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Welcome to the Missouri Paralegal Association!
Support MPA Sustaining Members:
As Missourians know, this is the “Show-Me State,” indicating our devotion to common sense – an excellent trait for any paralegal. In 2008, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor estimated Missouri to have over 4,600 paralegals and legal assistants working in the state.
The profession is also considered to have a much faster-than-average employment growth with an expected twenty-eight percent (28%) increase in the next 10 years. Common sense would dictate that the Missouri Paralegal Association is beneficial for such a large, growing group of workers.
The Missouri Paralegal Association (MPA) is a professional organization established in 1987. We are an association committed to the preservation and continued growth of the paralegal profession and are an affiliate of The National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA).
The purpose of the Missouri Paralegal Association is to serve paralegals and to advance the paralegal profession by:
- Developing and advancing the highest quality standards for education, ethical responsibility and professionalism;
- Serving as a unified voice for Missouri paralegals;
- Promoting the independence and self-direction of the paralegal profession;
- Monitoring, supporting and participating in changes and developments in the paralegal profession on local, state, national and international levels;
- Increasing the knowledge of the public, the judiciary, and the legal community regarding the paralegal profession; and
- Advancing, fostering and promoting the paralegal profession.
As a paralegal belonging to the Missouri Paralegal Association, you have chosen to be a paralegal as your career, not just as a job.
Join us on Facebook.
For more information on how to become a member, click on the “Join MPA” tab of this website.
MPA Annual Seminar
MPA hosts a seminar each year which offers extensive legal education and continuing legal education opportunities for our members.
Careers/Job Bank:
MPA members have access to current job openings that are specifically targeted to paralegal professionals in Missouri.
MPA Today:
Get involved! Involvement in MPA looks great on your resume and connects you to a strong network. Committee positions are available for budget, membership, programs, elections, public relations, etc. If you are interested in becoming a member, please contact Kathy Widman at kathywidman120@gmail.com for more information.
Get your CLEs!
Check with your local bar association – many are offering CLEs now. SmartPros offers discounted CLE packages for members. Check the NFPA website for more information.
Selected photos © Rufus Harmon, 2019, used with permission.
MPA on Facebook
#Paralegals know the importance of keeping great records, including notes re: contacts made (or attempted) with clients. Read how this record-keeping practice was of great assistance when an attorney had to testify about these contact attempts in the case of one man accused of child-porn issues.
#lawlife #ParalegalRockStar
www.timesleader.com/news/749210/defense-attorney-says-im-not-a-babysitter-in-former-clients-child...
Always take notes of every phone call, print every email, and save every letter. You can never have too much information in the client's file
Does your office still have an actual fax machine? Does your business card identify your efax number?
I remember the first fax coming into our office. We all stood around the machine in wonder.
Strangely, faxing is often more effective than emailing 😏
October 1st. That's the day the #MissouriSupremeCourt has ruled the next #execution in the state will occur. Inmate #Bucklew was convicted of killing a Cape Girardeau county man, raping and kidnapping his ex girlfriend, and injuring an officer in a shootout. His case was heard by SCOTUS and he narrowly lost in a 5-4 decision that determined the single medicine used in the execution, #pentobarbital, does not constitute cruel and unusual punishment, despite his medical conditions.
Pentobarbital is the same medication used in Texas for their executions as well. Many states use a compound injection made of several medications.
www.kcur.org/post/missouri-supreme-court-sets-execution-date-russell-bucklew#stream/0
We all know, love, and use #Case.net
Check out how one Missouri legislator is making the court case management system a priority next session and seeking some major changes, such as older info no longer being publicly accessible after a prescribed number of years.
themissouritimes.com/62907/next-steps-casenet-records-changes/
Next Steps: CaseNet records changes - The Missouri Times
As elected officials vacate Jefferson City and return to their families and jobs, The …Governor Mike Parson recently signed 10 bills into #law, many of which will affect the way we handle some of our cases. Do you work on class action matters? Check out the potential exclusions of out of state class members. Are PI matters more your expertise? One new law will permit evidence to be introduced re: a driver not wearing a #SeatBelt to assist with contribution issues. Work on criminal matters? Read about the mandatory driver's license revocation after hitting a roadside #construction worker.
Read the summary of these bills with the link below.
www.newstribune.com/news/local/story/2019/jul/11/parson-signs-several-lawsuit-court-reform-and-bu...
Parson signs several lawsuit, court reform and business-related bills
Missouri's Constitution says Gov. Mike Parson has until Sunday to sign or veto all the bills that lawmakers sent him after the end of this year's legislative session.
