LAD Is Now NCBA Paralegal Division
Article Date: Saturday, June 21, 2008
Written By: Russell Rawlings
The Legal Assistants Division of the North Carolina Bar Association is changing its name to the Paralegal Division.
The name change, effective July 1, 2008, was approved by the NCBA Board of Governors during its summer meeting on Friday, June 20, in Atlantic Beach.
“Our desire to change the name from ‘legal assistant’ to ‘paralegal’ will make the name of the division consistent with the North Carolina State Bar and its Board of Paralegal Certification,” said Stephanie Crosby, outgoing chair of the division.
Teri Bowling, incoming chair who will be the first to lead the division under its new name, reported the news to incoming board members during the first meeting of the NCBA Board of Governors under President Charles Becton on Sunday, June 22.
“When the division was created in 1997,” Bowling said, “the terms ‘legal assistant’ and ‘paralegal’ were often used interchangeably to describe non-lawyers performing substantive legal work; however, over the years, the use of the terms has changed with many law firms, corporations, and governmental entities defining non-lawyers in separate categories or tiers.
“We are excited about the change of the division's name from Legal Assistants Division to Paralegal Division as it more accurately reflects who we are and what we do. Only the name has changed – our mission, membership criteria, and dedication to the profession remain the same.”
The Paralegal Division, as it will now be known, is among the fastest growing organizations within the NCBA and NCBA Foundation family of sections and divisions, nearly doubling in size over the past two years to reach its current membership total of 1,125.