NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA — The Association of Legal Administrators’ (ALA’s) 2015 Business of Law Conferences kicked off with the first of three events in New Orleans, Louisiana, from Thursday, September 10, to Saturday, September 12. The event hosted nearly 200 attendees, 38 business partners presenting solutions at their booths, and speakers and legal industry experts covering various aspects of the business of law.
The Business of Law Conference series provides attendees identical education across three convenient U.S. geographical locations. The high-caliber educational content is geared toward the needs of legal management leaders and functional specialists in the business of law. Attendees can get insights on hot topics in the legal industry and learn from experts on profitability, innovation, strategy, leadership and technology.
“The business of law is evolving within our midst, and administrators and functional specialists, both seasoned and new, must be on the forefront of such an evolution,” said Planning Committee Chair Mark Tallent.
On Thursday, September 10, keynote speaker Brandi Stankovic encouraged members to tap into their emotional intelligence in the workplace and recognize their impact on other people.
“Give employees a chance. What I mean by that is, you’re probably fed up with someone in your office. You’re fed up and over (a situation), and because of that you don’t give that person the attention they deserve,” said Stankovic. “You don’t give them the opportunity they deserve. The opposite is also true. If you really like someone, you probably give them more of you than they deserve.”
On Friday, September 11, ALA held a lunch and town hall providing attendees an opportunity to ask questions of two members of ALA’s Board of Directors regarding a proposed name change and rebranding. ALA President-Elect Laura Broomell, CLM, and ALA Executive Director, Oliver Yandle, JD, CAE, fielded questions that included inquiries about what the voting process will be, what group the organization is trying to appeal to that it isn’t currently reaching, and what other industry groups think of the recommended name.
Before asking about the name change, one member noted: “To be a leader, you have to be willing to change.”
Building on the momentum and success from this first Business of Law Conference, ALA will offer members two more opportunities to hear from the same high-level speakers during their sessions in Atlanta, Georgia (October 1-3), and Las Vegas, Nevada (October 22-24). For details and information on other upcoming events from ALA, visit http://www.alanet.org/events.