Navigating California's Electronic Filing Environment
Presented by:
Don Hoefnagel – Executive Vice President, First Legal Larry Kirlin – Product Manager, First Legal Sabrina Rodriguez – Client Training Specialist, First Legal
Thursday, March 19, 2026 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Online via Zoom
Don Hoefnagel - Bio
Don has been with First Legal for 20 years and now serves as the Executive Vice President of Business Development. His high level of client-vendor interface ensures that First Legal is up to date and responsive to all client needs. He holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Business from Biola University and is a member of the Association of Legal Administrators and Provisors LA3. He enjoys reading and playing tennis and lives in Lakewood, California with his wife, Maggie, and their Bichon Frees, Buddy, and two cats. His experience in Electronic Court Filing began back in early 2001 and 2002 when the Federal CM/ECF system came online for Bankruptcy and Civil cases. As soon as the system became mandatory the legal community came to Don for an easier solution, making First Legal the pioneer in electronically filing documents on behalf of lawyers. That process is now commonly referred to as “concierge” eFiling. A decade later, Don brought concierge filing to Orange County when they became the first state court to require electronic filing. Since that time Don has been on the forefront of client education and training relating to all types of electronic filing.
Larry Kirlin – Bio
My professional life began when I enlisted in the Navy’s delayed entry program shortly after my 17th birthday. I left for boot camp after graduating from St. Pius X High School in Pottstown, PA. During my active-duty service (1985-91) I was trained as an aircraft electronics technician and traveled the world repairing the Navy’s aircraft. The second chapter of my professional life began when I left active duty to pursue a degree in Electrical Engineering at California State University, Fresno. While going to school I continued with the Navy as a reservist and began working in the legal support industry as mobile photocopier. As my career progressed I worked in all aspects of the industry and held the positions of account manager, branch manager, sales manager, regional manager and equity partner. I graduated from Fresno State in 2004 and promoted to reach the rank of Master Chief in the Navy before I retired in 2009. The current chapter of my career began in June 2012 when I was recruited by First Legal to open offices in the Central Valley. Within the first year we opened offices in Fresno, Bakersfield and Modesto. My region was eventually expanded to include Redding, Sacramento, San Jose, San Luis Obispo and Ventura. In 2014 I was given the second job title of “eProducts Manager, and later Service of Process Product Manager. As a product manager, I’m responsible for staying current on industry trends, knowing what our competitors are doing and acting as a reference point within our company. The position also requires me to perform market research and make recommendations to our executive board regarding marketing, infrastructure and operations.
Sabrina Rodriguez – Bio
Sabrina has been with First Legal for 27 years and is now a Client Training Specialist. Her experience in Electronic Court Filing began in early 2001 when the Federal CM/ECF system was launched for Bankruptcy and Civil cases. Shortly after the system became mandatory, First Legal became the first litigation support services company to electronically file documents for their clients. That process is now commonly called “concierge” eFiling. Sabrina’s extensive experience in eFiling makes her uniquely qualified to provide client training and education as eFiling expands. Her team at First Legal now offers filing until midnight and can serve every eFiling court across the United States. Since launching its first direct eFiling portal in Orange County, Sabrina’s lectures have been in high demand throughout California, providing client education and training for all types of eFiling. When she is not working, Sabrina enjoys reading, hiking, and working out. She lives in Duarte, California, with her husband Juan, their two children, and their dogs Marshmallow and Frankie. Fun fact: her favorite book is “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill!
Cellphone Forensics - Applications in Discovery and Investigations
Tom Plunkett
Managing Director of Digital Forensics & eDiscovery ArcherHall
Thursday, March 26, 2026 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Online via Zoom
Cellphones represent one of the fastest-changing areas of legal practice. Mobile device evidence is more important than ever, thanks to the rapid evolution of the technology and the way this evidence is treated by the courts. Touching on important recent cases, technology developments, and ArcherHall direct experience advising attorneys, this presentation provides up-to-date guidance on the application of cellphone forensics in litigation, investigations, and other legal matters.
Thomas Plunkett is Managing Director of Digital Forensics & eDiscovery at ArcherHall. He is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and EnCase Certified Forensic Examiner (EnCE) with over 20 years of experience in digital forensics, cybersecurity, and counterintelligence. He holds a master’s degree in Information Systems and is an adjunct professor, teaching cybersecurity and digital forensics topics at the University of San Diego. Tom has led investigations involving data breaches, computer hacking, theft of intellectual property, and foreign intelligence operations. His clients have included all levels of government, law firms, casinos, medical device manufacturers, hospitals, technology companies and celebrities.
Join us at our Annual Spring Career Conference and meet successful legal professionals who will inspire you to move forward in your career! Bring your resume for the Resume Tune-Up and dress to impress for your FREE professional headshot!
April 18, 20268:00 am to 12:00 pm
Students – $25.00
Non-Students – $50.00
Light Breakfast & Professional Headshots8:00-9:00 am
Legal Recruiters 9:00 am - 9:55 am
Professional Certifications 10:00 am - 10:55 am
Alternative Careers 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Location: California State University - 6th Floor 801 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90017 (Downtown Campus) Parking structure next to the building is $5.00 for all day parking on Saturday
Meet and network with senior paralegals and top recruiters who will help you identify the next steps in your career path that are right for you.
The Recruiting Professionals Panel will provide insight on how agencies work as part of the team with HR/Paralegal Managers to match highly qualified candidates with the right position in the right firm.
The Professional Certification Panel will explain the impact that professional certification can make in your career.
The Alternative Career Panel will provide tips on optimizing your skills so that you can envision yourself stepping outside the box of traditional paralegal roles onto alternative career paths.
No refunds per LAPA policy.
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