After two years of Zoom meetings, it’s a breath of fresh air to be attending in-person conferences again. This month, we at iManage are thrilled to be heading to the ALA Annual Conference & Expo in Kissimmee, Florida. The ALA conference is an incredible opportunity for legal administrators to learn, network, and meet with vendors that can make their work lives better.
Security is more important than ever for law firms
Security will likely be a hot topic for many legal administrators at the conference this year. I recently spoke with an executive director of a legal firm who told me that, despite his lack of previous technical expertise, the current threat environment has meant that he’s needed to study and understand complex security topics such as multi-factor authentication. He’s not alone—cybersecurity threats are growing, and with all the confidential information held by legal firms, everyone needs to be on guard.
With that in mind, the ALA conference is a great time to deepen your security knowledge and review your current procedures. Go to a security-focused breakout session, trade tips with other attendees, and meet with security-minded technology vendors in the exhibit hall.
Think about outcomes, not just goals
In addition to considering your current security strategy, going to the ALA conference is a chance to step outside your day-to-day work and look at the big picture of your firm. You and your firm leadership may have set tactical goals such as increasing efficiency or investing in new technology, but what is the desired outcome? Increasing your client base or improving retention of the ones you already have? Expanding services? Growing your reputation? This is your time to think about the ultimate direction of your firm. Get inspired in a breakout session, discover exciting new technology, and hear new ideas from your peers.
Can't-miss breakout sessions
No matter what you’re focused on for this year’s conference, there’s sure to be an offering for you. Here are a few sessions I’ll be sure to attend:
- Keynote by Connie Podesta
- Leading Your Firm in the Digital Ecosystem: What You Need to Know About AI, Smart Contracts, Cryptos, and NFTs
- Lessons from the Cyber Front: Practical Ways to Reduce Your Law Firm’s Risk
- Mature and Advance Your Project Management Skills to Lead Your Firm to Greater Operational Success
Don't skip the exhibit hall
In addition to fantastic breakout sessions and speeches, the ALA conference also gives you the chance to meet a wide variety of vendors that can help you achieve your goals. Legal administrators wear many hats, and the vendor hall at ALA reflects this with vendors addressing everything from facilities management, eDiscovery, billing, and—of course—secure document management. Although the broad spectrum of options can be overwhelming, it’s an unmissable opportunity to talk with potential vendors face to face and get a real sense of what they offer.
While you’re in the exhibit hall, be sure to stop by the iManage booth to chat with us about your goals and how we can help you achieve them. We are more focused than ever on ensuring successful outcomes for our customers. I’m particularly excited to talk with ALA attendees about the iManage Cloud, which makes it possible for organizations of all sizes to be more agile, productive, and secure from anywhere. A move to the iManage Cloud reduces cost and complexity for small and midsize firms while providing the performance you need to achieve your desired outcomes.
See you there!
The ALA conference is where legal administrators can learn, network, connect with vendors, and ultimately get closer to accomplishing their firm’s goals. If you spot me at the conference, please say hello—I’d love to chat about your firm’s ambitions and how iManage can help!
About the author
Dan Rimland