CALDA Blog

Elizabeth Fleischer

I cannot believe the October Conference is almost here! And it did not seem that long ago that we started preparing for this conference. I know time flies, but wow, not this fast! We have many vendors attending the conference this year who will again, be showcasing their products and services that are beneficial to the business needs of an LDA and that of their clients.

Our vendors range from those who provide forms software, insurance bonds, and consumer credit counseling, to Attorneys who are a part of the newly formed Elias Referral Network. The attorneys’ part of this network, provide the much needed legal advice an LDA’s client may need to fill the gap; providing a more comprehensive and affordable service for the Self Represented Litigant.

There will be additional products for sale that are also an integral part of an LDA’s business; some of which include: LDA Disclaimer Plaques, Informational flowcharts for various legal topics written or approved by an Attorney, and letter openers; commemorating the 25th anniversary of CALDA, and providing a tool that makes it much easier to get to that all important mail that comes in.

Hope to see you there, and come check out the vendors at the conference!

Marty Omoto, Keynote Speaker

Marty Omoto is Executive Director of the California Disability Community Action Network, a non-partisan link to thousands of Californians with developmental and other disabilities. Marty has been an integral part of the “independent paralegal” movement.

Terri McCraken, Esq., Speaker

Terri L. McCracken is a family law attorney in Fresno, CA and a graduate of Central California College of Law, 1988. She has operated her private law practice for 16 years and in 2001 founded Child Supportive Services, a facility providing child custody and visitation exchange services. Additionally, McCracken has sat as Judge Pro Tem for the County of Fresno Superior Court on numerous occasions since 1995. Terri has been a CALDA supporter and teacher at the last several conferences.

Arcolina Panto
Arcolina Panto graduated cum laude from New York University with a B.A. in Fine Arts/Art History in 1999. As an undergraduate, her experiences, including a semester in India and a year as a tutor at a lower Manhattan elementary school with the America Reads program, taught her lessons about power and privilege in America. While attending UC Hastings College of the Law, Arcolina served as a co-director at the General Assistance Advocacy Project, providing services for homeless and marginally housed individuals. In the spring of 2004, Arcolina studied European law and government at Leiden University. Since receiving her J.D. from Hastings in 2004, Arcolina has focused on social justice.

BOB KEHN, Esq. Tips on Essential Forms by Bob Kehn, Esq.
Bob Kehn practiced law in Solvang and Los Olivos, California for 5 years. He has worked in sales and management in the Legal publishing field for 30 years for both Matthew Bender and West Publishing. For the last 13 years, Bob has worked with Essential Publishers where he is currently Vice President, C.O.O. and equity partner.

HELEN CAVANAUGH, Esq. Know Your Title Documents
Helen Cavanaugh has been the supervising attorney and Director of the Nevada County Superior Court’s Public Law Center since 2005. She received her B.S. from Northwestern University. Early in her legal career as a law student, Helen was one of the founding members of the Southwestern University campus chapter of the Public Interest Law Foundation. She is a certified mediator and was responsible for creating the collaborative court-conflict resolution center civil mediation program beginning in 2007. Through Sierra Adoption Services, Helen developed and managed a legal resource and training program specializing in funding, placement and legal issues of children involved with foster care, adoption and guardianship. This program ran for almost 10 years assisting any child placed from California. She had the honor of appointment as an advisory member of the Children and Family Law section of the Judicial Council from 1997 – 2000: the Little Hoover Commission on Foster Care in California 1998; Advisory member for the Governor’s roundtable on Guardianship in California; an appointed member Initiative Project, 1997; an Officer of Nevada County Bar Association from 2006-2010; In private practice, her specialty has been legal and financial planning for families coping with a disabled family member. Helen had written a training manual for social services and several articles. She has presented to over a hundred conferences on various legal issues. The scope of issues that present in the Public Law Center are vast and encompass those of the underrepresented, it is challenging and rewarding work to be a small part of the larger goal of equal access to justice in California.

Marcel Neumann, LDA, Speaker

Marcel A. Neumann, LDA assisted by Carla Sprugasci, Court Specialist, Sunnyvale
Marcel A. Neumann is a Legal Document Assistant (LDA) and owner of Affordable Document Preparation Services of Hayward, California, established in March of 1991. Marcel is past president of CALDA (2009 2011) and has been a member of the California Association of Legal Document Assistants (CALDA) since 1998. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors in the capacity of Nominations and Elections Chairman.