Kernodle-Hodges Receives the Paralegal Division’s Endorsement for the NCSB Board of Paralegal Certification
NCBA Paralegal Division Special Nomination Committee
The Notification
On June 23, 2021, the North Carolina State Bar Board of Paralegal Certification (hereinafter “Board”) notified the Paralegal Division (hereinafter “division”) of a call for nominations pursuant to 27 N.C.A.C. Chapter 1G – Section .0105 to fill an upcoming vacancy on the Board.
North Carolina Bar Association vs. North Carolina State Bar
To clear up any confusion, the North Carolina State Bar and the North Carolina Bar Association are separate and distinct organizations. The State Bar is a government agency. All licensed North Carolina lawyers must be members of the State Bar. The State Bar also houses the North Carolina Certified Paralegal program. The North Carolina Bar Association is a non-governmental, voluntary, professional organization that lawyers and paralegals may join. The Bar Association provides programs and services that promote the legal profession, assist its lawyer and paralegal members, and advance the administration of justice.
The Process
Pursuant to 27 N.C.A.C. Chapter 1G – Section .0105, when a Board vacancy occurs, nominees are requested by the Board from the following entities or categories:
● the North Carolina Paralegal Association;
● the North Carolina Bar Association Paralegal Division;
● the North Carolina Advocates for Justice Legal Assistants Division;
● three representatives from three local or regional paralegal organizations to be selected by the board; and
● an independent paralegal (not employed by a law firm, government entity, or legal department) to be selected by the board.
In response to this call for a nominee from the Paralegal Division, I sent out a request to all Division members on June 25, 2021, via our discussion board, requesting that anyone interested in being considered as a division nominee submit certain information to division leadership no later than July 2, 2021.
After the division received all submissions from interested members, I created a Special Committee pursuant to Article VI, Section VI.1. of division bylaws to select a member of the division as our nominee for consideration by the Board. The Special Committee consisted of five past Chairs: Stephanie Rivera (Immediate Past Chair), Tina Dadio, Debbie Harris, Annette Phelps, and Stephanie Crosby. The Special Committee met on July 8, 2021, to discuss submissions and select a nominee.
The Paralegal Division Selects S.M. Kernodle-Hodges
It is with great pleasure that the Paralegal Division selects S.M. Kernodle-Hodges, NCCP, VSP, NCCMC, for consideration for the Board. Kernodle-Hodges demonstrates an extraordinary commitment to the Paralegal Division, the legal community as a whole, and the general public.
S.M. Kernodle-Hodges is a legal project manager for Tolliver, Richardson & Kernodle LLC. The firm specializes in the areas of project management, advocacy, mediation, and community engagement. Kernodle is a native of Virginia, where she served as a criminal justice official for ten years.
She has an Associate of Science in administrative justice from Patrick Henry Community College and a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice and sociology from Averett University. Following her undergraduate studies, Kernodle attended Duke University in Durham, graduated from their paralegal program, and obtained her North Carolina Certified Paralegal credential.
S.M. Kernodle-Hodges continues to provide exceptional support and service to the Paralegal Division’s Pro Bono Committee as Co-Chair (with Rachel Royal) as she has for the last three years. Additionally, Kernodle-Hodges is co-author (with Alicia Mitchell-Mercer) of the North Carolina Justice For All Project (JFAP) proposal submitted to the North Carolina Supreme Court and the North Carolina State Bar. The proposal requests the creation of a limited licensing program to allow qualified paralegals and certain law school graduates to offer limited legal services to the public as an access to justice initiative. Other members of JFAP include Rachel Royal, Morag Polaski, and me.
Ms. Kernodle-Hodges (and Mitchell-Mercer) have also joined the North Carolina State Bar’s Subcommittee Studying Regulatory Change. The subcommittee is formulating its recommendations on the initiatives the State Bar should pursue, including ideas such as creating a limited license for paraprofessionals, initiating a court navigators program and liberalizing the rules on the unauthorized practice of law.
Kernodle-Hodge’s accomplishments are too numerous to list, but some of Kernodle-Hodge’s other noteworthy accomplishments include being a North Carolina Municipal Clerk, a U.S. District Court Mediator for the Western District of North Carolina, and a Victim Service Practitioner. Kernodle also just completed a three-year term as a Council Member for the Paralegal Division. In her continued commitment to community, service, and education, Ms. Kernodle-Hodges also served on the Wake County North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE) Board of Directors and is a Guardian ad Litem for Wake County Courts. In these roles, she is a voice for students, children, families, and Education Support Professional (ESPs).
The Paralegal Division endorses Kernodle-Hodges for the upcoming Board vacancy. As a Board member, we believe Kernodle-Hodges would serve the paralegal profession well due to her constant pursuit of excellence and forward-thinking approach to the future of the paralegal profession. We encourage NCCPs to vote for Kernodle-Hodges when the Board sends out its official ballot.
I thank all of those who submitted a request to be considered for the Paralegal Division nomination, and, as always, we encourage you to become involved in Paralegal Division leadership by joining a committee or taking part in our election process, which occurs each year in the spring.
Shawana Almendarez
2021-2022 Chair of the Paralegal Division
***
The Paralegal Division Blog is managed by the Division’s Communications Committee. Via the blog, the Communications Committee provides information written by attorneys, paralegals, and other experts designed specifically for paralegals in the areas of substantive law, ethics, technology, paralegal practice advice, and more. If you are interested in signing up to submit a blog post on a future date, you can do so here. When you are ready to submit a blog post, you can do so by using this form.
You may also wish to participate in the Division by using our virtual suggestion box to submit suggestions/ideas to the Division Council, nominating a paralegal for Paralegal Spotlight, or completing the Paralegal Spotlight Questionnaire if you are nominating yourself. If you are interested in volunteering with the Communications Committee, please contact the Communications Committee Chair at [email protected]. If you are interested in joining other Division committees, you can review a list of committees and sign up here.