It is starting to feel like Covid is in the rear-view mirror. (Forgive us—we’re eternal optimists over here.) Or, maybe it’s better to say we’re starting to feel like we know how to live despite COVID. Either way, one thing is for sure: people are beginning to gather in real life again. And that means that legal conferences are back. We’re going to cover the best national legal conferences so you can get them on your calendar.
Why Legal Conferences Matter
Think of legal conferences as an investment in the future of your firm. A good conference gives you the ability to connect with other lawyers and business professionals, learn new ideas, and energize your work. Many lawyers value time away from the office’s hustle to give their brain space to think about what’s important and where to focus next.
A solid legal conference should expose you to new ideas. Look for events that might challenge your thinking or teach you something new. Also, many conferences offer a chance to connect with vendors or demo software that could help your business. Finally, don’t forget networking. Unlike local events where you’re focused on networking to meet referral sources and attract new business, legal conferences give you a chance to meet other business owners. You can ask questions and get ideas about how other people are succeeding (or failing) in implementing these ideas into their business. Sometimes, a single conversation makes the entire trip worthwhile.
Here are some events to mark on your calendar.
Lawyerist LabCon
We admit we’re biased, but our event is one of our favorite parts of our job, and our participants love it, too. LabCon (previously known as TBD Law) was one of the first to break the legal conference mold. We decided to move away from the typical speaker-in-the-front-of-the-room setup. Instead, participants roll up their sleeves and actually work on their business throughout the 2.5-day event.
LabCon is a series of expert-led workshops. We introduce ideas and then give participants time to get started implementing them into their business. There is also plenty of time for sharing ideas and hearing from other entrepreneurial lawyers on how they are running their firm. Oh, and it’s fun! We love surprising folks with some fun and unexpected twists.
As Lab member Allison Harrison said, “LabCon was much more than I expected – it is the first conference I’ve actually paid 100% attention in!”
This event is invite-only because we’re serious about hands-on growth and having the right people in the room. Members of our Lawyerist Lab community are guaranteed an invite. If you’re interested in learning more, reach out to Lab Business Coach Sara at sara@lawyerist.com.
Clio Cloud Conference
The Clio Cloud Conference is a multi-day immersion in legal technology with big-name keynote speakers to sweeten the deal.
If you use Clio Manage or Clio Grow, it’s a no-brainer. Clio is bringing their conference to life in person and virtually this year. The virtual option allows you to jump into rooms with Clio’s team to help you get a customized experience and learn what works best for your firm.
The whole point of the event is to take good care of Clio users (which is why your ticket is worth more than the price of admission). You’ll learn a ton, and the conference will probably pay for itself when you get back to your office and apply what you learned.
If you don’t use Clio but are considering it, the Clio Cloud Conference is also a great idea. If you decide to use Clio, you’ll get a big head start. But if you choose not to, you won’t have any doubts because you will have seen it, tried it, and talked with other lawyers who use it every day. And you will still learn a lot and take home a bunch of ideas inspired by the keynotes.
This year’s live event is in Nashville, Tennessee, from October 10-11, 2022. You can find all the details at the Clio Cloud Conference site.
ABA TECHSHOW
ABA TECHSHOW is one of the biggest annual legal tech events for small-firm lawyers and staff. If you have any interest in legal tech or online marketing, you should plan to attend ABA TECHSHOW at least once—and we’re pretty sure you’ll be back.
For a legal conference, ABA TECHSHOW is huge. Something like 1,500 people, hundreds of legal tech exhibitors, and dozens of presenters attend every year. And there is a lot of stuff to do.
In fact, you could say there are at least a few ways to experience ABA TECHSHOW:
- Come to learn. Most people come for the sessions. You’ll learn about legal technology, best business practices, and how to get the most out of your tech tools.
- Come to network. There are a ton of great speakers. It’s a great place to meet the legal tech writers, podcasters, CEOs, and other people you know from the internet.
- Come to shop. Hundreds of vendors pack the EXPO Hall. This is a great opportunity to connect with the people who make the technology you use in your law practice. You can also shop for something new, or just see what’s out there.
You can get details for this year’s event at the TECHSHOW site.
The good news is that there are plenty of opportunities to connect with amazing people and learn valuable information to move your business forward this year. So mark your calendars and make sure you say “hi” to Team Lawyerist!
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Last updated October 6th, 2022
