I was selected to attend the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General Corps' Paralegal Education Competency Working Group in Norfolk, Va., this past November.

I participated in a review of the Navy JAG Legalman Education Initiative paralegal degree program over a two-day period. How did a Western New York paralegal get invited to attend the working group session?

Two years ago, WNYPA became involved with the National Federation of Paralegal Association's Navy Legalman Project. Since then, WNYPA's own Navy Legalman Project has had a tremendous impact on Navy legal personnel serving overseas, and the efforts of this program have opened up relationships between paralegals and Navy "legalmen," whose job descriptions include paralegal functions. The new Navy Legalman Association recently became a member of the NFPA.

WNYPA had the unique opportunity to hear Command Master Chief Stephen DiStefano, who has been instrumental in promoting his legalmen in the civilian world, speak at our 2007 Paralegal/Attorney Dinner, giving us some insight on what his legalmen have been doing in Iraq and Afghanistan.

This fall, at the 2008 NFPA Annual Convention, I had the opportunity to get reacquainted with DiStefano, and we discussed his goals regarding the Navy JAG Legalman Education Initiative. The Navy has been working on developing the legalman status and building educational standards that will assist in identifying the level of a legalman. In Norfolk, I attended a discussion working group tasked with identifying core competencies of the Navy Legalman and specifically describing the competencies so that they will be understood by legal and nonlegal personnel. The group consisted of legalmen, master chiefs, commanders, JAGs and others. They also wanted a civilian paralegal to attend the meetings as a nonvoting participant to help parallel competencies of the civilian and naval paralegals.

I was honored to accept DiStefano's invitation to attend the conclave of meetings at the Norfolk Naval Base. Not only did I participate and offer ideas and experiences as a civilian paralegal, I met some extraordinary people. I did not have much time to visit the base, because most of our days were spent working and brainstorming. However, I was exposed to an entire community - the U.S. Navy and its legal branch.

Upon my return to Buffalo, I wondered if I brought back more than I provided in the meetings. I now have a better sense of the roles that the legalmen play, both in our homeland and on foreign soil.

I have since had telephone conversations with DiStefano to exchange our thoughts on the effectiveness of the meetings and what the Navy intends to do going forward to build the competencies across the Navy and armed forces. And DiStefano has inivted me to return to Norfolk if the Navy decides it's necessary to have an outsider participating in legalman's meetings in the future.

- By Annette Worthington, paralegal at Bond Schoeneck & King PLLC, NFPA roles & responsibilities coordinator/primary representative and WNYPA Navy legalman chair.