Mary Conwell
Mary Helen Conwell is originally from Speedway, Indiana, home of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race, and a proud graduate of Indiana University-Bloomington undergraduate and law school. She holds an active license to practice law in the State of Indiana. For the past 25 ½ years, she has been a Professor of Paralegal Studies at Florida SouthWestern State College in Fort Myers, Florida. She is a national expert on paralegal education and served as a member of the American Bar Association Approval Commission for Paralegal Education from 2020 to 2023. She has been a site team leader for the American Bar Association visiting colleges across the United States to determine if their paralegal programs meet and/or maintain the standards for American Bar Association approval. She has been a presenter at conferences of the American Association for Paralegal Education. Her professional interests include people empowering themselves through embracing technology and urgent issues facing the legal professions such as access to justice. In her limited free time, Mary enjoys swimming, golf, and visiting museums. She is also an avid animal lover and is especially fond of cats, dolphins, cheetahs, sea turtles, and kangaroos.
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Empowering Yourself By Embracing Technology
General overview of technology’s role in business, law, education, and people’s lives. Coverage of AI and smartphones. Emphasis on how skilled use of the internet, such as effective Google searches, can be empowering. Examination of websites people can access for free that provide legal and personal information.
The Joy Of Museums
This lecture looks at how going to museums can enhance a person’s life and most of all outlook. The definition of museums is broad and encompasses everything from a large, comprehensive art museum like the Ringling in Sarasota, to botanical gardens, zoos, aquariums, local historical societies, local art centers, historical villages, medium-sized museums, and small museums. Focus is on the many cultural opportunities to explore museums in Southwest Florida and the rest of Florida’s Gulf Coast.
Access To Justice
With 90% of Americans unable to afford professional legal help for basic civil — let alone criminal — legal issues, this lecture explores some of the solutions being proposed to solve this problem on both national and statewide levels. Practical suggestions will be provided with how individuals can improve their chances with the legal system by going over internet resources and county courthouse resources for pro se litigants.