Shawana Almendarez, NCBA Paralegal Division Chair: On Leadership, Work and Service
Shawana Almendarez is chair of the Paralegal Division (2021-22). She is a paralegal in the City Attorney’s Office in Charlotte. In this conversation, she provides us a background on her leadership within the division, a glimpse into her work as a paralegal and what is on the horizon for the division this year.
Shawana Almendarez has been an active member of the Paralegal Division since 2015, after a very special person encouraged her to become a part of the community.
“I met Allan Head years ago at a particular meeting that I was given an invitation to. He encouraged me to get involved with the division, and I took his advice.”
At the event, members from Washington state discussed their limited licensure program. Now, as leader of the division, Shawana hopes to create new pathways for paralegals to assist lawyers in serving the public.
“I am passionate about public service and being able to make sure that justice is available to all in whatever form that looks like. I know and feel that as paralegals we are underutilized when it comes to being able to help lawyers expand their reach through public service. I look forward to the opportunities that we create as well as participate in as a division to help with pro bono services. That is instrumental for those who have unmet needs in the legal community.
“As legal professionals we have a duty, and a responsibility, to ensure those needs, as much as they can, that those needs do not go unmet. That is how you build up public confidence and trust in the system.”
Leading the Division
Shawana, a native of Charlotte, has long been interested in both law and history, as far back as middle school, when she became involved with the John S. Leary Bar Association of Black Attorneys, a minority association in the Charlotte area which offered a mentorship program. As part of the program, Shawana had the opportunity to intern at Golding Meekins Holden & Styles.
Shawana at a Family Law CLE at the Bar Center in 2016.
Shawana has worked as a paralegal for 20 years. Prior to her current role as a paralegal in the City Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, she was a Family Court Case Coordinator for the Administrative Office of the Courts for nearly nine years and a paralegal for McDowell Street Center for Family Law. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business and legal studies from Strayer University, and an associate’s degree in paralegal studies from King’s College.
When asked what she is most looking forward to about leading the division this year, she anticipates all they will be able to accomplish together for the greater good.
“I am going to use the words of a former president of the association, Shelby Benton. I love the fact that I am ‘out of the stands and on the court’ – that my voice is being heard, my ideas can be implemented. It feels really good to know that I am making a positive difference in the lives of others.”
Connecting With Others
Shawana is eager to give back to a community that is an important part of her life. As she reflects on the ways the division has made it possible to stay connected through virtual means, she mentions the numerous opportunities to connect with her fellow members via Zoom – such as the sip and paint class she plans to join later in the evening. Through NCBA events such as this one, she and others remained in touch during the last year.
“We had yoga classes, cooking classes, and we have phone numbers, and we pick up the phone. We interact by phone, and we also interact through Google Meet. Even though we don’t get the one-on-one in person, we still have the ability to connect with one another by phone, email, and when we get together for our virtual socials.”
Shawana observes that virtual meetings have made it possible to include members who may not have joined otherwise because of the distance and time spent commuting to a physical location.
“I find it helpful that we are able to do virtual meetings because you have individuals who never came to in-person events because it was too far for them. We try to be mindful when we select in-person events – the population of our members and who will attend. The upside to being virtual is that you get to reach those individuals who may not necessarily have come into a meeting because you can sit from home and join the meeting.”
Transitioning From Virtual to Hybrid Environments
The remote environment is one she is familiar with. Shawana, like many other paralegals, worked from home during the pandemic. As she reflects on 2020, Shawana describes how paralegals, like other professionals, adapted to the changes brought on by COVID-19. She summarizes one important change in 2020: the shift to virtual notarization.
“Different administrative orders were issued on the particular county level as well as state level that allowed certain documents to not have to be verified by a notary in the manner in which they used to be. Attorneys and paralegals were able to provide the necessary paperwork without having the in-person interaction. We had the State of North Carolina and the Notary Section – they made it to where even if you did not have e-notary certification, you could still use Zoom to witness someone signing something for you to notarize.”
On working in a remote environment as a paralegal, she mentions some of the benefits.
“It has helped me upgrade my technology skills. You have to do more Zoom meetings and to be more creative about how you interact with individuals. I am also a notary public. It opened my eyes up to being an electronic notary. It has given me the opportunity to do things that weren’t necessarily on my radar.”
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With the opportunity to notarize via virtual means, Shawana has noticed advantages as well as potential drawbacks.
“When it comes to technology, there is this big talk about the transitioning of this profession of one to many because of technology. And that is good because it does expand your reach, or the reach of the profession. But then you have individuals who are not so tech savvy. And not having that one-on-one, in-person interaction when it is needed can defeat the purpose of helping many. Quantity can affect quality.”
Now, Shawana works in a hybrid environment. She remarks on the current parameters for paralegals.
“Now that we are hybrid, if I have the ability to meet with the person in person, I do that. Although it was available for me to do the video witnessing, I didn’t have to. Because of the way the administrative office of the court modified having to get things verified, it wasn’t necessary in my particular position. But I can see that in other positions it might have been necessary. That is a reason why they motioned the House to have the bill extended through December 31 – to have individuals be able to witness a document by video.
Shawana has adapted to the hybrid environment.
“I go into the office and do things I can’t handle remotely. Once I do what I need to do that I can’t do remotely, I return home and continue to work on the tasks I can’t do electronically.”
One of her favorite things about her role is the chance to exercise creativity.
“I always look at challenges as an opportunity to do something innovative and different. I look at it as a way to step back and figure out how we can make something better. It makes me think inside and outside of the box on a regular basis.
Shawana also enjoys making an impact on others’ lives.
“I love the people – I love helping people. I am very passionate about helping people for the right reasons.”
One way she helps others – and she encourages others to do the same – is by volunteering for various pro bono events with the NCBA.
“I have volunteered for Wills for Heroes. I have volunteered for 4ALL. I enjoy anything I can do to help people.
“I really enjoyed the Driver’s License Restoration Clinic. Volunteering in different areas that you wouldn’t normally be accustomed to helps you to gain knowledge in a particular practice area that you may not be privy to.”
Looking Ahead
As she leads the division this year, Shawana anticipates all that is on the horizon. She outlines some of the division’s plans for this year, which include pro bono opportunities, revisions to the council bylaws, and leadership trainings.
“As a division, we always focus on what we can do to help with the programs that already exist. We also have two wonderful pro bono co-chairs who are thinking of things we can do to create a new opportunity in our area.
“We are working as a council to ensure that our bylaws are revised because they have not been revised in some time. We want to try to remove some of the ambiguities that are in them when it comes to how we operate so that we have more productive meetings and so we are not going back and forth about who is going to interpret our bylaws, and what does this mean. We are tweaking our paralegal orientation manual.
“We have got some trainings – a committee that we just formed that is going to give leadership trainings for those who are already in leadership positions and may not know what the duties and responsibilities are. We are laying the foundations to make sure that once our leaders leave, the knowledge doesn’t leave.”
With these efforts, Shawana and other division members are sowing seeds that will continue to be fruitful in years to come.
As Shawana looks ahead, she considers potential changes to the profession.
“I am privileged and honored to be in on conversations regarding regulatory reform of the legal profession.
“One organization and one set of people can’t do everything. But it only takes one voice, one entity, to make a difference. Or at least spark the mind of someone else who can make that difference.”
By working together with her fellow members, Shawana is making that difference one day at a time.
Jessica Junqueira is communications manager for the North Carolina Bar Association.