The Pittsburgh Paralegal Association is a voluntary, non-profit association formed in 1977 to promote the professional development and continuing education of paralegals.

PITTSBURGH PARALEGAL ASSOCIATION

COMMITTEES AND SPECIALTY SECTIONS

COMMITTEES

The PPA maintains several Committees to serve the needs of its members. The Committees have various responsibilities, including revising the by-laws and procedures, marketing, running the mentoring program, updating the job bank, organizing social events, etc.

SPECIALTY SECTIONS

PPA Specialty Sections are subgroups of different areas of law. The Specialty Section members organize meetings and seminars specific to those fields.

All PPA members are encouraged to join Committees and Specialty Sections. For more information, contact any of the individuals listed below.

Committee	Description	Chair & Members
Awards	The Awards Committee solicits nominations for the Paralegal of the Year and Pro Bono Paralegal of the Year awards given out by the PPA annually. The Committee reviews the nominations and selects the winners.	Anne Newcomer - Chair (atnparalegal@gmail.com)
Bylaws/Procedures Manual	The By-law Committee keeps the PPA By-laws and Procedures Manual updated.	Roberta Cramer (rcramer@dfllegal.com) Karen Sheriff (karen@allylegalsupport.com)
Advocacy	The policy and advocacy committee tracks changes in the paralegal field at the local, state and national levels, private or public, and advocates for advancement of the legal paraprofessional.	Laura Leonard - Chair (laura.leonard@crowncastle.com)
CLE	This committee obtains obtains speakers for PPA's monthly general meetings and obtains CLE approvals from the Keystone Alliance, NALA, and NFPA for seminars hosted by the PPA. In addition, the committee maintains the CLE database for PPA members to confirm Voting Member eligibility and certification applications and renewals.	Laura Timm - Chair (laura.timm@kennametal.com)
Job Bank	The Job Bank is a free service for members and potential employers. Employers may contact our job bank coordinator to post paralegal employment opportunities.	Roberta Cramer - Chair (rcramer@dfllegal.com) Kaitlyn Van Vleet (kaitvanvleet@gmail.com)
Marketing	The Marketing Committee meets monthly to develop programs to market member benefits to current, new and potential PPA members. The committee also works with PPA's Business Partners and sponsors.	Anne Newcomer - Chair (atnparalegal@gmail.com)
Membership Administration	The Membership Administration Committee maintains and audits the PPA membership database, sends welcome packets to new PPA members, and updates membership information with NALA and NFPA.	Anne Newcomer (atnparalegal@gmail.com) Laura Timm (laura.timm@kennametal.com) Saveria “Sam” Saunders - Chair (smsaunders17@gmail.com)
Mentoring	The mentoring program matches up seasoned paralegals with new or aspiring paralegals to provide career guidance.	Kaitlyn Van Vleet (kaitvanvleet@gmail.com) Laura Leonard (laura.leonard@crowncastle.com) Bobbie Grimmer - Chair (bgrimmer@allinfirm.com) Karen Sheriff (karen@allylegalsupport.com)
Nominating	This committee sends out the nomination forms and ballots for the PPA's Annual Election. Committee members also count the ballots and announce the results of the election.	Bridget Wood (bwood@tuckerlaw.com) Roberta Cramer (rcramer@dfllegal.com)
Paralegal Certification Ambassador	The paralegal certification ambassador promotes the NFPA PACE® and PCCE^TM exams and NALA CP exam to paralegals, paralegal educators, lawyers and the public. The certification ambassador assists with answering questions on eligibility to sit for certification exams, forming study groups, providing practical advice on studying for and taking a certification exam and answering questions on maintaining credentials.	Bobbie Grimmer - Chair (bgrimmer@allinfirm.com)
Pro Bono	Pro Bono Committee welcomes members to join them as they plan seminars on pro bono topics and pro bono events.	Diana Roth (droth006@gmail.com) Allison Gilbert (alli.gilbert@gmail.com)
Special Events	The Special Events Committee plans all PPA social events, including happy hours, the Pirates Game, Paralegal Day Luncheon, and the Holiday Luncheon.	Christine Barczy - Chair (clb@qrlegal.com) Kimberly McCann (kim.mccann@yahoo.com) Saveria “Sam” Saunders (smsaunders17@gmail.com)
Student Liaison	This committee is responsible for maintaining communication with local schools and paralegal programs about the PPA and the paralegal profession.	Laura Timm (laura.timm@kennametal.com) Roberta Cramer (rcramer@dfllegal.com) Christine Barczy (clb@qrlegal.com) Sara Cramer (saracramer15@gmail.com) Karen Sheriff (karen@allylegalsupport.com) Kaitlyn Van Vleet (kaitvanvleet@gmail.com) Laura Leonard (laura.leonard@crowncastle.com) Bridget Wood (bwood@tuckerlaw.com) Saveria “Sam” Saunders (smsaunders17@gmail.com)
Social Media	The Social Media Committee updates the PPA's Facebook and LinkedIn pages. This committee also oversees The Parascope blog, containing information and articles regarding both national and local news and events.	Danielle Pollini - Chair (dpollini@dmclaw.com)

Specialty	Description	Chair/Co-Chair
Animal Law	The Animal Law Specialty Section provides a forum for education and advocacy aimed at protecting the lives and advancing the interests of animals through the legal system, and raising the profile of the field of animal law.	Saveria “Sam” Saunders (smsaunders17@gmail.com)
Estates and Trusts	This section focuses on estate plans, including wills, trusts, power of attorney and healthcare reform. Elder law, planning for an aging family member whether it is long-term care, home-based care, assisted living, guardianship, abuse, neglect or fraud, is also included in this section.	Roberta Cramer (rcramer@dfllegal.com)
Family Law	The Family Law Specialty Section focuses on continuing education for paralegals in the areas of divorce, child support, custody, adoption and protection from abuse claims.	Karen Sheriff (karen@allylegalsupport.com)
Litigation	The Litigation Specialty Section covers all aspects of litigation. From civil and commercial litigation to consumer collections and trial preparation, this group tries to cover it all and is always looking for suggestions.	Anne Newcomer (atnparalegal@gmail.com) Roberta Cramer (rcramer@dfllegal.com) Bridget Wood (bwood@tuckerlaw.com)
Real Estate	This section provides education regarding real estate procedures focusing on commercial and residential transactions, contracts, real property, tax laws and legal documentation.	Diana Roth (droth006@gmail.com)
Technology	The Technology Specialty Section offers education regarding recent trends in technology, IP, and internet research.	Anne Newcomer (atnparalegal@gmail.com) Christine Barczy (clb@qrlegal.com) Bridget Wood (bwood@tuckerlaw.com)
Workplace Law	Workplace Law develops continuing education for paralegals in the various areas concerning the workplace, including employment law and workers’ compensation.	Christine Barczy (clb@qrlegal.com)
Bankruptcy Law	The Bankruptcy Law Specialty Section covers all procedural aspects of the bankruptcy process as governed by the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, along with local rules of each bankruptcy court, and focuses on dealing with the debt problems of individuals and businesses.	Allison Gilbert (alli.gilbert@gmail.com)