The Administrative Assistant Legal students from Central Technology Center , Sapulpa Campus recently attended the NALS of Oklahoma meeting in Tulsa . NALS is an association for legal support professionals. The organization encourages continuing education for its members to become certified professional legal secretaries. Members also will come to the classroom to help students with any questions they may have in preparing to work in a legal office, including how to dress for an interview.

Susann Shanahan, Adm. Asst. Legal Instructor, introduced the class to the group and explained the internship portion of their training that will continue through May 13.

Lori Fullbright, KOTV Channel 6 anchor and crime reporter was the guest speaker for the meeting. She explained how she got started in news reporting and stressed how important it is to get all the facts before interviewing people involved in certain crime situations. She related her experience reporting in diverse locations, including Denver, Colorado to cover the Oklahoma City bombing trial, to London, England for a look at "Bobbies on the Beat," and to Bosnia as Oklahoma soldiers were called up for the war.

The students were particularly impressed that Lori's hair, makeup, and clothing are all approved by her supervisor and at times critiqued by her television audience. She emphasized how important reporting the news without giving her personal opinion was sometimes challenging.

After the meeting, Cindy Squire, President of NALS, arranged for the class to visit the Gable and Gotwal Law Firm. Don Mann, Human Resources Director, toured the group through various areas of the law firm. The students visited with a senior Administrative Assistant who explained the various software programs that the firm used to help prepare legal documents, research information, and search case materials to locate certain documents. Microsoft Access and PowerPoint were mentioned as becoming more important tools in the legal field.

The Records Room Supervisor showed how the bar code system was used to file documents and helped to locate documents in minimal time. She showed how conflict of interest searches were completed before cases were accepted by the firm and explained how technology has aided in this task. Good organizational skills are vital in her area to help store and retrieve documents efficiently.

The Processing Center Supervisor explained how they processed materials that were to be duplicated for each case. The Center has the state-of-the-art equipment to assist with the high volume of documents they process each month. The students heard how technology has changed how we deliver information to employees, such as using scanners and DVDs as a means of relaying information instead of paper.