2022 ALA Annual Conference and Expo: Hot Topics and Happenings

The Actionstep team hit the road again last week to attend the 2022 ALA Annual Conference and Expo, the ALA’s (Association of Legal Administrators) flagship event. Over four days in Kissimmee, FL, attendees participated in training sessions and programming with a focus on leadership, professional development, and innovation in the legal industry. Here’s what the Actionstep team was up to, as well as some of the hot topics that were the talk of the floor.

Actionstep @ ALA Recap

The conference kicked off with a Welcome Reception complete with great food, drinks, and dancing—conga line included! ALA members were clearly excited to be able to meet in person and celebrate.

The enthusiasm continued into Monday, as the sessions began and the Exhibit Hall got up and running. Here’s the Actionstep booth and some of our team, which of course includes our famous plush kiwi mascots.

Actionstep’s Vice President of Marketing, Triona Saunders, presented a Business Matters! Session on Monday, speaking on “Modernize Without Compromise: Building a Modern Law Firm, One Step at a Time.”

Monday also featured the keynote address from Connie Podesta, who spoke on her “Personality Shapes” assessment exercise that illuminates different personality types and communication styles. Find out more about Connie here.

The Exhibit Hall was bustling on Tuesday, with the evening Networking Reception capping things off. Actionstep went big with a mojito bar at our booth, serving traditional, strawberry, and mango mojitos! The great energy and conversations kept going on Wednesday, and the conference closed out with a fun VIP Grand Finale party in the evening.

Hot Topics at ALA

The conference’s educational sessions focus on different facets of legal practice management, from finances to human resources to operations. Here are the themes that really stood out this year:

1. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility

As ALA speaker Sybil Dunlop found in 2020, the legal profession is still the least diverse in the nation. A number of ALA’s sessions emphasized the importance of understanding the root of this problem and how critical it is to become an agent of change in your own organization. Sessions also explored implementing a plan for DEIA at your firm, including practical steps for getting started.

2. Data for Decision-Making

Many sessions focused on helping administrators boost their financial literacy and analysis skills with a goal of working toward more predictable and sustainable law firm profitability. There was a focus on data and reporting as a crucial way to truly understand the metrics that drive your law firm’s finances.

3. Legal Talent Recruitment and Retention

The current labor shortage is a significant concern across all professions, and the legal industry has been hit hard. The war for talent has put a greater focus not only on recruitment tactics, but also on how to retain the talent your firm currently has in place. At ALA, the spotlight was on making sure your law firm’s benefits are up to par, as well as ensuring that employee wellness (both physical and mental) is at the forefront.

4. Hybrid/Remote Team Management

The legal industry has had a few years now to adjust to remote and hybrid models, but it’s still a relatively new way of working that presents new and different challenges. At ALA, it was clear that there is still lots of room to improve hybrid/remote processes through technology, workflow management, and new ways of team-building.

Looking for more tips and tools for your remote or hybrid team, check out Actionstep’s upcoming webinar, Manage Your Remote/Hybrid Law Firm Effectively: Top Tips & Tools.

Honorable Mention: Resident Reptiles

We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that in true Florida fashion, attendees could also visit the conference hotel’s resident alligators in the atrium.

Ready to Streamline Your Law Firm End-to-End?

The ALA Conference and Expo is over for this year, but you can still learn about optimizing your law firm’s admin and workflow. Find out how Actionstep can help you streamline your processes by getting in touch with our team.