Justify Your Attendance

Thank you for your interest in DRI’s 2026 Annual Meeting, where relationships build business. As the largest bar association for civil defense attorneys and in-house counsel, DRI continually promotes the success of the civil defense bar.

Below you’ll find the steps and an easy-to-use toolkit to help you convey the value of this event to your supervisor.

Key Arguments to Value Your Attendance

Consider these elements when justifying the importance of attending DRI's 2026 Annual Meeting:

  • Cost Efficiency: Securing early-bird rates to save up to $700 on registration.
  • Targeted Growth: Aligning key sessions with both your own professional development and your firm’s strategic growth.
  • Tailored ROI: Presenting a customized business case and value assessment for the Annual Meeting.

The Core Benefits of Attending

Include these key benefits of attending DRI's 2026 Annual Meeting to show you supervisor what you and your firm will get out of the experience:

  • Business Development: Build your book of business and make lasting connections with top civil defense leaders at networking events.
  • Professional Development: Earn CLE hours while attending sessions on trending topics tailored for the civil defense space.
  • Strategic Leadership: Gain fresh perspective and insights from dynamic keynote speakers to sharpen your practice.

Grab Your Trip Justification Template

This editable justification letter template makes it easy to show your firm how attending DRI’s 2026 Annual Meeting will grow your book of business, advance your professional development, and enhance your firm’s network and resources.

Download the Template

Follow Up on Your Experience

Once DRI's 2026 Annual Meeting is over, follow up with your supervisor to report on your experience. Use this checklist to cover some of the key topics in your summary:

  • Key Takeaways: Review the sessions you attended and identify core topics most valuable to your practice.
  • Strategic Connections: Document the networking interactions you engaged in and outline how these new relationships can benefit the firm.
  • CLE Tracking: Provide a finalized list of the CLE credits you earned while attending the meeting.