Region 1 Summary

Legal Administrators from all corners of the region converged upon Wilmington to experience a first class opportunity for learning, networking and professional development at this year’s Region 1 Educational Conference & Exposition held October 19-20, at the Chase Center on the Riverfront and Hotel du Pont in Wilmington, Delaware.

Thursday featured a traditional Welcome Reception in the legendary Ballroom of the Hotel du Pont. A Wine Tasting Celebration set the tone where sommeliers offered their expertise on wine pairings and what to look for when selecting wines for any occasion, while classical music provided the ambiance. And, die-hard Red sox fans were treated to big–screen viewing of the World Series. Everyone enjoyed the evening reconnecting, hearing about each other and their work and watching the game.

Friday morning began with a terrific Keynote Address by Steve Uzzell, one of the top advertising and corporate photographers in the country, entitled, "Open Roads Open Minds: An Exploration of Creative Problem Solving". Teaching attendees how to stretch their minds and make any venture an adventure truly inspired us all to look at everyday life a bit differently.

The rest of the morning’s educational sessions touched upon all areas of legal administration, including finance for those not in financial roles, interviewing techniques, motivational skills and professional development for associates. Later in the day such important topics as legal ethics, office operations management and technology trends were covered.

A buffet lunch was served in the Exhibit Hall allowing participants plenty of time to visit their business partners and see the best in legal industry solutions, suppliers, experts and the latest technology and services. We also welcomed a special exhibit from the Museum of Business Technology which showed us just how far we have come in office technology. Attendees and business partners alike had plenty of opportunities to make important connections during Exhibit Hall hours.

The afternoon session closed with Dr. Merlin F. Ludiker (a.k.a Fred O Knipe) with his take on Quick Fixes for Any Law Firm Problem. His humorous and often startling suggestions for solving problems within a law firms received rave reviews and lots of laughs.

Rather than planning one event for attendees, the conference committee offered a host of optional Friday evening activities to choose from including the Broadway production of Mel Brooks’ The Producers at the DuPont Theater, known as the oldest, continually operating legitimate theater in the nation. An evening at Trolley Square, a unique area in Wilmington that hosts unique shops, restaurants, and some of the liveliest spots in the city, was also suggested with shuttle service available to and from our hotels.

Continental breakfast and lively roundtable discussions started our day Saturday. Attendees discussed hot topics such as small to midsize firm marketing, great places to work, human resources, issues facing law firm managers and getting involved in ALA leadership. Educational sessions rounded out the morning focusing on professional liability, employee coaching and counseling, speaking confidence, identity theft and financial crimes, wellness programs, strategic planning, how to work with difficult attorneys and business development trends. The Closing Session speaker, Kathy B. Dempsey of Keep Shedding! Inc., looked at how we can all change personally and professionally for the better, and thrive while doing it!

We look forward to seeing you next year in Portland, Maine, September 12-13, 2008.