ABOUT
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Desert Palm Legal Professionals Association (DPLPA) is a charter chapter of Legal Secretaries, Inc., now known as Legal Professionals, Incorporated (LPI). DPLPA was originally chartered in 1961.
DPLPA meets regularly to encourage networking, training, and information sharing and offer educational and professional programs to our members and guests. DPLPA also awards scholarships annually to aspiring future legal professionals. Our membership includes legal secretaries, paralegals, court clerks, support staff, students, attorneys, or anyone working in the legal profession. Anyone in the legal profession or interested in the legal profession is invited to join our association and participate in our programs and general meetings.
Who is DESERT PALM LEGAL PROFESSIONALS ASSOCIATION?
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Legal Professionals, Incorporated is our parent organization. It was founded and is dedicated to educating legal professionals and promoting high ethical standards among law office support staff. With approximately 1,500+ members and members-at-large and local associations throughout California, LPI’s motto is “Excellence through Education.” This motto epitomizes the goals and objectives of the organization.
Conferences are held in May, August, November, and February at various locations throughout California. The conferences are bid on and hosted by local associations. The conferences feature educational seminars and workshops and feature exceptional speakers, including attorneys, judges, experts, and educators.
Who is LEGAL PROFESSIONALS, INCORPORATED?
In 1929, an idea was formed and implemented to gather a group of legal secretaries to share information and learn how to prepare and file legal documents. By 1934, this idea blossomed and spread throughout the State of California, and in 1940, Legal Secretaries, Incorporated (LSI) was formed. In the new millennium, LSI (now LPI -- a change made to encompass all legal professionals, not just legal secretaries) continues to grow by serving legal professionals in all capacities through a variety of programs and services in conjunction with local associations like DPLPA.
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DPLPA began as a chartered member of LSI in 1961. Over time, legal secretaries expanded their duties and responsibilities in the law office. Many California legal secretaries took advantage of further education and certifications such as Professional Legal Secretary (PLS) and the current California Certified Legal Secretary (CCLS) available through LPI. The law office typically includes secretaries, paralegals, file clerks, and receptionists who all do their part to support and succeed the attorneys and firm. So, it was not surprising that at some point, members of DPLPA elected to change its name to Desert Palm Legal Professionals Association in an effort to recognize and include all law office professionals.
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OUR HISTORY
Our Legacy! History through the lens.
Every now and again, a person comes along that changes the course of events or lends a deeper meaning to the moment. For the Desert Palm Legal Professionals Association, that person is none other than Charter Member Florence Ross. Florence represented the best of our club and demonstrated with her words, her spirit, and her actions the best of all that we are.
Florence became a member of DPLPA in 1961 and remained a member until her passing in 2016. She was a life long learner and she shared information in a way that made everyone feel special.
She began her career as a legal secretary in Palm Springs in 1953 when she began working for attorney Warren Slaughter at Slaughter, Schlesinger & Schlecht. When Slaughter left the firm to become a judge, she remained with the firm which today is Schlecht, Shevlin and Shoenberger, one of the oldest law firms in Palm Springs.
Charter Member Florence Ross, 1933 - 2016
Florence Ross (3rd from right waving) rode in the famous Desert Circus Parade