Breakfast & Registration

Welcome from President, Tirek Gayle

Welcome from National Chapter President, Elyssa Goldstein

Opening Keynote with Michelle Taylor-Willis

Business Partner Exhibit Hall; Break and Refreshments

LM | Your Greatest Asset: Emotional Intelligence when Leading Across Difference

Today's legal administrators lead diverse teams, collaborate across generations and functions, and navigate increasingly complex workplace dynamics to advance firm priorities. Success in this environment requires more than technical expertise—it demands emotional intelligence. The ability to recognize and manage emotions, while effectively responding to the unique perspectives and experiences of others, is the greatest leadership asset. This interactive session will invite participants to explore how emotional intelligence can strengthen their ability to lead across differences in communication styles, backgrounds, identities, experiences, and viewpoints. Through practical reflection, discussion, and real-world legal workplace scenarios, attendees will examine how self-awareness, empathy, emotional regulation, and relationship management contribute to stronger collaboration, trust, and inclusion. Participants will leave with actionable strategies for fostering more productive interactions, reducing misunderstandings, and creating environments where diverse perspectives can thrive and contribute to organizational success.

IT | From Evaluation to Impact: A Practical Roadmap for Technology, Change Management & Firm Performance

As firms navigate an increasingly complex legal technology landscape, success depends on more than selecting the right tools—it requires a disciplined approach to evaluation, change management, and performance tracking. This session provides a practical framework for assessing new solutions, aligning them with firm strategy, and ensuring successful adoption across administrative and support teams. Attendees will learn how to identify gaps in current processes, engage stakeholders effectively, and implement structured change management strategies that stick. The session will also introduce a performance roadmap and toolkit for measuring impact, improving accountability, and driving continuous improvement. By combining strategic insight with hands-on guidance, this session will equip legal administrators with actionable steps to turn technology investments into sustained operational and financial performance.

HR | Planning for the Day You Hope will Never Come: Understanding the Psychology of a Crisis

Every day across the U.S and throughout the world we see news reports with graphic images of people who are survivors or victims of horrific traumatic events: wild-fires, flooding, hurricanes, terrorist attacks, bombings, riots/protests, or adults and children dealing with the aftermath of active shooter situations. And now, the aftermath of a global pandemic and political turmoil has changed our lives and turned our work environment, our law firms, and the economy upside down. But how often have we taken the time to really think about what happens to us as individuals when we experience traumatic or stressful events? Behavioral response to stressful incidents or crises and what is happening in the brain can be broken down into psychological stages that help to explain why individuals react in certain ways as they experience trauma. Given that in any law firm your most important assets are your people and your clients, this presentation will help everyone gain a better understanding of the “human factor” in a crisis. This knowledge will better prepare your firm and workforce for any situation that could affect your firm’s reputation.

Lunch & BP Networking

Labor Law Update

Lunchtime session: Law firms invest in technology. Firm administrators are responsible for whether it actually works. The 2026 US Midsize Law Firm Priorities Report—drawing on data from 274 midsize US law firm professionals—shows that digital progress isn't measured by the number of tools a firm has deployed. It's measured by whether those tools reduce the administrative burden that drives burnout, turnover, and operational risk. This session is built for the people who carry that responsibility. We'll look at what digital maturity means for firm administrators, how the connection between administrative burden and staff burnout is now quantifiable, and where the highest-impact opportunities to reduce friction already exist inside your firm, without adding complexity. Learn why digital maturity is a retention and governance issue, not just a technology roadmap, and how administrators are positioned to lead that conversation inside their firms. Understand how growth that outpaces operational infrastructure transfers its cost directly onto existing staff, and what operational readiness looks like before scaling headcount or practice areas.

IT | Digital Maturity Starts with the People Running Your Firm (lunchtime session)

Law firms invest in technology. Firm administrators are responsible for whether it actually works. The 2026 US Midsize Law Firm Priorities Report—drawing on data from 274 midsize US law firm professionals—shows that digital progress isn't measured by the number of tools a firm has deployed. It's measured by whether those tools reduce the administrative burden that drives burnout, turnover, and operational risk. This session is built for the people who carry that responsibility. We'll look at what digital maturity means for firm administrators, how the connection between administrative burden and staff burnout is now quantifiable, and where the highest-impact opportunities to reduce friction already exist inside your firm, without adding complexity. Learn why digital maturity is a retention and governance issue, not just a technology roadmap, and how administrators are positioned to lead that conversation inside their firms. Understand how growth that outpaces operational infrastructure transfers its cost directly onto existing staff, and what operational readiness looks like before scaling headcount or practice areas.

HR | Naloxone in the Workplace: Preparing for New York's December 2026 Requirement

In this session, attendees will: • Understand the requirements of New York State law • Identify who is covered • Recognize the signs of an opioid overdose • Understand how naloxone works and when it should be used • Review implementation and compliance considerations • Develop an action plan for compliance

IT | Agent Boss: Creating Your AI Boardroom

AI is moving beyond one-off prompts. In this session, professional development leaders will learn how to build and manage a “boardroom” of specialized AI agents that can draft, research, review, and coach. Using the Agent Boss framework, attendees will explore which PD workflows are ready for AI delegation, how to create a first agent with no-code tools, and how to maintain the human oversight needed for quality and control. Participants will leave with a practical model, a working example, and clear next steps for applying AI across their PD function.

FIN | Managing Trust Accounts with Confidence: A Guide for Administrators and Operations Professionals

Attorney trust accounts are designed to safeguard client funds, making trust accounting one of the most important financial responsibilities within a law firm. Because these accounts are closely regulated, even small errors can create significant compliance risks, making strong processes and oversight essential. In this session, participants will learn why trust accounting matters and explore best practices for maintaining compliant attorney trust accounts. Topics include accurate three-way reconciliations, effective internal controls, audit readiness, and strategies for identifying and addressing common compliance risks before they become costly issues. Drawing on Armanino's experience conducting attorney trust account audits, attendees will gain practical, actionable strategies to strengthen compliance, reduce risk, and build trust accounting processes that stand up to regulatory review. Three Learning Objectives 1. The Dos & Don’ts of Three-Way Trust Reconciliation: Learn how to perform accurate three-way trust reconciliations, identify common mistakes before they become compliance issues, and establish consistent processes that strengthen financial oversight. 2. Internal Controls Around Trust Accounting: Discover practical internal controls that help prevent errors, safeguard client funds, and reduce risk by creating greater accountability and transparency within trust accounting operations. 3. How To Stay Audit Ready: Gain actionable strategies for maintaining complete documentation, monitoring compliance requirements, and preparing trust accounting records that can withstand regulatory review and audits with confidence. Interactive Activities Trust Accounting Scenario Discussions: Attendees will be presented with common trust accounting scenarios. Case Study Analysis: A real-world example of a law firm strengthening its trust accounting processes will be provided. Participants will engage in a guided discussion to evaluate the firm's approach to three-way reconciliations, internal controls, and audit preparedness, while considering alternative strategies for mitigating risk and improving compliance. Live Q&A Session: Attendees will have the opportunity to interact directly with the presenter, asking questions about trust accounting requirements, reconciliation challenges, internal controls, and audit readiness. This discussion will provide practical guidance tailored to participants' experiences and help translate key concepts into actionable steps for their firms.

Business Partner Exhibition/Networking

IT | AI Adoption Secrets: Learn from the Law Firm's Getting Results

Every law firm is exploring AI, but most are struggling with getting started or obtaining meaningful outcomes. Bring your questions and join us for an interactive session on AI best practices with real-world examples - including cautionary tales of AI gone wrong. This session provides a practical roadmap for implementing AI successfully: establishing governance, building guardrails, increasing adoption, and identifying the right opportunities to improve efficiency while protecting client data. Whether your firm is just starting its AI journey or expanding existing initiatives, you'll leave with practical strategies and next steps you can put to use immediately. Key takeaways will include: • AI governance - security requirements, guardrails, and observability • Knowledge - critical insights you need to know before investing in AI • AI Adoption Tips • Common mistakes to avoid • Aligning your AI Budget with Results

HR | New Models for Funding, Access & Outcomes

Attendees will gain a clear understanding of how and why traditional benefits models are breaking down, and what leading law firms are doing differently. The session will explore emerging funding strategies, new access models that are reshaping care delivery, and outcomes-based approaches that are driving greater accountability across the healthcare ecosystem. Participants will also walk away with a practical framework for evaluating solutions and a forward-looking perspective on what these changes mean for HR leaders and their benefits strategies.

FIN | How to Cut Your Legal Research Vendor Contract by 80%

Vendors expect you to negotiate. They don’t expect you to know what you’re doing. This session gives you the steps to reduce your legal research vendor’s opening proposal by up to 80%—a result that is achievable with the right preparation, the right benchmarking data, and a clear understanding of where the real leverage is. Ken Purce, founder of Research Contract Consultants, will walk through a step-by-step negotiation framework: how to deconstruct a vendor proposal, identify every negotiable layer, benchmark your numbers against what similarly situated firms are actually paying, and use that intelligence to drive the price down—while locking in AI capabilities, included features, and payment terms that protect the firm for the life of the contract. Real-world examples will illustrate exactly where firms leave money on the table and how to take it back. You’ll leave with a concrete playbook you can put to work at your next renewal—whether that’s in six months or six weeks.

LM | Leveling Up Your Executive Presence

This workshop will help participants develop executive presence, which is an essential capability for leading teams, influencing partners, and building credibility with clients. Participants will learn how to interact more effectively at work and present a polished, professional presence across a range of situations. Attendees will learn: body language and vocal power to build trust and credibility, active listening to gain insight, communicating calmly and confidently in stressful situations, enhancing virtual presence, and how to navigate questions and interruptions skillfully and seamlessly. The session will include a combination of instruction, facilitated discussion and practical exercises. Participants will have the opportunity to practice new approaches and receive feedback in a supportive environment. Participants will leave with new and enhanced skills that they can use right away.

Decode, Engage, Convert: The Unfair Advantage of Decoding People to Communicate with Confidence

Imagine mastering the powerful skillsets utilized by attorneys, hostage negotiators, and government agencies, to empower you to secure more successful interactions and elevate your negotiation prowess: Building Instant Rapport: Recognizing and responding to people’s facial features, statements, and body language can help you build rapport quickly. When people feel heard, and feel that you understand them and are attentive to their needs/concerns, they are more likely to trust you and be open to you. Adapting Your Approach: Different attorneys, colleagues, clients, and vendors and have different communication styles and preferences. By learning to Decode them, you can adapt your communication style and approach to match theirs, creating a more comfortable and effective interaction. Enhanced Interactions: Ultimately, Learning to Decoding others contributes to a more positive experience. Everyone appreciates when you pay attention to their needs and concerns, which can lead to improved interactions in your professional and personal life.

Cocktail Reception

Reception event with networking, raffles & more!