In Community, There Is Joy: Gadalla Reflects On Her Year As Paralegal Division Chair, Celebrates Team Of Leaders
Belonging to a community committed to serving others is one of the surest avenues for experiencing joy.
“I have always felt that if there’s some way that I can give back to the community and be a part of it, I want to do that,” says Yazmeen Gadalla, 2022-23 chair of the Paralegal Division.
When Gadalla became a paralegal five years ago, she discovered she loved the work, especially in the bankruptcy field. Thanks to the guidance of her peers in her first firm, she had found her professional vocation, but she had yet to connect with a group of people in her role who also felt the same. Everything changed in 2018 when she became a member of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Paralegal Division as a student member.
Recalling one of the first events that she attended, Gadalla describes the atmosphere as especially welcoming.
“I remember the first time I met Debbie Harris and a couple of other paralegals. It was at one of the annual meetings, and we went to a winery after one of the stand-alone events. We sat together and talked and just interacted with one another.
“And I really liked the people whom I was talking to. They all seemed very passionate about what they were doing, and they really enjoyed being part of the association. Doing this is what I wanted to be part of. I want to meet other people in my career. I want to be able to network and interact.”
After joining the NCBA, Gadalla wanted to go all in, and tried to apply as a council member. Harris, the current chair, mentored her by encouraging her to serve on a committee first. She joined the Scholarship Committee with Harris.
The following year, during Tina Dadio’s leadership of the division, Gadalla continued her involvement by becoming a council member. Gadalla, as well as being chair of the division, is the current co-chair of the Communications, Long-Term Planning, Membership and Scholarship Committee. She is also a member of the Pro Bono Committee.
Her membership experience has opened up new opportunities to make friends, learn, hone her skills in the field, and engage in pro bono work. Becoming a member also provided her with opportunities for various leadership roles. By organizing events where other paralegals can connect, she draws upon her activity planning roots. Serving in this capacity has been particularly rewarding. Gadalla loves those times when members from across the state get together and not only network but also make real social connections and friendships.
“I’ve met a lot of people who I consider good friends now through the Association,” she shares.
From left to right, Rachel Royal, S.M. Kernodle-Hodges, Dawn LaRue and Gadalla pictured at the North Carolina Asian Americans Together Citizenship Clinic, where they volunteered to help individuals with their N-400 forms.
Her passion for paralegal work and service has spilled over into her role as chair of the division. That passion has fueled her mission over the last seven months. Gadalla leads and plans so that others can experience the benefits of being involved.
She invites paralegals who are looking to share their gifts to join her in this mission.
Gadalla, who loves her work as a bankruptcy paralegal, found her way to the legal field after an intriguing career journey. She began her career in the health care field – specifically, in senior living – an area in which she worked from 2010-2017. During that time, she served in a number of roles, including as an activities director, activities assistant and administrative assistant. She loved being able to connect with her residents, learn their stories and plan fulfilling and engaging activities for them.
While working in health care full time, she also attended North Carolina State University as a full-time student, graduating in 2016 with a double major in English and criminology. It was not until she completed an internship with the United States Attorney’s Office while she was in her final semester of college at NC State that she decided the legal field was in her future.
After finishing her undergraduate degree, Gadalla relocated from Raleigh to Greensboro, where she joined Waldrep LLP, now Waldrep Wall Babcock & Bailey PLLC, as an administrative assistant. Within six months, she was promoted to legal assistant and then to a paralegal position. She pursued paralegal certification from Guilford College and finished the program in 2017. In 2018, she sat for the North Carolina Certified Paralegal Exam, and became an NCCP that same year.
From left to right, Rachel Royal, Elysia Prendergast-Jones, Gadalla, and S.M. Kernodle-Hodges at the Blanchard Community Law Clinic in downtown Raleigh.
In 2019, Gadalla moved back to Raleigh, where she worked in corporate law for a year before deciding to go back to her passion, bankruptcy law. She is now a paralegal at Hendren, Redwine & Malone, PLLC. She learned of the position through a posting on the NCBA Bankruptcy Section’s Communities Forum and was able to connect with the firm.
Just over two years into her current role, she couldn’t be happier.
“I really love the work I’m doing. I like the people I work with. They’ve always been really supportive of everything I’ve been doing, especially since I’ve become chair of the NCBA Paralegal Division.”
It was exactly what she was looking for in a professional organization, as well as in her life.
While working in health care, Gadalla participated in the annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s and was active with the Alzheimer’s Association. Once she became a paralegal, she wanted to find a way to give back using her newfound skills.
Gadalla, who is a notary public, began volunteering in 2019 with the Wills for Heroes Clinic. Since then, she has volunteered in Wills for Heroes clinics across the state, and she has participated in Driver’s License Restoration Clinics, 4ALL, an Immigration Law Clinic, and more.
“It’s one of those things where I feel like everybody, if they can do it, should do it. I think that there are a lot of benefits to pro bono, not just for the person who is getting the service but the person who’s giving it. There is a sense that you’re really doing the best for your community by getting involved.”
It is a gift to be a part of the Paralegal Division community, and because of what it has meant to her, she has endeavored to foster a culture of belonging in her leadership as chair.
Her primary goals for the bar year were to create the sense of camaraderie she had experienced since the beginning of her membership. She planned to increase member engagement, organize new events and create opportunities for members to experience all the division has to offer.
“My main goal is that I want people to feel like the division is really providing for them and to feel like they are getting a lot out of it.”
Gadalla is the most recent in a long line of division leaders. Last year, she was serving as treasurer of the division when she was asked if she would be interested in becoming chair, which came as a surprise to her as she had not yet served as vice chair. Although she was asked to lead earlier than she had expected, she stepped up to the plate and was ready to take on the challenge.
Gadalla attends the NCBA 2022 Annual Meeting.
Former leaders of the division encouraged her from the start.
“I was blown away that they would ask me in the first place, and it was a little intimidating at first. There was a little bit of a learning curve. Shawana (Almendarez), who is the immediate past chair, was very willing to help me. Debbie (Harris) was a great resource and still continues to be so. Tina Dadio was wonderful to talk to. Stephanie Durham-Rivera was a great help as well. There are so many past chairs who are willing to help me out and tell me ‘Here’s what you might want to know.’
“It’s been a wonderful honor for me to be chair and bring my best to the table for the division. And I’m just glad that I’ve had the time to really devote to them to really make everything as much as a success as I can. All of them have a true passion for wanting to do the best for their division.”
Their mentorship has shaped her plans as chair and helped her to see how much can be accomplished through teamwork. Realizing their goals could only be possible alongside fellow leaders and volunteers in the division, says Gadalla.
Remarking on the success of the year, she recognizes the many volunteers who have made it possible for the division to move forward in the way that it has.
“One of the things I’m very grateful for this year is that I have a council and committee chairs who are all very involved and all want to do their best for the division. I couldn’t do any of this if I didn’t have these committee chairs who were so invested in what they were doing.”
Gadalla spotlights the work of the Pro Bono Committee, chaired by Rachel Royal and S.M. Kernodle-Hodges. Some of the pro bono events that Royal and Kernodle-Hodges helped to coordinate were the Driver’s License Restoration Clinics, Expunction Clinics, and Family Law Clinics.
“Their efforts made it possible for a lot of paralegals in our division to get into pro bono activities and assist with projects that, initially, were not there. They have really been pushing for the division to get involved in pro bono opportunities.”
Another group she mentions is the Communications Committee, which she co-chairs with Katelyn Riddle. With their committee members, they manage and edit NCBarBlog content on the Paralegal Division page.
“We have really been trying to get a lot of quality content to our division members,” she says.
Serving on the Communications Committee involves thoughtful planning, editing and writing. Under Gadalla’s leadership, 15 blog posts have been published so far this bar year. The pieces have recognized division members, informed readers about specific practice areas, described volunteer opportunities and reflected on professional boundaries.
Gadalla has contributed two blog posts this year: one on division plans and membership benefits, and the second on upcoming spring events. She has encouraged a focus on ethics in their blog posts: see the posts written by Kimberly M. Johnson and Sarah L. White. Communications Co-Chair Katelyn Riddle writes about the power of saying no and encourages others to consider why setting boundaries is especially important in her field.
A new blog series titled “Through Their Eyes” gives members the opportunity to learn about specific practice areas. The first post in the series, Through Our Eyes – A Paralegal’s View into Child Custody and Child Support, was written by Peggy Pardue, a family law paralegal.
Gadalla is thankful for other members who have been active in supporting the blog’s efforts, Natalie Porter, Amanda Simpson, and Peggy Pardue.
“They have always been huge assets. We are glad to have them and for them to be involved.”
Another committee Gadalla recognizes is the Utilization Committee, which is working to advance regulatory reform.
“I was very excited last month about the post by our Utilization Committee, chaired by Alicia Mitchell-Mercer. They wrote a wonderful post that talked about the Justice for All Project that they spearhead and how that process has been in North Carolina and in other states. That was one of the most read posts for the month, and I was very excited to tell them, ‘I want to let you know that your efforts have really been showing through, and this is fantastic.’”
Gadalla has expanded the division’s reach and encouraged the culture of belonging not only through her committee work but also by organizing and co-planning events across the state – events that have encompassed social gatherings, outdoor adventures and opportunities to serve.
“All of our members have really been getting involved. We’ve had a lot of good membership events that both Stephanie Crosby and I have coordinated either between each other or with the council.”
Since July, the division has hosted six in-person events, which include networking gatherings held in Winston-Salem, Greensboro, and Raleigh; and a strategic planning retreat, a nature day social, and a member appreciation reception and holiday party, all held in Raleigh. The division also hosted monthly power hours via Zoom and a virtual bingo on January 26.
Left to right, Kasey Stewart, Amy Collins Nash, Lisa Metcalf and Gadalla at the NCBA Networking Event at Boxcar Bar + Arcade in Greensboro.
As she looks back on the year, Gadalla highlights one event in particular, the 2022 appreciation reception held in November.
She had an important realization as she began to organize the event: she recognized that she needed to ask for help.
She contacted Stephanie C. Crosby and asked the former division chair if she would be willing to assist with the remaining details.
“That’s been a really nice thing to realize is that there are other people that you can put your trust and faith in, and know that at the end of the day, they’re going to get it done and they’re going to get it done right. You just have to kind of put yourself out there a little bit and let that happen.
“The holiday party went spectacularly. We had 20 members who attended. We had a raffle, food, drinks, and Ward & Smith let us use their space, which was beautiful, and everyone had a great time. It was wonderful. So that was the best event I had seen from our division in a long time, and I was really excited to see so many people helping networking and interacting and just being engaged, which I felt was exactly what I was looking for.”
Meeting other members and connecting with them are two highlights of her role.
“One of my favorite things about the division is that I get to meet all of these people, interact with them and have a good time. I want to keep doing that – to keep providing the division quality content and events the absolute best that I can.
“That’s what I’m looking for as I find events and do all these things for our division. I want a sense of community. I want people to feel like there is a place where they can go, and if they ask questions about their career, or you know, about things in their job field, they can reach out on the Community Forum.”
As she looks ahead, Gadalla anticipates the division’s Annual Meeting and CLE, which will take place on May 5. The theme of the CLE is “Back to the Basics,” and the course will address several topics, including diversity in the corporate workplace, identifying corporate structures, and non-competes 101.
“I think that this year’s Annual Meeting will be a great event. The CPE Committee has been working hard to prepare CPEs that are relevant and interesting to all of our members. And not just quality CPEs – there’s also going to be a wellness yoga and a reception with the Diversity & Inclusion Committee that will be a delight to attend!”
Jessica Junqueira is communications manager for the North Carolina Bar Association.