Hello Austin ALA Chapter Members!  I am honored to be Chapter President for 2010 – 2011 and consider it a privilege to lead such an outstanding group of professionals.  During my turn at the helm, it is my hope to not only continue the success that has come to define our Chapter, but to add to it. In thinking about how to accomplish that goal I considered the ways I could let our membership know about what we are doing as a Chapter and about the value that membership in Austin ALA has.  The result is a brief State of the Chapter address to outline the Chapter’s budget and the projects the Board of Directors is undertaking to bring more value and purpose to your chapter membership.

Immigration Law Update

The federal government requires all employers to verify the employment eligibility of all new employees within three business days of the hire by completing and retaining  Form I-9. Employees must complete the form within 24 hours of hire. The forms can be confusing and difficult to complete, and employers often make mistakes that cost their companies thousands of dollars in penalties and sanctions, and even criminal prosecution.

There are 56 areas of competency (the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to successfully perform the job) for the Legal Administrator position.  Just the thought is intimidating.  Where is my Legal Administrator for Dummies book to help me navigate my way through lease negotiation, space planning, HR, budgeting, partner compensation, and financial best practices?  I tend to focus on those areas where I am comfortable, interested or (more often than not) those areas currently on fire.  I knew I was missing key ingredients for optimal performance.  If my job was to rise to the occasion, then I was baking unleavened bread:  edible, but flat and uninspired.  I was buried in the details, the daily minutia. 

This Chapter member loves power tools and home repair, and even received a magazine that has become a prized resource for Valentine’s Day called Family Handyman.  This Chapter member is a former ALA President and Office Manager by day.  Have you guessed yet?  She refers to herself as opinionated, but for those who know her, she is a person who is fun and full of energy, and far from ordinary.  At 110 volts, we give you Edna “Power Tool” Diaz. 

401(k) plans can be audited by either the Department of Labor (DOL) or as part of the requirement of the annual Form 5500 filing.  Plans with more than 120 participants at the beginning of the plan year are required to have an outside firm audit the plan and provide a report to go with the annual Form 5500 filing.  For most plan administrators, this will be their first exposure to an audit.  The circumstances surrounding this type of required audit are more pleasant than those regarding a surprise DOL audit, but an audit is an audit, and it will be stressful.  So how should you prepare?

Law firms have likely never had more plates in the air; tough decisions on down-sizing both attorneys and staff, strategic decisions relating to mergers and acquisitions to offset the impact of a weak economy, complicated technical adjustments for compliance with E-discovery rules, etc.  And just when they thought they might be able to juggle it all, many law firms are beginning to realize the impact of new laws and regulations on the management of their records; i.e., the mass amount of documents they have created during many years of practice, which continues to increase at an alarming rate in both electronic and paper format.