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The Legal Brief

Miami-Dade Legal Support Association P.O. Box 835544, Miami, FL 33283-5544

MDLSAMDLSAMDLSAMDLSA

ElectedElectedElectedElected

OfficersOfficersOfficersOfficers

President

Annette Mann (305) 789-5916

Vice-President

Andrea Honoré (305) 607-5553

Recording Secretary

Diana Sage (239) 334-8403

Treasurer

Teri Jo Dumas (305) 380-6644

FALSS Liaison

Diana Sage (239) 334-8403

Appointed Appointed Appointed Appointed

OfficersOfficersOfficersOfficers

Corresponding Secretary

Betsy LaChance (305) 895-3035

Parliamentarian

Andrea Honoré (305) 607-5553

Editor

Denise Powell

MIAMIMIAMIMIAMIMIAMI----DADE LEGAL SUPPORT ASSOCIATION DADE LEGAL SUPPORT ASSOCIATION DADE LEGAL SUPPORT ASSOCIATION DADE LEGAL SUPPORT ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTERNEWSLETTERNEWSLETTERNEWSLETTER February 2013

President’s Message

matters dealing with victims of foreign disasters and foreign issues in general. He explained how important it is to have an experienced translator in a case. Understanding the culture of the country where the disaster took place is significant. Every country is different in laws and customs. He has found that hiring foreign experts with proper credentials is crucial in bringing a successful outcome. Mr. Marks provided us with a few examples from cases that he has handled. Mr. Marks was not only knowledgeable, but interesting and entertaining! He also furnished us with a very valuable handout regarding handling foreign issues. We thoroughly enjoyed his presentation.

We all need to thank Linda McGrath-Cruz who came to our rescue and was able to acquire CLE credits for us through NALA on very short

Calendar

February 7, 2013 6:00 p.m.

Board of Directors Meeting Podhurst Orseck

February 26, 2013 5:30 p.m.

Membership Dinner Meeting 94

th Aero Squadron Restaurant

March 7, 2013 6:00 p.m.

Board of Directors Meeting Podhurst Orseck

March 26, 2013 5:30 p.m.

Membership Dinner Meeting 94

th Aero Squadron Restaurant

More event information is available at http://www.mdlsa.org/events.html

What a nice change to have these little bursts of cold or cooler weather! It’s a nice treat for us and we have a chance to wear our winter clothes. Of course, by the

time you read this message, we will be back in the 80’s! Believe me:. that is ok! When I was in Mississippi a few weeks ago, it turned 34° the day after I got there. It was raining, windy and so cold! I realized that this change was to remind me why I moved to sunny Florida! Even though we complain about the summer heat, we are so fortunate to live where we do.

My deepest thanks go out to all of our members and non-members for the lovely cards, e-mails, phone calls and prayers on the loss of my mother. She was 95 and lived a long life. My sister and I were blessed that we had her with us as long as we did. I was deeply touched by your thoughtfulness during this sad time. MDLSA is not only a wonderful organization, but a special group of friends that truly care about each other.

On Wednesday, January 23rd

our dinner meeting was held at the 94

th Aero Squadron.

New member Jocelyn Engracio gave a lovely invocation. Our guest speaker, Steven C. Marks from Podhurst Orseck, P.A., was introduced by Alba Ducci.

Steven C. Marks, Esq. with Annette Mann

Mr. Marks is an outstanding attorney with a vast amount of knowledge in handling

www.mdlsa.org

MIAMIMIAMIMIAMIMIAMI----DADE LEGAL SUPPORT ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTERDADE LEGAL SUPPORT ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTERDADE LEGAL SUPPORT ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTERDADE LEGAL SUPPORT ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER FebruaryFebruaryFebruaryFebruary 2013201320132013 TTeecchhnnoollooggyy TTiipp ooff tthhee MMoonntthh

How to Recover an Unsaved Document in Microsoft Office 2010

Microsoft Office 2010 makes it slightly easier to get back an unsaved document than the earlier versions of Office. Here’s how:

• After closing the Word file unwittingly without saving it, open up a new MS Word document again.

• Go to File – Info – Manage Versions.

• Click on the little dropdown and select Recover Unsaved Documents.

• Word opens the location where a copy of the draft resides (folder name is UnsavedFiles).

• Now just select the draft, open it up as a fresh MS Word document, and save it properly using the Save As button on the bar at the top of the document; something which we ‘forgot’ to do the last time around.

Note: Copies of unsaved documents are kept for four days in Office 2010 and then they are automatically deleted.

While opening the unsaved document, you can also make use of the Open & Repair feature for troubleshooting documents that might have been corrupted or damaged.

• Browse to the following file locations to open the file manually, depending on your operating system:

o Windows 7/Windows Vista: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\<Application_Name>

o Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\<username> \Application Data\Microsoft\<App Name>

Saving of drafts takes place automatically in all applications within MS Office. The Auto Recover function kicks in if the document has been open for some period of time, but does not always work if the document has never been saved. You can easily change the Auto recover interval by going to File – Options – Save. The default is 10 minutes as indicated under – Save AutoRecover Information. You may want to change it to a more frequent 3 – 5 minutes. Remember that AutoRecover may be a lifesaver, but it is not a substitute for the good habit of regularly saving your file while you are working on it.

Lana Angel Legal Education Chairman

notice.

Congratulations go to Angela Perez who won the 50/50 raffle!

February is MDLSA’s safety month. Many of our members heard Kevin Gilpin, Director of the National Crime Stop Program, speak to us last year. Our Safety Chairman, Isabel Hormilla, was able to get Mr. Gilpin to return and speak to us again on Tuesday, February 26

th

at our dinner meeting at the 94th Aero Squadron. The

information he brings to us is crucial in protecting ourselves and our families in today’s world. Come join us and invite a co-worker and/or friend!

Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day -- look forward to seeing you February 26

th!

Annette Mann, Annette Mann, Annette Mann, Annette Mann, PresidentPresidentPresidentPresident

Seated: Ana Azcuy, Audrey Fleming, Joan Sturge and Jocelyn

Engracio. Standing: Annette Mann and Dalia Morales

Steve Cakov, Denise Ricker, Odi Cardone,

Debbie Ewald and Sofia Espino

MMoorree ppiiccttuurreess ffrroomm tthhee JJaannuuaarryy

MMeeeettiinngg//

Andrea Honoré (center) installs new members

Odi Cardone and Debbie Ewald

Maritza Villar and Denise Powell

Joan Sturge and Andrea Honoré

MIAMIMIAMIMIAMIMIAMI----DADE LEGAL SUPPORT ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTERDADE LEGAL SUPPORT ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTERDADE LEGAL SUPPORT ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTERDADE LEGAL SUPPORT ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER FebruaryFebruaryFebruaryFebruary 2013201320132013

Lana Angel, Isabel Hormilla and Martha Ramos

Isabel Hormilla and Michele Calder

Angela Perez and Teri Jo Dumas

More photos at www.mdlsa.org/gallery.html

MIAMIMIAMIMIAMIMIAMI----DADE LEGAL SUPPORT ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTERDADE LEGAL SUPPORT ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTERDADE LEGAL SUPPORT ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTERDADE LEGAL SUPPORT ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER FebruaryFebruaryFebruaryFebruary 2013201320132013 PPeerrssoonnaall NNootteess Congratulations to Wilda Montenegro on the birth of her precious granddaughter, Mia Grace, who was born on February 11, 2013.

Thanks to Sofia Espino who has graciously agreed to take over as Recording Secretary Pro Tem since Diana Sage moved to Fort Myers. The term runs until April of this year. Diana Sage’s new address is 12530 Equestrian Circle, #405, Fort Myers, Florida 33907.

Denise Powell, Newsletter Chairman

FFrroomm tthhee CCoouurrttss JUST A LITTLE REMINDER that mandatory electronic filing in State Court goes into effect on April 1, 2013 in the Civil, Probate, Small Claims, and Family law divisions. Electronic filing in the Criminal, Traffic, and Juvenile divisions goes into effect on October 1, 2013.

Happy Valentine's Day

SSaaffeettyy Facebook Friend – or FRENEMY

Social media are great ways to connect, but make sure you know whom you’re connecting with. “Socialbots” – fake, computer generated profiles – use personal information for identity theft. And socialbots easily go viral: Once one “friends” you, it sends requests to all of your friends, A recent study showed that socialbots can make it through Facebook filters 80 percent of the time. Protect yourself and share these tips with others, especially the teens in your family.

• Confirm friendships only with people you know

• If you suspect a profile is fake, report it (On Facebook, go to the Help Center.)

• Keep you security settings tight. Stay visible only to friends-not friends of friends, some of which may be bots.

• If you need a wide network for professional reasons, enable the “subscribe” feature. That way anyone can follow your updates without having access to yourpersonal data.

• If you are suspicious about a friend request, check their friend list, and also check networks; anyone aligned with a school or professional network is less likely to be a socialbot.

• Nix anyone pretending to be a celebrity, and if some stranger’s profile picture is too beautiful to be true, think twice before friending them – the socialbots use attractive photos to gain access.

• Bottom line: the easiest way to protect yourself is to “friend” only your actual friends.

Isabel Hormilla Safety Chairman

EEmmppllooyymmeenntt CCoorrnneerr Top “AV” rated Downtown Miami Insurance Defense law firm seeks EXPERIENCED Full-Time Secretary for all phases of trial preparation including discovery assistance and case management. Must be a hard worker and be organized with good grammatical, typing and spelling skills. Client Profiles knowledge preferred. Must be a non-smoker. Competitive salary and benefits. Fax resume with references and salary requirements to Eileen at (305) 371-3948 or [email protected].

Ana Acosta Employment Chairman

This is a story about four people

named Everybody, Somebody,

Anybody and Nobody.

There was an important job to be

done and Everybody was asked to do

it. Everybody was sure that

Somebody would do it. Anybody

could have done it, but Nobody did it.

Somebody got angry about that,

because it was Everybody’s job.

Everybody thought Anybody could do

it but Nobody realized that

Everybody wouldn’t do it.

It ended up that Everybody blamed

Somebody when Nobody did what

Anybody could have done.

Sam Tyagi

minit print

The Legal Copying, Document Imaging & Printing Center

"Serving Miami Lawyers Since 1968"

Suite 445 Ingraham Building 25 S.E 2nd Ave. Miami, FL 33131

Tel: 305-374-0696 Fax: 305-358-9565

E-Mail: [email protected] www.minitprint.net [email protected]


FFeebbrruuaarryy BBiirrtthhddaayyss 2/15 Maggie Rodriguez (Honorary Member) 2/22 Jeannette Garofalo 2/24 Linda McGrath-Cruz 2/28 Shirley Hill (Honorary Member)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL OF YOU!

TTaaxx TTiipp Determining the Value of Donated Items

The Internal Revenue Service provides a guide to help a person determine how much they may deduct for the property that they contribute.

It explains how to first determine the fair market value of the product on the date of the contribution, and then how to appraise the deductions.

Regarding clothing, the site states: “Used clothing and other personal items are usually worth far less that the price you paid for them.”

Details can be found in the full IRS publication at www.irs.gov/publications/p561/ar02.html

FFeebbrruuaarryy MMeemmbbeerrsshhiipp MMeeeettiinngg

Meeting Details

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Cocktails - 5:30 p.m. Dinner - 6:30 p.m.

94th Aero Squadron Restaurant

1395 NW 57th Avenue

Miami, FL 33126 (305) 261-4220

Speaker: Kevin Gilpin, Director National Crime Stop Program

Topic: “Making Sure You Are Safe In Today’s World”

Menu

Garden Salad – Mixed garden greens, tomato, cucumber, sliced mushrooms and shaved carrots with honey mustard dressing

Choice of Entrée: • Churrasco – Served with garlic mashed

potatoes and seasonal vegetables

• Vegetarian Pasta Primavera

Rolls and Butter Chocolate Cake Unlimited Soft Drinks, Coffee/Decaf, Iced Tea

Reservations & Parking

$35.00 Members / $40.00 Non-members

RSVP to Annette Mann at (305) 789-5916 or [email protected]. To make your reservation and pay via Credit Card or PayPal, please go to www.mdlsa.org/events.html.

A headcount must be provided to the restaurant no later than Friday, February 22, 2013. We request your cooperation in providing your RSVP in a timely manner so that we can provide the headcount.

Free parking available

REMINDER: Please remember that MDLSA is held responsible for dinner reservations made to the restaurant. We encourage all members who need to cancel their reservation, to do so by 12:00 noon the day before the meeting and adhere to MDLSA Standing Rule 8. Thank you.

Cancellation Policy: Cancellations must be made by 12:00 noon the day before the meeting. Otherwise, you will be charged the fee. Thank you very much for your cooperation.

For advertising information contact Denise Powell at (954) 432-1420 or

[email protected]

For membership information contact Andrea Honoré at

[email protected]


“Support Those Who Support Us”

Artcraft Engraving & Printing, Inc.

Annette Mann/Mary Kay Cosmetics

The Cakov Group Language Solutions, Inc.

The Daily Business Review

Esquire Express, Inc.

Minit Print

Robert Paul Darby, LLC/Quality Remodeling

Sabadell United Bank

U.S. Legal Support

Veritext Deposition & Litigation Services

CCooddee ooff EEtthhiiccss Members of the Miami-Dade Legal Support Association are bound by the objectives of this association and the standards of conduct required of the legal profession. Every member shall:

Encourage respect for the law and the administration of justice;

Observe the rules governing privileged communications and confidential information;

Promote and exemplify high standards of loyalty, cooperation and courtesy; Perform all duties of the profession with integrity and competence;

and

Pursue a high order of professional attainment.