MARCH 2024 QUARTERLY  EVENT

The Boston Chapter is excited to announce the March Quarterly Event!

National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, Record-Setting Long Distance Hiker 

Jennifer Pharr Davis is an internationally celebrated adventurer, author, mother and business owner. In 2011, she covered the 2,185-mile Appalachian Trail (AT) in forty-six days, eleven hours, and twenty minutes, a remarkable average of forty-seven miles per day and the overall fastest known time to complete the “AT.” She is the first woman to set that mark.

And she has yet to slow down. Hailed as "The Serena Williams of thru-hikers" by PBS, Jennifer’s accomplishments and expertise have been featured in The New York Times, Outside magazine, National Geographic, and the IMAX film Into America's Wild.

Jennifer shares her trail adventures with corporate, association, and educational audiences across the country. In the process, she encourages people to leverage their innate endurance and grit to achieve personal bests in everything from sports and family to the boardroom.

Jennifer serves on the President's Council for Sports Fitness and Nutrition and is the founder and owner of Blue Ridge Hiking Company, a guiding service that strives “to make the wilderness accessible and enjoyable” for adventurers of all ages, genders, and levels of ability.

Jennifer’s most recent book, The Pursuit of Endurance: Harnessing the Record-Breaking Power of Strength and Resilience, was published in 2018.

Members

Business Partners

Renew your Boston Chapter ALA membership for continued access to a network that will support you in many ways:

• Professional development

• Up-to-date information and current best practices in the legal profession

• Easy access to business partner specialists

• Most of all, the opportunity to develop relationships and contacts with other law firm managers

And don't forget about the exciting events the Boston Chapter offers, such as pop-up socials, quarterly events, and education programs! Take a look at our events calendar here.

Thank you to all the members that have already renewed! We appreciate your continued support.

Renew your membership today!

We’re happy to announce Amanda Aucoin has been appointed VP of the Communications and Visibility Committee! In this position, she will maximize the visibility of the Chapter and the Association within the legal community to promote, among other things, increased engagement, membership and recognition within the community. Amanda has been a member of ALA Boston since early 2021 and is currently employed as Office Administrator/Senior Litigation Paralegal at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP. She recently received ALA International’s 2023 NextGen Leader Award which recognizes members in their first five years with ALA who demonstrate conviction, dedication, and relentless pursuit of personal and professional excellence. The Boston Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators welcomes Amanda to the Board and appreciates her contributions to the Chapter, both to date and going forward.

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2023 marks the Boston Chapter’s 50th year.  At such a milestone, and following three challenging years, the focus of this year will be getting back to basics.  Our strength as an organization is each other- the peers you call for help with an issue, the business partners you contact when you want to know what’s new in the market, or the friends you look forward to seeing at events.  To foster these connections, we’re planning more opportunities to get together to network, develop personally and professionally, and have fun.

I want to thank fellow Board members, all our Chapter members and Business Partners for their continued dedication to this great Chapter. If you have any questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact me or any member of the Board of Directors.

If you are not yet a member, please consider joining.  Make the investment in yourself and your future.  You can learn more about ALA and Boston Chapter by visiting the member section of our website.  If you would like to contact me directly about ALA, please do not hesitate.  I am always happy to help a colleague.

Here’s to another fun-filled and fulfilling Chapter year!

Sincerely,

Christopher B. Holmes, CMA, CLM
cbh@bostonbusinesslaw.com

As law firm leaders, we understand the importance of not just adapting to change but actually embracing it.  In the past two years, our worlds have changed dramatically and irreversibly.  The pace of change will only accelerate going forward and it is up to us to innovate and create a new future for the legal industry.  Our relationships with our ALA members and business partners are now more important than ever.

As a long-term ALA member, I am honored and humbled to be the Chapter President in 2022-2023.  I am grateful to those who have led so skillfully before me and who continue to support the Chapter’s leadership team.  The dedication and passion of the many past presidents who generate ideas, participate in events and on committees, communicate with members and business partners, and are loyal to our organization is inspiring and impressive.

A special thanks to Megan Pluviose for her outstanding years of service on the ALA Board and for mentoring me so generously.  Megan has been a thoughtful decision-maker and strong leader these last few years which have been so unique.

As a Chapter, we have a lot to look forward to in the coming year.  We have recently begun to hold in-person events and will continue to do so.  We are coming up with new ideas and have big plans for upcoming educational and Quarterly Event programming.  And we will take time to socialize and connect on a personal level, because building relationships is really at the heart of our Chapter.  It is these long-lasting relationships in which we can be resources to one another and offer support in trying times.

To our members:  One of the things I have discovered during my years at ALA is that the experience became increasingly worthwhile the more I participated. I urge all members to see 2022-2023 as a time to step up, get involved, attend a roundtable, ask questions, join a committee, and get to know your ALA colleagues. As most of us are the only administrative leaders in our firms, having a network of peers to consult with, call for sanity checks, and cross-pollinate ideas, is incredibly valuable.

To our business partners: You deserve our gratitude for your steadfast support throughout the pandemic. It is because of you that we are able to provide our first-rate programming. We value our relationships with you and we enjoy seeing you at our events and conferences. Together, we provide resources, networking connections, and shared knowledge that elevate our profession and make our careers more rewarding.

To the 2022-2023 board: I am proud and excited to work with you this coming year – you are a talented group and you are the future of the Boston Chapter.

I look forward to working with all of you for what promises to be a productive, successful, and fun year.

Kindly,
Beverley O’Reilly
Chapter President, 2022-2023

Let me begin by saying what an incredible privilege it is for me to serve as the 2021-2022 President of the Boston Chapter.  I would like to sincerely thank our Immediate Past President, Megan Pluviose, for her leadership and dedication to the Chapter. I cannot thank the Board of Directors enough for their hard work in handling all of the challenges that we faced throughout this past year. I would also like to thank the following four outstanding volunteers for their service to our Board of Directors – Amy McDuff, Karen Edwards, Patti Sheehan, and Kim McMahon – each of who have recently completed their term. They have all played instrumental roles in guiding our mission with their insights and unique expertise.  Our Board is composed of some of the finest individuals and I am privileged to work beside them.

It all started 50 years ago…. Association of Legal Administrators 1971 – 2021 ~ Happy 50th Anniversary!  It was the year in which Richard Nixon was the 37th President, the average cost of a new house $25,200, the voting age was lowered to 18 years, Intel released the world's first microprocessor, Walt Disney World Theme Park was opened, National Public Radio (NPR) broadcast for the first time. The #1 movie was Billy Jack and the #1 song was Joy to the World by Three Dog Night. And on the legal front, it was the founding year of the Association of Legal Administrators followed by the Boston Chapter three years later! 

The continued support of our Business Partners is instrumental to the success of the Chapter. I want to take this opportunity to recognize and thank our Business Partners for their commitment to the Boston Chapter. The Business Partner program enables the Chapter to provide high-level educational and networking opportunities. Our strong Business Partner relationships are truly priceless! It is this team of incredibly talented experts that helps us keep our Firms running at peak performance.

There is no better time to expand your network and we encourage you to become even more involved. It’s easy… engage in the Chapter forums, participate in a roundtable, take part in a monthly coffee connection, or consider joining a committee. Committees are the heart of our organization and being part of a committee provides an opportunity to gain new skills in communication, professional development, and leadership. 

Over the last year, the transition to virtual networking and educational offerings enabled the Chapter to provide a safe environment for our Members and Business Partners. We have a very promising year ahead of us and we are looking forward to the return of safe in-person events. I look forward to connecting at one of our many upcoming events and please do not hesitate to email me in the interim. Be sure to follow the Boston Chapter on social media for the latest Chapter news and event details. 

Sincerely,

Joshua M. Stuckart

2021-2022 President – Boston Chapter

Dear Chapter Members and Business Partners,

It is with a heavy heart that I announce the loss of our colleague and friend, Susan (Sue) Kuder. Sue was a passionate and dedicated Boston Chapter Member since 1992, and the Director of Administration at Cunningham, Machanic, Cetlin, Johnson, Harney & Tenney, LLP for more than 20 years, retiring earlier this year. Sue worked tirelessly on issues of social justice, and was active on many of the Chapter’s committees throughout her membership. She was a friendly face at many Chapter events through the years, and many of our Members and Business Partners proudly called her a friend.

Sue fought a short, courageous battle with cancer, passing away peacefully on July 22, 2020. Sue’s inspiring accomplishments and obituary can be viewed here.

The Boston Chapter has made a donation in her name to First Parish Watertown.

With sadness,
Megan Pluviose
President - Boston Chapter ALA, 2020-2021

Click here to read Karen's article.

Serving as your 2020-2021 Boston Chapter President is an honor for which I owe much gratitude (and full credit) to the many Members and Business Partners who have worked so hard to pave the way before me, making the Boston Chapter one of the best (the best!) in the Association. I’d like to extend particular thanks to Amy Egan Cook who is moving off the Board for, essentially, the first time since 2010. She has dedicated an enormous amount of time, energy, passion and creativity to the Chapter, and has been instrumental in its success for more than 10 years. Special recognition is also due to Amy McDuff, who has been a tremendous leader for Chapter this past year. She seamlessly maneuvered an unexpected postponement of the Chapter’s 2019 One Day Leadership Conference & Business Partner Expo, but guided a year so full of educational and networking opportunities that none of us felt we had missed out. Then, last month, she navigated the difficult decision to again postpone the Leadership Conference at the last minute to protect the health and safety of our Members and Business Partners. Her calm under pressure is unmatched. Because of this, along with her many other strengths, I am beyond grateful that she will continue to be fully engaged in the leadership of the Chapter with me this year as Immediate Past President. She has been an extraordinary mentor and friend.

We all find ourselves in uncharted waters as we begin this new year. Our normal methods of working, socializing, and even everyday living have been completely upended. We are finding new ways to support our firms, our families, our communities and ourselves. One thing that will not change is that we have each other. We are all in this together, facing these same challenges, and the camaraderie and support within our membership remains. Perhaps, in this hard time, it will even flourish. I encourage you to remain engaged – with your professional development, with your colleagues, with the Chapter. No one quite understands your daily challenges and frustrations like your fellow Chapter Members and Business Partners. We can offer each other support, understanding, and information on best practices. We can serve one another as a sounding board, or a sanity check. Our Business Partners are experts in solving our problems, and eager to help us in any way they can. Many of them are already offering robust programming and advice – take advantage of what they have to offer. There are many ways we can support each other… the bottom line is that we can and will help one another through this, and come out stronger in the end.

On the professional development front, though our Chapter events have been postponed for the month of April, please know that the Board is working hard on developing new ways to bring these offerings to Members and Business Partners as quickly as possible. We look forward to announcing new opportunities in the coming weeks, and we very much look forward to seeing you all in person when the time is right to do so.

Stay healthy, safe, and sane.

Sincerely,

Megan Pluviose
Chapter President, 2020-2021

The Boston Chapter is proud to announce our newest Chapter Member CLMs!  Please take a moment to congratulate the Chapter's two new CLMs on their hard-earned achievement!

Brian McTague, CLM
Judy Truglia, CLM

Earning a CLM® designation allows you to demonstrate that you possess the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to operate at a high level of expertise in the legal management field. It demonstrates that you've met certain experience and employment requirements, received education in various legal management competencies and passed the CLM® exam.

Do you want to become a workplace leader? Do you want to certify your mastery of law firm operations, financial management, human resources and business management?

March 13, 2019 is the application deadline for the May 13, 2019 exam. Mark your calendars - registration opens on January 1st! Click here for more information.

If you are interested in participating in a CLM Study Group, please contact Ian Breslin for information.

Boston Chapter CLMs:

Ian P. Breslin, CLM
Linda M. Copson, CLM
Matthew Cote, CLM, MBA
Dorothea M. Downey, CLM
Christopher B. Holmes, CMA, CLM
Dawn M. Langan, CLM, PHR, SHRM-CP
Daniel J. McCormack, CLM
Kim M. McMahon, CLM
Brian McTague, CLM
Christopher J. O’Sullivan, CLM
Lisa M. Snyder, J.D., CLM
Joshua M. Stuckart, CLM
Judy Truglia, CLM

In accordance with the Chapter Bylaws, Chris O’Sullivan as the immediate Past President will serve as the Chair of the Nominating Committee and Amy Egan Cook will act as the Board Appointed Representative. As a five-member Nominating Committee, the three remaining spots will be filled by eligible Boston Chapter ALA Members. Members will vote and elect the three nominees to serve on this Committee. Members volunteering on the Nominating Committee may not serve on the Board of Directors. 

The Boston Chapter was featured in the July/August 2018 Volume of Legal Management Magazine, recognizing the impact the Chapter has had on the local Boys & Girls Clubs of Medford and Somerville.  The article highlight's the Boston Chapter's honor as the recipient of the 2018 Medford Community Partner of the Year award and outlines the Chapter's three-year commitment to building a program for at-risk teens.  

Lindsay Smythe, Executive Director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Medford and Somerville, was quoted, talking about the Chapter's accomplishment of raising more than $30,000 since 2016 in support of Teen Programs at the Medford Club.

Read the full article here.

June 2018

As most of you know, the Diversity & Inclusion Committee has been working closely with YMCA Training, Inc. to develop a legal administrative support curriculum for their training program.  You can learn more about the Training, Inc.’s current program here.  

The committee has made some great strides in the development of the program and we are moving forward with a September target date. There is still a lot of work to do!

For those of you that routinely have internship programs in your firms: please consider offering an eight week internship to one of Training, Inc.'s trainees from the legal module.  For those of you that don’t have internships, this would be a great opportunity to test the waters and employ a trainee for 8 weeks for a special project or other need. 

As administrators, we all understand the need for skilled entry level support staff and the difficulties we face in recruiting, hiring and retaining employees in these positions.  Once the program is underway and we have graduates ready for placement, we truly feel that both our firms and these program graduates will benefit greatly from the partnership and make a positive impact on legal offices here in Boston.  As a reminder, when you hire someone from Training, Inc. there is no fee! 

Please contact a Diversity & Inclusion Committee Member or Kim McMahon, VP Diversity & Inclusion, directly.  We earnestly need your support to get this project off the ground. 

Thank you!

Thank you to the Boston Chapter for selecting me to attend the 2017 ALA Annual Conference in Denver.  While my focus was on Diversity and Inclusion and what I could bring back to my committee and our Chapter, I also found a number of other topic quite interesting.  Especially, Burying the Billable Hour by Ron Baker, Internal Controls & Segregation of Duties by Ron Seigneur and Executive Presence: How to Achieve Greater Influence in Your Firm by Elizabeth Fried.  I met many wonderful ALA members from other chapters and it is always nice to know that someone, somewhere, has experienced the same thing that we may be experiencing now.  Just ask!

Randy James, Office Administrator, Verrill Dana LLP

I recently attended the Annual ALA Conference in Denver, CO.  I am fortunate and have been to a number of these conferences; this conference was one of the best.  It was very well run and the educational sessions were informative and entertaining.  

Not only did I gain new insight from the many interesting presenters, but I also learned about new products and services from the Business Partner sponsors.  It was also great to meet fellow ALA Members from other chapters and to hang out with many of my Boston Chapter friends as well. If you have never been to an Annual ALA Conference, I highly recommend that you attend the next one at National Harbor (near DC) next year.  

Ellen Snyder, Office Manager/Accountant, Kates & Barlow, PC

I cannot express how fortunate I feel to be a member of the Boston Chapter. Receiving the scholarship to the Annual Conference in Denver was truly a special gift. The educational sessions I attended were beyond anything from my previous experiences. The topics were very relevant to all the industry trends and there were so many options. Changes in payroll, diversity, and marijuana in the workplace are difficult issues to negotiate, but I now feel much more prepared to face them. This conference experience has given me the tools to be a better professional. Without the Boston Chapter’s support, I could never have afforded to attend. Thank you!

Patricia Sheehan, Regional Office Manager, Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP

It's always exciting to meet new members, network and attend sessions and the 2017 Denver Conference was just as great as others I have attended. I found at least 3 or 4 new products to help our firm while going through the Exhibit Hall, and met new business partners.  The Leading With Inclusion Idea Exchange was interesting, especially listening to people from different parts of the world.  Sessions on digital communication, paperless law firms, presentations, design opportunities and the general sessions were captivating.  Thank you Boston Chapter for this wonderful opportunity!

Renew by December 2, 2016 and save $25

Thank you for your continued membership with the Boston Chapter ALA. As a member of the Boston Chapter ALA you have access to a network that will support you in many ways, including: professional development, up-to-date information and current best practices in the legal profession, easy access to business partner specialists, and most of all, the opportunity to develop relationships and contacts with other law firm managers.  

Click here for a detailed description of your Boston Chapter ALA Member Benefits.

Click here to renew your 2017 membership today.

Questions? Please email: membership@alaboston.org 

Chris O’Sullivan, CFO/Firm Administrator, Gesmer Updegrove LLP

Cheryl Costello, Finance Assistant, Sugarman, Rogers, Barshak & Cohen P.C.

Sally Penney, Law Office Administrator, Ross Silverman LLP

Margaret T. Burke, Executive Director, Pabian & Russell, LLC

Jo-Anne Connelly, Accounting Manager, Hemenway & Barnes

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