Speakers

Mrs. Crawford-Franklin, Esq., is an attorney in Georgia. Her specialties are criminal law, family law, personal injury, and bankruptcy. She is also an Associate Law Professor in the Legal Studies Program at Kennesaw State University College of Professional Education and Herzing University. She sits on the Academic Advisory Board at Herzing University and is responsible for assisting with designing the curriculum to support students enrolled in the Legal Studies Program. She teaches Introduction to Law, Civil Litigation, Family Law, and Criminal Law. Her other interests include professional responsibility, ethics, bankruptcy law, contracts, legal research and writing, and NALA certification preparation. 

Kristine Custodio Suero, ACP, is an award-winning legal professional, published author, and highly sought-after speaker. A true servant leader, she has led the San Diego Paralegal Association and California Alliance of Paralegal Associations as President. Kristine teaches legal courses for a local San Diego paralegal program and lends her time to the program’s advisory board. Kristine is the Chair of NALA’s Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee, a past member of NALA’s Professional Development Committee and Continuing Education Council, and the former Ethics Chair. Kristine is a Senior Paralegal/Business Development Director for Butterfield Schechter LLP.

Jill I. Francisco, ACP, has a BA in criminal justice (concentration in legal studies). She has two ACPs (Trial Practice and Discovery). She is a paralegal with Dinsmore & Shohl, LLP, in West Virginia. She is President of the Legal Assistants/Paralegals of Southern West Virginia. She has been a NALA member since 2000, serving in various positions, including as President. She is an adjunct professor in the Paralegal Studies Program at Mountwest Community & Technical College. She serves on the Marshall University Big Green Scholarship Foundation Board of Trustees. She hosts The Paralegal Voice podcast on the Legal Talk Network.   

Oscar L. Frazier, MBA, PMP, LSSBB, Certified SAFe^® 5 Agilist is an international speaker and an expert in automation and innovation, with a deep understanding of technology’s role in modern leadership and team-building. He has an MBA with a focus on management and quantitative methods. At speaking engagements and workshops, Oscar shares groundbreaking strategies in automation, innovation, and technology-driven leadership. He has contributed to Forbes and Black Enterprise. Oscar has extensive experience managing large-scale tech projects and fostering technological advancements in various organizations. He is a trusted advisor for Fortune 500 companies and federal agencies. 

Kaila Glaros, ACP, is an award-winning legal professional who has worked in the legal field for over 15 years. She is currently a Senior Associate – Paralegal with RSM US LLP, a global audit, tax, and consulting firm. Kaila teaches Law Office Practice and Technology as an Adjunct Professor at St. Petersburg College in Florida, where she also serves on their Paralegal Program Advisory Committee. Kaila is a past member of NALA’s Continuing Education Council and Professional Development Committee.

Terry Hale, ACP, is a Litigation Support Specialist on the Tech Team with the Yavapai County Attorney’s Office in Northern Arizona. She has over 30 years of legal experience from working in law firms and governmental agencies. Ms. Hale is a member of APA and NALA. She was a member of MALA for 27 years, serving on the Board of Directors for both NALA and MALA. Ms. Hale presents for NALA, the Yavapai County Superior Court, and many other paralegal organizations on a variety of topics. She has published articles over the years in Facts & Findings and Career Chronicle.

Joseph Koenig is a retired special agent turned paralegal who spent more than two decades investigating federal and state crimes. He served as a state trooper, patrol supervisor, kennel master, and SWAT member, making real-time use-of-force decisions daily. He has a BS and a Master of Criminal Justice. He received several awards for his work in law enforcement. After retiring from that field, Joseph worked as an asset forfeiture paralegal and then in legal compliance, policy, and use of force review for a state agency. He now works with attorneys and legislative auditors, assessing the performance of state government agencies.

Jen Lee is a bankruptcy attorney (or debt and credit strategy attorney) who is licensed in California and North Dakota. She has an MBA. She often speaks for bar associations, professional groups, and other trade associations on bankruptcy, debt, and law practice management.

Professor Leibow is Associate Director for Paralegal Studies at the George Washington University’s (GW) College of Professional Studies. She designed and launched GW’s brand-new ABA-approved bachelor’s completion program in the College of Professional Studies, where she teaches several courses. She has served as judge, chief, and prosecutor at various moot court competitions. She has represented clients in judicial, legislative, and regulatory proceedings at all levels. She is a member of the bars of Washington, DC; Massachusetts; and the US Supreme Court.

Glenn Leier is the founder and administrator of AchieveVia, which provides education and review courses for the Certified Paralegal Exam. He has spent over 30 years teaching, hiring, training, and supervising paralegals. He is an attorney, writer, and charity board member in Portland, Oregon. He has served as managing shareholder of a law firm and general counsel for corporations and taught real estate law to paralegals. He has served on NALA’s Certifying Board and Advanced Certifying Board, presented at NALA’s conferences, and written for Facts & Findings. He has a BA in journalism and a JD. 

Amy McGuigan, ACP, ACEDS, CAS, is a senior paralegal. She worked for the Federal Public Defender in the Northern District of California for 15 years. Amy is a Certified eDiscovery Specialist, holding multiple ACEDS eDiscovery certifications and certifications in Cellebrite Mobile Forensic Fundamentals and digital forensics. She has over 21 hours of digital forensic training in FTK^®. She is the President of the San Francisco Paralegal Association, Chair of the Bar Association of San Francisco Paralegal Section, and Director of the San Francisco Chapter of Women in eDiscovery. She enjoys crafting and hanging out with her four dogs.

Mbilike (pronounced “Bee” “Lee” “Kay”) has been an attorney with Brewster & DeAngelis since 2016. He focuses on complex civil litigation, civil rights, self-driving cars, and state and federal appeals. Mbilike received a Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating, which “signifies that a large number of [his] peers rank him… at the highest level of professional excellence for [his] legal knowledge, communication skills and ethical standards.” Mbilike’s peers have also recognized him as a “Rising Star” and “Super Lawyer” in civil litigation. In 2017, he received the Golden Quill Award, one of the Oklahoma Bar Association’s highest intellectual awards.

Olivia Renfroe, ACP, has nearly 20 years of experience in the legal industry. Olivia holds a BS in paralegal studies from Mississippi College. She spent most of her career working in litigation and currently works with her attorney husband at their Mississippi real estate law firm, where she handles matters including debtor bankruptcies, business formations, and real estate litigation. She previously served on the boards of legal industry associations and presented on legal topics. Olivia is accompanied by her service dog, Casey, who is task-trained to mitigate a disability. Olivia is passionate about education and knowledge-building in the paralegal field.

Bobby Rimas, MLS, is an Associate Professor at Cal State Los Angeles, Legal Studies Adjunct Faculty Member at the University of La Verne, Adjunct Instructor at West Los Angeles College and a paralegal for a complex litigation law firm. He was President of the Los Angeles Paralegal Association, President/Chair of the UCLA Pilipino Alumni Association, and served on NALA’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Committee. He is Chair of the Stonewall Democratic Club’s DEI Committee and a Board Member of the UCLA Lambda LGBTQ+ Alumni Association. He is Commissioner for the City of Palm Springs Human Rights Commission where he also serves as the Commission’s Equity and Social Justice Liaison. He has a bachelor’s degree, a paralegal certificate, and a Master of Legal Studies degree. Bobby can be reached at Bobby.Rimas@alumni.ucla.edu.