A quarterly newletter by the Boston Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators

This is the Fall 2006 newsletter from the Association of Legal Administrators Boston Chapter. To learn more about the Boston Chapter, go to ALABoston.org. A PDF version of this issue is available here.

President's Message

In this issue, the Boston Chapter of the ALA's President, Paul Masuret, covers the Region 1 Educational Conference, the upcoming Community Challenge Weekend, and the One Day Educational Conference.

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Announcements

Boston Chapter ALA 3rd Annual One Day Educational Conference

Thursday, November 16, 2006!

That's the day of the Boston Chapter ALA 3rd Annual One Day Educational Conference, and this year promises to be one of the best conference yet! In addition to the great educational programs you have come to expect, there will be exciting speakers and extraordinary prizes! Plan to catch all the action on November 16, 2006.

Learn more by clicking the (HERE): 2006 One Day Conference Information

 

Featured Articles

arrow Two Fantastic Charities! One Common Goal! Helping!
Preparations have begun for the Seventh Annual Community Challenge Weekend (CCW), which officially takes place on October 20-22, 2006. This year the Boston Chapter ALA’s charitable efforts during the CCW , and fundraising efforts throughout the year will go to support The Home for Little Wanderers and The Finex House. In an effort to show members the impact that their efforts can have on the community Trina Goodale of Goldberg & Weigand LLP spent some time with The Home for Little Wanderers and The Finex House to find out more about who they are and what they do. This year’s target is to exceed last years financial and volunteerism donations. Full Article

 

arrow Law Firm Financial Reporting: Understanding Your CPA Firm Engagement
By: Margery L. Piercey, CPA

Yes, even among the most experienced law firm financial administrators and stakeholders there exist some misconceptions or misunderstandings regarding the scope of assurance services provided by their independent certified public accountant (CPA). Furthermore, understanding the why’s and wherefore’s regarding the scope of assurance services under ever-changing standards should prove to enhance your communications with your CPA and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of your financial statement assurance engagement. Full Article     

 

arrow Mistakes to Avoid When Executing Your Retirement Plan
By: Daniel T. Wilson, CFP®, CLU, ChFC

The United States is experiencing a significant change in demographics as baby boomers reach retirement age. Increasingly, individuals are forced to rely more and more on their own personal savings to maintain their lifestyle through retirement. The traditional “Three-Legged Stool” (Social Security, company pensions and personal savings and investments) is down to one or two legs in many cases. Even though you may have given a lot of thought to planning for retirement, planning in retirement is more important than ever before. The decisions you make after you retire can mean the difference between living a stressful retirement or enjoying the peace of mind that comes with making informed decisions. Full Article     

 

Career Center

Career Talk - Managing the Legal Secretary Shortage
The position of legal secretary is fast becoming one of the most difficult to fill. As any legal administrator who’s searched for a qualified secretary knows, the demand for these professionals often outstrips the available supply – an imbalance that’s likely to become more acute in the future. Full Article

 

Hints and Tips

Top 10 Tips To Effective Networking
One of the greatest benefits of membership in the ALA is opportunity to network with your peers at events such as the monthly lunches and annual summer outing. Below is an excerpt from Diane Darling’s book “The Networking Survival Guide”. You may want to practice using some of these tips the next time you are able to attend a monthly lunch.. Full Article

 

 

ALA Professional Code of Ethics
The legal profession and business must adhere to high ethical standards to maintain public trust. This ALA Code of Professional Ethics sets forth guidelines or standards for the ethical administration of legal practices — private firms, legal clinics, corporate legal departments, governmental agencies and the courts. The ALA Professional Code of Ethics is available here.

 

Vendor Support

The Boston ALA has enjoyed a wonderful relationship with the vendors who support our organization and service the Legal Industry. We are grateful for the support vendors have given our organization over the years. It has allowed us to become one of the largest, most active chapters in the Country. Vendor support allows us to maintain a high-quality educational program for our members, provide scholarships for National and Regional Educational Conferences and provide out reach to the community for charitable programs.  Please visit http://www.alaboston.org/vendorDirectory.php to view an up to date listing of our vendor sponsors.