spider Silk Innovative Solutions in Toronto, Canada. Her company helps law firms and paralegals become more productive through technology and innovation. 

Tuschak believes every paralegal professional can be their firm’s technology champion and driver. Technology continues to push the legal profession forward. E-discovery, data visualization, and case management are getting faster and better. 

Tuschak doesn’t worry about an AI systems taking over a paralegal’s job. Today’s latest tech actually helps paralegal professionals do better work, faster. Don’t be afraid of the latest and greatest. Instead, master it. 

The paralegal profession never stands still, and Tuschak sees endless opportunities for paralegal professionals. Project management, wrangling details, managing billing, and driving the adoption of legal tech create new roles seemingly daily. Hear how Tuschak nudges firms to invest in staff development, education, and tech and how you can get ahead in your own career through technology.

Mentioned in This Episode:

LinkedIn 

NALA Conference & Expo 2025

NALA, The Paralegal Association

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Guest Cheryl Nodarse, ACP, talks about her goals as the new president of NALA. With her background as past NALA vice president and secretary, Nodarse has a clear vision for the national organization of paralegal professionals. 

NALA’s relationship with affiliated associations takes a spot at the top of Nodarse’s agenda, as well as developing the relationships between paralegal educators and students. Plus, 2025 marks NALA’s 50th anniversary and the first National Paralegal Day. 

Nodarse and hosts Jill Francisco and Tony Sipp also discuss a new era of “breakaway careers” for paralegal professionals and how the skill set and education positions them well in an increasingly complex and digital world. Doesn’t matter what the job title is, a foundation in paralegal work applies to so many interesting career paths. Your skills are in demand. 

As the profession changes, as opportunities arise and evolve, Nodarse has her sights set on helping NALA stay involved and help guide the profession forward. This is a great time to be a part of NALA.

Mentioned in This Episode:

National Paralegal Day, August 6, 2025

List of NALA Affiliated Associations 

“Rule Change To Allow Paraprofessionals To Offer Limited Legal Services Proposed By Top Texas Court,” ABA Journal 

Paralegal Association of Florida, Palm Beach Chapter

NALA, Facts and Findings 

NALA Conference & Expo 2025

NALA, The Paralegal Association

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Guest Christina Hough dives into the topic of neurodivergence in the legal field. The subject refers to how people learn and behave. We’re all “neurodivergent” in that we are all different. The term covers everything from the autism spectrum to ADHD issues to our own individual quirks and how we interact, learn, and understand each other. 

When it comes to neurodivergence, the legal system has a particular interest. It has been estimated about 12.5% of lawyers report having ADHD, attention deficit disorders, nearly triple the rate of the general population. And that’s just the beginning.

Law is a stressful profession, and many may not know they have a neurodivergence issue – issues that may only reveal themselves under extreme stress. That’s why awareness is so important as we learn to account for our own differences and others’ and make sure we are communicating with and understanding coworkers and even opposing counsel and witnesses.

It all starts with being aware and giving thought to how the person across the desk processes information and communicates. As the great (fictional) attorney Atticus Finch taught us in “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view … until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”

Mentioned in This Episode:

San Diego Paralegal Association

“Lawyers With ADHD: Understanding Neurodiversity in the Legal Profession,” JD Nation

“Neurodivergence in Law: The Importance of Advanced Communication in Legal and Neutral Practice” from Will Work for Food with Christina Hough

Christina Hough’s Presentation

“To Kill a Mockingbird Quote Analysis,” Bartleby

NALA Conference & Expo 2025

NALA, The Paralegal Association

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Legal burnout. It’s a real thing. Let’s talk about it. On the podcast “The Legal Burnouts,” guests Kate Bridal and Josey Hoff have opened up about burnout. Both worked in law, Bridal as an attorney and Hoff as a paralegal. One day they realized they’d had enough. They were burned out. They know what they’re talking about, and they know what many in the legal profession are going through. 

Burnout is real. It’s an emotionally grinding field with physically grueling time demands. If you’re feeling the stress, understand what your body is telling you. Understand that you are not alone and know that it’s OK to talk about it. 

Bridal and Hoff explain how to recognize burnout and how to put a name on what you feel. Of course, there are times when you’ll work hard, there are periods of stress in any job. But when you find that you can’t turn it off, that every stressful day leads to another stressful day, when you can’t let yourself take a break, it may be time to examine what’s going on in your life. 

Legal professionals are by nature competitive, driven people. It can be hard to turn that off or accept that you’ve simply reached your limit and don’t have another gear. But there is more to life, take care of yourself. 

If you have insights you’d like to share or a topic you’d like us to take on, please send us a note at [email protected] and [email protected].

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No matter where you fit in an organization in the legal system, you’re likely to find yourself at some point involved in a case headed to alternative dispute resolution, such as mediation or arbitration. 

Guest Nikki Mehrpoo speaks from a lengthy career in law focusing on Workers’ Compensation and immigration law. In Workers’ Comp cases, the ability of a judge, mediator, and arbitrator to listen without bias and weigh cases solely on the facts and the law is crucial. 

And as a legal professional, when representing a Workers’ Comp complainant, it can be especially vital to sift facts from biases and prepare a case that clearly presents the facts in a manner a deciding party can follow. 

Mehrpoo also shares some excellent career advice on the importance of legal technology, keeping up with the latest developments in tech and the law, and finding a mentor. Your education is never complete. Embrace every opportunity to pick up a new skill and new information, whether that’s from an industry newsletter, a quick tutorial, or in a classroom. Take the time to invest in yourself.

If you have insights you’d like to share or a topic you’d like us to take on, please send us a note at [email protected] and [email protected].

Mentioned in This Episode:

California Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC)

NALA Conference & Expo 2024

NALA, The Paralegal Association

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Guest Shelly A. Walker has enjoyed a career spanning nearly three decades of perpetual growth and advancement. Hear how she learned to move forward with every step, up to her current position as regional office administrator and paralegal manager for a large law firm. Successful careers in the paralegal profession don’t just happen. It takes work, ambition, and drive. Preparation creates opportunity. 

Walker took advantage of every chance to learn and advance. The paralegal profession never stands still, and Walker explains how seizing opportunities to build skills advanced her career. One example is how she recognized the importance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and helped her firm create a DEI committee, which she went on to lead. 

She encourages today’s up and coming paralegals to understand their worth and show initiative. Speak up with confidence at your organization and demonstrate your value with everything you do. If you’re looking for advice on advancing your career, this episode offers valuable tips. Step up, stand out, and succeed.

If you have insights you’d like to share or a topic you’d like us to take on, please send us a note at [email protected] and [email protected].

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The return of an annual tradition: NALA CEO Vanessa Finley joins hosts Jill Francisco and Tony Sipp to talk about all things NALA, including the upcoming NALA Conference & Expo in Louisville, Kentucky July 11-13. (It’s hybrid, live or online, so if you can’t make it in person, you can still take part). 

Enjoy both fun and serious sessions, including keynote speaker Iliana Oris Valiente, CPA, CA, as she shares insights into the role of AI and the paralegal profession, while you earn valuable CLE credits. And if you attend in person, you also get the chance to watch recordings of any sessions you miss and pick up those extra CLE hours. Plus, our own Jill Francisco will be a featured speaker, and you can meet co-host Tony Sipp in person as well. Stop by and say hello. 

Hear all the conference has to offer, how to register, how to attend in person or online, one day or all, and even learn about early bird and group discounts. Don’t be left out. 

It’s a big year for NALA. Hear about the upcoming member survey (including a salary survey, are you being paid fairly?) Watch your inbox for a link to the survey. More? How about the latest on NALA core competencies and the expanding role of paralegals! This is a jam-packed episode.  

If you have insights you’d like to share or a topic you’d like us to take on, please send us a note at [email protected] and [email protected].

Mentioned in This Episode:

NALA Conference & Expo 2024

NALA, The Paralegal Association

NALA Paralegal Core Competencies

NALA YouTube Channel

American Association for Paralegal Education

NALA Talks DEI Microlearning Episode 1: Access to Justice with Michael Houlberg, IAALS

Equality Ohio

“Exploring the Vital Role of Paralegals in the Legal System” By James David

Louisville Tourism Office

Prior episode, “Live From The 2023 NALA Conference: An Inside Look”

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