LI30
- Legal Industry
David
W. Brezina Memorial General Session - Professional Ethics: Keep You and Your
Firm in the Integrity Zone
Wednesday,
May 07, 2008 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
This session focuses on
how to keep you and your law firm culture in the “Integrity Zone.” Egil (Bud)
Krogh, author of INTEGRITY: Good People, Bad Choices and Life Lessons from the
White House, has developed an approach for keeping integrity at the forefront
of decision making. Drawing on his good and bad experiences as a lawyer on
President Richard Nixon’s White House staff, Krogh identifies the external and
internal threats to integrity and the three questions that can help legal
administrators and their law firms stay safely in the Integrity Zone.
Vendor-Hosted
Workshop
Getting
the Most Out of Your Practice Management and Legal Research Technology
Wednesday,
May 07, 2008 9:45 AM - 10:45 AM
Firms must effectively
leverage practice management and legal research technology in order to stay
competitive and profitable. This session focuses on best practices in practice
management and how they can be utilized to recover legal research costs.
Sponsored by ProLaw.
MEDIE1
- Idea Exchange
Medium
Firm Administrators Idea Exchange (36–75 Attorneys)
Wednesday,
May 07, 2008 10:45 AM - Noon
Bring your issues and
ideas to this forum for legal administrators in firms with 36 to 75 attorneys.
Plan to discuss the issues and the problems that keep you awake at night.
Whatever the issues, many of your peers have addressed the same concerns. With
this round-table discussion format, you will determine the topics for
discussion on issues such as marketing, recruiting and medium-size firm
overhead.
MEDIE2
- Idea Exchange
Medium
Firm Administrators Idea Exchange (76–99 Attorneys)
Wednesday,
May 07, 2008 10:45 AM - Noon
Don’t miss this
exceptional Conference offering for legal administrators in firms with 76 to 99
attorneys. You handle so many of the operations in the firm—marketing,
budgeting, office services and more—that it helps to meet with your peers to
discuss issues relevant to the day-to-day aspects of running the business.
LIIE
- Idea Exchange
Global
Law Firm Idea Exchange
Wednesday,
May 07, 2008 10:45 AM - Noon
Global firms understand
that integrating people and offices with different cultures into a cohesive,
client-serving, worldwide organization is a difficult task. For the first time
at this Conference, U.S. and international ALA members can discuss global law
firms’ key issues. Discussion topics can include the differences between
Eastern and Western thought, local offices in global firms, leadership
challenges, tips for lawyers and cross-selling.
GM30
- Communications and General Management
Lead,
Follow or Get Out of the Way: Is That Any Way to Talk to Your Managing Partner?
Wednesday,
May 07, 2008 10:45 AM - Noon
This popular program
will help you lead pivotal situations that determine your success and failure
at your firm. Discover the skills you need to lead and manage difficult
situations with bosses, clients, peers and subordinates.
GM31
- Communications and General Management
Communicating
and Interacting With Others: Presentation Skills
Wednesday,
May 07, 2008 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM
As you advance
professionally, you are increasingly asked to present at meetings. This may not
be your favorite task, but you can learn to present with panache and
confidence. In this energetic, skills-based session, you will discover a
five-step guide to developing presentations. You will also learn the skills to
relax and feel confident with every audience, establish rapport with listeners
and ensure that your message is delivered effectively. (This session is being
repeated from Tuesday, 8–9:30 a.m.)
HR30
- Human Resources Management
Coming
of Age: Retain and Utilize Experienced Employees
Wednesday,
May 07, 2008 10:45 AM - Noon
The workforce is aging
and skill shortages abound. What does this mean for law firms? Chances are,
these forces will require employers to rethink employment and develop new
strategies to retain their older workers, hire or rehire retirees and employ
other older adults. Be prepared to leave with new ideas about how these issues
will impact law firms, education and your own attitudes about aging and
retirement.
HR31
- Human Resources Management
Auditing
Employment Practices for Risk Management
Wednesday,
May 07, 2008 10:45 AM - Noon
Have you taken a close
look at the employment practices in your firm? Do you know what records you
have and how you conduct your employment projects? If you want to make your firm
as safe as possible from employee disputes, join this session.
FM30
- Financial Management
The
Business of Law: Best Financial Practices for Partners
Wednesday,
May 07, 2008 10:45 AM - Noon
If you continue to
search for ways to help your partners—and associates who will become
partners—understand what is expected of them regarding the law firm’s business,
then this is the session for you. Learn how leveraging associates can help
partners work less and get paid more. In addition, with the tightening economy,
find ways to help partners understand and accept more moderate increases.
FM31
- Financial Management
HSA,
HRA, FSA—It's Enough to Make You Go MIA
Wednesday,
May 07, 2008 10:45 AM - Noon
Think health insurance
is an HR issue? Think again. Health insurance is a huge part of the law firm
budget. Join this session to learn about different health insurance and benefit
choices as a financial decision for your firm. Is consumer-driven health care
the antidote for soaring health care costs?
OM30
- Office Operations Management
Technology
Planning Resources for Small Firms
Wednesday,
May 07, 2008 10:45 AM - Noon
This session will focus
on key technology resources available to firms regardless of size or IT budget.
Discover how to design the small office system and leverage technology so that
your system doesn’t fall apart if one or two staff members leave. Your firm can
enjoy a significant efficiency payoff by automating case intake and litigation
file preparation so that you only have to handle paper once and can reuse the
electronic files for case investigation, preparing pleadings, discovery and
disclosures, motion practice, trial brief, visual opening and closing
statements, and witness exam/cross-exam.
Vendor-Hosted
Workshop
Risk
Management for Intellectual Practices in General Practice Firms and IP Firms
Wednesday,
May 07, 2008 11:00 AM - Noon
The professional
liability insurance market is getting more competitive. This session will
address policies/procedures that can reduce your firm's exposure to IP-related
malpractice claims and improve liability premiums and/or policy conditions your
firm gets.
Special
Event
Exhibit
Hall Luncheon
Wednesday,
May 07, 2008 Noon - 2:00 PM
Continue your
exploration of the Exhibit Hall exchanging ideas and gathering information and
enjoy a buffet luncheon. Many exhibitors will be sponsoring prize drawings, so
make sure to enter to win!
Registration and ticket
are required. Although the luncheon is included in your registration fee,
please check the “Attend” box on the Conference Registration Form to obtain a
ticket and to assist us with planning.
LI31
- Legal Industry
The
Wedding Planner, the Marriage Counselor and Avoiding Divorce Court: Recruiting
and Retaining Laterals
Wednesday,
May 07, 2008 2:15 PM - 5:00 PM
Participants will be
part of a simulated “task force” exercise dealing with some of the most
critical growth and talent management issues faced by every law firm—bringing
new talent onboard through merger or lateral recruitment. Session leaders will
provide information about the different issues and stages of integrating new
talent into law firms and then guide your “task force” through strategic and
practical ways to bring laterals on board, ramp up productivity and integrate
new talent into the firm.
Vendor-Hosted
Workshop
Capture
More Billable Hours with Zero Clicks
Wednesday,
May 07, 2008 2:15 PM - 3:30 PM
Time capture is not time
entry. Element55 offers the Legal55 Time Capture System. Passive Time Capture
helps firms capture more billable hours with zero clicks. Legal55 has helped
firms of all sizes capture an additional six billable hours per month per
billable timekeeper since 2003.
OM31
- Office Operations Management
Managing
a Paperless Office: A Day in the Life of a File
Wednesday,
May 07, 2008 2:15 PM - 3:30 PM
Is it just a dream? Can
a law firm really go “paperless”? This session focuses on ways to create a
paperless office and how to develop policies to manage one. The speakers will
offer examples of technology and policies used to create a working paperless
office. Tips and strategies for moving away from paper in the law firm will
also be shared.
OM32
- Office Operations Management
Creating
Effective Electronic Discovery Policies
Wednesday,
May 07, 2008 2:15 PM - 3:30 PM
Trial attorneys are
responsible for instructing and monitoring their clients on the reasonable
steps necessary to preserve and produce electronic documents pursuant to the
rules of civil litigation. Violation of these rules poses enormous risks for
both attorneys and their clients. Increasingly, attorneys are turning to law
firm IT staff and resources to assist in the discovery process—and law firm
administrators and IT managers need to stay one jump ahead.
OM33
- Office Operations Management
Office
Space: Managing the Move
Wednesday,
May 07, 2008 2:15 PM - 3:30 PM
After all the analysis,
calculations and negotiations, it’s time to move the firm. Learn from the
experts before you pack your boxes. During this session, you’ll receive
handouts in order to build your own moving toolkit, including checklists,
detailed timelines, etc.; find order in the chaos by creating a moving plan;
and work more efficiently with movers—from the bidding and selection process to
the move itself.
This session is part of
a series which includes:
OM14 - Office Space:
Leasing
OM23 - Office Space:
Planning and Construction Management
FM32
- Financial Management
Headed
for Trouble? Identify Warning Signs and Create Solutions
Wednesday,
May 07, 2008 2:15 PM - 5:00 PM
To stay strong and
profitable, you need to be able to work with the relevant financial indicators
and ratios for law firms, including how to calculate them from financial
statements and how to use them to make strategic decisions. Armed with this
information, you can evaluate trends and take advantage of untapped revenue
opportunities.
FM33
- Financial Management
Benchmarking:
Using Benchmarking Surveys as a Financial Management Tool
Wednesday,
May 07, 2008 2:15 PM - 3:30 PM
Is it worth your
money—and time—to participate in surveys? Surveys from Citibank, Altman Weil,
and PricewaterhouseCoopers can be costly, not to mention the time and effort it
takes to find the numbers in your firm. Is it worth it? Join this session to
learn what survey data means to your firm and how to use the information to
strengthen your firm’s profitability.
HR32
- Human Resources Management
Diversity
in the Legal Profession, Part 1: Overcome Obstacles and Optimize Opportunities
Wednesday,
May 07, 2008 2:15 PM - 3:30 PM
While the need for
diversification in the legal workforce has been well-documented and supported,
the level to which firms have been able to achieve diversity has been modest.
In this session, participants will explore the types of obstacles that have prevented
the legal industry from achieving a more diversified workforce and the methods
for overcoming them.
HR33
- Human Resources Management
Competency-Based
Job Analysis
Wednesday,
May 07, 2008 2:15 PM - 3:30 PM
What is competency-based
job analysis and why is it important? Matching the right person to the right
job ensures success—for the firm as well as for the individual. Join this
session to learn about a method for developing job-based competencies for
recruiting, performance review and training. Participants will discover how to
conduct a competency-based job analysis that focuses on defining what
contributes to outstanding job performance rather than generic job
responsibilities.
GM32
- Communications and General Management
Building
an Engaging Client Development Program
Wednesday,
May 07, 2008 2:15 PM - 3:30 PM
This session is for
administrators in all size firms to provide them with strategies for building
client-development skills, programs and processes that engage all lawyers, all
staff and all systems. This step-by-step approach will help administrators
develop a firmwide culture that embraces and employs client-development
programs.
GM33
- Communications and General Management
Break
the Cycle of Stress: Skills for Health and Peak Performance
Wednesday,
May 07, 2008 2:15 PM - 5:00 PM
Give yourself the skills
you need to perform effectively under high pressure. By breaking the cycle of
stress, you can enhance communications and productivity at your firm and
dramatically benefit your personal life. The principles and techniques you
learn in this session are essential for successful leadership, self-mastery,
focus and ability to work effectively with others.
GM34
- Communications and General Management
One
Fish, Two Fish, LeaderFISH!, you FISH!
Wednesday,
May 07, 2008 2:15 PM - 5:00 PM
Jump into the world of
The FISH! Philosophy! In this fast-paced and fun workshop, you will learn the
language and tools of The FISH! Philosophy and discover how to develop an
engaging and fun workplace and create fun and accountability for your co-workers,
clients and yourself. Through the core principles of LeaderFISH!,
GM35
- Communications and General Management
Lead,
Follow or Get Out of the Way: Is That Any Way to Talk to Your Managing Partner?
Wednesday,
May 07, 2008 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM
This popular program
will help you lead pivotal situations that determine your success and failure
at your firm. Discover the skills you need to lead and manage difficult
situations with bosses, clients, peers and subordinates. (This session is being
repeated from Wednesday, 10:45 a.m.)
HR34
- Human Resources Management
Diversity
in the Legal Profession, Part 2: Lessons Learned and Tools for Implementing
Best Practices
Wednesday,
May 07, 2008 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM
Drawing on the
information presented in Part I: Overcome Obstacles and Optimize Opportunities,
panelists discuss the critical lessons they learned from creating high-profile
diversity programs for the professional services industry. Specifically, based
on their experience, panelists address the role that administrators should play
in achieving leadership success, best practices for implementing diversity
programs and optimal methods for measuring the success of a diversity
initiative.
HR35
- Human Resources Management
Competency-Based
Interview Strategies
Wednesday,
May 07, 2008 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM
How do you find the
right person for the job? Competency-based interviews. You can improve the
quality of hiring decisions by predetermining competencies that will lead to
success and formulating interview questions around those competencies. Learn
how competency-based interviewing is reliable, valid, legal and fair.
HR36
- Human Resources Management
Dealing
with Substance Abuse in the Workplace
Wednesday,
May 07, 2008 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM
How do you know if a
lawyer is impaired? What does an administrator do when the odor of alcohol is
detected on the job? Can staff report suspected impairment without fear of
retaliation? Dr. Lynn Hankes will review the conditions that cause impairment,
myths surrounding them and how they manifest in the workplace with specific
behavioral indicators.
JAGIE
- Idea Exchange
Judge
Advocate General's (JAG) Corps Idea Exchange
Wednesday,
May 07, 2008 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM
Close the Conference day
by meeting with your fellow JAG colleagues in this targeted idea exchange.
Don’t miss this exceptional opportunity to pose questions, address concerns and
share ideas with your peers as you discuss ways to implement what you have
learned during the week.
OM34
- Office Operations Management
Developing
and Enforcing Effective IT Policies
Wednesday,
May 07, 2008 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM
This nontechnical
session will provide an overview for administrators on developing and enforcing
effective IT policies and procedures in the workplace. We will describe and
provide examples of policies on retention and deletion of e-mail (and other
documents); training on e-mail etiquette; document creation policies; and use
and security of PDAs, access cards, entertainment systems, mobile GPS systems
and other devices.
MBOIE
- Idea Exchange
Multi/Branch
Office Idea Exchange
Wednesday,
May 07, 2008 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM
Take this opportunity to
ask questions and pose solutions with both principal administrators of
multi/branch office firms and dispersed office administrators. Join your peers
for a lively discussion on a variety of topics, including networks,
standardization, communication, centralization versus decentralization and
compensation and billing issues.
Special
Event
Grand
Finale Party: Savoring Seattle
Wednesday,
May 07, 2008 6:15 PM - 9:30 PM
As Conference nears the end, ALA invites you to “Celebrate Seattle” by taking part in the Grand Finale Party: “Savoring Seattle … Sites & Sounds!” Join in on the party and “savor” Seattle’s famous landmarks, the monorail, Northwest cuisine, exciting Seattle musicians and everything you’ve learned and experienced during the Conference!