Summer 2006

In This Issue

Member Profile: Kelli Shelton President's Message: Carole Morris Tale of Two Scholarship Winners: Lori Bearden and Denise Hofrichter Difficult Behavior and The Art of Communication A Look Inside an ALAME Article: Gary Weitzel's Commentary on "Web Site Marketing: the Basics" Boost Your Employee Health ROI: An Excerpt from Compliance and Culture: A Guide to Employee Matters ALA Region 2 Educational Conference & Exposition: Registration Information Looking Ahead to Louisville and The Region 2 Conference From the Editor

Member Profile: Kelli Shelton 

Kelli Shelton exudes tranquility. A poised Southern woman from Decatur, Alabama, she has served as office administrator at Sommers, Scrudder & Bass for 16 years. Her secret weapon?

"I think before I speak," Shelton informs with a relaxed smile.

Doubtless this enviable skill has served her well throughout both her career and personal life. With a quiet confidence and soothing demeanor, Shelton's longevity as administrator comes as no surprise. Her firm boasts staff loyalty, a low turnover rate and a familial spirit. In fact, staff satisfaction is so high that Shelton's time is rarely filled with human resources conundrums and recruiting issues. She claims the need to replace secretarial positions only once every four or five years. Indeed, Shelton seems to have found her career haven. But she didn't simply fall into this role. As many law firm veterans, she was raised in the legal environment, paying her dues along the way.

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President's Message: Carole Morris

So you don't have time to attend AALA luncheons and section meetings? That's what I thought for many years. What I failed to realize was that attending the luncheons and section meetings and really getting to know my fellow AALA members would not only save me time but also improve my performance and help me to become a more effective member of my firm. This year marks my 45th year in the legal industry and my 27th as office manager/firm administrator. Had I joined AALA and attended meetings "way back when", not only would I have made many friends sooner, I would have saved myself much time and heartache. To know that I have fellow administrators an email or phone call away to help me deal with an issue makes my job so much easier and even less stressful. At every luncheon, section meeting, regional and national conference session, I find at least one helpful idea to take back to my firm.

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Tale of Two Scholarship Winners: Lori Bearden and Denise Hofrichter

Read about the experiences of our ALA National Conference scholarship winners Lori Bearden and Denise Hofrichter as they experienced Montreal and National.

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Difficult Behavior and The Art of Communication
Dr. Rick Kirschner, The Art of Change, LLC

Who are the people you can’t stand, and what is it you can’t stand about them? My guess is that they're the people who don't do what you want them to do, and do what you don't want them to do, and you don't know what to do about them.

If you're fed up with laziness, frustrated by bullies, disappointed in human nature and tired of losing, don't despair. Instead, remember that you always have a choice. Four choices, actually.

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A Look Inside an ALAME Article: Gary Weitzel's Commentary on "Web Site Marketing: the Basics"
By: Michael Kun, Esq.

Most Atlanta ALA members are familiar with the ALA publication ALA Management Encyclopedia (ALAME), an online resource found on ALA's portal. However, many members have not read the articles in this growing collection of issue-specific articles written by leaders in the legal management profession. To provide a look inside the quality articles in the ALAME, Gary Weitzel, ALAME's first editor-in-chief, provides commentary to industry expert Micah Buchdahl's article "Web Site Marketing: the Basics" released on October 25, 2005 in the ALA Management Encyclopedia, the online resource. Weitzel notes that Buchdahl writes a comprehensive, well organized and utilitarian article about the relationship of a modern law firm Web site to both marketing and communication; marketing to prospects and communicating with clients, members of the firm, and the public in general.

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Boost Your Employee Health ROI: An Excerpt from Compliance and Culture: A Guide to Employee Matters

Looking for a list of front-end employee health benefits that can provide a healthy return on investment? Your search is over....

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ALA Region 2 Educational Conference & Exposition: Registration Information

Plan on attending the 2006 Regional Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, October 27 - 28. Register early for to save big!!!

Use this link to view further details.

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Looking Ahead to Louisville and The Region 2 Conference

Whenever I think of Louisville, I think of thoroughbred horses, the Kentucky Derby and Mint Juleps. At least that's what I thought of until an insert on Louisville fell out of a magazine and, literally, right into my lap. I thumbed through the pages and slowly realized I didn't know everything there was to know about Louisville after all. With the Region 2 Conference only months away, I thought I'd share a few of the things I learned.

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From the Editor

Welcome to AALA’s Summer 2006 Newsletter! This is my first edition as Editor. I am hopeful each and every one of you will find something of interest in this newsletter. I want to thank Brian Gedeon for his assistance in transitioning the newsletter to me. In addition, I want to thank Barry Shapiro who will also serve as Assistant Editor this year.

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Comments to the Editor

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Editor: Marianne M. Lawhead (mlawhead@sheastokes.com)

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