SUSTAINING MEMBER OF THE MONTH
Thanks so much to Dean Boerger and his staff for their continued support of PACO. Their generous support of PACO events and paralegals across central Ohio and beyond is truly appreciated. Reach out to Dean for all your investigative needs.
NEW YEAR/NEW START
Happy New Year! It's time to kick off a new year and 2026 promises to be a great year for PACO members! PACO is excited about all of the programs and events coming in the new year, and we want to take this opportunity to invite you all to join us! Each month, we offer CLE opportunities on a variety of legal and professional development topics - there is sure to be something that will be relevant to your practice area or helpful for expanding your skill set and marketability. Each month we offer our General Membership meeting, our Legal Insights session, and a round table discussion. All of these meetings feature a different speaker (on a variety of topics) and are held via Zoom over the lunch hour. There is no need to leave your office, find a parking space, or rush back to work before the lunch hour ends. You can very easily attend from the comfort of your own office. And did you know that these meetings are all provided at no cost?! In addition, we have quarterly in-person events that you can attend to meet new and old colleagues and friends, legal services vendors, and find out what's new in the legal industry. We provide information in this weekly news blast about each of our upcoming events and how to register. So keep watching for more information and plan to join us for some of these events! We hope to "see" you soon!
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Please join us at noon on Tuesday, January 20, 2026 when Lori Wagner, president of the National Federation of Paralegal Associations, will update us on the many benefits of NFPA membership and bring us up to date on the NFPA's new initiatives. Remember, your PACO membership includes membership in the NFPA - come find out what that means for you! Registration is available on the website at https://pacoparalegals.org/event-6494089?CalendarViewType=1&SelectedDate=1/29/2026
ROUND TABLE
Please join us on January 26, 2026 at noon for our first round table of 2026. This round table features the domestic relations practice area. In this session, Alexandria Ruden, Esq. will join us to discuss safety-focused parenting plans. Registration is available on the web site at https://pacoparalegals.org/event-6501411?CalendarViewType=1&SelectedDate=1/4/2026
LEGAL INSIGHTS
Please join us at noon on January 29, 2026 when Dean Boerger will present A Litigator's Field Guide to Civil Defense Investigations. This program will provide a pragmatic, experience-driven framework for attorneys, paralegals, and legal professional engaged in civil defense litigation. The program will explore best practices in evidence gathering, witness preparation, investigative planning, and case strategy. This program will provide actionable tools, checklists, and insights to enhance litigation outcomes and reinforce defense casework. Registration is available on the website at https://pacoparalegals.org/event-6494098?CalendarViewType=1&SelectedDate=1/29/2026
FRANKLIN COUNTY MUNICIPAL COURT NEWS
Recently, Clerk Lori Tyack and members of her staff joined us for our General Membership Meeting and shared lots of updates from the Clerk's office. The updates included information about new court costs that went into effect on December 15, 2025 and news about the new office for the Municipal Court Clerk. This spring, the James A. Karnes Building will be razed to make way for the new office and construction will begin in Fall 2026 to early 2027. The new building is expected to open in 2029-2030.
In its efforts to streamline the facilities, the Clerk's office will no longer maintain physical case files since cases are now stored electronically through the e-filing process. All of the cases in existence prior to e-filing must be scanned and imaged in order to maintain the old files electronically. The Clerk's office welcomes any assistance paralegals wish to offer in this process. If you are interested in assisting in this project, please contact Tate Wooding, Director of Public Relations, at woodingt@fcmcclerk.com for more information on volunteering your time.
OSBA PARALEGAL COMMITTEE
The OSBA Paralegal Committee Winter Meeting will take place on February 13, 2026 from 12:00-1:30PM (please note the corrected time from previous communications). Please consider joining us to get involved in the paralegal community.
OSBA STUDY GROUP
The next OSBA Certification Exam Study Group will be held January 27, 2026 at 6:30PM. Please reach out to Ashley Harris (harris.ashnic@gmail.com) if you haven't already registered and want to participate. All sessions are held virtually. The study group is open to all Ohio paralegals planning to sit for the OSBA Certification Exam. There is no cost.
PRO BONO OPPORTUNITIES WITH LASCO
Immigration Pro Bono Opportunities:
Asylum Clinics - there are many asylum clinics coming up. The next date is Thursday, February 19, 2026. For more information, to register, and to learn about training necessary for participation: https://oslsa.wufoo.com/forms/mq5q1bh0o5nipi/
Welcome Wednesday - Immigration Project. The next session being offered is Wednesday, December 3, 2025. For more information and to register: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A44AFAD2CAAF85-54921199-adhocproject#/