Get to Know Your #ALACONF24 Speakers
Make a Difference by Re-Thinking Your Meeting and Event Planning
Convening with a Cause: Infusing Sustainability and DEIA into Meetings and Events
Monday, May 20 | 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
| Q: |
How will your presentation align with this year’s conference theme, Discover the Difference? |
| A: |
By rethinking how we meet, together we can generate significant positive environmental and social impacts. When you leave this conference and return to your organization, if you can implement one sustainable or social impact practice you are positively impacting the world: making a difference for yourself, your firm and industry.
|
| Q: |
What are you hoping attendees will learn or walk away with from your presentation? |
| A: |
Attendees will be equipped with actionable insights and practical knowledge in incorporating sustainable practices, reducing carbon footprint and promoting DEIA principles in their event planning endeavors. Takeaways include applying skills and tools to incorporate the Four Principles of Sustainable Events, key strategies for reducing meeting and event carbon footprints, and assessment of planning processes to ensure implementation of DEIA.
|
| Q: |
Who should attend your session? |
| A: |
Law firm administrators looking to enhance their understanding of sustainable event planning and seeking to align their firms with modern business expectations for environmental, social and goverance should attend this interactive session.
|
| Q: |
What are you most looking forward to about the 2024 Annual Conference & Expo? |
| A: |
ALA’s 2024 Annual Conference & Expo offers a platform to make a meaningful impact, share my expertise and foster positive change within the legal community’s approach to sustainability. I am humbly looking forward to the opportunity to be a catalyst for change by raising awareness on the significance of sustainable practices and standards. Inspiring stakeholders to adopt more environmentally friendly and socially responsible approaches can help create incremental progress within the industry.
|
Discover Different Ways to Drive Greater Value for Your Firm
Kimberly A. Ess
Chief Executive Officer
Nilan Johnson Lewis PA
Enough Old Hat! Freshen Up Your Approach, Deliver Greater Value to Your Firm and Advance Your Career
Monday, May 20 | 2–3 p.m.
| Q: |
What are you hoping attendees will learn or walk away with from your presentation? |
| A: |
I hope they will better understand the different hats they wear as a part of their position. My goal is that they gain a greater understanding of how each hat contributes to their success, improves efficiency and drives greater value for the firm. We will consciously consider what roles we play and discuss ways to use these considerations to create additional impact and value for our firms.
|
| Q: |
Who should attend your session? |
| A: |
Finance professionals (or those that oversee this area) are looking to have a greater impact at their firm.
|
| Q: |
What are you most looking forward to about the 2024 Annual Conference & Expo? |
| A: |
I’m most looking forward to the engaging conversations and great education.
|
Discover the Difference in Your Profitability by Improving Data-Driven Decision-Making
CFO Perspectives: Exploring Profitability Improvement Opportunities at Your Firm
Tuesday, May 21 | 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
| Q: |
What are you hoping attendees will learn or walk away with from your presentation? |
| A: |
I very much enjoy the audience engagement. There is a large segment of seasoned law firm administrators that are craving more advanced financial analysis techniques and profitability initiatives and I am honored to share that knowledge.
|
| Q: |
What are you hoping attendees will learn or walk away with from your presentation? |
| A: |
Attendees will walk away with an expanded scope of profitability measures to employ at their firms —well beyond the traditional realization and collections of hourly billables.
|
| Q: |
Who should attend your session? |
| A: |
Anyone interested in improving law firm profitability, but particularly law firm administrators with 5+ years of experience who have strategic and financial responsibilities at firms generating $5 million or more in revenues.
|
| Q: |
What are you most looking forward to about the 2024 Annual Conference & Expo? |
| A: |
Everything — the networking with peers, strategic partners, technology partners and other world-class speakers.
|
Develop Skills and Strategies to Navigate Constant Change and Manage Stress
Navigating the Next Normal: Practical Strategies for Cultivating Resilience in the Age of Uncertainty
Tuesday, May 21 | 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
| Q: |
How will your presentation align with this year's conference theme, Discover the Difference? |
| A: |
If we have learned anything in this post-COVID world, it’s that the one constant is change. Rather than settling into the “new normal,” we’ve been called upon to embrace the “next normal,” because change never stops. By learning more about how our neurobiology responds to change and how our choices and behavior can influence that response, we can move from resistance to the unknown to discovery of the difference.
|
| Q: |
What are you hoping attendees will learn or walk away with from your presentation? |
| A: |
Attendees will cultivate the skills necessary to effectively manage stress, anxiety and relationships as well as enhance contentment, productivity and the quality of their work through better understanding how stress can manifest individually and collectively from a neurobiological perspective. Through the program, attendees identify customizable, science-backed strategies for cultivating resilience as they continue to navigate constant change.
|
| Q: |
Who should attend your session? |
| A: |
Anyone who experiences directly, and/or vicariously, the stressors unique to the legal profession. Anyone who seeks to better understand the why and how of their stressors while developing strategies and skills to reduce suffering.
|
Discover Strategies for Attracting Diverse Talent
Building a Diverse Candidate Pipeline
Tuesday, May 21 | 2:15–3:15 p.m.
| Q: |
What are you hoping attendees will learn or walk away with from your presentation? |
| A: |
Our presentation will highlight diversity and the many identities that make us interconnected. I hope attendees discover their natural superpowers to create safe spaces for all! In this session, we will focus on outreach, networking, partnerships, mentorship programs and other approaches to creating a talent pipeline that matches your firm’s needs.
|
| Q: |
Who should attend your session? |
| A: |
Anyone looking to connect organically with diverse leaders and retain those relationships for life!
|
Differentiate Your Firm to Boost Recruiting and Retention
Families and the Future of Work: Supporting Parents Creates a Talent Advantage
Tuesday, May 21 |4:15–5:15 p.m.
| Q: |
What are you hoping attendees will learn or walk away with from your presentation? |
| A: |
This will be my first time speaking at the Annual Conference, and I'm excited! An increased focus on families and caregivers in the workplace gives us an opportunity to rethink the way we support this critical talent pool. Supporting families is a differentiator for legal employers in recruiting and retention.
Attendees will walk away with a deeper understanding of the unique experience of caregivers, especially parents, in the workplace. They will leave my session with specific tools to better support this population.
|
| Q: |
Who should attend your session? |
| A: |
Anyone! We all have parents or future parents on our teams and within our organizations. Those who want to learn should attend; as should those with ideas to share.
|
| Q: |
What are you most looking forward to about the 2024 Annual Conference & Expo? |
| A: |
I'm most looking forward to meeting and learning from other attendees.
|
A Great Mentor Can Make All the Difference
How to Reenergize Your Firm’s Mentorship Program
Wednesday, May 22 | 9–10 a.m.
| Q: |
What are you hoping attendees will learn or walk away with from your presentation? |
| A: |
A great mentor can make all the difference in the world. Attendees will learn how to foster strong mentor bonds within their firm. They will also leave with actionable ideas on how to excite attorneys about actively participating in a mentor program and boost mentor relationships.
|
| Q: |
Who should attend your session? |
| A: |
Law firm professionals who are interested in proven strategies to strengthen mentor relationships within their organization.
|
| Q: |
What are you most looking forward to about the 2024 Annual Conference & Expo? |
| A: |
Meeting amazing law firm professionals and experiencing my first ALA conference!
|
Different Employee Retention Tactics to Reduce Turnover
How to Retain Attorneys and Staff in the ‘Job-Hopping Era’
Wednesday, May 22 | 9–10 a.m.
| Q: |
What are you hoping attendees will learn or walk away with from your presentation? |
| A: |
Knowing about the job-hopping era is crucial for individuals and organizations to navigate the contemporary job market effectively, make informed career decisions, and foster a dynamic and engaging work environment. My session will equip attendees with learnings to build, evaluate and improve their firm’s employee retention strategies.
|
| Q: |
Who should attend your session? |
| A: |
This session will be most valuable to those working in human resources (HR) leadership and those who manage or supervise staff.
|
Discover Effective Communication Techniques to Build Collaborative Relationships with Attorneys
Unlocking Effective Communication with Attorneys: Building Bridges for Productive Conversations
Wednesday, May 22 | 1:30–2:30 p.m.
| Q: |
What are you hoping attendees will learn or walk away with from your presentation? |
| A: |
First, I hope they find validation in what they have probably been observing for years when working with attorneys within their firms. Second, I hope they walk away with new insight and a set of tools to help bridge the communication divide they may encounter on a regular basis.
By learning about the scientifically proven personality traits of attorneys, we can discover the most effective communication techniques to build collaborative relationships.
|
| Q: |
Who should attend your session? |
| A: |
Attendees will walk away with an expanded scope of profitability measures to employ at their firms —well beyond the traditional realization and collections of hourly billables.
|
| Q: |
Who should attend your session? |
| A: |
Anyone who works with attorneys on a regular basis and is trying to effectuate changes within the firm.
|
| Q: |
What are you most looking forward to about the 2024 Annual Conference & Expo? |
| A: |
I'm looking forward to reconnecting with ALA members and business partners I met at last years' conference. Meeting some of my mentees from this past year through the ALA Ambassador program and members of the First Five Community. Learning new skills and viewpoints from the speakers at the Education Sessions.
|
What Better Way to Discover the Difference Than With Transforming From Chaos to Control?
From Chaos to Control: Navigating Interruptions, Distractions and Delegation
Wednesday, May 22 | 1:30–2:30 p.m.
| Q: |
You’ve spoken for ALA before, why do you enjoy speaking at the Annual Conference? |
| A: |
ALA members are some of my favorite people. They are all business by day and they know how to set that aside and enjoy the evening at the conference too. [They are] punctual, engaging, eager to learn, and respectful. They ask great questions and participate fully while in the program. It is always my pleasure to engage with ALA Annual Conference attendees. I can't wait to see them in May in Colorado.
|
| Q: |
Who should attend your session? |
| A: |
Anyone who feels like their day-to-day is so busy and chaotic and that they are ready and eager to learn ways to gain more control of their time.
|
| Q: |
What are you hoping attendees will learn or walk away with from your presentation? |
| A: |
We are going to cover the essentials — understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating and creating. Attendees can expect to learn how to recognize the impact of distractions, implment effective distraction management techniques, prioritize tasks and distractions and develop a proactive workflow strategy.
|
| Q: |
What are you most looking forward to about the 2024 Annual Conference & Expo? |
| A: |
Well, on the one hand seeing my colleagues and meeting new friends. On the other hand ... that water park looks amazing at The Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center.
|
Your Difference Is Transformative
Closing General Session: REIGNclass® “The Answer”
Wednesday, May 22 | 3–4 p.m.
| Q: |
How will your presentation align with this year's conference theme, Discover the Difference? |
| A: |
The conference is about discovering your difference. My session (which will close things out) will challenge you to harness the difference you’ve unlocked and to leverage it for the benefit of you and all within your sphere of influence. Get ready to grow! Get ready to have some fun!
|
| Q: |
What are you hoping attendees will learn or walk away with from your presentation? |
| A: |
My hope is that all who attend emerge settled one, that they are walking greatness and have everything they need on the inside of them to handle whatever comes their way; and two, that their difference (their uniqueness) is transformative.
|
| Q: |
What are you most looking forward to about the 2024 Annual Conference & Expo? |
| A: |
Meeting new people, inspiring and being inspired.
|