Schedule of Events

In this introductory session, you’ll focus on the basics of revenue. You’ll examine the entire process, from entering a time card through receiving the cash. In addition, you’ll review what you need to know about advanced payments and the rules around retainers and trusts accounts.  

Objectives:

• Explain the process of revenue.
• Describe what you need to know about time narratives (firm and client rules).
• Break down the billing process.
• Outline the collections process.
• Discuss the basics of bank accounts and GL accounts.

SHRM: 1.0 PDC

Joseph A. Samarco, MBA, ALPP Director of Revenue Operations Hogan Lovells US LLP

The hiring process is complex and requires several important elements to be successful. What are the key strategies and best practices for hiring, managing performance and terminating employees productively and legally? Find out in this interactive session. Whether you’re a seasoned HR professional or a manager responsible for personnel decisions, you’ll gain the knowledge and skills to navigate these critical aspects of the employment lifecycle.

Objectives:

• Recognize the significance of cultural fit and diversity in the hiring process.
• Discuss performance management and develop clear expectations and goals for employees to drive their productivity and engagement.
• Identify and employ effective communication techniques for providing feedback and coaching.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the legal and ethical considerations when terminating employees.
• Model how to manage difficult conversations and terminate sensitively.

SHRM: 1.5 PDC

Shirley Laboy Director of Administration Bondurant Mixson & Elmore LLP

Join us for an engaging and enlightening session on legal ethics, designed to equip law firm administrators with the knowledge and insights necessary to maintain the highest standards of professional conduct in today’s legal landscape. Ethical considerations are at the core of the legal profession, and it’s not just attorneys who are at risk. This session will highlight areas of administrative risk and empower newer administrators to stand their ground if asked to do something unethical.

Objectives:

• Identify the Model Rules of Professional Conduct and their relevance to law firm operations.
• Discuss common areas of risk, including conflicts of interest, client confidentiality, ethical walls, and advertising dos and don’ts.
• Recognize potential employment law pitfalls and how to avoid them.

SHRM: 1.0 PDC

David DePietto Chief Executive Officer NexFirm

The human brain is wired to recognize patterns and generalize — even those based on faulty or incomplete information — and it does not require that we harbor ill will or animus toward others. Most often, our biases are not even our own, but rather those that have been taught to us. In this eye-opening presentation, you’ll examine videos and demonstrations to outline just how easy it is to form biases, how they manifest themselves in the way we treat customers, clients and colleagues, and how we can reduce the effect of these biases by recognizing and compensating for them.

Objectives:

• Identify your own biases and to the extent possible, eliminate them.
• Recognize how these biases affect your decision-making.
• Compensate for your biases to make better decisions.

SHRM: 1.0 PDC

Sean A. Carter Humorist at Law

Do you experience anxiety when speaking openly in front of peers and experts?

Do you have questions that require discretion?

Are you curious how another firm has handled a particular issue?

This “in the vault” type session will provide participants an opportunity to talk with one of several experienced legal managers (“the expert”) during which they can ask the expert anything! Each conversation will be one-on-one and last up to 10 minutes.

The in the vault meetings will take place during the Cocktail Social. Please submit your question via email to [email protected] by October 11, or present your question when you step in to the vault with the expert.

When attorneys are impaired, it’s often the support personnel closest to them who are first aware of it. While attorneys have ethical obligations when they observe another attorney’s impairment, support personnel are often without guidance — and worse — sometimes think they are helping by covering up the problems out of loyalty. This session will highlight some of the common “red flags” that administrators may be among the first to notice and discuss strategies for overcoming discouraging self–talk and barriers to intervention and support. The session will also touch on resources for all members of the legal community who may be struggling with addiction or mental health concerns.

Objectives:

• Recognize some signs of addiction and mental health challenges.
• Receive guidance on how to approach someone facing addiction or a mental health challenge.
• Identify resources for facing addiction or a mental health challenge.

SHRM: 1.5 PDC

Stacey A. L. Best, Esq. Executive Director Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers, Inc.

Learn how to use performance metric dashboards to track key performance indicators (KPIs), metrics and other key data points relevant to your firm or practice group or a specific process, dashboard design and implementation. Discover how dashboards simplify complex data sets to provide at-a-glance awareness of current performance along with metrics for allocating firm overhead in determining firm and client profitability.

Objectives:

• Classify the different types of law firm KPls and how to use them in a dashboard to improve profitability and contribute to strategic initiatives.
• Develop dashboards using the Balanced Score Card approach to address financial, strategic and operational performance, including client satisfaction and other marketing KPls.
• Identify the prerequisites for developing and implementing dashboards and how to interpret dashboards using legal Lean Six Sigma and process improvement tools.

SHRM: 1.5 PDC

Frederick J. Esposito, Jr., CLM, MBA Chief Operating Officer Rivkin Radler LLP

As many strive to develop and encourage inclusive departments and organizations, defining what that means and identifying the steps to get there is important. This session will equip attendees with tangible tactics to support their learning, including addressing some of the barriers that impact many of us with our efforts to foster true inclusiveness in the workplace.

Objectives:

• Recognize the distinction between race and culture, and how our lack of awareness can influence how we interact with our colleagues and peers from different backgrounds.
• Examine why and how microinequities and microaggressions are harmful and impact the way we engage with others.
• Discover tips to enhance inclusive teams and departments.

Tracey A. West, Esq. Executive Director Boston Lawyers Group

Hear a retired U.S. Army colonel share his surprising and profound perspectives on the similarities between the military profession and the legal profession. You’ll discover lessons learned about leadership and building high-performing teams that helped the speaker both on the battlefield and now in the offices of his law firm both of which will help you advance professionally. You’ll leave with a road map for transitioning from manager to leader along with tips to make that journey easier and more rewarding.

Objectives:

• Identify the fundamental differences between being a manager and a leader.
• Model the traits and skills that lead to effective leadership.
• Explain tangible tips for developing effective leadership characteristics.

SHRM: 1.0 PDC

Steven Merkel Chief Operating Officer Barnes & Thornburg, LLP

Examine the anatomy of a cyberattack, including how to prevent many (but not all) occurrences. You’ll dive into how to reduce the damage and downtime from a successful attack and how to be resilient when incidents occur. Leave with a better understanding of incident response planning and the difference between cyber liability insurance and professional liability insurance.

Objectives:

• Recognize the types of cybersecurity threats against a law firm.
• Prepare to use core security controls to protect your firm.
• Plan pre- and post-incident activities.
• Assess how to recover from an attack.
• Analyze how to leverage insurance to speed recovery and reduce costs.

SHRM: 1.0 PDC

Dustin Bolander Managing Partner/Chief Information Officer Clear Guidance Partners

As an ALA leader, what do you wish you knew when you started? That’s the question this open forum will tackle. You’re encouraged to share insight into your own career. You’ll also benefit from lessons learned from ALA Ambassadors as well as participants in advance. Running concurrently with lunch, this session will be casual and conversational.

Objectives:

• Recognize the value of networking within ALA and how ALA members can support and help each other.
• Break down and understand law firm leadership roles, how leaders are elected and how much variation there can be from one firm to another.
• Differentiate the various types of law practice and the skill sets support staff in these areas need.
• Identify resources (besides ALA) to go to for help outside your area of expertise, including choosing a mentor outside of your firm.
• Set up resources to help you interview and select good candidates, provide performance feedback and address performance issues.