You may understand the value of attending the Annual Conference & Expo, but securing funding from your firm or organization might require a little extra effort. That’s why we’ve put together this Justification Toolkit to help you build the business case for your managing partner or supervisor to send you to Salt Lake City!

STEP 1: Identify Your Manager’s/Firm’s Motivations When Deciding Your Attendance

To effectively justify your attendance, you will need to articulate the connection between your firm’s knowledge and skill requirements and how attending the conference can help you meet those needs.

Below are some questions your manager may have and suggested answers you could give.

• When does the Annual Conference take place?
  
  

  Download Schedule-At-A-Glance

• What is the Annual Conference about?
  ALA’s Annual Conference & Expo is the leading educational event in the legal management industry covering intensive learning, networking and discovery of the latest trends and technologies. There will be more than 70 sessions, over 100 influential speakers and over 200 top business partners serving the business of law.

• What are the practical benefits for your firm if you attend?
• Proven strategies and tactics to stay ahead of the curve
• Actionable information from top leaders in the industry on emerging trends and ideas
• Information on the latest solutions from the expansive Exhibit Hall
• Important connections with colleagues and business partners
• Certification and accreditation hours from most educational sessions
  
  
• Who’s attending and how will you leverage those connections?
  ALA’s Annual Conference & Expo will allow [me and/or specific team members] to network with over 1,500 Legal Management professionals and business partners in the industry. We will be able to take the pulse of what is happening in tools, technologies and processes and hear new ideas.

Download Benefits Worksheet

STEP 2: Quantify the ROI of Your Attendance

Before you can begin to justify the investment of attending the conference, you need to calculate the total investment.

Download Budget Worksheet

STEP 3: Present Your Business Case for Attendance in a Letter to Your Manager

Now that you have thought about the direct benefits to your firm and the associated costs, write a letter to your manager or managing partner to support your attendance.

 Download Letter Template   

• Offer to prepare and deliver a short presentation and Q&A to your colleagues or team members to share what you learned. (This is where those session handouts come in handy.) They will benefit from your attendance, too, with new knowledge, skills and techniques that can apply directly to their jobs right away.
• Name some of your current tools, technologies and services that need to be replaced or updated and offer to meet with exhibitors who can fill those needs, potentially at a lower cost for ALA members.
• Name some of your current processes that can be improved by learning and exploring how others handle them. Explain how attending will benefit your work, projects and organization.
• Be ready with a plan that shows who will cover for you while you are attending the conference.
• Offer to share a room to reduce hotel expenses.
• Focus on what you will specifically bring back to the organization as payback for the investment in your proposal for attendance approval.

Stacey Coleman, Administrative Director at Elam & Burke

Andrea Everage, MHR,PHR, SHRM-CP, HR Business partner-CA, Baker McKenzie

Grace Lopez, Chief Executive Officer at iManage Law Firms, LLC

Susan Weidman, Legal Recruitment and Operations Manager at Whiteman Osterman & Hanna, LLP