About Us
Renee Sova is the Director of the Advanced Paralegal Institute (API) and has over 30 years experience in the paralegal profession including 20 years of experience in providing classroom and on line education to legal professionals.
Our mission at API is to provide advanced specialty courses for paralegals and other legal professionals through distance learning. Paralegals need up to date training in their practice specifically designed for them, not attorneys. In addition, paralegals need the advanced training if they choose to switch practice specialties or to search for new employment.
All classes are offered on line in an asynchronous format utilizing First Class Conferencing Software. Classes are taught by attorneys and paralegals and involve daily interaction between student and faculty.
Rick Sova
Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Rick Sova's career includes senior leader as global strategic account director for two Fortune 500 companies. In this capacity he managed a team and process to achieve world class performance and growth. He currently serves as the COO for the Advanced Paralegal Institute.
Ellen J. Rindal, Esq.
Curriculum Director, Faculty, and Attorney at Law
As the Director of Curriculum, Ellen is charged with examining and selecting textbooks to accompany our advanced and specialty courses. In addition, Ellen is charged with writing and updating study guides. Ellen has been teaching for API since 1999.
Current Practice Areas: Commercial and Residential Real Estate Law, Business and Contract Law, Business Formation, Estate Planning and Probate.
Education: B.A. with Honors in Political Science - University of Iowa; J.D. with Honors - I.I.T./Chicago Kent College of Law
Professional Associations: Chicago Bar Association, DuPage Bar Association, and Illinois Bar Association
Prior teaching background (adjunct faculty) : Roosevelt University, MacCormac Junior College; College of DuPage
Former member of editorial board of the DCBA Brief (the bar journal for the DuPage County Bar Association)
Annie Fisher
Director of Technology
As the Director of Technology for the Advanced Paralegal Institute Annie provides online technical assistance and Moodle training and support to API administrators, faculty, and students. Annie is responsible for building the online infrastructure in API's classroom platform.
Annie has worked in career education for the American Institute for Paralegal Studies since 1987, in roles ranging from Dean of Students to School Director. In these roles, Annie has trained and supervised Admissions, Placement, Faculty, and Academic staff, for both residential and online students. Annie provided remote technical support to online students.
Annie has spent 6 years working for the Distance Learning Consortium as the Associate Director. In this role Annie provided resources, tools, and training to educational institutions and training organizations. She provided coaching, training, and consulting services to career school owners, administrators, and faculty for online, face-to-face, and hybrid programs. An area of expertise for Annie was designing, developing, and delivering training courses.
Annie currently serves as the Associate Director at the Advanced Paralegal Institute. In this role Annie provides coaching and training and services to faculty in developing, designing and delivering online training courses.
Annie has a Bachelors degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a paralegal certificate from the American Institute for Paralegal Studies, Inc.
Cyn Briles
Office Manager
Cyn Briles has been the Office Manager and Accountant for API since the company was founded. She brings a weatlth of management and finance experience. Cyn also serves as an Administrative Assistant to the Director of Education, Renee Sova. She assists students with any questions and concerns they may have including confirmation letters, certificate of completion certificates, and setting students up in the classroom.
Loretta Nesbitt
Faculty
Loretta Nesbitt, RP® is the PACE review course Instructor for the Advanced Paralegal Institute. Loretta teaches on line and provides seminars on PACE and the review course to PACE Ambassadors and members. She also works as a litigation paralegal and e-discovery manager with the Austin, TX firm of Buchanan, DiMasi, Dancy & Grabouski. With over 25 years of paralegal experience, she has assisted attorneys on complex civil and criminal litigation matters in both the corporate and law firm environments.
Loretta holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Louisiana State University and obtained her paralegal certificate from the National Center for Paralegal Training in Atlanta, GA. Loretta is a past president of the Dallas Area Paralegal Association and has held various positions with NFPA including Region II Director and Vice President – Policy. She obtained her RP® designation in 2005 and has taught API’s PACE Review Course since its inception in 1999. Loretta authored “Development of Client Legal Matters” and co-authored “Administration of Client Legal Matters” of the PACE Review Manual.
Wendy S. Fuller, RP
Faculty
Wendy S. Fuller, RP is both a PACE registered Paralegal and CORE Registered Paralegal. She has been a paralegal since 1981. Wendy received her B.S. from Skidmore College University Without Walls and has earned the designations of Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Specialist, Employment Law Specialist and an Advanced Certificate in Foreclosure and Debtor/Creditor Law from the Advanced Paralegal Institute.
She is PACE Coordinator for the Western Mass Paralegal Association and an instructor for the Advanced Paralegal Institute teaching a course for students preparing to sit for the Paralegal CORE Competency Exam; as well as courses in litigation, legal writing, estate administration and intellectual property.
Ashley Biddy is the Marketing Director of Advanced Paralegal Institute (API). She has over 10 years’ experience. She graduated from Piedmont College with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing. She has been doing freelance design for companies such as Georgia Institute of Technology, Bluestream Wireless and Color Magic Group since 2011. Her goal is to keep the Advanced Paralegal Institute (API) website current and up to date for your advanced paralegal needs.