Capital Area Paralegal Association - CAPA Scholarships & Awards

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Nancy McLaughlin Scholarship

Who is Nancy McLaughlin?

Nancy Carmen McLaughlin, CLAS, TPS, was a legal assistant at the Law Offices of William Schmidt for 12 years prior to her sudden death on Friday, Dec. 8, 2000.

She was dedicated, hard working, and attentive to the needs of clients and her employer. Nancy received her Certification as a Legal Assistant in 1993 from NALA. She also received a Specialty Certification from NALA and the State Bar of Texas.

Many remember Nancy as a very active member of CAPA and the Legal Assistant Division of the State Bar of Texas, now known as the Paralegal Division. She spent many hours volunteering for both organizations and motivating others to become involved themselves. She served in many capacities, most notably as Programs Chair and President of CAPA, and as Editor of the Texas Paralegal Journal, published by the Paralegal Division.

Nancy touched the lives of many people, and often you will hear them say they thought of her as family. She was an animal lover and left behind four dogs and a cat. She was a kind and generous friend and devoted her free time to animal causes, Meals on Wheels, and those in need. She is still missed sorely by her many friends.

Susan Haney Grant

Who is Susan Haney?

Susan Jo Norris Haney was a beloved mother, lawyer, activist, advocate and friend. She lived life on her own terms and was not one to back down from a challenge. She opened The Haney Law firm in 2001 with her daughters Amber and Caitlin. Susan loved to refer to the trio as The Haney Dream Team. Susan quickly earned a reputation as a veracious litigator with a take no sh** attitude!

Susan gave her time to numerous organizations including; Meals on Wheels, VLS, CANLAW, NAMI-Austin, Faith United Methodist Church, Mobile Loaves & Fishes, Kingdom Kamp, Hands on Housing, and many other pro bono clinics. She was also a huge supporter of paralegals and in particular CAPA where she gave generously of her time presenting CLEs and sponsoring events. Susan helped almost anyone who crossed her path. It was in her nature and who she was.

CAPA established the Susan Haney Community Service and Pro Bono Grant in 2021 following her passing from glioblastoma brain cancer. CAPA wants to ensure that this SUPERWOMAN'S enthusiasm for life, human rights and giving back will be remembered and celebrated by acknowledging those with the same spirit.

Paralegal of the Year Award

CAPA has a longstanding tradition of celebrating our members! What better way to do that than by acknowledging a fellow paralegal for the great work that they do? That is what the Paralegal of the Year (POY) award is all about. Take some time to nominate a friend or colleague for all of their hard work.

Cheryl Ischy Professionalism Award

Who is Cheryl Ischy?

CAPA was honored to launch The Cheryl Ischy Professionalism Award on Wednesday, March 29, 2023 at our monthly CLE luncheon. Claude Ducloux, attorney and longtime CAPA supporter, established and funded this award in partnership with LawPay. Cheryl has worked with Claude for the past 25 years and as he so eloquently said, 'she is the most organized, clever, and ingenious paralegal any lawyer could ask for.' The award is open to any paralegal that exudes professionalism and will be awarded annually in the Spring in conjunction with Texas Law Day.

INFORMATION

Deadline to Apply:

June 12, 2026

The scholarship essay must be emailed in Word or PDF to: Kellie Balli, Scholarship Committee Chair.

THERE IS NO APPLICATION TO COMPLETE.

PLEASE EMAIL COMMITTEE WITH QUESTIONS.

To honor Nancy, CAPA offers scholarships which may be used for any educational purposes including but not limited to:

Texas Advanced Paralegal Seminar (TAPS)
Certified Paralegal/Certified Legal Assistant (CP/CLA) Exam Fee
Advanced Paralegal Certification (ACP) Course Fee
Texas Board of Legal Specialization (TBLS) Exam Fee
Other CLE that has received credit from NALA, State Bar of Texas and/or TBLS
Tuition to paralegal programs at Texas State University, University of Texas, Austin Community College or Center for Advanced Legal Studies.
Membership dues for CAPA, Paralegal Division of the State Bar of Texas, NALA, or NFPA.

Eligibility: All voting, associate, student and emeritus members of CAPA in good standing are eligible to apply for the scholarship. Essays should be self-submitted.

Criteria: The Scholarship Committee Chair will appoint a committee to judge the scholarship essays on an anonymous basis. The Scholarship Committee Chair and two board members may participate in the judging process. The winning essay will be published in the CAPA newsletter. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Essay Requirements: Your essay should be 500 – 1,000 words, submitted in a Word or PDF document. Include your intended use of the funds. You may focus your essay on a topic such as; why you chose to be a paralegal, why professional certification and/or CLE is important, what is a paralegal, your career goals, your participation in CAPA and/or community service projects, or a relevant topic of your choice. Your essay MUST include your name, telephone number and email address.

Award: One $250.00 scholarship is awarded twice a year. Funds will be awarded to the applicant to be used at their discretion.

INFORMATION

Deadline to Apply:

November 28, 2025

The scholarship essay must be emailed in Word or PDF to: Kellie Balli, Scholarship Committee Chair.

THERE IS NO APPLICATION TO COMPLETE.

PLEASE EMAIL COMMITTEE WITH QUESTIONS.

To honor Susan, CAPA offers an annual grant which may be used at the winner's discretion.

Eligibility: All voting, associate, student and emeritus members of CAPA in good standing are eligible to receive the grant. Essays may be self-submitted or you may nominate a qualified candidate.

Criteria: The Scholarship Committee Chair will appoint a committee to judge the essays on an anonymous basis. The winning essay will be published in the CAPA newsletter. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Essay Requirements: Your essay should be 500 - 1,000 words, submitted in a Word or PDF document, highlighting the nominee's motivation towards service and discussion of past and present community service and pro-bono activities as well as anything else you'd like to be considered or shared. A log of service hours should also be included. You do not need to submit a description of what the grant will be used for. Your essay must include the nominee's name, telephone number and email address.

Award: One $250.00 scholarship is awarded once a year. Funds will be awarded to the applicant to be used at their discretion.

INFORMATION

Deadline to Apply:

October 3, 2025

The nomination essay must be emailed in Word or PDF to: Diana Price, Current Paralegal of the Year.

THERE IS NO APPLICATION TO COMPLETE.

PLEASE EMAIL COMMITTEE WITH QUESTIONS.

Eligibility: All voting, associate, student and emeritus members of CAPA in good standing are eligible to receive the grant.

Criteria: The Current Paralegal of the Year will appoint a committee to judge the nominations on an anonymous basis. The winning nomination will be published in the CAPA newsletter. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Essay Requirements: Your essay should be 500 - 1,000 words, submitted in a Word or PDF document, highlighting why you chose to nominate them. Some areas you may want to discuss are; work skills, experience, community activities, involvement in professional organizations, offices/committee involvement, awards or anything else you see fit. Your submission should include the nominees name, telephone number and email. Do not include the nominees name in the body of the nomination.

Award: One $500.00 award is presented each year. Funds will be awarded to the applicant to be used at their discretion.

INFORMATION

Deadline to Apply:

April 17, 2026

The nomination essay must be emailed in Word or PDF to: Kellie Balli, Scholarship Committee Chair.

THERE IS NO APPLICATION TO COMPLETE.

PLEASE EMAIL COMMITTEE WITH QUESTIONS.

To honor Cheryl, CAPA offers an annual award which may be used at the winner's discretion.

Eligibility: All voting, associate, student and emeritus members of CAPA in good standing and non-CAPA paralegals are eligible to receive the award.

Essay Requirements: Your essay should be 500 words or less, submitted in a Word or PDF document, highlighting the nominee's abilities in the following areas; organizational skills, communication, detail oriented, legal skills, initiative, adaptability, analysis/deductive reasoning, teamwork and professionalism. Your essay must include the nominee's name, telephone number and email address.

Award: One $250.00 award is presented once a year. Funds will be awarded to the applicant to be used at their discretion.

capa ScholarshipS & AWARDS

Nancy McLaughlin Scholarship

Who is Nancy McLaughlin?

Nancy Carmen McLaughlin, CLAS, TPS, was a legal assistant at the Law Offices of William Schmidt for 12 years prior to her sudden death on Friday, Dec. 8, 2000.

She was dedicated, hard working, and attentive to the needs of clients and her employer. Nancy received her Certification as a Legal Assistant in 1993 from NALA. She also received a Specialty Certification from NALA and the State Bar of Texas.

Who is Susan Haney?

Who is Cheryl Ischy?