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The Illinois Paralegal Association is pleased to welcome Bella Schamber, Senior Litigation Paralegal at Sidley Austin LLP in Chicago, to the Board of Directors. Bella was appointed at the June 1 Board meeting to fill a vacant Class II Director position for the remainder of the 2026–2028 term. We look forward to her contributions and leadership.

With the recent additions of Nicole Rightmire and Heather Bernal, all eleven Board of Directors seats are now filled.

June is packed with educational and networking opportunities for IPA members:

• June 11, Noon – Join David Finnigan, Director of the Illinois Secretary of State Index Department, for a free member CLE on developments in Illinois Notary Public Law, including regular, remote, and electronic notarizations.
• June 16, 6:30 p.m. – Planning for Retirement workshop presented by Michael Al-Musa, MBA, of BMO US. Learn strategies for retirement readiness, saving, investing, and achieving long-term financial goals.
• June 18, 6:00 p.m. – Enjoy a fun evening with the South Suburban Section Social at Country Club Social in New Lenox featuring virtual golf, ping pong, darts, bags, shuffleboard, and pizza from Pizza Al Farfalla. Sponsored by Proceed Legal, this event is just $5 for members and $10 for guests, and sure to be a member favorite!
• June 19, Noon – The In-House Paralegals Section will host a 30-minute discussion on the evolving role of paralegals, including the impact of AI and changing expectations within legal departments.
• June 23, Noon – Free member CLE presented by Bluestar: Deepfakes: Authenticity On-Trial – Identifying and Defending Against Manipulated Media.
• June 24, Noon – Free member CLE: From Transcript to Trial Strategy: Modern Court Reporting for Paralegals, presented by Jim Pelley and Cara Reynolds of IST.
• June 26, 8:30 a.m. – Join us in person for our Second Annual Leadership Conference, beginning with continental breakfast at 8:30 a.m. The conference features three educational sessions, a networking exercise, and opportunities to connect with exhibitors and sponsors, including Lexitas, Capitol Services, Cogency Global, IST Management Services, Worldwide Litigation Services, and Bluestar Case Solutions.

We hope you'll take advantage of these outstanding opportunities to learn, connect, and engage with your fellow IPA members throughout June.