ONDA Family Law Celebrates Legal Assistant Earning Board Certification
Orsinger, Nelson, Downing & Anderson, LLP (ONDA), one of the largest family law firms in Texas, is pleased to announce that legal assistant Melissa Hopkins has earned board certification as a family law paralegal from the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
'Our firm strives for the highest standards, and Melissa's achievement further strengthens the exceptional service we provide to our clients every day,' said managing partner Scott Downing. 'We appreciate and admire her commitment to excellence and are proud to see more team members earning this important distinction.'
The paralegal certification process closely resembles the rigorous standards required for attorney certification. Candidates must have at least five years of experience as a paralegal, undergo a thorough evaluation of their work under the supervision of a licensed Texas attorney and demonstrate a strong record of continuing legal education in their practice area. The final step toward certification is passing a comprehensive half-day specialty examination.
Paralegal certification 'recognizes and promotes the availability, quality, and utilization of the services of paralegals who, working under the supervision of duly licensed attorneys, have achieved a level of special knowledge in particular areas of law,' according to the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Family law is one of only eight practice areas that qualify for paralegal board certification.
ONDA is widely known for having attorneys board certified in family law, a prestigious designation held by less than 1% of Texas attorneys. Ms. Hopkins is the second on the firm's paralegal team to earn this certification. The most recent attorneys to do so include family lawyers Chris Konneker, Melissa Cowle, and Jacob Jeffries.
Ms. Hopkins has nearly 10 years of experience working as a paralegal. She also serves as president of the Denton County Paralegal Association for 2025.
About ONDA
Orsinger, Nelson, Downing & Anderson has served families for more than 30 years. With offices in Dallas, Frisco and San Antonio, ONDA is one of Texas' largest family law firms. Each partner is board certified in family law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and each is a member of the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists.
Orsinger, Nelson, Downing & Anderson has served families for more than 30 years. With offices in Dallas, Frisco and San Antonio, ONDA is one of Texas' largest family law firms. Each partner is board certified in family law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and each is a member of the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists.
SOURCE: Orsinger, Nelson, Downing & Anderson
Copyright Business Wire 2025.
PUB: 02/10/2025 03:00 PM/DISC: 02/10/2025 03:02 PM
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Petco improves service offerings, plans membership program relaunch
This story was originally published on CX Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily CX Dive newsletter. Petco is improving the omnichannel customer experience of its service offerings, including grooming and veterinary care, executives said on a Q1 2025 earnings call Thursday. The pet care retailer plans to relaunch its Vital Care members program in 2026, according to CFO Sabrina Simmons. The current program offers discounts on pet health needs for an annual membership fee. The goal is to 'create a more personalized long-term loyalty experience,' CEO Joel Anderson said. Petco is also revamping its product assortment to align with consumer demand and increasing shelf space to improve product availability. 'From the customer perspective, we are improving shopability with higher in-stock availability. When you put all this together, it reinforces Petco as a reliable destination for all our customers and care needs,' Anderson said. While Petco works to return to profitability, the pet care company is focusing on providing a better, more unified experience for customers. Net sales decreased 2.3% year over year to $1.5 billion and comparable sales decreased 1.3%, according to an earnings report. Services, including grooming and veterinary care, were a bright spot, delivering positive net sales of 1% year over year. Services are Petco's fastest-growing business and the company invested in improving its offerings, Anderson said. 'In my view, our services offering is what fortifies our competitive moat,' Anderson said. The pet retailer upgraded the software to book grooming appointments to provide customers more flexibility and time slots and updated its vet scheduling system to ensure better coverage. 'Almost 50% of our customers schedule a grooming appointment online,' Anderson said. 'And if they don't see openings or they have to wait a week or two, they're going to consider somebody else besides Petco. So that change has been very, very positive for us.' The company also made productivity improvements in both hospitals and grooming operations. Despite modest sales, executives are confident in the resilience of the services category, as grooming and veterinary care are more needs-based. Anderson believes Petco's service offerings will drive in-store traffic, retention and loyalty. The company's current Vital Care membership has also weighed on sales, as it has deemphasized the program, Simmons said. 'But because we have been deemphasizing that, while we work to relaunch it, that is within services and others. And that's actually been a bit of a drag. Our core service business without that is actually quite healthy,' Simmons said. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
N.B. lotto winner decides against lump sum — opts for $1,000 a week for next 25 years
Barbara Nelson of Saint John, N.B., has worked at the same chain restaurant for many years. Most mornings, she picks up a Scratch'N Win lottery ticket on her way in and plays it in the break room before her shift. That simple routine just changed her life, with Nelson winning the top prize with her Set for Life ticket. The jackpot comes with a choice: lump-sum payout of $675,000 or $1,000 a week for the next 25 years. The New Brunswicker decided to go with the latter, and now, she's ready to hang up her apron and head into early retirement. 'With the way the economy has been going, I didn't figure I would get to retire early, or retire at all,' Nelson said. 'This says, 'Yes, you can.'' Nelson chose the annuity, giving her a reliable income stream for the next two and a half decades. That $1,000-a-week payout also adds up to $1.3 million — almost double the lump sum. With summer just around the corner, Nelson says she's especially looking forward to reclaiming her weekends, something she rarely had off while working. 'All the things that go on through the summer all happen on the weekends and I was always working the weekends,' Nelson said. 'Now I can do what I want and figure out what that is, instead of trying to pay bills. I can enjoy the summer.' She purchased her winning ticket at the Esso Proxi Church in Saint John. Her prize marks the seventh and final top prize awarded in the 4091 series of the game. For Nelson, that top-prize means one thing: retirement and freedom to enjoy life on her own terms. 'I like the Set for Life prize, that's why I get that ticket,' she said. 'Now I'm just going to sit back and see where it leads me and let what comes, come.' If you're looking to take a break from gambling, self-exclusion programs can be effective tools. See here for resources that are available across Canada.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
N.B. lotto winner decides against lump sum — opts for $1,000 a week for next 25 years
Barbara Nelson of Saint John, N.B., has worked at the same chain restaurant for many years. Most mornings, she picks up a Scratch'N Win lottery ticket on her way in and plays it in the break room before her shift. That simple routine just changed her life, with Nelson winning the top prize with her Set for Life ticket. The jackpot comes with a choice: lump-sum payout of $675,000 or $1,000 a week for the next 25 years. The New Brunswicker decided to go with the latter, and now, she's ready to hang up her apron and head into early retirement. 'With the way the economy has been going, I didn't figure I would get to retire early, or retire at all,' Nelson said. 'This says, 'Yes, you can.'' Nelson chose the annuity, giving her a reliable income stream for the next two and a half decades. That $1,000-a-week payout also adds up to $1.3 million — almost double the lump sum. With summer just around the corner, Nelson says she's especially looking forward to reclaiming her weekends, something she rarely had off while working. 'All the things that go on through the summer all happen on the weekends and I was always working the weekends,' Nelson said. 'Now I can do what I want and figure out what that is, instead of trying to pay bills. I can enjoy the summer.' She purchased her winning ticket at the Esso Proxi Church in Saint John. Her prize marks the seventh and final top prize awarded in the 4091 series of the game. For Nelson, that top-prize means one thing: retirement and freedom to enjoy life on her own terms. 'I like the Set for Life prize, that's why I get that ticket,' she said. 'Now I'm just going to sit back and see where it leads me and let what comes, come.' If you're looking to take a break from gambling, self-exclusion programs can be effective tools. See here for resources that are available across Canada.
