Executive Leadership Summit
THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING #ALAELS23
September 28–30, 2023
Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter
San Diego, California
ALA’s Executive Leadership Summit takes a deep dive into forward-thinking topics that will explore new approaches and insights to help you deliver tangible results for your firm.
Please direct any additional questions about ALA’s Executive Leadership Summit to [email protected].
Sponsoring VIP Partners
LawPay was developed specifically for legal professionals, providing a simple, secure way to accept credit, debit, and eCheck payments online.
Clio is the world’s leading cloud-based legal software that simplifies operations and allows legal professionals to work remotely from anywhere.
iManage transforms how legal professionals get work done by combining artificial intelligence, security, and risk mitigation with market-leading document and email.
Vital Records Control® (VRC®) is a leading provider of legal document management solutions, dedicated to helping law firms optimize their workflows and document retention schedules.
Speakers
As of August 23, 2023. Subject to Change.
 Christopher R. DeVany, PMP Christopher R. DeVany is the Founder and President of Pinnacle Performance Improvement Worldwide. DeVany has published articles on surviving mergers and acquisitions, working through change, project management, sales, teambuilding, leadership, ethics, customer service, diversity and work-life balance. He is the author of 90 Days to a High-Performance Team. He has served, or is currently serving, as a board member of the International Association of Facilitators, Sales and Marketing Executives International, American Society of Training and Development, Institute of Management Consultants, American Society of Association Executives, Meeting Professionals International and National Speakers Association. DeVany is an award-winning Toastmaster’s International Competition speaker. |  Doug Dvorak Doug Dvorak was inducted into the International Who’s Who of Professional Speaking and has trained and impacted over one million people in each of the 50 states and in more than 107 countries. He is a certified sales trainer and management consultant and owns and manages his own sales training and coaching business, The Sales Coaching Institute. Dvorak was named one of the top 10 sales professionals in America in 1988 by Power Selling Magazine and has appeared on Oprah, CBS, FOX NEWS and CNN. |
 Sarah Evenson, JD, MBA
|  Barbara Mencer, CHHP, AADP Barbara Mencer is the President of Rainmaker Strategies, Inc., and a certified professional coach, consultant and trainer with more than 25 years of experience in helping lawyers and law firms grow. She specializes in business development, leadership, performance management and client services. She has served as a member of ALA’s San Diego Chapter and has published articles on business and leadership development. Mencer holds a bachelor’s in business management and is a certified Holistic Health Coach. |
 Jennifer Mueller Jennifer Mueller is an associate professor at the University of San Diego. Mueller has served on the faculty of the Wharton School, Yale School of Management and New York University’s Stern School of Business. She also published the paper, The Bias Against Creativity, which went viral and received more than 100 media mentions. |  Andrew Perlman Andrew Perlman is the Dean and Professor of Law at Suffolk University Law School. Perlman has led national and international initiatives to improve access to legal services through technology and innovation. He served as the Vice Chair of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Commission on the Future of Legal Services and the Inaugural Chair of the governing council of the ABA’s Center for Innovation. Perlman is a member of the Access to Justice Advisory Committee at the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. |
 Donté P. Shannon, FASAE, CAE |
Schedule of Events
Thursday, September 28, 2023
3 p.m.
Registration Opens
Location/Room: Gaslamp Ballroom
6–7:30 p.m.
Welcome Reception
Location/Room: Starlight Terrace
Friday, September 29, 2023 Show All SessionsHide All Sessions
7:30 a.m.
Registration Opens
Location/Room: Gaslamp Ballroom
7:30–8:30 a.m.
Continental Breakfast and Networking
Location/Room: Gaslamp Ballroom
Welcome!
Location/Room: Gaslamp Ballroom
| Barbara Mencer, CHHP, AADP Founder and President Rainmaker Strategies, Inc. | Sarah Evenson, JD, MBA Office Administrator Barnes & Thornburg, LLP |
The Strategic Edge: Building a Strategic Mindset
Location/Room: Gaslamp Ballroom
This interactive workshop is designed to help participants develop their ability to analyze complex problems, identify opportunities and create effective strategies to achieve their goals. Attendees can expect a combination of structured activities and open dialogue that encourages creative and critical thinking.
Objectives:
- Identify specific tools and techniques for analyzing problems, evaluating options and making strategic decisions.
- Recognize how to approach complex problems strategically.
- Apply strategies in your everyday professional lives for greater achievement and productivity.
CLM® Application Credit: 3.5 hour(s) of Self-Management Skills
CLM® Application
Credit for Functional Specialists: N/A
SHRM: 3.5 PDC
| Donté P. Shannon, FASAE, CAE Board Strategy and Operations Advisor Vista Cova |
12:30–1:30 p.m.
Lunch
Location/Room: Santa Rosa
Embracing (Creative) Change
Location/Room: Gaslamp Ballroom
We live in a time of unprecedented change. This workshop answers the question of why change is so hard and what we can do to increase our comfort with change — especially creative change. We will also define creative change, unravel our love-hate relationship with creativity, learn the basics of brainstorming and evaluate new ideas.
Objectives:
- Recognize your feelings about change and how these feelings can help, but also harm, your ability to embrace new ideas to make your firms and lives better.
- Examine new techniques to increase your cognitive flexibility and problem-solving skills to generate and recognize new solutions with potential.
- Use strategies to more effectively recognize good ideas voiced by those ranked lower than you.
HR-HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
CLM®Application Credit: 3.5 hour(s) of Organizational
Development
CLM® Application Credit for Functional Specialists: 3.5 hour(s) in the subject area
of Human Resources Management (HR) towards the additional hours required of some Functional Specialists to fulfill
the CLM application.
CLM® Recertification Credit: 3.5 hour(s) in the subject area of Human
Resources Management (HR)
SHRM: 3.5 PDC
| Jennifer
Mueller Associate Professor, School of Business University of San Diego Author Creative Change: Why We Resist It … How We Can Embrace It |
5–6 p.m.
Networking Reception
Location/Room: Gaslamp Ballroom
Saturday,
September 30, 2023
Show All SessionsHide All Sessions
7:30 a.m.
Registration Opens
Location/Room: Gaslamp Ballroom
7:30–8:30 a.m.
Continental Breakfast and Networking
Location/Room: Gaslamp Ballroom
Project Management Best Practices: Nine Keys to Bringing in Your Strategic Projects on Time and on Budget
Location/Room: Gaslamp Ballroom
As law firm leaders, you have more than your fair share of projects to oversee. Whether it’s conducting a profitability analysis, overseeing new technology implementation or ensuring a smooth transition of leadership through succession planning, every critical strategic project you need to manage can be handled efficiently and effectively. This workshop offers an enjoyable, hands-on learning experience with your peers … imagine fun while learning! Come laugh, listen and learn as we explore a systematic process for delivering the project results everyone — including you — expects and deserves.
Objectives:
- Identify how to effectively initiate, plan, implement, control and complete your projects.
- Prepare to get buy-in from others for your projects.
- Discover practical tools, tips, tricks and techniques for delivering all your most critical strategic projects on time and on budget.
LI-LEGAL INDUSTRY/BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
CLM®Application Credit: 3.5 hour(s) of Organizational
Development
CLM® Application Credit for Functional Specialists: 3.5 hour(s) in the subject area
of Legal Industry/Business Management (LI) towards the additional hours required of some Functional Specialists to
fulfill the CLM application.
CLM® Recertification Credit: 3.5 hour(s) in the subject area of
Legal Industry/Business Management (LI)
SHRM: 3.5 PDC
| Christopher R. DeVany, PMP President and Chief Executive Officer Pinnacle Performance Improvement Worldwide |
12–1 p.m.
Lunch
Location/Room: Santa Rosa
The Implications of ChatGPT for Legal Services and Society
Location/Room: Gaslamp Ballroom
This workshop will discuss the impact of generative artificial intelligence (AI) on the legal industry. It will include a description of what generative AI is, how legal professionals can use it (and how they shouldn’t) and what it all means for the future of legal services. It will also include a demonstration of existing technology along with an opportunity to learn the basics of how to create prompts for generative AI tools.
Objectives:
- Examine generative AI and how it might be used in the legal industry.
- Identify legal ethics issues associated with generative AI.
- Discover the basics of how to create prompts for generative AI tools.
OM- OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
CLM®Application Credit: 2 hour(s) of Information
Technology
CLM® Application Credit for Functional Specialists: 2 hour(s) in the subject area of
Operations Management (OM) towards the additional hours required of some Functional Specialists to fulfill the CLM
application.
CLM® Recertification Credit: 2 hour(s) in the subject area of Operations Management
(OM)
SHRM: 2.0 PDC
| Andrew Perlman Dean and Professor of Law Suffolk University Law School |
3–3:45 p.m.
Refreshment Break
Location/Room: Gaslamp Ballroom
Key Takeaways and Wrap-Up
Location/Room: Gaslamp Ballroom
| Barbara Mencer, CHHP, AADP Founder and President Rainmaker Strategies, Inc. |
Closing Speaker: Laughter Is the Best Medicine
Location/Room: Gaslamp Ballroom
This presentation is perfect for organizations that want to develop and exercise their “funny bones.” It will explore what an individual’s humor quotient (HQ) is and determine if it is surprisingly low or nonexistent. Participants will discover if they are laughing and living up to their humor potential.
Objectives:
- Recognize the importance and power of laughter and humor in life and work.
- Discuss how to create and honor your own unique sense of humor.
- Extend your comfort and confidence by using humor personally and professionally.
- Apply a broader perspective of humor to get support for all areas of your life.
| Doug Dvorak Motivational Speaker |
Session does not qualify for CLM application or recertification credit.
5 p.m.
Closing Remarks and Event Concludes
Location/Room: Gaslamp Ballroom
