mblack@leitnerfirm.com The East TN Chapter will be hosting the Spring Seminar in Knoxville on April 23-24, 2010. Watch for details! Southeast Tennessee Chapter Officers: Christie Gass, Chapter Chair, cgass@hortonmaddox.com Melissa Ledbetter, Vice Chair, mledbetter@republicparking.com The Southeast TN Chapter will be meeting on the third Monday of each month at Next Generation Imaging in Chattanooga. The next meeting is January 18th at 6pm. West Tennessee Chapter Officers: Courtney Syndor, Chapter Chair, csyndor@nixlawfirm.

1. TPA is an
affiliate of the
National Association
of Legal Assistants
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
◊ President’s Message
◊ A 6 Step Formula to Get the
Results You Want
Article: Vicki Voisin, ACP
◊ 2010 CLA/CP Certification Exam
Coming Up!
◊ NALA Campus Live
◊ Scholarship Announcements
- Student Scholarship
- Member Scholarship
◊ Mark Your Calendar
◊ 2010 Officers & Board
◊ TPA Outstanding Award
◊ Outstanding Member Nomination
◊ Chapter Information & News
◊ Sustaining Members
◊ Message from the Publications
Chair
◊ Applications for Scholarships
Tennessee Paralegal Association
Post Office Box 21723
Chattanooga, TN 37424
http://www.tnparalegal.org
PUBLICATION OF THE TENNESSEE PARALEGAL
ASSOCIATION
President’s Message
Dear Fellow TPA Members:
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New
Years!!!
As our president for this next term, I would like to take a
moment to introduce myself. I am a Certified Paralegal for
Leitner Williams Dooley & Napolitan, PLLC in Knoxville.
I have been here for six years. The attorneys I work for
practice mainly in insurance defense – personal injury,
workers compensation.
The first meeting of our Nashville Chapter will be held on
January 25, 2010 beginning at 6 p.m. CST at Next
Generation Imaging.
Our Spring Seminar will be hosted by the East TN Chapter
and will be held in Knoxville on April 23 – 24, 2010 at the
Jamison Inn in Knoxville. The topics are sure to be
interesting. Mark your calendars!!
The Board has a busy agenda. I am confident we will be
able to accomplish many things this year.
I look forward to a great year with TPA in 2010. If anyone
has any questions, concerns or need to contact me, please
feel free to email sherri.satterfield@leitnerfirm.com or
call at 865/ 523-0404.
Sherri L. Satterfield, CP
TPA President
Winter 2009 Volume 28 Number 4

2. A 6 Step Formula to Get the Results You Want
By Vicki Voisin, ACP
As a busy paralegal with family and social obligations, you will constantly be faced with challenges. Some
will be tougher than others. Meeting and overcoming the challenge is a lot less stressful if you have a clear formula or
process to follow. You need to follow a process that will save you from becoming bogged down and paralyzed by
indecision...a process that will guarantee you will get the result you want.
Use this 6 step formula to move forward when you are faced with a challenging decision.
1. Change your attitude. Attitude is everything! A can-do attitude rather than a defeatist attitude will instantly
eliminate much of the resistance to finding a solution. Think of the analogy of a viewing a glass as half full or half
empty, depending on your attitude. Optimism will go further toward solving problems than pessimism. Optimism will
open you up to more possibilities and help you make better decisions.
2. Take practical steps to uplift your spirits. If your problem is weighing heavily, change your surroundings --
take a walk, a warm bath or cool swim, play with your kids or pet, listen to your favorite music. Do anything that will
lift your spirits and raise your energy so you can be more effective.
Before you tackle your new issue, remember a time when you faced another problem, made a good decision and got
the outcome you wanted. Connecting with that feeling will empower you to meet challenges and make good decisions
every time.
3. Be clear about the outcome. Before you move toward a solution, you must be totally clear about the result
you want. If you don’t have a clear, precise vision of the outcome, you will struggle and waste a lot of time and
energy in the process. Ask yourself this question: what is the result I want to create?
Once you are clear about the outcome, it’s time to focus on the solution.
4. Focus on the solution not the problem. There is always more than one solution but you won't see any of
them if you are only focused on your problem. Begin by brainstorming the possibilities and writing them down. If you
get your thoughts out of your head and onto paper, you will literally ‘take a load off your mind’ and find the focus you
need to clearly consider your options.
5. Consider your options. Once you are fully focused on the solution, it's time to consider your options so you can
decide which course of action to take. In order for your options to become clear, list the criteria that must be met to
guarantee that you will be happy with the result...that you will get the outcome you want. Identify your criteria and
write them down.
Once you have that list, be sure you do not have criteria that are unreasonable or that cannot be met. Delete the
unimportant ones. If you don’t have enough criteria, there may be too many options to choose from. In this case, add
more criteria to eliminate options that may result in mediocre results. Your goal is to get the results you want.
6. Make a decision and determine your action steps. Once you follow the process in steps 1-5, your best
choice should be clear. Once you’ve made your decision, outline the steps that will get you to your result and
determine when those steps must be taken to reach the result you want. Begin those steps immediately.
Your challenge: Use this simple 6 step formula to meet your challenges head on and keep moving forward. Making
your decision and taking action is the only way to do that. Remember that your car parked in the driveway is capable
of taking you anywhere you want to go. It will not get you anywhere, though, until you put it in gear and follow your
map to your destination.
© 2009 Vicki Voisin, Inc.
Do you want to use this article in your newsletter, ezine or Web site? You can, so long as you include this entire blurb with it:
Vicki Voisin, "The Paralegal Mentor", delivers simple strategies for paralegals and other professionals to create success and
satisfaction by achieving goals and determining the direction they will take their careers. Vicki spotlights resources,
organizational tips, ethics issues, and other areas of continuing education to help paralegals and others reach their full
potential. She publishes a bi-weekly ezine titled Strategies for Paralegals Seeking Excellence. More information is
available at www.paralegalmentor.com

3. 2010 CLA/CP CERTIFICATION
EXAM COMING UP!
Filing Deadline: January 15, 2010 Exam: March 19 – 20, 2010
May, 15, 2010 July 23 – 24, 2010
GO TO www.nala.org FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS
NOTICE:
NEW APPROVED TESTING SITE
UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE AT CHATTANOOGA
NALA CAMPUS LIVE!
Spring Program Online – Schedule of Presentations
GO TO http://www.nalacampus.com FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS
SCHOLARSHIPS
SPONSORED BY TPA
The Lawassa B. Jones Scholarship
&
A CP/CLA Exam Scholarship
For more information
GO TO OUR WEBSITE AT:
www.tnparalegal.org
OR SEE END OF NEWLETTER FOR AN APPLICATION

4. MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
April 23 & 24 – 2010
This year’s Spring Seminar will be hosted in Knoxville at the
Jamison. You will not want to miss this event. CLE credits will be
available. Watch your e-mail and our website for additional
information and registration.
2010 TPA Officers and Board Members
(Contact the officers/board members via our website: www.tnparalegal.org)
President: Sherri L. Satterfield, CP, Leitner, Williams, Dooley & Napolitan, Knoxville
First Vice President: Melissa G. Ledbetter, Republic Parking System, Chattanooga
Second Vice President: Tammy R. Bradford, John D. Hamilton Attorney at Law, Jackson
NALA Liaison: Laysha M. McCullaugh, CP, Fleissner, Davis and Johnson, Chattanooga
Secretary: Pamela K. Leckey, CLA, Peggy G. Comstock Attorney at Law, Knoxville
Treasurer: Phyllis A. Carter, SunTrust Bank (Retired), Chattanooga
East Region Director: Susan E. Veal, Miller & Martin PLLC, Chattanooga
West Region Director: LaFran Plunk, West Tennessee Legal Services, Jackson
East TN Chapter Chair: Nita Gorman, Gary A. Davis and Associates, North Carolina
S.E. TN Chapter Chair: Christie L. Gass, Horton & Maddox PLLC, Chattanooga
West TN Chapter Chair: Courtney Syndor, Nix, Patterson & Roach LLP, Jackson
Historian: Susan Westmoreland, CEBS, Horton & Maddox PLLC (Retired), Chattanooga
Publication Chairs: Laysha M. McCullaugh, Fleissner, Davis and Johnson, Chattanooga &
Susan E. Veal, Miller & Martin PLLC, Chattanooga

5. TPA’S OUTSTANDING MEMBER AWARD
For the past nine years, TPA has awarded one of its members the Outstanding Member Award. Any
member of TPA may nominate any other member who has gone beyond the call of duty in promoting the
paralegal profession. If you would like to nominate someone for the 2010 Outstanding Member Award, please
complete the form below and write a short essay answering the question, “How does the nominee promote the
paralegal profession?”
Please address your nomination to Outstanding Member Nominations and mail it to TPA’s address listed
on the form no later than October 15, 2010. All nominations will be sent unopened to the chairperson of the
outstanding member committee. That committee will make the decision and present the award to the recipient
at the Annual Membership Meeting in November.
This is another way TPA promotes our profession and recognizes our outstanding members!
OUTSTANDING MEMBER NOMINATION
The Tennessee Paralegal Association has instituted an award to recognize TPA members who
have made an outstanding contribution to our profession. Please nominate a paralegal you
respect for his or her promotion of the paralegal profession and answer the following question
about your nominee: How does the nominee promote the paralegal profession?
The deadline for nomination is October 15, 2010.
Paralegal Nominee’s Name:
Firm/Company’s Name:
Address:
Office Phone: Office Fax:
Email Address:
Your Name:
Firm/Company Name:
Address::
Office Phone: Office Fax:
Please send the answer to the question and this form to:
Outstanding Member Nominations
Tennessee Paralegal Association
P.O. Box 21723
Chattanooga, Tennessee 37424

6. CHAPTER
INFORMATION & NEWS
East Tennessee Chapter
Officers:
Nita Gorman, Chapter Chair, ngorman@enviroattorney.com
Michelle Black, Vice Chairperson/Program Chair, mb1967@frontiernet.net
Tammy Murphy, Secretary, toppenbergburke@yahoo.com
Sherri Satterfield, Treasurer, sherri.satterfield@leitnerfirm.com
West Tennessee Chapter
Officers:
Courtney Snydor, Chapter Chair, court3275@bellsouth.net
LaFran Plunk, Vice President/Program Chair, lafran@wtls.org
Jennifer Petty, Secretary, jlhp@bellsouth.net
Tammy Bradford, Treasurer, trbradford@yahoo.com
Southeast Tennessee Chapter
Officers:
Christie Gass, Chapter Chair, cgass@chattanooga-law.com
Laysha M. McCullaugh, Vice President/Program Chair, lmccullaugh@comcast.net
Debra V. Marsee, Secretary, dmarsee@unum.com
Lynn Hager, Treasurer, hager@chattanoogainjurylaw.com
ANNOUNCMENTS
The Southeast Chapter intends to continue their monthly Learn at Lunch meetings on
the 3rd
Tuesday of each month at 11:30 a.m. at the United Way Building of down
town Chattanooga. Our speakers provide information on timely topics in the legal field.
In the coming 2010 Spring session Chattanooga State and the University of
Tennessee at Chattanooga plan on having another mock trial with the Southeast
chapter hosting and acting as jury.
Please forward any announcements for The Paralegal Advocate to lmccullaugh@comcast.com you wish to make.

7. Remember the Sustaining Members That Support Us!!!!!
Tracy Imaging Roane State Community College National Networks Reporting, Co.
http://www.tracyimaging.com http://www.rscc.cc.tn.us/ http://www.nnrc.com/
Gibson Court Reporting The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga London & Amburn, P.C.
http://gibsonreporters.com/ http://www.utc.edu/ http://www.latlaw.com/
The University of Tennessee at Knoxville Miller & Martin, PLLC Records Acquisition Services, Inc.
http://www.outreach.utk.edu/ http://www.millermartin.com/ https://www.rastn.com/
University of Tennessee also offers this site for paralegals: www.utparalegal.com or call: (865)974-0150
Truesdel & Rusk Registered Professional Reporters Precise Reporting, Inc.
http://www.truesdelrusk.com/ http://precisereporting.net/
The Norcross Group Document Solutions, Inc.
http://www.norcrossgroup.com/ http://www.dsionline.biz/

8. Publications Chair Section
Happy New Year! The Christmas season has come and past with New Year’s resolutions being made
by many. I have a question for you. One among the many I seem to always ask in this section. Did you
do or plan something for yourself? This is very vital, more than you may realize or want to think. It
actually needs to be done each day of the year. We know, but it’s a challenge to fit it in. As
paralegals/legal assistants, we end up having more on our mind at the end of a work day and forget to
stop a moment to make sure we have done something to take care of ourselves. Whether it is for your
physical or emotional well being it is necessary. It is so easy to get into the pattern of your daily routine
and forget to get that quiet moment to yourself, a moment with a friend or family member, or just as
important maintaining your health. It is essential to even remember setting and going to your yearly
physical exam. Be sure to make sure it is a full physical too. You may be missing significant symptoms
for something that is ailing you which you do not realize. I recently discovered this myself so I am
challenging you. It may be simple, but actually it is not as easy as it sounds since we are so busy. Take
care of yourself in all aspects of your life. You can do more when you do this. When you are not at
your 100% best you are not able to meet your full potential, enjoy life to the fullest, and you are not
able to assist others as well either. Best wishes to each of you for the upcoming year & years to follow.
– Laysha M. McCullaugh, CP
Message From
The Paralegal Advocate Team
We would appreciate your contribution to The
Paralegal Advocate by submitting articles of
interest to you to be published. Please note the
deadlines for each issue and feel free to provide
any information you would like published prior to
the deadline.
If you would like to have articles published on
specific topics in the Advocate, please contact
us.
- The Paralegal Advocate Team
THE PARALEGAL ADVOCATE
is published quarterly by the Tennessee
Paralegal Association, an affiliate of the National
Association of Legal Assistants, Inc. Articles and
other information for the newsletter should be
sent to the Advocate Team at the below
address. Please title subject heading “For TPA
Advocate:
Tennessee Paralegal Association
Attention: Advocate Team
Post Office Box 21723
Chattanooga, TN 37424
or lmccullaugh@comcast.net
DEADLINES FOR UPCOMING ISSUES:
SPRING: MARCH 31, 2010
SUMMER: JUNE 30, 2010
FALL: SEPTEMBER 30, 2010
WINTER: DECEMBER 31, 2010
Special Request: Please submit 2 weeks prior to
deadline, if possible. Thank you.

9. TENNESSEE PARALEGAL ASSOCIATION
APPLICATION FOR THE LAWASSA B. JONES MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
The application's questions are designed to let the judges know more about you, please be sure to include all
information you think pertinent.
NAME: ________________________________________________________________
LAST FIRST MIDDLE
ADDRESS: ____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Number City State
TELEPHONE
NUMBER: _____________________________________________________________
AREA CODE NUMBER
EMPLOYER: _____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
E-MAIL ADDRESS: _____________________________________________________
SCHOOL: ___________________________________________________________
WORK HISTORY (ATTACH A SEPARATE SHEET IF NECESSARY):
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
This application must be accompanied by a copy of your last transcript (high school or college), a letter of personal
recommendation, a letter of scholastic recommendation, and a short statement explaining your reasons for
applying for the scholarship and why you chose to become a paralegal. List any organizations to which you belong
and any community or school involvement. The letters of recommendation must come from people familiar with
your scholastic and leadership abilities. At least one letter must come from a teacher who is familiar with your
scholastic ability. APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED WITHOUT ATTACHMENTS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. Applications
should be returned to the Tennessee Paralegal Association by October 15th of this year.
All application materials or written inquiries should be mailed to:
Tennessee Paralegal Association
Attn: Scholarship Committee Chairperson
P.O. Box 21723
Chattanooga, TN 37424
All information contained in the application will be kept confidential.

10. TENNESSEE PARALEGAL ASSOCIATION
APPLICATION FOR CLA/CP EXAM SCHOLARSHIP
The application’s questions are designed to let the Committee Members know more about you.
Please be sure to include all information you think pertinent.
NAME: ___________________________________________________
LAST FIRST MIDDLE
ADDRESS: ___________________________________________________
STREET
___________________________________________________
CITY STATE ZIP
TELEPHONE: _______________________________________________
EMPLOYER: _______________________________________________
EMAIL ADDRESS: _____________________________________________
DATE SCHEDULED TO
TAKE CLA/CP EXAM: ________________________________________
Applications should be returned to the Tennessee Paralegal Association by October 15, 2010.
This Application MUST be accompanied by the following:
Resume;
Letter(s) of recommendation; and
Short essay/paragraph detailing why you want to obtain CLA/CP credential and study plans
to prepare for exam.
All application materials or written inquiries should be mailed to:
Tennessee Paralegal Association
Attn: CLA/CP Exam Scholarship Committee
P.O. Box 21723
Chattanooga, Tennessee 37424
ALL INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS APPLICATION WILL BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL.