Each year, ALA hosts conferences and special interest retreats that bring legal administrators together for intensive learning, networking, idea sharing and camaraderie, as well as opportunities for face-to-face meetings with industry experts, peers and vendors. The Association's conferences and retreats include:

• Annual Educational Conference and Exposition: Anyone in law office management can attend this event, which brings together 3,000 administrators, vendors and experts, and offers an Exhibit Hall, and four days of educational sessions focusing on legal industry trends and developments. For more information about ALA's Annual Educational Conference and Exposition, including this year's dates, location, educational sessions, and registration information, visit the Annual Conference area in Meetings and Events on this Web site.

• Regional Educational Conferences: ALA's six regions host smaller and shorter annual conferences of their own, which also provide great educational sessions and create a support network of colleagues and vendors from around their region.

• Essential Competencies for Legal Administrators is a three-day educational offering for legal managers with fewer than 7 years in the field and functional specialists looking to build expertise outside of their area of specialty. For more information about Essential Competencies for Legal Administrators, including this year's dates, location, educational sessions, and registration information, visit the Essential Competencies for Legal Administrators in Meetings and Events on this Web site.

• Law Firm Financial Management Conference and Exposition: This bi-annual conference provides insight into the greater and higher-level of expertise that is being required of those responsible for the financial performance of their firm. Learn best practices and current developments from thought leaders and industry experts. For more information about the Law Firm Financial Management Conference and Exposition, including this year's dates, locations, educational sessions, and registration information, visit Law Firm Financial Management in Meetings and Events on this Web site.

• Large Firm Principal Administrators Retreat: Through educational sessions and idea exchanges, this annual retreat gives principal administrators in a law firm having, in all locations combined, 100 or more lawyers, an opportunity to learn how to handle the challenges of running large organizations. For more information about the Large Firm Principal Administrator's Retreat, including this year's dates, location, educational sessions, and registration information, visit the Large Firm Principal Administrators Retreat in Meetings and Events on this Web site.

• Intellectual Property (IP) Retreat: Intellectual property has many specialized and detailed administrative and support requirements. This retreat helps IP firm administrators share resources and learn from one another. For more information about the IP Retreat, including this year's dates, location, educational sessions, and registration information, visit the Intellectual Property (IP) Retreat in Meetings and Events on this Web site.

  If you are an ALA member and employed in an intellectual property firm or have an interest in intellectual property issues, you can join the Intellectual Property Community located in ALA’s Legal Management Resource Center (LMRC).

• Webinars: gives members, lawyers and their staff the opportunity to gain knowledge and insight into a variety of law office management and personal development topics. The Webinars, presented live by subject-matter experts, allow participants to sit in their own offices, conference rooms or even their own homes as they listen by phone and view via the Internet.
• Law Firm Profitability Enhancement Webinar is a 3.5 hour program delivered via telephone and the Internet. Designed for small and mid-sized firms, the program employs a set of spreadsheets to assist firms in tracking income and expenses for all timekeepers. In addition, the program covers key processes that when implemented increase the level of firm profitability. For more information, visit the Law Firm Profitability Enhancement Webinar in the Education area of this Web site.

For more information about ALA's Education Events, e-mail the Professional Development department at ALA.