Alliance of Legal Document Assistant Professionals Announces New President, Elects New Board of Directors

Non-Profit Association Promotes Professional Integrity and Consumer Protection in the Delivery of Non-Attorney, Self-Help Legal Services

SACRAMENTO, CA—June 24, 2010: The Alliance of Legal Document Assistant Professionals (ALDAP), a non-profit organization established in 2007 to serve the legal document assistant (LDA) and paralegal professions, has elected its new Board of Directors for the 2010-2012 term. The Board will focus on boosting awareness of the non-attorney alternatives to access the judicial system, and enhancing consumer protections associated with the delivery of self-help legal services.

2010-2012 Board of Directors

President
Suzanne Bowlby Ervine

Secretary and Legislation Director
Kathleen Mountjoy

Treasurer and Education Director
Gail Hahn

Director of Fundraising & Membership and Director of Compliance & Ethics
Anna Taylor

“I am extremely proud of what ALDAP has accomplished in its formative years, and look forward to leading the association through several new initiatives that will shape the future delivery of self-help legal services,” said Suzanne Bowlby Ervine, ALDAP’s new president. The association’s priorities include protecting consumers – as well as legitimate, registered LDAs and paralegals – engaged in the delivery of non-attorney legal services to members of the general public.

Ervine, President and one of ALDAP’s co-founders, has previously served as the association’s Vice President, Treasurer and Communications Director. She operates Red Sky Legal, a self-help legal document preparation service, and works as a freelance paralegal. She brings to ALDAP more than a decade of experience managing non-profit organizations. Following a successful career in the non-profit sector, she transitioned to the legal field in 2001. Ervine is registered as a legal document assistant in San Diego County. She holds an ABA Approved Paralegal Certificate and is a commissioned Notary Public.

Secretary and Legislation Director Kathleen Mountjoy co-founded ALDAP in 2007, and previously served as President, Vice President and Director of Compliance & Ethics. Mountjoy owns and operates Catalyst Legal with offices in Lincoln and San Diego. Mountjoy is retired from the law firm of McDonough Holland & Allen (Sacramento), and currently works as a “dual” professional, actively working both as a paralegal and LDA. She is registered as a legal document assistant in Placer and San Diego Counties.

Treasurer and Education Director Gail Hahn is a life-long paralegal, and was one of San Diego County’s first registered legal document assistants. Hahn operates Legal Choices, where she offers self-help legal document preparation, paralegal and mediation services. She has previously served as ALDAP’s Education Director, and co-chaired the association’s Court Liaison Committee.

Anna Taylor, ALDAP’s new Director of Compliance & Ethics, operates Sapphire Typing Service, where she specializes in assisting individuals with customer service, identity theft and other consumer protection issues. Taylor is a bonded legal document assistant, registered in Orange County, and a commissioned Notary Public. She holds a Certificate in Paralegal Studies and a Certificate in Legal Administrative Assistant Studies. She presently also serves as ALDAP’s Director of Fundraising & Membership.

“I am delighted that ALDAP has a Board comprised of leaders who are dedicated to addressing the most critical issues facing consumers as they access the judicial system,” said Ervine. “ALDAP continues to demonstrate its steadfast commitment to professional integrity and consumer protection for all self-represented litigants.”

About Legal Document Assistants and Paralegals:
Under California law, any non-attorney offering self-help legal services to members of the general public must be bonded and registered in accordance with Business & Professions Code § 6400. Paralegals are authorized under Business & Professions Code § 6450 to work only for licensed attorneys, law firms, governmental units, or corporate legal departments. It is a violation of state law for a paralegal to provide any services directly to a consumer.

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The Alliance of Legal Document Assistant Professionals is a California non-profit, mutual benefit corporation serving registered Legal Document Assistants and freelance paralegal/LDA dual-professionals. ALDAP’s mission is to promote the integrity of the LDA profession, generate awareness about non-attorney legal service providers, protect the public by educating consumers about self-representation and the unauthorized practice of law, promoting professional responsibility, and integrating LDA services with the legal community and the general public. For more information, visit http://www.aldap.org.

Alliance of Legal Document Assistant Professionals
Contact: Suzanne Bowlby Ervine
1017 L Street, #563
Sacramento, CA 95814
619-567-5176
President@aldap.org

This release was published on openPR.