Explore ways to work with imposter syndrome and self-criticism, including mindset shifts that will enhance your ability to read situations accurately and respond effectively and impactfully. Learn how to self-coach and rely less on external feedback. In this session, you’ll gain a brief overview of the neurobiology of resilience along with practical strategies to maintain and enhance your resilience.

Objectives

• Apply a methodology to self-coach.
• Demonstrate your ability to accurately read situations.
• Identify imposter syndrome and self-criticism when they arise and how they can act as a barrier to professional agency.
• Construct individualized practical interventions that you can take away to maintain and enhance your resilience.
• Relate to the neurobiology of resilience and discover brain-based pathways to enhance it.

Portia Hickey, CPsychol AFBPsS
Psychologist, Co-Founder
Communication Labs

An infinite number of approaches exist for developing and implementing a diversity plan, each reflecting the unique characteristics of each organization. This Diversity Toolkit is intended to be a general overview of how to approach the subject, a starting point for digging deeper when needed and a source of inspiration for trying a new approach. As with almost any new effort, change can come swiftly or slowly. Either way, it will require openness, a willingness to listen, hard work and patience.

Tiffany Ho-Rivera
Director of Operations
Rogoway Law Group

Ellen M. Rosenstiel, SHRM-SCP
Director of HR Employment and Employee Relations
Kutak Rock LLP

If you already have basic data tracking in place but are looking for a better understanding of performance and insights across the firm, this session is for you. You’ll learn how to embrace and manage the metrics that matter. You’ll also shine a light on various stages throughout the client life cycle, including client satisfaction, marketing, intakes, legal service delivery and attorney productivity. Additionally, you’ll see law firm metrics brought to life along with the underlying stories of the law firm dynamics that they reveal.

Objectives:

• Distinguish between stated firm goals and actual measurement focus.
• Employ metrics that drive strategic objectives
• Evaluate client intake activities using conversion metrics.
• Develop baseline metrics for financial improvement.
• Apply practical approaches to acquiring new data sources.

Josh Kalish, CLM, MBA, CFA, MA
Managing Partner
Law Firms of the Future, LLC

Over the last few years, the workplace has become increasingly more complicated and open to a proliferation of claims of workplace harassment, discrimination and retaliation. And 2022 will not be the end of that or any other developments, such as risks related to COVID-19, the existence of the virtual workplace, the Black Lives Matter movement, the #MeToo movement, or the rise of unabashed hate speech. In this session, you’ll consider how law firms are not immune to harassment but at risk. You’ll discuss how to be ready if you become a target and how to ensure that your workplace is as comfortable as possible, for as many as possible, as much of the time as possible. Leave with new insights into how to embrace diversity and inclusivity to achieve these goals, prevent inappropriate behavior that undermines them, and correct such behavior if it should occur.

Objectives:

• Recognize the traps into which human resources, partners/shareholders, associates, supervisors and managers fall regarding their own conduct.
• Define the affirmative responsibilities of administrators, human resources, partners/ shareholders, supervisors and managers — including addressing sexual, racial, ethnic and other forms of harassment.
• Examine the change in law regarding unlawful retaliation and ways to ensure compliance.

Michael S. Cohen, JD
Partner
Duane Morris LLP

We are in the midst of a global paradigm shift. The meaning of the “office” has forever changed. The office must now provide benefits or an experience lawyers and staff cannot get at home. The office must be an ‘experience,’ -- a workplace experience--that attracts and retains talent.

Additionally, hybrid operations must be a seamless and productive experience for attorneys and staff—but this is not accomplished by technology alone.

A key part of the solution to both of these challenges is to add a layer of 5-star hospitality service to operations. 5-star hospitality services can transform the office into something new: a destination, a brand experience, an effortless and productive experience. A workplace experience.

Objectives:

• Identify the market drivers and outcomes for workplace experience
• Identify how 5 star hospitality services deliver the workplace experience
• Discuss from case study examples of how professional services industries leverage hospitality for workplace experience
• Relate the connection with hybrid operations and the need for efficiency and productivity
• Illustrate successful hybrid models that leverage 5 star hospitality for efficiency and productivity

Anthony Davies
Chief Revenue Officer
Forrest Solutions

Most serious legal malpractice claims or bar disciplinary actions, believe it or not, involve clear breaches of obvious, well-defined ethical obligations. (Don’t take money from the client trust account. Keep the client reasonably informed of developments in their case.) So why do they happen — even to “good people” whom we know and like? This engaging session will provide a fresh, practical perspective on the fundamental question, “Why do ‘good’ lawyers ‘go bad’?” Four original film clips will be the catalyst for a practical discussion of the relationship between ethical decision-making and the many sources of stress encountered by lawyers and their staff in managing the day-to-day practice of law.

Objectives:

• Defend against ethical missteps by better understanding the complex interplay of various factors that can contribute to them.
• Examine the roles of stress, core values, organizational culture and cumulative choices in the ethical decision-making process.
• Apply practical, concrete guidance to help you better navigate the inevitable tension between personal and professional pressures.
• Use best practices for setting and managing attorney and client expectations (particularly regarding workload, productivity and well-being).
• Identify and implement sustainable strategies for minimizing the negative effects of stress and pressure in the legal administrator’s world.

Michael Kahn, JD, LPC, MEd
Co-Founder
ReelTime Creative Learning Experiences

Chris Osborn, JD
Co-Founder
ReelTime Creative Learning Experiences

Co-develop solutions to common challenges by leveraging the shared experiences and collective knowledge of your industry peers. ALA’s Meeting of Minds (formerly known as Idea Exchanges) enables participants to network extensively, discuss, debate and dissect best practices and topical issues within legal administration.

Facilitated by:

Financial wellness is all about reducing financial anxiety at work and increasing both staff productivity and overall wellness. This interactive session will simulate how a comprehensive financial wellness program empowers employees with the tools and insights to take control of their finances and alleviate their financial stress (without conflicts of interest). Through a case study, you’ll meet a new associate at a major law firm who is developing a case of financial anxiety that is starting to interfere with her work. What can the firm do to help the associate face their financial realities with confidence and become a more fulfilled and productive employee? Get the answers here.

Objectives:

• Evaluate your own financial wellness with a baseline assessment.
• Identify specific, short-term steps to improve your financial wellness.
• Define the benefits of a financial wellness program for law firm staff.
• Identify the main components of a financial wellness program and how to implement them.

J. Chuchi Arevalo, CFA, CFE
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
SPARK business academy

Through an inspiring case study, you’ll gain insights and experience in launching and sustaining a leadership study program. This interactive session for law firm leaders at various levels will help you strengthen your professional staff development offerings through leadership study groups. You’ll discover how these groups are a high-impact, lowcost and easily accessible tool that enable and promote leadership growth and create a positive and challenging group experience. You’ll examine the selection of topics and materials, suggestions for launching your group and tips for developing a growth mindset among your leaders.

Objectives:

• Recognize that your professional staff has a lot more to offer than you may realize.
• Identify how authentic, healthy, collaborative leadership is more effective than traditional leadership models in our new operating environment.
• Review how “aha” moments happen and stick when a team works together on leadership development.
• Show how leadership study groups promote a growth mindset, build morale and hone leadership skills.
• Design a study group, using resources that will help you get started and increase your impact.

Margaret Cicchetti
Co-Founder and Partner
Pivot Legal Solutions

Jay Hull, JD
Co-Founder and Managing Member
Pivot Legal Solutions

Deb Zaha
Office Administrator — Seattle and Bellevue Offices
Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

What if you could reclaim weakness with no need to denounce it? That’s the focus of this session, in which you’ll explore how to open the floodgates of untapped and misunderstood potential. Find out how to reframe your thought process around what has been identified as a failing to see the positive.

Objectives:

• Recognize that every unique trait exists concurrently as a strength and a weakness.
• Discuss the value of reappropriating a talent branded as a weakness as a strength.
• Reevaluate your relationship with “flaws” and consider how to flaunt and appreciate them.
• Discover how our eccentric, odd or nonconforming traits are our greatest strengths.
• Express pride in and reframe your thoughts around your perceived weaknesses.

Debra L. Elsbury, CLM
Firm Administrator
Threlkeld Stevenson

Many firms face challenges when making management decisions, such as allocating overhead and establishing billing rates. You can overcome these challenges by understanding the costs associated with each producer. In this handson session, you’ll learn how to implement a cost accounting system to understand your business. You’ll see how cost accounting can help you know if clients, producers, divisions and office locations are profitable. Then, you’ll learn how to establish a profit plan that supports your revenue goals.

Objectives:

• Illustrate how to implement a cost accounting system.
• Calculate cost per hour for each producer in your firm.
• Identify profitability by producer, client, division and office location.
• Develop a profit plan for your firm.

Samuel Catanese, CPA
Leading Partner
Catanese Group

Bill & Phil venture into the “metaverse” for their 2022 show, taking a look at what some have called Web 3.0 and its potential impact on the legal community. The presenters will provide a primer on the newest buzzword taking the tech world by storm. They will share insights on the plans of Big Tech for the metaverse, and its projected application in law and legal technology. Some call it crazy; and some say it’s the future for social, business & legal interaction. The presentation will present pros and cons of the newest concept in technology and the boosters and barriers to its widespread adoption. Also, as usual, Bill and Phil will showcase their favorite cutting-edge tech gadgets that make practicing law more efficient and fun, whether in the metaverse or the real universe.

Objectives:

• Classify a working definition of the “metaverse” and a potential timeline for its development
• Examine Big Tech’s plans and investments for metaverse development
• Predict how the metaverse could possibly impact the legal industry
• Examine the progression of more immersive technology being used in business settings
• Assess new tech gadgets targeted for legal professionals

Phillip Hampton
Legal Technology Consultant

William T. Ramsey, JD
Partner
Neal & Harwell, PLC

This session will educate you on the basics of the disease of substance use disorder, the impact of substance use in the legal profession and the liabilities of unchecked substance use. You’ll discuss how to assist in establishing firm policies and identify issues at an early stage as well as how appropriate and productive action can eliminate or reduce risks arising from substance use disorders in the firm.

Objectives:

• Identify and describe the legal liability and ethical concerns associated with substance use disorder for lawyers, law firms and staff.
• Recognize and illustrate the economic and personal costs arising from substance use to lawyers and their firm.
• Defend your actions based on a comprehensive introduction to addiction as a disease.
• Summarize recent scientific data and findings relating to substance use of lawyers and the legal profession.
• Show how to confront active substance use problems in the workplace and describe best practices establishing and following law firm policies or procedures.

Eric J. Webber, MA, CADC, CCS, CSAT/CMAT, CCPG
Director
Caron Legal Professionals Program
Senior Clinician of Specialty Services
Caron Treatment Center

Corey B. Rabin, Esq., JD
Clinical Adviser
Caron Legal Professionals Program
Attorney, Managing Partner
Rabin, Panero & Herrick, Esqs.

In 2020, Sybil Dunlop interviewed diverse legal professionals from around the country about their experiences in the legal industry. These individuals’ voices offer practical advice, as well as haunting testimony, regarding how far we still have to go. This session pairs their experiences with research showing how explicit and implicit biases in the legal profession render it the least diverse profession. You’ll leave with practical advice and actions to take to become a change agent in your own organization.

Objectives:

• Identify three reasons why the legal profession is the nation’s least diverse.
• Discuss why the legal profession’s lack of diversity harms firms and our profession.
• Highlight reasons why past efforts to improve diversity in the legal profession have failed.
• Identify three steps your law firm can take to improve our profession’s diversity.
• Plan to do three things that will ensure your law firm is inclusive.

Sybil Dunlop, JD
Partner
Greene Espel PLLP

Reviews of law firms and lawyers matter on Google, Indeed and other widely used platforms. When a company receives bad reviews, more than 90% of people avoid the business. That includes legal service consumers and prospective talent. During this session, you’ll join a reputation management authority in addressing what prospective clients, associates and lateral attorneys are looking for online, what will cloud their judgment and what you should be doing to safeguard your firm’s reputation.

Objectives:

• Demonstrate how to own and manage your law firm’s digital real estate.
• Identify how and when to respond, if at all, to client reviews and the ethical considerations.
• Outline what social media policies need to say about online reviews.
• Assess when it is appropriate to contact the review site and report the review.

Gina F. Rubel, Esq.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Furia Rubel Communications, Inc.

Jim Jarrell
Director of Marketing and Business Development
McCarthy, Lebit, Crystal & Liffman Co., LPA

Sarah A. Ryan
Director of Marketing and Business Development
Stark & Stark

 

When trying to create an inclusive culture in the workplace, diverse recruitment may be seen as a possible pathway to improving the environment. But this is putting the cart before the horse. The environment must be welcoming to the diverse candidates who are being recruited well in advance of their arrival. So how do you achieve or create an inclusive culture/environment first? This session will take you on a journey of cultural exploration and understanding. You’ll gain the tools you need to teach others how to shift into an inclusive and open mindset so diverse candidates and new hires feel welcomed and reach their full potential.

Objectives:

• Prepare for inclusion by making a shift in mindset.
• Define the roles of leaders, managers and coworkers.
• Employ the onboarding process from days 5 through 365.

Tracey West, Esq.
Senior Consultant
Loeb Leadership

Each of us is responsible for persuading others to action — whether it’s an industry colleague, boss, vendor or peer. Attend this session to learn how to better identify the persuasion preference of your target audience, customize your message to that preference and improve your ability to move them to action.

Objectives:

• Identify the characteristics of the four persuasion types.
• Recognize triggers for quickly identifying one’s persuasion type.
• Develop techniques for customizing your approach so others feel like you’re speaking their language.
• Use techniques to garner buy-in and approval on projects and initiatives.

Jonathan Fitzgarrald
Managing Partner
Equinox Strategy Partners

What does it take to be a good writer? It’s important for all legal and business professionals to possess good writing skills. Whether it be an email, memo, correspondence or some other legal or business communication, it is important for all writing to be done well because it says a lot about who you are and how you communicate. But what are some concrete steps you can take to improve and become more effective? In other words, how can you grow your writing skills to be highly effective in the workplace? As a college law professor and writing instructor, author, legal administrator, and mentor, Kevin Lee shares important tools that every professional needs to excel as a writer. Kevin brings fun and humor, while teaching audiences important writing lessons and inspiring them to become great. Kevin’s words provide an inspiring message that will help you write for legal and business success.

Objectives:

• Write effective emails, memos, correspondence, and other written communications for legal and business success.
• Demonstrate a new and different approach to writing that will help you grow professionally and effectively lead others in the workplace.
• Support the expectations of legal and business professionals who must communicate regularly and be an example to others in the workplace.

Kevin S. Lee, JD, MDiv
Legal/Business Administrator
City Attorney’s Office, City of San Jose

Learn about leadership from a retired colonel who gave more than 30 years of service to the U.S. Army and who has led teams both in peacetime and in combat, ranging from a few subordinates to well over 4,000. You’ll find the similarities between the military profession and the legal profession to be both surprising and profound. You’ll leave with new insights into leadership and building highperforming teams that work both on the battlefield and in the law firm.

Objectives:

• Examine what traits and skills lead to effective leadership.
• Explain tangible tips to help individuals develop effective leadership characteristics in themselves.
• Identify three key characteristics of a highperforming team (and how leaders can foster them).

Steven Merkel
Chief Operating Officer
Barnes & Thornburg LLP

Co-develop solutions to common challenges by leveraging the shared experiences and collective knowledge of your industry peers. ALA’s Meeting of Minds (formerly known as Idea Exchanges) enables participants to network extensively, discuss, debate and dissect best practices and topical issues within legal administration.

Facilitated by:

Josh Kalish, CLM, MBA, CFA, MA
Managing Partner
Law Firms of the Future, LLC

What does it mean to be authentic, transparent and “find your voice”? How can you confidently and clearly assert yourself within the firm to be known for the value you offer?

In this Bold Bite session, you’ll be inspired to take control over your narrative (who you are, why you’re here and what you offer) and communicate effectively to drive change, assert your position and share your value.

You’ll learn the important agreement to make with yourself when deciding on options, or your credibility is challenged and when your desire to impact others leads you to outside your comfort zone.

Lida Citroën
CEO
LIDA360, LLC

2022 presents a “trek into the unknown” for law firm hiring: client demand, direct expenses and associate turnover are up, while the talent pool is shrinking (seriously).  How can firms better compete for talent – while setting up for long-term success?

2022 demands a common-sense approach to hiring:

• Use your internal data to improve recruitment results and lower recruitment spend
• Establish a talent brand that attracts top candidates
• Increase associate retention with a meaningful focus on wellness
• Eliminate “bad hires” through real pre-hire due diligence and increase retention rates

Michael Ellenhorn, JD
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Decipher Investigative Intelligence

The majority of law firms are pivoting to a hybrid workforce. This means selling attorneys on hoteling and the value of communal space.  Firms need to learn how to do this well.  Hoteling may have a negative connotation for law firms, but the Big 4 professional service firms have adopted hoteling for over a decade and making it into a positive to lure professionals into the office because of a ‘hotel-like’ experience, rather than the negative connotation of ‘losing a desk.  Please join Anthony Davies, Chief Revenue Officer of Forrest Solutions, for an industry-wide view of how the Big 4 have successfully leveraged hoteling concepts and how law firms –and their attorneys—can benefit by doing it well. 

Anthony Davies
Chief Revenue Officer
Forrest Solutions

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) is at the forefront of discussion around corporate culture and people strategy. And for good reason, the lack of diverse representation in the workforce is a critical issue that spans all industries and levels of leadership.  As your organization works to address these inequities, it’s critical to consider all types of diversity as part of your greater DEIA strategy. An essential component is cognitive diversity, which significantly impacts your employees and organization.  This session will explore the meaning of cognitive diversity and why it’s important. 

Kevin S. Lee, JD, M.Div
Legal/Business Administrator
City Attorney's Office, City of San Jose

The most successful businesspeople did not advance in their careers alone. After all, they have the same 24-hours in a day that we all possess. Many of these same successful individuals also experience some of the same preservations that you do when it comes to delegating: lack of trust, desire to control things, hesitancy to spend money, or concern it won’t get done to your expectations.

The big differentiator is that successful people quickly recognize that, to achieve more in their business, they have to find ways to actually do less. They realize that the secret to accelerating their professional growth is to work smarter and not harder by leveraging qualified colleagues and professionals. They appreciate that they can learn to become a delegating master. Are you ready to learn to do more by doing less and become a delegating master, too?

Sarah M. Tetlow
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Firm Focus, LLC

In a recent survey of 10,000 knowledge workers, 78% stated that they want more control of where they do their work. 95% stated they want more control of when they do their work. The future of work will be defined by flexibility of both, time and space. Firms looking to attract, engage and retain top talent will need to embrace the demands of this post-pandemic workforce.

Join, organizational psychology consultant, David Shar, as we explore how to create inclusive, equitable, and engaging hybrid teams designed to increase your employees’ satisfaction, and your firm’s bottom line.

David Shar, MPS, SHRM-SCP
President
Illuminate PMC

Do you manage or do you lead? Job descriptions define the responsibilities of a manager. However, it is an individual’s actions that distinguish them as a valued and trusted leader. Join this interactive, matter-of-fact discussion to learn how spheres of influence can contribute to your development. Take a dive into understanding the benefits of the professional development of your staff, and then explore the role of leadership within a client service environment.

Objectives:

• Identify techniques to expand and benefit from your sphere of influence.
• Employ positive, actionable steps that will help you develop and empower your staff.
• Develop an understanding of how to excel at client service and elevate your leadership role.

Dan McCormack, CLM, MBA, ACC, SCA
Chief Executive Officer and Founder
Dan McCormack & Associates, LLC

There are two types of client requests for proposal (RFPs): Matter RFPs for delivering specific pieces of legal work; and Relationship RFPs for setting the general terms between law firm and client over a period of time. Legal Pricing/LPM Teams tend to focus on the former since these lean towards using innovative pricing structures and alternative fee arrangements (AFAs) - basically what all clients ask for nowadays. But the Relationship RFPs tends to dictate how innovative a law firm can get with subsequent matter pricing and also plays a significant role in how cost-effective and competitive they are considered by their clients.

So rather than focusing on AFAs and other pricing buzzwords like most pricing sessions, let's discuss the challenges of preparing a response to the relationship-defining RFPs (particularly the large ones with a million questions about innovation, value-add, pricing, diversity, etc. etc.). And let's see if we can find simple solutions to build innovative commercial packages for your clients.

Objectives:

• Review general approach taken by law firms when responding to client RFPs
• Analyze the impact that relationship-defining RFPs have on subsequent pricing/negotiations
• Explore creative and innovative pricing structures

Kofi Mundy-Castle, MS, ARCS
Legal Pricing & Project Management Lead
Fulcrum Global Technologies

Are you thinking about retiring? Retirement today is different from what it once was, and planning for it needs to be approached in a new way. People will, on average, stay healthier and more active for much longer. If you are 60 years old today, you are likely to live into your 90s. What will you do with those extra years? This session will help you design a future that can be as meaningful and joyful as you want. To help you get started, you’ll participate in individual and small-group exercises.

Objectives:

• Recognize the impact of longevity on planning for your future.
• Choose a positive mindset about retirement.
• Describe the elements of a happy, meaningful retirement.
• Examine possible retirement scenarios.
• Apply design thinking to create a dynamic, flexible retirement plan.

Ida O. Abbott, JD
President
Ida Abbott Consulting LLC

Although every firm has a unique approach to managing their legal support services and the work flowing between their lawyers and support teams, all are facing the same obstacles. These include difficulty recruiting and retaining talent; challenges gaining visibility of work, capacity, utilization and turnaround times (especially with staff working remotely or hybrid); catering to the needs of four or five generations of lawyers with different expectations of support; and pressure to lower costs while simultaneously enhancing the quality of service — to name a few. You’re invited to hear an expert panel of human resources, operations and support services leaders share their experiences and lessons learned from recent backoffice modernization projects that developed more efficient and cost-effective legal support services.

Objectives:

• Apply the actionable advice of experts as you transition from relationship-based support to centralized, specialized and modernized legal support services.
• Solve common challenges, such as retaining institutional knowledge in the face of rapidly increasing retirement and attrition rates.
• Demonstrate change management strategies required to make your project a success and gain your attorneys’ confidence.
• Define the impact your support function can have on your firm’s overall profitability and success and how you can make a difference.

Panelists

Travis A. Larson
Senior Director, Firm Operations
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

Denise M. Dellaratta
Director of Practice Support
Fox Rothschild LLP

Julie G. Paul
Chief Human Resources Officer
Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell LLP

Lynne P. Pierce
Chief of Real Estate and Office Operations
Ballard Spahr LLP

Moderators

Duska Frink
Solutions Manager
BigHand

Eric Wangler
President
BigHand North America

In the wake of the Great Resignation and as society and the workplace become increasingly divided, it’s more important than ever to create a work culture where diverse opinions and substantive conflict are welcomed and incivility and relationship conflicts are avoided. This interactive presentation will use the power of story and humor to highlight the latest research in organizational psychology and explore tactics and benefits of creating a workplace culture of kindness.

Objectives:

• Identify why so many of us are burning out and how to create a burnout-proof work culture that goes way beyond resilience training.
• Recognize the difference between positive and negative conflict at work.
• Discuss ways to overcome negativity bias while avoiding toxic positivity and define why passionate teams have “kind” leaders, not “nice” leaders.
• Recognize your “why” and the greater meaning in your work.

David Shar, MPS, SHRM-SCP
President and Founder
IlluminatePMC

In the history of executive and legal search, we have never seen an environment like the current one when it comes to recruiting and retaining talent. It’s happening at every level — the C-suite, director and manager, lateral lawyers, paralegals, junior employees and other staff. In the last few years, record numbers of employees have left the workplace. We’re in the middle of a chasmic shift with employers, employees and working. Join this engaging, interactive session to see how to shift the paradigm on recruiting and retention.

Objectives:

• Apply people-centric recruiting strategies to attract and retain top market talent.
• Identify actions to implement immediately in your talent attraction and retention efforts.
• Match culture to creative, agile and intentional people connecting to make a difference in talent retention and attraction.
• Summarize, share and discuss tips and tricks with peers.

Jodi L. Stanke
Chief Executive Officer
Talon Performance Group, Inc.

From client intake through the application of payments received, each step of the revenue process offers opportunities to accelerate the cash cycle and improve payment realization. In this session, you’ll explore solutions law firm teams can use to promote efficient billing, e-billing and accounts receivable management. Learn how to implement effective and efficient process improvements to positively impact your bottom line with an optimized cash cycle that increases profitability and frees up billable time.

Objectives:

• Develop better processes to increase billing and collection realization.
• Identify opportunities to prevent rejections and reductions in the prebilling process.
• Employ methods to accelerate the intake-to-cash process.
• Assess results by developing key performance indicators.
• Recognize benefits and key considerations when outsourcing financial services, including cost benefits of employing leveraged teams offshore.

Suzanne Zimmerman
Vice President — Billing Services
Frontline Managed Services

Co-develop solutions to common challenges by leveraging the shared experiences and collective knowledge of your industry peers. ALA’s Meeting of Minds (formerly known as Idea Exchanges) enables participants to network extensively, discuss, debate and dissect best practices and topical issues within legal administration.

Facilitated by:

Josh Kalish, CLM, MBA, CFA, MA
Managing Partner
Law Firms of the Future, LLC

Nearly all leaders rise to leadership positions because they can solve problems and get things done. Too often, when employees approach them with challenges, the leader responds by solving the problem. The most successful leaders understand that they cannot be the Chief Problem-Solving Officer. They have made the strategic mindset shift away from telling and directing their employees, to empowering and developing them through frequent one-on-one coaching conversations that are development-focused, strengths-based, and actionable. Imagine a workplace where every employee benefited from this type of leadership.

A coaching culture creates an environment where colleagues freely give and receive feedback, support one another, challenge each other’s assumptions and ideas, collaborate more effectively to create better outcomes, and engage in more impactful development conversations. In this session we’ll discuss how to make the case for introducing or expanding coaching in your firm, how to integrate coaching as a management tool, and how to equip leaders with coaching skills.

Finally, we’ll discuss trends in coaching in law firms, share success stories and best practices, and provide sample policies, frameworks, and tools for you to use.

• Define what coaching is, and what it isn’t.
• Recognize the many applications of coaching and how coaching can benefit both individuals and organizations.
• Identify the current trends and best practices around coaching in law firms.
• Apply success stories about innovative coaching programs in place at several law firms.
• Devise a strong a business case for employing coaching in your firm.
• Apply guidance on how to equip leaders with coaching skills.

Andy Colón
Chief Legal Talent Officer
Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP

Cheri Vaillancour
Principal
Cheri Vaillancour & Associates LLC

Successful professionals across all industries, including the legal sector, use project management and process mapping to execute overwhelming, complex processes. The incredible impact of such tools today is the result of a natural evolution, as humans have been using checklists for hundreds of years to expand the limitations of the brain and memory, train professionals, and guarantee higher quality and lessen risk.

To begin, this presentation will explore the fascinating history and astounding science behind mapping key processes and procedures. Stories and research will show why these are critical to reducing mistakes and fostering teamwork - and sometimes are even a matter of life or death!

Attendees will then mature their skills through greater awareness of proven and new methods to project manage and process map, how other leaders are incorporating forms and checklists in daily work, and best practices for inspiring attorneys and team members to create and use them.

These will be further enhanced through an interactive workshop where attendees will collaboratively process map the classic “special project request” which may be vital to a firm’s advancement, but taxing for overworked legal administrators.

In summary, the presentation will close by identifying common challenges faced during implementation, including underutilization, cultural bias and responding to new or unforeseen situations.

Shannon Lanier
Account and Marketing Director
Poston Communications

Dave Poston, Esq.
Chief Executive Officer and General Counsel
Poston Communications

Just because something has “always been done that way” doesn’t mean that’s the best way to do it. Join this session to better understand internal processes through mapping exercises and stakeholder engagement and how it’s possible to improve efficiency and profitability at your firm simply and easily. Leave with new insights you can apply when adapting processes to onboard new technology at your firm and implementing a new tool across a variety of different operational areas to support goals with key performance indicators.

Objectives:

• Analyze internal processes to identify inefficiencies.
• Arrange internal conversations about process optimization.
• Devise projects that bring together stakeholders to improve processes.
• Plan for process adaptation when onboarding new technology.
• Evaluate effectiveness of newly established processes.

Andreas Becker
Director of Business Development
Lawyaw

Get up to speed on what’s new with law firm benefits in this interactive, high-energy presentation. You’ll look at recommendations and specific descriptions of little-known contract language details on standard benefits your firm may have in place today. You’ll examine what’s working for your firm now and discuss some of the main benefits and pitfalls. Is your current benefits package’s claims language geared toward your benefits vision? What questions should you be asking to help make sure your firm and your employees are covered? Find out here.

Objectives:

• Review popular new employee benefit offerings.
• Identify where to obtain these benefits and how to implement them.
• Describe specific and critical benefit contract language of common benefits of which you should “Beware” and “Be Aware.”
• Define the important difference between “and” and “or” when it comes to benefits.
• Outline valuable action steps you can apply at your firm immediately.

Alan Wilson
National Program Director
GLJ Benefit Consultants

Like all managers, you want your teams to take ownership, work collaboratively and exhibit a growth mindset. But what concrete steps can you take to supercharge others and bring out their best? Hear a basketball coach, educator, author, pastor, legal administrator, husband, father and mentor share lessons to help you win at work and in every area of life. You’ll learn three things great leaders do to build winning teams and how to focus on strengths, safety and communication. Apply this inspiring message to grow at work and home and in everyday life.

Objectives:

• Employ your new focus on strengths to increase your job satisfaction and overall productivity.
• Develop new and different interpersonal skills that help you build trust and promote authenticity
• Recognize the expectations of leaders who want to effectively lead others and build connectivity.

Kevin S. Lee, JD, MDiv
Legal Manager/Business Administrator
City Attorney’s Office, City of San Jose

Co-develop solutions to common challenges by leveraging the shared experiences and collective knowledge of your industry peers. ALA’s Meeting of Minds (formerly known as Idea Exchanges) enables participants to network extensively, discuss, debate and dissect best practices and topical issues within legal administration.

Facilitated by:

Ashley Frisch
Litigation Support Manager
Rimon, P.C.

Based on interviews that the speaker personally conducted with 20 chief financial officers, seven finance directors, and three accounting managers at law firms of various sizes throughout the United States, this program focuses on the pandemic’s impact on the business of law, shifts in the application of data to decision-making in law firms, the perception of profitability, and the pace of innovation. The speaker will share his findings from the new report, Implementing Financial Intelligence to Give Law Firms a Competitive Advantage in 2022 and Beyond, supported by BigHand, BRYTER, and SurePoint Technologies.

Objectives:

• Identify how the responsibilities of finance and administrative leaders have expanded.
• Recognize the best practices of firms that are seamlessly adapting to change.
• Describe ways that firms can enhance their focus on profitability and the impact of that effort.
• Identify the skills that are necessary for success as a law firm finance and administrative leader.
• Use the power of data to impact a law firm’s operations and results.

Ari Kaplan
Principal
Ari Kaplan Advisors LLC

Discover an innovative approach to responding to behavioral health needs in your workplace. Through a case study, you’ll gain an overview of a series of behavioral health webinars for legal professionals designed to address the high-stress nature of the industry, highlight the importance of taking care of one’s mental health and provide strategies to manage these challenges. Leave with lessons learned that you can apply in your own firm.

Objectives:

• Recognize the prevalence of behavioral health crises in the legal industry.
• Analyze the barriers in addressing mental health in a workplace setting.
• Construct a pathway for approaching behavioral health for your employees.
• Illustrate the successes and opportunities for improvement from the intervention.
• Generate a plan for accessing mental and behavioral health resources.

Tammy Salata, MBA, BSN, RN
RN Manager
PeopleOne Health

Julie Frischkorn, MSW, LCSW
Vice President of Behavioral Health
PeopleOne Health

William F. Fisher
Senior Vice President, Practice Leader, Group Benefits
Oswald Companies

Whether in person or remotely, you probably interact with a lot of different people each day. Some of them are “difficult” people. Imagine a day where you enjoy every opportunity to engage with others — from the barista to that demanding senior partner. Hear from a law office administrator, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) professional and community advocate how to develop relationships and make the most of each and every interaction with other people. Take these reproducible, practical tips and apply them to create lasting relationships that bring joy to every aspect of your life.

Objectives:

• Identify how to connect with others in a way that leads to lasting relationships.
• Identify little things you can implement to increase your approachability, both virtually and in person.
• Use DEI principles to make the most of every communication.

Kelly Atkinson
DEI Director and Office Administrator
Barnes & Thornburg LLP

The hybrid workforce has fundamentally changed law firm operations, and this includes changing how to best support attorneys who are working remotely. In this session, you’ll review innovative new models law firms are deploying to optimize this support function, and you’ll learn how to design new workflows to improve efficiency, expertise and cost. You’ll investigate how these new models of administrative support often increase efficiencies by centralizing the distribution of work based on ability and availability of resources, realigning administrative staff with current required skill sets and the firm’s future business objectives as well as improving overall end-user satisfaction.

Objectives:

• Explain new innovations in administrative support models.
• Construct an unbiased assessment of administrative support functions.
• Assess skill sets and models of support.
• Assess the value of in-house or outsourced administrative services given the firm’s strengths.

Robert Mattern, MBA
President
Mattern, LLC

What does it take to be seen as a leader in your firm? Where might you be missing opportunities to promote yourself? This session employs powerful examples, thought-provoking questions and humor to guide you through a meaningful conversation about where you are now … and who you want to be. You’ll discover how personal branding — online and in person — unlocks the strategy to self-promotion and positioning and puts you in charge of your career and narrative. Find out how to take control, from how you come across at work, in meetings and in the industry to how you act, communicate and express your value.

Objectives:

• Distinguish characteristics of your personal brand and recognize how to establish credibility.
• Identify the needs and wants of your target audience so they’ll find you relevant and compelling.
• Use strategic tools to build your brand via social media and in-person networking and through your narrative, staying mindful of thoughtful selfpromotion.
• Assess reputation management resources to guide and advance a powerful personal brand.
• Recognize reputation risk factors and develop a reputation repair protocol, if warranted.

Lida Citroën
Chief Executive Officer
LIDA360, LLC

In today’s world, a written plan is an essential part of a firm’s overall business continuity program. Many clients and insurance companies now require law firms to have written plans that meet client compliance and audit requirements, request for proposal (RFP) guidelines and industry standards that have changed the playing field for business continuity globally in today’s pandemic world. In this session, you’ll gain information valuable to any size law firm as you work through the key components of every written business continuity plan. You’ll leave with a checklist you can use to assess and revise your firm’s current plan.

Objectives:

• Explain the importance of having a written business continuity plan, especially in today’s pandemic world.
• Assess how compliance requirements, multiple client audits and RFP requests have changed the playing field for business continuity for law firms.
• Recognize the importance of conducting a business impact analysis (BIA) for your firm and describe the BIA process.
• Identify and analyze the essential elements of a comprehensive business continuity plan.
• Apply what you learn by completing a checklist you can follow to assess, revise or draft your firm’s business continuity plan.

Kathryn Scourby, CBCP
Principal
KNS Consulting, LLC

Why do most performance management programs – which drive behavior – fail to produce results? How can we meet employees where they are, acknowledge their whole selves, and help them take advantage of their talents to thrive? The answer is simple: People Science.
People Science pulls the best from traditional HR practices and leverages behavioral psychology and social sciences to drive positive behaviors, engagement, and peak performance.

Objectives:

• Discover concepts from psychology and the social sciences used to create self-awareness and action plans that drive performance.
• Identify elements of an effective scorecard, including tangible performance standards and intangibles that affect an organization’s culture, for example, a continuous improvement mindset, ownership, and willingness to change and adapt.
• Use practical tips to help employees prepare for performance management discussions, including how to ask for feedback and how to work with supervisors to develop mutual goals and action plans.
• Discover highlights of change management models used to help employees embrace action planning as well as techniques to build resilient and empowered teams.

Susan Thompson
Chief Human Resources Officer
Hadley

Deborah Burrows
Consultant
Isanni Consulting

Storytelling and credibility are incredibly important in the legal profession. Podcasting and internet video shows are two mediums you can use to create a narrative, showcase subject matter expertise and promote your organization. In this session, you’ll learn why podcasts and videos are an important marketing tool for your business, what you should consider when using these mediums and how to get started. You’ll also explore what the metaverse is, why you should care and how to position your company to be ready for it.

Objectives:

• Identify ways to market your business and conduct business development using podcasts and internet video shows.
• Recognize how to create credibility and subject matter expertise using podcasts and internet video shows.
• Explain the metaverse and formulate a plan to prepare your business for it.

Rosanna Catalano, JD
President
Rocket Ship Consultants LLC

We hear stories about bullies all the time, mostly among school-age children and in school settings. But according to the Workplace Bullying Institute, 30% of employees have direct experience being bullied. This presentation provides an opportunity to learn the difference between harassment and bullying and will touch on the intersectionality of harassment, bullying and racism. Participants will understand the impact on their employees when this behavior is allowed to continue. And they will learn how to recognize, acknowledge and stop bullying in the legal profession.

Objectives:

• Give examples of various implicit and blatant bullying behaviors.
• Demonstrate a better understanding of how a culture of silence enables bullying behaviors in the workplace
• Distinguish between bullying and harassment behaviors.
• Show how bullying behaviors affect the legal profession.
• Implement actionable measures for stopping bullies in the workplace.

Laurence Winters
Chief Community Officer
SurePoint Technologies

Shirley Laboy
Director of Administration
Bondurant Mixson & Elmore, LLP

Co-develop solutions to common challenges by leveraging the shared experiences and collective knowledge of your industry peers. ALA’s Meeting of Minds (formerly known as Idea Exchanges) enables participants to network extensively, discuss, debate and dissect best practices and topical issues within legal administration.

Facilitated by:

Kimberly Flowers
Branch Office Manager
Knobbe Martens

Carrie Valenzuela
Branch Office Manager
Meagher & Geer PLLP