Pre-Conference Programs

Your chance to dig in! LMA23 offers five exceptional Pre-Conference Programs to take a deep dive into key educational areas as part of the Annual Conference. Whether you're a CMO or an aspiring CMO, newer to legal marketing, focus on PR & communications or you alone are the marketing department, the #LMA23 Pre-Conference Programs offer that deeper dive into these areas of interest. 

This year's five Pre-Conference Programs include:

All Pre-Conference Programs are held on Monday, April 24, 2023 and require additional registration, or choose the conference Bundle which includes one Pre-Conference Program. Visit the registration page for pricing and to register. Pre-Conference Programs subject to change. 

CMO Summit: Leadership Amplified – Managing Teams through the Evolution of Law Firm Marketing

9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. ET
Following the Pre-Conference, all CMOs are invited to attend the CMO Reception from 4:00 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. ET (invitation-only event)

Note: This program is designed for and available exclusively to full-time in-house CMOs and those in a full-time, first chair marketing and business development role at a law firm. To ensure a broad experience base, only one participant per firm may register. Space is limited and is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Leadership in law firms takes courage. It takes even more courage to navigate change in the midst of challenges that include employee retention and quiet quitting, motivation and resiliency, compensation and promotion expectations, hybrid workplaces and healthy work environments, professional development and talent shortages. Furthermore, we must do this at a time when personal bandwidth and energy reserves are maxed out and compassion fatigue is ever present. 

In this session, we will explore the evolution of law firm marketing teams, departments, and the CMO role. We’ll look at how our firms and industry are changing and how marketing departments and leaders need to adapt and demonstrate value and organizational effectiveness in new ways. And through it all, we, as managers, whether of a large team across the globe or as a solo that draws on support from across the firm, have the responsibility of building culture to drive engagement, performance, and loyalty in ever-changing times, while still coming up with solutions to the complex issues of today and tomorrow, and finding the inspiration to see our vision through.

Learning Outcomes:

Co-Chairs:

	M. Ashraf Lakhani, Chief Business Development and Marketing Officer, Porter Hedges LLP
	Brie Leung, Chief Strategy Officer, Much Shelist
	Justin Portaz, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer, Jenner & Block

View Pre-Conference Speakers

LMA QuickStart™ LIVE! Legal Marketing Essentials

8:30 a.m. – 4:15 p.m. ET

Note: Presentations will tie to LMA core competencies within the Body of Knowledge – a foundational resource for professional development in marketing – and will provide practical skills and tools participants can immediately put to use at their own firm. As a bonus, all QuickStart Pre-Conference attendees will receive a complimentary copy of LMA's Body of Knowledge (valued at $149!).

Designed for legal marketers with less than five years of experience, QuickStart’s all-star presenters will cover the essential skills legal marketers need to continually excel in the profession, expertly shape their career and become a leader in their firm. Leveraging LMA’s core competencies within the Body of Knowledge, this Pre-Conference is packed with presentations that will provide practical skills and tools participants can immediately implement upon returning to work. PLUS, attendees will have a jump start on networking before the conference kicks off! 

Learning Outcomes:

• Create a foundation for success by building your own brand, network, and finding opportunities for mentorship
• Learn basic concepts of the business of law and understand how your firm’s performance metrics influence data driven decisions
• Gain a better understanding of your role in the law firm structure and how you influence the overall success of your firm
• Develop strategies to become a trusted advisor for your attorneys by leading with client service
• Learn tips on how to manage projects effectively, learn what your work style is, and how to give and receive feedback

Co-Chairs:

	Jason Klika, Marketing & Business Development Manager, HMB Legal Counsel
	Alé Simmons, Senior Business Development Manager, Clark Hill
	Susan Slifer, MBA, Principal, Edge International

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Solo/Small Team: Making a BIG Splash in Small and Mid-Sized Law Firm Ponds 

8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET

Note: This program is designed for in-house marketers at firms of fewer than 100 attorneys or with two or fewer marketing personnel, as well as anyone who may have to work with limited resources. 

Business Development and Marketing often look different based on the size of the firm. Leading and making an impact with little-to-no budgets and/or resources and small teams require creativity, resilience, and grit.  This Pre-Conference session will help marketers in small and mid-size firms lead with intention and confront challenges, embrace opportunities, and leverage business development tactics that breed success. 

Not only will attendees receive valuable information, but we also hope to provide you with the opportunity to network with others facing the same challenges in order to leverage resources, share ideas, and foster collaboration. It takes a village! 

Join us and meet your village of marketers from small and mid-sized firms as we discuss challenges, strategies, and lessons learned while navigating a path through unchartered waters.

Learning Outcomes:

•    Leverage resources on a limited budget
•    Differentiate business development from marketing and how to best use aspects of both in a small shop
•    Develop techniques to persuade decision-makers to embrace marketing and business development initiatives 
•    Become a discerning user of data to best use your firm’s marketing dollars
•    Learn about inexpensive and free technology to help manage your workload
•    Obtain best practice tips from other small and mid-size firm marketers
•    Grow your network of small and mid-size firm marketers
 

Co-Chairs:

	Julie Eichelbaum, Director of Client Relations, Eichelbaum Wardell Hansen Powell & Muñoz, P.C.
	Christine Harris, Chief Marketing Officer, Kane Russell Coleman Logan PC

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Career Development: Your Seat at the Table — Leveraging Your Personal Brand to Amplify Your Leadership and Career

9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET

Note: This program is designed for mid-level marketing professionals seeking to enhance their career trajectory. This interactive track will provide soft skills critical for your success, including personal brand building, goal setting, navigating internal organizational structures, and career mapping.

In the hustle and bustle of life, we rarely stop to focus on our own career trajectory. The Career Development Pre-Conference is designed for mid-level marketing professionals seeking to take control of their career development. This interactive program led by legal marketing veterans will provide soft skill training critical for your success. Participants will leave this program with a personal strategic plan as well as, practical tools, and insights on how to advance their careers and make an impact in their role. Bonus: Many of these strategies can be used to help your firm lawyers progress in their careers, as well. 

Learning Outcomes:

•    Discuss how to build your personal brand and confidently tell your story
•    Exchange best practices to navigate workplace personalities and internal team structures and politics
•    Identify strategies to set clear personal goals and remain accountable for attaining them
•    Review law firm career paths beyond traditional Marketing and Business Development roles

Co-Chairs:

	Bobbie Conklin, Director of Business Development, Steptoe & Johnson PLLC
	EJ Stern, Executive Coach, Fractional Law Firm CMO, LLC and Practical Productivity Tips

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PR & Communications: (AMP) Aligning Efforts, Maximizing Opportunities and Proving Value - Taking Your Communication and PR Strategy to the Next Level

9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET

Note: This program is designed for PR and communications professionals as well as marketers who fulfill the public relations duties within their firms. 

Communications professionals, whether working in house or consultants are tasked with amplifying a law firm’s story. Whether faced with internal or external roadblocks or presented with mounds of thought-provoking and newsworthy stories to share, we are all faced with the pressure to deliver results.  This full-day program will give you the ideas, tools and skills to elevate your expertise and to create a more effective communication strategy.

Learning Outcomes:

•    Learn best practices from communications professionals about how they approach and manage a crisis
•    Discover for the best tools for effective PR measurement and then how to communicate the results to law firm leadership
•    Review how to authentically communicate and promote your firm’s culture and diversity initiatives 
•    Discuss how to collect and use data effectively to tell your firm’s story, regardless of whether you have a limited or an excessive amount of data

Co-Chairs:

	Cheryl Bame, Principal, Bame Public Relations
	Michael Blachly, Chief Marketing Officer, Gray Reed

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