Every year our team looks forward to participating in the ALA National Conference. Throughout the year we’re able to connect with all the members of the local chapters we sponsor, but at ALA National we get to see everyone under one roof to discuss the most important trends and topics in law firm management and administration. It was great to see people out and engaged again, the schedule was full of content-rich sessions and ALA put on a great event.
Here are four key takeaways from this year’s ALA National event:
1. It Was Great to Be Back in Person
While there was a good turnout to last year’s ALA National Conference that was rescheduled to the fall, and many local chapters have been putting on in person events, this felt like ALA National. With nearly 1,000 people registered, it was great seeing so many people together sharing ideas and catching up. A special thank you to everyone who was able to attend our movie-themed cocktail reception and celebrate being back in person!
2. Focus on the Business
Core business elements like budgeting, recruiting and retention, and operations have always been a focus for Legal Administrators – it’s what you do! We heard from many firms across the country that experienced downsizing and reduced hiring throughout the pandemic. For many of them, the amount of work hadn’t changed. Firm employees are adapting to doing more with less personnel and sometimes less budget. It was clear that the firms who learned these lessons during the pandemic have an even greater awareness to continue to reduce inefficiencies and increase productivity in an overall tightening-of-the-belt for many law firms.
3. Workflow Efficiencies
One way firms have tackled doing more with less is implementing efficiencies into their workflows. Firms seem more open than ever to leveraging technology and collaboration tools to streamline repetitive tasks, access their core applications remotely, collaborate on documents, and communicate over video conferencing.
4. Hybrid Office
This is one we’ve all been navigating over the last couple of years. Work from home, work from the office, and hybrid office environments are being looked at through the lens of remaining productive while also being able to attract and retain talent. Many younger attorneys and staff have started demanding flexibility with their schedules and ability to work from anywhere, while some in firm leadership positions prefer everyone back in the office.
Conclusion: We Can’t Wait to See You Again!
We look forward to seeing a lot of you throughout the year at the local chapters and can’t wait to continue our conversations. That said – we’re already looking forward to and planning for ALA National 2023!