CALSPro - California Association of Legal Support Professionals

A Message From Our New President

Posted October 30, 2018 in Membership

By Robert Porambo

As I write this blog article, I think back over the last 50 years and reflect on the rich CALSPro history.  The 28 previous presidents, all of the officers, board members, committee chairs, advocates and administrators — all volunteering hundreds of hours to support and improve our industry.  As I said in my acceptance speech, our current board of directors has over 286 years of experience in the legal support industry. Think about the total combined years of experience of the great people that have volunteered over the past ½ century.  Astonishing knowledge and experience have shaped and developed our organization.

At our 50th conference, our historical committee, Andy Estin, Mike Kern and team did an extraordinary job of highlighting the past 50 years and presenting that information to our members. The program they put together was thoughtful, informative and insightful. I would like to see us give this program to all new members so that they can appreciate being part of a very special association. Please join me in thanking Andy, Mike and their entire team for the countless hours they spent compiling this program and for their “ruthian” efforts.

As we enter the second half-century of our organization, it is important to never forget why this association was formed and to work toward keeping it relevant and viable.  I am going to be a strong advocate for educating our newer members about the rich history of CALSPro, while honoring our founding and most senior members.   With the wealth of experience the current board contains, I want to encourage members to embrace their brothers in the industry and to reach out to the board if we can be of assistance to you in your business or the industry in general.

I look forward to serving the CALSPro membership and keeping CALSPro strong for another 50 years!

Mahalo!

Top 10 Myths About eFiling And eService: Part 2

Posted October 25, 2018 in Technology

If you enjoyed Part 1 of the Top 10 Myths about eFiling and eService, you can continue reading as Lindsey Dean of One Legal provides us with more myths in Part 2.

Let’s dive into five more myths about eFiling and eService, and how you can optimize both in the filing practices at your law firm.

Myth #6 Documents are harder to read on the screen

Everyone has their own preferences, and it may be true that for some people reading on a computer or tablet screen may cause more eye strain. However, screen reading has its share of advantages, too.

It’s easier to search digitally for keywords and phrases, navigating the document thematically. And on a digital document it’s possible to zoom in to see the text. Plus, a digital case management system like the ones used by the courts significantly improve the organization of documents, where ‘pulling files’ is a few clicks away.

Many judges nowadays are tech-savvy, and some prefer to use technology over paper. They can view files from a computer or iPad or iPhone. With digital documents, judges can collaborate with their peers, share information with their clerks, and add comments or questions. So, while everyone still has their own preferences, digital documents are not inherently harder to read on the screen.

Myth #7 Even if eFiling is mandatory, it’s fine to serve documents via traditional methods

When a state has mandated electronic court filing for the submission of legal documents, it generally also becomes a requirement to electronically serve (subsequent) documents, as well.

See Rules 11(c) and 131(d)(1),(2) in Illinois and Rule 2.251 in California, for example.

So, while case initiation documents are always served by personal service of process (or sub-service), most other documents filed in an eFiling court must be electronically served. As with most practices in the legal world, there are exceptions. Documents such as Writs, Orders to Show Cause, Temporary Restraining Orders, and Orders for Examination must be served by other than electronic service.

Myth #8 Clerks don’t look at the documents

As anyone who’s ever gotten a rejected eFiling will tell you, court clerks do review every single document. While many steps of the eFiling process are automated, there is a human looking carefully at your documents once they reach the courts.

The court clerks are checking to see if the document is formatted correctly, not just because it looks nicer, but because the specific formatting better enables the judge and court officials to absorb the information. Not to mention it’s required by state courts like California and Illinois. Clerks are reviewing the case to make sure that the filing does indeed belong with the indicated case, and to ensure that all prerequisite documents have been filed.

Some of the things they check include:

• documents are bookmarked
• the text is searchable
• all party and attorney information is correct
• metadata has been removed
• confidential information has been redacted
• documents are signed properly
• …and more

One thing to note is that in some instances, clerks do tend to skim through areas they don’t feel are critical, sometimes even the “Messages to the Clerk” notes. This is due to habits formed in the days when attorneys would attach formal letters to filings requesting that the clerk, in fact, file it. Clerks tended to ignore these as not important.

To help keep comments to the clerk strictly relevant, refrain from posting comments like “Please file” or “Thank you.” It’s nice, but unnecessary, and confirms to clerks that they don’t need to pay attention.

Myth #9 The clerks will “fill in the blanks” on your filing for information that pertains to the court

Clerks never have the authority to change anything about your filing. In the days of paper filing, the court runner or filer could make certain minor changes at the window. But in the eFiling world, this just isn’t possible.

In some rare circumstances, the eFiling clerk may call a filer to ask a question or correct a minor error (like the wrong year written down, especially near the beginning of the new year) but it’s not a common or best practice.

And you don’t really want the clerk making changes to your legal documents. For the sake of your case and your clients, no one else should be making changes outside your firm.

Myth #10 eFiling isn’t secure

In some ways, eFiling is more secure than traditional paper filing, as processes used to enhance digital documents for filing are more reliable. Redaction vis Adobe Acrobat is more permanent and protective than redacting tape or a Sharpie, for instance, and PDFs cannot be edited without leaving a digital footprint.

There you have it! The final five of the top 10 myths we hear spread about eFiling and eService.

Top 10 Myths About eFiling And eService: Part 1

Posted October 23, 2018 in Technology

With the Los Angeles County Superior Court ready to throw its hat into the eFiling ring next month, we felt now would be prime time to provide eFiling and eService information to the masses.  An article recently published by Lindsey Dean of One Legal reviews the Top 10 myths that surround eFiling and eService.

When a court first adopts electronic filing, the significant process changes involved naturally generate some confusion. Misunderstandings can persist long after launch about how—and even whether—the new system is working to make the legal process more efficient. This can encourage popular myths that lead to misguided decisions, or even unnecessary work.

Understanding the truth about the process can help clarify how eFiling affects your firm, and improve the way you submit documents to the court.

Let’s demystify these frequent misconceptions about eFiling:

Myth #1 The EFSPs are making me eFile, not the court

If only we had that kind of power! We would definitely use it for good. But only the court has the power to choose how it will permit documents to be filed.

In states like Indiana and Illinois, the state Supreme Court determined that the entire state would begin eFiling on one common platform, rather than their previous approach of letting every county build its own eFiling system.

These state court systems selected one electronic filing manager (EFM) to handle incoming filings and allowed filers to pick their preferred electronic filing service provider (EFSP) to connect to the EFM. These EFSPs offer their own support and capabilities according to the needs of the firm.

California is, primarily, an open system, in which every county chooses one or more EFMs through which to facilitate eFiling. The courts then allow certified EFSPs to offer premium eFiling services to professional filers.

Myth #2 Conformed copies are sent back instantly

Just like in the paper world, there are sometimes piles (or queues in the eFiling world) that a clerk must go through to get to your filing. So even though your filing arrives almost instantly at the court, it will appear in a queue along with all the other filings, and still must wait for the clerk to review.

Courts prioritize responsive pleadings, filings with statutes, and so on, which means that filed-endorsed copies of less important documents (e.g. Proofs of Service) can take longer to get returned to you. Documents that normally take longer to review, such as defaults, will also take more time to be returned.

While courts haven’t set clear expectations for when they try to return documents, you can typically expect to receive them in 1-2 court days. Again, this varies by the court and by document type.

Myth #3 Judges still print out documents anyway

While we can’t speak for every single judge in every single county, there has been an industry-wide push to print out fewer documents. And the case management system (CMS) within the courthouse is developed to support that goal.

Many judges look at documents on their computers, even reviewing and commenting on the digital pages. And all the details that are required of eFilers further benefit the judges who look at the digital documents. Optical character recognition (OCR) enables them to search and find certain phrases and words; electronically bookmarked exhibits improve navigation within the document.

Whether or not courts require a courtesy copy usually depends on the court’s preference, separate from the eFiling process. Sometimes new eFiling courts initiate a courtesy copy delivery requirement after eFiling goes live, but other times requests scale back as courts become more accustomed to handling digital filings.

As always, check your local rules!

Myth #4 You must use the EFM to eFile with the court—it’s required

When a court requires eFiling, they will clearly lay out which EFSPs have been certified to file with the court. Each of these EFSPs will, in turn, use the established EFM to connect to the court. In many cases, the EFM will also act as an EFSP, adding another option filers can choose.

The key thing to keep in mind is that you are still able to choose which portal you use to eFile, from the court certified options. And EFSPs typically put a lot more effort into intuitive workflows, while also offering additional features like disbursement of fees, simplified billing, and more.

Check your court’s website to see which EFSPs are certified to file in your state or county.

Myth #5 The EFSP is the one to reject your document

The EFSP delivers your documents straight to the court, securely and quickly. However, the court clerk is the only one with the authority to accept or reject the documents. The EFSP will notify you immediately once the rejection has been sent. The EFSP will automatically pull any details provided by the clerk about why it was not accepted, including their recommendations to fix it.

It’s easy to see why eFiling can get confusing. When the storied past of the legal industry merges with the burgeoning era of technology, there is bound to be some misunderstanding. Review your local court rules for accuracy.

Watch for Part 2.

Negative Feedback, The Catalyst For Improvement

Posted October 18, 2018 in Membership

Listening to your critics can help you learn valuable information about yourself, or your business.  When was the last time anyone checked your Yelp! Reviews?  Do you have a feedback section on your website for customers to contact you? If you take the time to see what your clients are experiencing it can and will help you improve your business if you work to improve the issues they raise. Negative feedback is the catalyst for improvement. Justin Bariso recently wrote about how Amazon has the ability to learn from criticism.

Amazon made a blockbuster move yesterday when it announced it is increasing its minimum wage to $15 per hour for all full-time, part-time, temporary, and seasonal employees across the U.S. (The increase should benefit over 350,000 workers this year alone.) Best of all, “Amazonians” won’t have to wait long for the salary bump: It goes into effect on November 1.

But it was the press release detailing Amazon’s big reveal that really drew my attention–because it included an interesting and insightful statement by Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos about why the company made the change:

“We listened to our critics, thought hard about what we wanted to do, and decided we want to lead.”

There’s a lot to be learned from that simple sentence. But I’d like to narrow in on just five words:

We listened to our critics.

Amazon has had no shortage of such critics, many of whom have chastised Bezos for what they consider unfair pay and treatment of entry-level workers. And while Bezos has long defended Amazon’s reputation as an employer, yesterday’s announcement revealed evidence of a remarkable and invaluable quality:

The ability to learn from negative feedback.

We’ve seen this before

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Bezos’s ability to learn from criticism.

Back in 2015, the New York Times published a viral story portraying behemoth Amazon as a brutal employer that put innovation and company performance above the well-being of its people. On the same weekend the article was published, Bezos sent out a memo to Amazon employees. In it, he encouraged them to give the New York Times article “a careful read.”

Bezos then directed employees to report any incidents similar to those in the story. He even invited employees to reach out to him directly through email. “Even if it’s rare or isolated, our tolerance for any such lack of empathy needs to be zero,” wrote Bezos in an internal memo. A year later, the company announced significant changes.

In both this instance and Amazon’s recent wage increase, it appears Bezos used negative feedback as a catalyst–to reevaluate the situation at his company and to consider if changes were needed.

How criticism can help you grow

In my new book,  I compare the feedback you receive to a freshly mined diamond. Although such a rock is unattractive to the naked eye, its value becomes obvious after the detailed process of cutting and polishing.

Criticism is like that unpolished diamond: To the recipient, it’s ugly. You’re trying your best, and along comes someone to tell you what you’re doing wrong. In most cases, you’ll interpret that criticism as an attack–leading you to defend yourself or simply close your mind.

But here’s the thing: We’re not perfect. Our perspective is limited, and we all have blind spots. That’s why we need negative feedback if we’re going to grow.

Since most criticism is rooted in truth, it usually provides some insight you can use to improve. And even if the feedback is completely off base, it’s still valuable–because it helps you understand the perspective of others.

Much like a diamond cutter can take a raw, unpolished diamond and turn it into something beautiful, you can learn to extract the benefits of criticism and turn it into a learning experience.

So, what if you trained yourself to see criticism differently? Instead of viewing it as an attack, what if you saw it as a gift?

When you treat negative feedback as a learning opportunity, you can do the following:

• confirm the validity of your ideas and prepare yourself for similar criticism in the future;
• better craft your message in a way that reaches those with varying perspectives;
• better identify your target audience; and
• change and adapt when appropriate.

Of course, I’m not excusing thoughtless criticism. If you need to deliver negative feedback, it’s important to learn how to do so constructively.

But if you’re the recipient of criticism, you don’t have that luxury. Turn that feedback around by asking yourself:

• Putting my personal feelings aside, what can I learn from this person’s perspective?
• How can I use this feedback to help me improve?

It takes emotional intelligence to ask and answer those questions. But doing so can turn you from a know-it-all, to a learn-it-all.

Remember, it never feels good to be told we’re wrong. But it’s those who disagree with us–the ones who call us out, who point out our weaknesses and flaws–who help us grow. Those who challenge us truly make us better.

Is There A Right Time To Give Negative Feedback?

Posted October 16, 2018 in Membership

Like most people, I tend to react poorly to negative feedback. Call it a defense mechanism if you will. I work hard at everything I do, and when you know you’ve poured all of that hard work and effort into something, the last thing you want to hear is how you failed to hit the mark. After I calm down and digest the feedback, however, I do appreciate it. In the long run it will make me a better manager, a better employee, a better person. Leah Fessler wrote an interesting article recently about when to give negative feedback.

Oh, the joys of being criticized.

There’s nothing like being told you’re bad at something, especially when the dig comes from someone you respect. Some, including my former employer, harangue you into believing that every piece of feedback is a gift—no matter how badly it stings. These people are probably right. They also make me want to slam my head into a wall.

The truth, of course, is that without criticism we cannot improve. However, negative feedback can easily trigger defensiveness, which is a great way to stifle learning of any kind. Even pointing out a spelling error may piss someone off, if delivered in the wrong way, or at the wrong time.

As a manager, these sensitivities can make giving feedback intimidating. Per recent research, 44% of managers say they find it stressful and difficult to give negative feedback, and one-fifth avoid the practice entirely. Even more surprisingly, nearly 40% of leaders conceded to never giving positive reinforcement, either.

However, research from Northwestern University suggests there may be an optimal time to give negative feedback. This timing has to do with our capacity for self-regulation, which plummets when we’re worn out.

In their 2016 study “The strength to face the facts: Self-regulation defends against defensive information processing,” published in the journal Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, researchers at the University of Toronto set out to understand who might be more receptive to negative feedback.

“Specifically, we thought that people high in self-control (i.e., high in the capacity to override their impulses, either at a trait-based, individual level, or as a temporary state) and those high in self-improvement motivation would be more able to withstand the short-term pains of accepting negative feedback in order to yield the long-term rewards,” study author Rachel Ruttan, an organizational behavior professor at the university, told Quartz via email.

Through five studies, Ruttan and her colleagues explored the impact of self-regulatory capacities on defensive information processing—the tendency to deny, distort, or avoid diagnostic self-threatening information.

People who are both low in self-regulatory capacities—both as a personality trait, and temporary state—were significantly more likely to deny the validity and importance of negative feedback, and were less willing to seek self-improvement based on this knowledge. The opposite was true for people high in self-regulatory capacities. The researchers ruled out explanations for these results based on self-esteem and competence-based deficits.

Additional research cited in Ruttan’s study suggests that people’s capacity for self-regulation and self-control declines as the day progresses. This isn’t particularly surprising, said Ruttan: The more tired and worn down we get, the less patience we have, and the more testy we can become. This is why many psychologists and feedback experts suggest waiting a few hours, or a day, before critiquing a colleague if they’re upset about their performance, like a failed presentation.

“In the moment, feedback can be one of the most painful experiences,” Harvard Law School lecturer Sheela Heen, author of Thanks for the Feedback, told Quartz last year:

“This is partly because of these two core, human needs that start off at cross-purposes with each other: On one hand, we actually do want to learn and grow. That’s a big piece of happiness research, and it’s very satisfying. But we also want to be accepted and respected and loved just the way we are now. So when people want us to change it somehow, it suggests that how I am now is not great or not cool.”

For many of us, this dissonance gets worse as the day progresses, which led Ruttan to her proposal that the best time to give negative feedback is in the morning. Perhaps not first thing when your colleague walks into the office—best to let them settle in. But in the first half of the day, for sure:

“Given that we found that those low in self-control had a harder time accepting negative feedback, we connected these two findings to propose that people may also be less receptive to negative feedback as the day progresses,” said Ruttan.

While there’s no specific day of the week that’s best for negative feedback, managers would be smart to heed their employees’ personal lives, said Ruttan. If they have a tough meeting, or trouble at home on a given day, avoid giving negative feedback, as their capacity for self-regulation and motivation to learn from it will probably be low.

Beyond timing, one of the most effective ways to optimize learning from criticism is to combine it with positive feedback, said Ruttan:

“We like hearing that we’re doing well, and positive feedback has been found to increase positive affect and mood. And feeling good can serve as a resource enabling people to tackle negative feedback.”

A Glimpse Into Due Process

Posted October 11, 2018 in Membership

By Clifford C. Jacobs

Many of us have heard that the concept of due process originated from the Magna Carta or “Great Charter” issued on June 15th, 1215 in England. However, most of us have never actually read the text that outlined the basis for our current interpretation of due process. The history is quite interesting but would take volumes to properly present, so instead, I will limit this article to a few facts and then simply present the relevant clause that is credited with establishing the basic concept of due process, and its corresponding sections of our constitution. You can delve much deeper into the intriguing history if you are so inclined.

The Magna Carta was the first document ever that was forced upon a King of England by a group of his subjects (powerful Barons) in an attempt to protect their privileges while limiting the King’s powers. King John (a.k.a. John Lackland, December 1166 – October 1216) did, in fact, put his seal on the document (known as the “Articles of the Barons”) which was presented by these Baron’s on June 15, 1215, and in exchange, the Baron’s renewed their oaths of fealty (their pledge of allegiance to the King). On July 15, 1215, the royal Chancery created a formal document to record the agreement. This was the original Magna Carta, which became the law of the land. It stood in opposition to some of the King’s power, which until that time was the unchallenged mere will of the King. One of the clauses which reduced the power of the King was the security clause which allowed a group of 25 Barons to override the King at any time by use of force in a process known as “distraint”. Perhaps this was the first of many checks and balances that are a common occurrence in governments today. A detailed reading of the Magna Carta will unveil many concepts that have become doctrine in most democratic nations.

In the Magna Carta, King John promised that:

“No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any other way, nor will we proceed with force against him, or send others to do so, except by the lawful judgment of his equals or by the law of the land.” It is easy to see how due process was established here.

A due process clause is contained in both the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the U. S. Constitution. Dealing with the administration of justice, the clauses safeguard us from unlawful denial of life, liberty or property; very similar to the protections called for by the Barons during King John’s reign. For comparison sake, I have included them here.

The Fifth Amendment

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

The Fourteenth Amendment (Section 1 of 5)

Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Our Supreme Court’s interpretation provides four types of due process protections:

1. Procedural
2. Substantive
3. Prohibiting vague laws, and
4. As a means for the incorporation of the Bill of Rights.

I encourage each of you to explore due process further to garner an even deeper appreciation and understanding of this noble livelihood in which we partake.

Congratulations To Our Affiliate Of The Year!

Posted October 9, 2018 in Membership

Last year CALSPro began a new tradition to highlight the great work of our Legal Support Professional companies and allow the members to vote for their choice of Affiliate of the Year.

The CALSPro Board of Directors wishes to congratulate all of the companies nominated for Affiliate of the Year 2018. These remarkable attorney services from throughout California went above and beyond the call of duty for their clients and set a very high standard for our industry.

Thank you to the many members who submitted their nominations and provided testimonials about their nominees for CALSPro’s Affiliate of the Year award.

At this past CALSPro Annual Conference attendees voted at the general meeting, votes were tallied, and the winner was announced at the Saturday night Banquet.

It is our great pleasure to announce this year’s Affiliate of the Year! Congratulations to Sterling Madison Company located in San Jose, CA!

We appreciate all that you do. Thank you for always striving for greatness!

Build A Team That Loves Working Together

Posted October 4, 2018 in Membership

When you work at the same place of employment long enough, you will see many employees come, and many employees go. Through those years you tend to develop relationships with those employees and friendships soon blossom. I have found that when you enjoy the people you work with, your productivity as a whole goes up tremendously. Your drive to excel helps to motivate each other to get to that next level.

In a recent article from Mike Kaeding, he points out that through leadership you can build a team that loves working together.

Mike Kaeding writes…

I laughed so hard. In fact, I think this was the hardest I have laughed in a long time.

Let me back up.

Our company supports a non-profit organization that does incredible work helping the homeless get back on their feet and thrive in society. We are passionate about creating a better way for people to live. Supporting the homeless is one way that we live out that passion.

They hosted a charity golf event. Because of our partnership we got a few tickets. The event was going to be a day of golf followed by a dinner.

I wasn’t sure if it was worth spending the day at a golf event. But I luckily kept my thoughts to myself and supported the event. I’m so glad I did.

One of my employees asked others if they wanted to go.

But she did something brilliant. She played it up as a way to see who had the best golf game. She developed a little friendly competition between the two sides of the office.

The Event

The day came and the employees who went had a great day of golf. I came just for the dinner.

But when I saw them, I instantly saw how great this event was for our team. They were laughing and enjoying each other’s company.

We sat down for dinner.

The staff started up new playful banter. One employee mentioned how she couldn’t even figure out how to hook up the keyboard, mouse, and power cables to her computer. Another employee, from IT, was in shock. He suggested that the first employee try a job in the IT department. It would be quite humorous to see how she did for a day.

Everyone was laughing, and we were really enjoying our time together.

It was powerful to see our staff come together like that.

Building a Team that Loves to Work Together

It can be hard to build a team that loves working together. But I think there are a couple important steps.

The first step is to hire the right people

This is a challenge. But first you need to know who the right people are by defining the core values of your company. This makes it clearer what kind of people will work best for your culture and what kind of people will work better for other company cultures.

The next step is to build relationships

The key to building relationships is time. Quality time spent between people will naturally build the relationship. We have formalized processes, like one-on-ones, to guarantee that people will get time together. But it’s also important to support the spontaneous events that also give people quality time together. This leads me to my last point.

My last point is to not get in the way of building relationships

It’s so easy as a leader to make a slight offhand comment that demoralizes people. But great leaders work hard to instead support people. So, be careful not to inadvertently hold people back from spending quality time together. Once people feel comfortable to spend that time, then magic really starts happening within your team.

Legislative Committee Update

Posted October 2, 2018 in Legislation

By Chad Barger

On August 27^th, CALSPro’s bill AB 2286, was signed into law by Governor Brown. The bill amends CCP 1011b to expand the hours for service on a pro se party by leaving a copy with anyone, other than the party, at his or her residence between the hours of 8 AM and 8 PM. Effective January 1, 2019. This may be a small victory, but it’s a victory nonetheless.

Speaking of victories, the legislative team and our lobbyist were able to protect the process serving profession from Senate Bill 183.  This bill was amended at the last minute and would cause a great deal of harm to the process serving industry. As proposed, the bill would clarify the power of judicial officers to prevent activities that threaten access to courthouses, including by protecting the privilege from arrest. The bill would provide that no person shall be subject to civil arrest or service of process while attending, or going to or from, a courthouse or court proceeding. The bill would provide that a person who knowingly executes or facilitates an arrest or service of process at a courthouse or court proceeding shall be liable for contempt of court, false imprisonment, or both. We vehemently opposed this bill and moved quickly to meet with the Senator Lara’s office. After several meetings, the author agreed to remove all language referring to service of process.

But wait, there’s more! The Coalition’s (CICA) Assembly Bill 1531 was also signed into law by the Governor. Effective January 1, 2019, the Bill provides that, where a represented party fails to remit payment to an (EFSP) electronic filing service provider, the electronic filing service provider may notify the clerk, and the clerk may notify the attorney of record that the attorney may be sanctioned for nonpayment of fees. The bill allows the court to sanction the attorney of record if the fees to the electronic service provider remain unpaid 20 days after notice by the clerk. The bill, in case of a duplicate payment by a party or an electronic filing service provider submitting a payment on behalf of a party, requires the court to issue any appropriate refund to the entity that made the most recent payment.

Looking back, I believe our legislative committee has lived up to its reputation to protect and preserve our profession. No, we didn’t have a huge victory like defeating previous mailing bills, but we were victorious with other attacks that would chip away at our industry. I’m excited about the future and what it holds. Yes, the times they are a changing, but opportunity is everywhere. Thank you for your support this past term and I look forward to seeing many of you at conference next month.