Trending In Legal: ALA's 2026 Virtual Event Agenda
Work-Life Separation for Legal Leaders: Science-Backed Strategies to Reduce Overload and Improve Daily Life
This workshop is designed for legal administrators and leaders managing the complex and often always-on demands of work and home. Grounded in neuroscience, positive psychology and mind-body research, the session explores why work-life separation — not balance — is essential for sustainable performance, mental clarity and emotional wellbeing.
Participants will learn the brain science behind chronic stress, multitasking and cognitive overload, and why constant connectivity drains energy and decreases effectiveness. The session introduces practical, simple tools for transitions, micro-recovery, intentional focus and reconnecting with the present moment. McGraw will guide participants through realistic strategies that fit into our fast-paced world, helping participants protect their attention and focus to improve performance and support long-term well-being.
Participants will leave with simple, realistic steps to implement sustainable habits that enhance both performance and quality of life.
- Understand the concept and rationale for work-life separation, including why “balance” is less effective than intentional separation in high-demand roles.
- Explain the neuroscience behind multitasking, attention and stress, and understand why cognitive switching erodes energy, focus and performance.
- Identify realistic, tangible ways to disconnect and recharge.
- Understand techniques to create a work-life transition plan with small, achievable strategies for improving focus, boundaries and daily energy.
Speaker
Meriden McGraw
Director, University of Cincinnati Osher Center for Integrative Health
Meriden McGraw is Director of Workplace Mindfulness at the Osher Center for Integrative Health at the University of Cincinnati and founder of Meriden Mental Fitness. She combines her master's level education in public health and positive psychology with extensive training in mindbody modalities to teach individuals and groups techniques for optimal wellbeing. McGraw has coached thousands of high-performing professionals across sectors, teaching practical, science-based tools to improve focus, wellbeing and leadership effectiveness.
Leading Forward — From Insight to Impact: Advancing Financial Strategy Through Cross-Department Collaboration
Financial leadership drives the success and stability of every law firm, but today’s financial professionals can’t work in isolation. This session explores how collaboration among Finance, HR and Operations strengthens forecasting, budgeting and long-term planning.
Participants will learn how to translate financial data into strategy that influences staffing, productivity and firm performance. The discussion will emphasize how financial leaders can partner with other departments to align resources, communicate priorities and ensure the firm’s strategic and financial goals move in tandem.
The result is a unified approach to decision-making that positions financial professionals not just as stewards of the firm’s numbers, but as key architects of its future.
- Understand how financial data connects to HR and operational strategies that impact firm growth.
- Use financial analytics to forecast trends, manage resources and guide firm-wide planning.
- Strengthen collaboration among Finance, HR and Operations to improve communication and accountability.
- Develop cross-functional approaches that elevate financial leadership as a catalyst for firm performance.
Speaker
Cecy Graf
CEO, Federate Legal
Cecy Graf is an accomplished financial leader known for her strategic acumen and transformative impact in the legal and technology sectors. With a distinguished career spanning decades, Graf’s journey is characterized by her unwavering commitment to driving financial excellence and fostering growth. As a CEO, Graf’s expertise shines in her ability to navigate complex financial landscapes. Her career encompasses diverse roles, from serving as an AmLaw 2nd 100 Chief Financial Officer to providing strategic guidance to start-up technology readiness and training companies.
Exit Strategy: How Legal Administrators Build Legacy and Continuity
Administrative leadership transitions in law firms, whether planned or unexpected, can be both personal and organizationally complex. For legal administrators who have dedicated years to shaping firm culture, mentoring staff and steering operations, planning a succession is not just about logistics. It is about legacy, identity and continuity.
This session helps experienced legal executives prepare for their next chapter while ensuring firm stability and growth. Participants will explore how to let go with intention, empower rising leaders, document institutional knowledge and sustain personal well-being throughout the process. The session balances the emotional side of leadership transition with the structural strategies needed for seamless continuity.
Whether you’re preparing for retirement, evolving your role or simply planning ahead, this session will help you view succession as an act of leadership and an investment in the next generation of legal excellence, not an ending.
- Develop a succession strategy that aligns firm continuity with personal and professional transition goals.
- Identify and prepare future leaders through intentional delegation, mentoring and documented knowledge transfer.
- Develop systems and processes to preserve institutional knowledge and maintain operational stability during leadership change.
- Manage the psychological and organizational challenges of transition, staying engaged and effective throughout the process.
- Sustain focus, motivation and resilience to avoid burnout or “short-timer’s syndrome” while preparing for the next chapter of leadership.
Speaker
Dawn Anderson, CLM, SPHR, JD, MBA
Chief Human Resources Officer, Butler Snow LLP
With over 30 years of experience across multiple industries, Dawn Anderson has presented at various chapter meetings, conferences and workshops. Her speaking engagements include the Atlanta Chapter and Jacksonville ALA Chapter meetings, the Georgia SHRM Conference and the Alabama Academy of General Dentistry. Anderson has also served as an Adjunct Professor at Kennesaw State University teaching the SHRM Certification Program.
Questions About Trending In Legal: ALA's 2026 Virtual Event?
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- Registration queries should be directed to [email protected].
- Inquiries regarding course offerings or speaking at this conference, email [email protected].
- Questions about certification or credits, email [email protected].
CLM® credit will be available for all three sessions. Sessions will be submitted to HRCI and SHRM for CE credit.
Helpful Links
AI Engagement Strategist
Principal, AmpliPhi
Spencer X Smith consults for and invests in dozens of high-tech projects and teaches using simple language. His company AmpliPhi has worked with legal industry clients since 2015. After starting his career at IBM during the Y2K days, Smith has always been an early adopter of new technology so he can better teach others what he’s learned. He’s a graduate of the Economics of Digital Assets program at the University of Pennsylvania.
Smith will serve as a thought leader throughout the event, providing real-time insights on how artificial intelligence can be applied to the topics discussed in the program sessions.
