Currently viewing archive for September 2012
As we say so long to summer and the familiarities of fall creep back into our daily lives, make sure you don’t let the small moments go by without notice; so, smell the burning leaves, swill the apple cider, and snuggle into a soft hoodie. Because when our lives are filled with so many things, small and large, to appreciate, it’s easy to miss the white noise of justice that’s always humming in the background.
Tomorrow is the very first Due Process Day, and it’s important to fill you in on what the “Due Process” in Due Process Day is really all about. Could you imagine living a life under a tyrannical government? With it being election time, I’m sure many of you may be shaking your heads and thinking “Well, if so-and-so is elected or re-elected, we might as well be…” but realistically, that’s not going to happen because of the US Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and specifically, because of due process.
When our forefathers established the United States of America, they created and adopted the US Constitution. It outlines and highlights everything our country stands for. These sacred documents give us the ability to live freely in this great nation.
We all should be well aware due process as it is undeniably an integral component in our business- our process servers put due process into action every day. When we serve papers, we are protecting this very right. You may be well aware of the term, but how many of you have really thought about the meaning and implications of the term “due process”?
Due process appears in the Fifth Amendment of the Bill of Rights; it is later addressed in more detail in the Fourteenth Amendment.
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property,without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
In the Fourteenth Amendment, the due process clause states:
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
In layman’s terms, no one can just take someone’s life, their freedom, or their property away from them. It’s about fairness, and due process protects us from the creation of vague laws that could jeopardize our freedom. ServeNow drafted up a fantastic article that breaks down ten interesting bits of information about due process that you may not have known. Check it out here: http://www.serve-now.com/articles/1326/10-things-you-probably-didn-t-know-about-due-process
Happy Due Process Day!
We are happy to report that AT&T notified us that they have resolved the issue with our toll-free number (877)963-3534.
Should you have any issues with our toll-free number, please do not hesitate to contact us via clientvoice@fireflylegal.com or by calling our local corporate office at (708) 326-1410.
Firefly Legal has been out and about this past week. Jennifer Dlugolecki, Firefly’s Director of Business Development and Client Relations took time to represent Firefly Legal at the Region 3 Conference of the ALA, which took place in Minneapolis, MN September 13-15, 2012.
The Conference and Expo is organized by the Association of Legal Administrators and was held at The Depot Renaissance. In addition to a variety of informative sessions on communication, organization, and information in the legal industry, the session featured a keynote address by Steve Gilliland. Gilliland delivered an information and powerful speech, complete with a little bit of humor, which identified the importance of being purpose driven. He also touched on ways to stay inspired, purposeful, and offered tips on how to meet your goals.
Firefly Legal was also an exhibitor at the conference, allowing time to interact and answer questions about our business. The winner of the booth drawing, a $100 AmEx gift card was Jamie Felice, Secretarial Services Manager at DLA Piper. Congrats, Jamie!
As always, it was great to see all of the familiar faces, especially those from our sweet home Chicago, as well as the many new faces that were at the event. Meet Jennifer Dlugolecki in Atlanta for the ALA – Region 2 Conference, where she will also be joined by Firefly’s Stephanie Irvine.
Check out our Facebook page to see our photo albums from events and conferences!
Firefly Legal is pleased to announce the promotion of Clifton Dillman, previously Firefly’s Director of IT, to the position of Chief Information Officer.
His promotion was featured in DSNews’ Movers & Shakers section highlighting individuals doing an exceptional job in the industry. Read the article here: http://www.dsnews.com/articles/firefly-it-director-promoted-to-cio-2012-09-19
Firefly Legal is excited to announce the latest promotion in the Firefly team! As of September 17, 2012, Clifton Dillman has been promoted to Chief Information Officer. Dillman has been an incredible asset to Firefly, with his career beginning in April 2005 as an IT Manager. His contributions resulted in another promotion in 2007 to director of IT. Dillman recently graduated August 2012 with a Master’s of Science in Information Technology Project Management from DePaul University in Chicago, IL. Completing coursework in enterprise project management, information systems policies and strategies, and IT investment and financial analysis, Dillman is more than qualified to assume the new role.
As the CIO, Dillman will work closely with Vice President Matt Massa, implementing compliance procedures and policies, strategizing company improvements, and developing business operations for further efficiencies. Massa said of Dillman that “Clifton has the uncanny ability to think like a business unit and communicate to both business units and IT professionals appropriately. This is a well earned and deserved position and we are proud to have him as a member of our team.”
Beyond his educational achievements, he has grown the IT department, instituted a paperless workplace, created and improved Firefly’s web-based case management software, helped to open multiple offices, and customized electronic data interfaces for our clients. In his new role, Dillman aims to effectuate collaborative technologies among the different departments to increase efficiency, improve and manage company compliance, security, and privacy.
When Dillman is not busy with Firefly or researching new IT advancements, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Dana, and their two kids, Jaden and Logan.
Could you imagine a little 6-year-old child sitting down at a table to color in Kindergarten, only to be told that he or she can’t because their family didn’t have the money to buy school supplies?
We didn’t want to imagine that either, but instead of closing our eyes and thinking of something else, we decided to do something about it.
In an effort to do our part in helping students in need, Firefly Legal participated in the Staples for Students School Supply Drive, collecting donations from August 15th through September 10th, 2012. As 1 in 5 children live in poverty, and approximately 16 million will go without school supplies, Firefly Legal felt that this was a great cause to support.
During our two-week collection period, Firefly Legal collectively accumulated well over 300 pieces of school supplies to donate. From crayons to book covers and pencils to paper— even a backpack— our employees from different offices banded together to contribute in a major way. Collections went out to local Staples stores in Illinois, Florida, and Ohio, supporting various local educational organizations.
Check out the pictures of our donations below! And a big thanks to everyone at Firefly Legal for your contributions!
Jennifer Dlugolecki, Elsa Kazmierski, and Ann Romano represented Firefly Legal on Saturday, September 15, 2012 in the Chicago Firefly Run. The run, in which a portion of the proceeds go to the Great Chicago Area’s chapter of the American Red Cross, was held at night on Chicago’s Montrose Harbor.
Donning some glow in the dark gear, our Firefly Flyers ran through the crowd and finished the 5k with commendable times. Elsa Kasmierski and Ann Romano both commented that the run was a lot of fun. Romano also said of her experience that “something like this is perfect for beginners. The reason I say that is because it’s not just about the running aspect, which discourages a lot of people. It’s meant for fun. We glowed in the dark and there was a costume contest. [It was] all meant for fun and not torture.” Fun was definitely the theme as exotic costumes and neon colors were everywhere. Check out the photos of crazy costumes and the night-time buzz that Jenn took on our Firefly Legal Facebook page!
Jenn Dlugolecki assembled the Fire Flyers, holding a company-wide contest for who could come up with the most creative name for the runners. The Fire Flyers name won out, and the runners ran under this team name. All three of our Fire Flyers plan on running in the race again next year.
See how our Fire Flyers placed in the 5k:
Ann Romano 35:41
Jennifer Dlugolecki 43:38
Elsa Kazmierski 45:33
On Monday, September 17th, 2012, the following Florida courts will be closed in observance of Rosh Hashanah:
- Broward
- Collier
- Dade
- Hardee
- Indian River
- Jefferson
- Manatee
- Orange
- Osceola
- Sarasota
Note: Information regarding the holiday schedule was obtained per verbal notification of the clerk or by information publicly available via the county clerk’s website.
We have been busy! Jennifer Dlugolecki and I represented the Firefly Legal team and attended The Five Star/Legal League 100 Servicer’s Summit Conference in Dallas, TX at the Hilton Anatole September 5th – 7th, 2012, which was a great success. Check out The Five Star to find out more about what they do!
The conference kicked off with guests Mary Matalin and James Carville, who entertained the crowd with witty banter intermixed with discussions on current politics and the effects of the foreclosure crisis. There was no doubt that both Democratic and Republican ideals were communicated through the lively pair.
Following the special guest appearance by Matalin and Carville was a joint conversation with President George W. Bush and the former First Lady Laura Bush. Ed Delgado interviewed the power couple, who answered tough questions on the state of dirty politics, their thoughts on running any political campaigns in the future (Mrs. Bush said no), the ever-present housing crisis and whether or not home ownership is still a part of the American Dream, and their humanitarian and educational efforts. When asked if she planned to pen another book in the future, Mrs. Bush acknowledged that she would like to, much to George’s chagrin.
This year, the Five Star Institute made a great effort to really get the conversations started on tough topics in the mortgage servicing industry by introducing the debate-style round-table session. Sessions throughout the conference included discussions on the state of Fannie Mae led by Todd Barton, vice president and deputy general counsel of Fannie Mae, which proved to be especially helpful and informative. Conversations on how the industry has adjusted in the wake of “robo-signing,” and how new regulations are changing business were also held. The exhibit hall was filled with vendors who offered a variety of services and products helpful to those in the industry.
Wrapping up the conference was an artistic slideshow highlighting the “firsts” of presidents passed, followed by a high-energy and exciting band that included a special drum performance at its conclusion. The closing keynote speaker was President Bill Clinton, who offered great insight in his speech “Embracing Our Common Humanity,” which focused on improving the state of the nation through uniting, creating a plan, and working together to put it into action. He discussed the US economy and included ideas for finding a way to work through the debt. Also included in the speech, President Clinton highlighted the humanitarian efforts that the Clinton Foundation has made. He talked about the contributions he has made individually after his presidency and what it meant to be a public servant. Following his speech, Clinton sat down for a more personal conversation, answering questions from Todd Mobraten of Res.Net.
All in all, the Five Star and Legal League 100 conference was a pleasure to attend; entertaining, informative, and essential for anyone involved in the mortgage servicing industry. It allowed us the platform to forge new relationships, network, and join in the conversation that’s always buzzing.
Where will Firefly be flying to next?
- Sept. 13-14th Minneapolis, MN. Jenn will be representing the Firefly Team solo for the ALA Region 3 Conference
- Sept. 27th-28th Atlanta, GA Jenn and I will be attending the ALA – Region 2 Conference
Check out our Facebook page for more pictures!
Please be advised of the following court delays:
- The Broward County Clerk’s office is currently running two to three weeks behind on docketing.
- The Clerk’s office in Pinellas County in Clearwater, as well as branches in North County and St. Petersburg will be unable to process new case filings on September 14th, 2012 due to an update of their mainframe system. The office will be open, but pleadings will not be processed until the new system is implemented.
These delays may impact court filing, document retrieval, and other legal services from Firefly Legal.