Tampa Bay Paralegal Association, Inc.

Welcome to the Tampa Bay Paralegal Association's website!

Welcome to the Tampa Bay Paralegal Association's website! Please bookmark this page and check back often for the latest in news regarding TBPA. If you are a member, please log into the website and go to the "Member Center" for further information, including the Job Bank and Newsletter. If you are unable to login, please contact our Technology Chair/Webmaster.

Tampa Bay Paralegal Association, Inc. ("TBPA") is an Affiliate Association of the National Association of Legal Assistants, Inc. (NALA).

Message from the TBPA President

TBPA 2024 OUTGOING PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Dear TBPA Members and Guests:

As your outgoing TBPA President, I would like to thank you for giving me the honor of serving as your President for the past four years! We had many accomplishments the past four years, including resuming in-person Annual Seminars, Monthly CLE Luncheons, hosting Networking Events in Pinellas County, and being active with several Pro Bono and Community Service events post-COVID pandemic.

I will continue to work with the TBPA Board the coming year, not only as the Immediate Past President in an adversary role, but also as a Director assisting with the Job Bank and other areas as your Board sees fit.

At this time, please join me in welcoming your 2025 Board of Directors:

President: Nita Serrano, ACP, FRP, AACP
1st Vice President: Angie Hales
2nd Vice President: Erica Barrett, FRP
Secretary: Emily Merlin, CP
Treasurer: Yvonne DeAntoneo
Director: Jeffrey Rizzo, CP, FRP
Director: Melissa J. Cook, FRP

The 2025 Seminar Committee is well underway on finalizing the Seminar which will be held on Friday, April 11^th at HCC Ybor Campus, together with the celebration of TBPA 25^th Anniversary. Please Save The Date and check your emails from Nita Serrano and Angie Hales for details on the joint events. Registration will open early January 2025.

Thank you again for allowing me to be your association's president for the past four years. I am certain TBPA will continue to move forward and grow with the new leadership in 2025.

Sincerely,

Tampa Bay Paralegal Association, Inc.

Melissa J. Cook, FRP
TBPA President
president@tbpa.org
www.tbpa.org

Please note Effective January 2025, Monthly CLE Luncheons will be moving to the second Tuesday of each month!!

SEMINAR

Upcoming Events

TBPA February CLE Luncheon Event

Thursday, February 13, 2025 11:45 AM • at The University Club, 38th Floor, 201 N. Franklin St., Tampa, FL

Wills for Heroes - Pro Bono Opportunity

Saturday, February 15, 2025 9:00 AM • Hillsborough County Bar Association - 1610 North Tampa Street, Tampa, FL 33602

TBPA March CLE Luncheon Event

Thursday, March 13, 2025 11:45 AM • at The University Club, 38th Floor, 201 N. Franklin St., Tampa, FL

2025 TBPA Seminar - Sponsors & Exhibitors

Friday, April 11, 2025 8:00 AM • Hillsborough Community College - Ybor Campus, Tampa, FL

TBPA Contact

As a member-driven organization, we love to receive input and feedback from our members. Please feel free to contact us with any comments or suggestions.

TBPA President: Nita Serrano, ACP, FRP, AACP

Send an email to Nita at president@tbpa.org

TBPA Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2840, Tampa, FL 33601

Membership Applications are available and more info on the membership categories and member benefits can be found under the Join Us tab. Any questions regarding membership may be directed to the 2nd VP/Membership Chair at membership@tbpa.org.

TBPA is Affiliated with

Florida Bar News

The Florida Bar News recently posted a very interesting article on March 21, 2019 titled Survey Looks at Paralegal Salaries that discusses paralegal's salaries. "Sixty-two percent of Florida law firms use paralegals and 51 percent of those say their paralegals averaged more than 1,000 billable hours last year" Do you know what average salaries for paralegals are where you live? Take a look at the full article here.

In a recent FRP News email from the Florida Bar, Shelly Zambo, FRP wrote the following: "The Florida Bar FRP Enrichment Committee is on the Move." The future is bright for Florida Registered Paralegals. The inaugural meeting of the Florida Bar’s newly-formed Florida Registered Paralegal Enrichment Committee was held at the Bar’s Winter Meeting on January 18, 2019 in Orlando. The mission of the Paralegal Enrichment Committee is to bring more awareness to the legal community as to how valuable Florida Registered Paralegals are to the legal profession.

See the entire email here.

Thank you to our 2025 Seminar Diamond Co-Sponsors!

Interested in being a Sponsor or Exhibitor at the 2025 Seminar?

If you are interested in being a Sponsor or Exhibitor at the 2025 TBPA Seminar, download the Prospectus here, sign and return to the Seminar Committee at Seminar@tbpa.org. Contact the Seminar Committee with any questions.

Interested in being a Monthly CLE Sponsor?

We welcome Sponsors for our future Monthly CLE Luncheon Events held in 2025 at The University Club. Download the Commitment Form and complete today to secure your preferred monthly event date! Months are starting to fill-up! Email your completed Monthly CLE Event Commitment to monthlycle@tbpa.org to secure your Monthly CLE Sponsorship.

Sign up for a Monthly CLE Event and be recognized here on this webpage during the month of your sponsorship and on the specific Month's CLE Event Emails!

TBPA 2025 January Monthly CLE Sponsor
(click on the image below to be taken to Sponsor's website)

If you have any difficulty logging in or experience a dead link or other problems navigating the website, please contact the Webmaster.

TBPA is a voluntary professional association and does not make any representation, endorsement or guarantee as to the quality, reliability, competency, accuracy, business practice/standards/ethics, or professionalism of any member of TBPA. TBPA does not conduct background checks or any other form of due diligence on any person or business applying for membership with TBPA.