SUPREME COURT ADOPTS
THE CONCEPT OF MANDATORY CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION FOR ACTIVE
LAWYERS IN NEBRASKA
The NSBA House of Delegates passed a resolution in 2004 that requested the Nebraska
Supreme Court to adopt the concept of mandatory continuing education for lawyers.
A copy of the resolution is attached. After this resolution was adopted, law
schools, law-related associations, law firms, bar association sections and other
legal employers were asked to indicate their support for the concept of mandatory
CLE.
This information was provided to the Nebraska Supreme Court
by way of a petition in March of 2006. In mid-June, the officers
of the NSBA met with the Supreme Court to make a presentation
on the value and importance of MCLE to the professionalism of
the practicing bar, as well as the public’s trust and confidence
in the legal profession.
On June 21, the Supreme Court adopted the NSBA’s petition and
approved the concept of mandatory continuing legal education
for active Nebraska lawyers. It also ordered the NSBA to provide
it with proposed rules for the implementation of MCLE. The NSBA
is in the process of forming such a committee. The committee
will be as broadly based as possible to assure that the plan
will take into account the need for accessibility and affordability
in meeting any MCLE requirement.
The proposed rules will be sent to the NSBA House of Delegates,
before submission to the Supreme Court. The House will have the
opportunity to vote on the proposed rules. Those proposed rules
will then be sent to the Supreme Court for further consideration.
If you would be interested in serving on a committee to draft
the rules, or know of someone who would be interested, please
contact NSBA President William Dittrick or Executive Director
Jane Schoenike.
Resolution
Supreme Court Order
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NEBRASKA LAWYER SEARCHING FOR INFORMATION
Robert Janda, age 48, of St. Edward, Nebraska, died May
31, 2006. He is survived by his wife, Sveta Janda. Sveta Janda
is searching for an attorney to whom her husband introduced her
to, approximately two years ago, at a conference held at the
Cornhusker Hotel in Lincoln, Nebraska. At the time Mr. Janda
informed his wife that if anything were to happen to him, this
attorney would be able to assist her in the legal matters. Sveta
Janda does not know the name of this attorney and no attorney
has contacted her.
If you are an attorney that has performed legal services for Robert Janda and
has met his wife, Sveta Janda, we ask that you contact Richard T. Seckman, Attorney
in Schuyler, Nebraska, at (402)352-5118, who will provide the necessary information.
Please consider this
and give me your thoughts as to what we might be able to accomplish.
Your cooperation and assistance is appreciated.
Very truly yours,
Richard T. Seckman
Attorney at Law
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UPCOMING CFI EVENTS
Please mark your calendars
for any or all of the upcoming CFI events in 2006.
August 21,
2006- 10th Annual NSBA-CFI Golf Scramble, Firethorn Country
Club, Lincoln. Registration includes, golf cart, driving range,
lunch and dinner. Prizes awarded to top teams in two flights,
along with hole prizes and raffle items. Proceeds will benefit
VLP.
More detailed
information to follow in the upcoming months. If you or your members
are interested in further information on any of these events,
please contact Sam Clinch
at 800-927-0117, ext. 25.
THANK
YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!!
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REGISTER NOW FOR THE 2ND ANNUAL NEBRASKA LEGAL DIVERSITY SUMMIT
Nebraska’s 2nd Annual Legal Diversity Summit has been scheduled
for October 6, 2006 from 1:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Doubletree
Hotel (1616 Dodge Street) in Omaha. This important event will
include:
A book signing event by Charles Ogletree, author of
All Deliberate Speed: Reflections on the First Half Century of
Brown v. Board of Education and From Lynch Mobs to the Killing
State: Race and the Death Penalty in America.
A keynote address by Professor Charles Ogletree, Harvard
Law School, Founding and Executive Director of the Charles Hamilton
Houston Institute for Race and Justice, and named one of the
100+ Most Influential Black Americans by Ebony Magazine.
A panel discussion on the Hiring and Retention of Attorneys
of Color.
Interviews between Nebraska legal employers and law
students of color from Nebraska, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri,
South Dakota and beyond.
Legal Networking Reception for legal employers and
law students (hour devours and drinks provided).
We hope that you will come away from this conference with some
new ways of understanding the value of a diverse workforce, strategies
for recruiting and retaining attorneys of color, contacts with
law students of color from the region, and a renewed commitment
to work together toward a more diverse legal community in Nebraska.
Register on-line at www.nelegaldiversity.org or send in this
registration
form.
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NEW PARALEGAL COMPENSATION SURVEY RELEASED
(Newtown Square, PA,
June 29, 2006) The 2006 Annual Compensation Survey for Paralegals
/ Legal Assistants and Managers has just
been released. The survey, which reports on ten levels of paralegal
positions in law firms and corporate law departments, was conducted
by Altman Weil Publications, Inc. in partnership with the International
Paralegal Management Association (IPMA).
The Survey shows modest increases in median total cash compensation
for most paralegal positions in 2006. In law firms, median billing
rates for paralegals were up significantly.
“As the paralegal profession becomes more sophisticated, paralegals
continue to add value to their organizations and increase their
earning power as a result,” notes Altman Weil principal James
S. Wilber. “In law firms, increased billing rates create added
revenue for the firm and potentially additional profits as well.”
Paralegal Compensation
Nationally, the median salary for Paralegals is $50,000 according
to the survey. An annual bonus adds $2,000 to cash compensation.
69.1% of Paralegals in law firms and 62.5% of those in law departments
reported receiving an annual bonus.
Median overtime compensation is reported at $3,922/year. 76.2%
of eligible, non-exempt law firm Paralegals and 33% of eligible
law department Paralegals receive overtime compensation. Total
cash compensation nationally for the Paralegal position is $55,014,
up 3.9% from 2005.
Law Firms vs. Law Departments
Nationwide, Paralegals in law firms earn 10.4% more in median
total cash compensation than Paralegals in law departments. In
other paralegal positions, the difference is more pronounced:
Legal Assistant Managers in law firms earn 29.4% more; Senior
Legal Assistants earn 25.9% more; and, Specialists take home
23.2% more in total cash compensation than their law department
peers.
“There are two primary reasons for the difference,” says Wilber.
“Most law department paralegals don’t earn overtime and those
who do receive only a fraction of what law firm paralegals do.
In addition, paralegal compensation trends with organization
size, and there are a lot more large law firms.”
Practice Specialties
Paralegals working in the IP/Patent/Trademark practice earn
the highest total cash compensation in both law firms ($61,918)
and law departments ($58,291). The lowest-paying practice in
law firms is Regulatory/Utilities at $41,513, and in law departments,
Government/Legislative at $33,561.
Billing Rates
The survey found median billing rates ranging from $95/hour
for Paralegal Clerks to $150/hour for Paralegals and topping
out at $210/hour for Paralegal Case Managers. Billing rates were
up across the board for all ten paralegal positions reporting,
including a 17.6% increase for Legal Assistant Managers, a 13.5%
increase for Case Managers, an 11.8% increase for Paralegal Clerks,
and a 7.1% increase for Paralegals.
Billable Hours
Paralegals in law firms billed a median 1,426 hours/year in
2005, down 2.9% from the previous year. Insurance Paralegals
logged the highest number of hours at 1,600/year, followed by
Litigation Paralegals at 1,495/year. Paralegals with a Regulatory/Utilities
specialty billed the least, at 1,024 hours/year.
Data Collection and Reporting
The 2006 Annual Compensation Survey for Paralegals / Legal Assistants
and Managers is based on data collected in 2006 from 261 law
firms and 80 law departments and encompasses a total of 12,381
paralegal positions.
The Survey reports on ten distinct paralegal positions. Law
firm and law department data is reported cumulatively and comparatively.
Data was collected on salary, overtime, bonus, total cash compensation,
benefits, billable hours, and billing rates – and is reported
by position, type and size of organization, location, exempt/non-exempt
status, years in the profession, and practice area where applicable.
About Altman Weil
Altman Weil Publications, Inc. conducts and publishes numerous
surveys on the legal profession including the Survey of Law Firm
Economics and the Law Department Compensation Benchmarking Survey.
For additional information or to purchase a survey, visit our
website at www.altmanweil.com/ParalegalComp.
About IPMA
The International Paralegal Management Association (IPMA), formerly
known as the Legal Assistant Management Association, promotes
the development, professional standing and visibility of paralegal
management professionals. More information on IPMA can be found
at www.paralegalmanagement.org.
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