2024 DRI Women in the Law Seminar

January 17–19, 2024 | Phoenix, Arizona

TOGETHER WE RISE: Women Empowering Women!

Women professionals, and particularly lawyers, are under a lot of pressure to succeed despite the systems and cultural norms that present obstacles in our daily lives. These systems and cultural norms can hamper our ability to be our best and truest selves in both our professional and personal lives. At the 2024 Women in the Law Seminar, we will thoughtfully analyze these tough issues together. We hope you join us for this incredible seminar, where we know each of you will gain valuable skills to help you embrace your authentic self and bring out the best in each other. When we empower ourselves, we empower others. Together, we will rise!

DRI Members can register now and get best pricing thanks to exclusive, limited time Early Access Registration! Everyone else can take advantage of Early Bird Registration starting October 19 through December 4. View registration information here.

What You Will Learn:

How to embrace your inner and authentic self and use it to lead your teams effectively.
Methods for advocating for and marketing yourself and others.
Ethical ways to give back on a non-profit board.
Why Ted Lasso is the leadership role model we need now.
How to identify and address implicit bias in depositions (and beyond).
The importance of, and practical tips for, succession planning.

Expand Your Network By:

Participating in panels and workshops focusing on authenticity and empowerment.
Joining Women in the Law’s one-of-a-kind networking events.
Engaging in thoughtful discussions with like-minded woman about the collective trials (both literal and figurative) that we must navigate as professional women, including how to not just recognize their impact but work together to overcome them.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Thank You to DRI's Committee Leadership
Registration & Networking Information
Agenda with Speakers
Headquarters Hotel Information
CLE Information
Sponsors
DRI Cares
Other Information

Thank You to DRI's Women in the Law Committee Leadership

Sarah Thomas Pagels — **Sarah E. Thomas Pagels**
Program Chair

Sandra Wunderlich — **Sandra J. Wunderlich**
Committee Chair

**C. Meade Hartfield**
Committee Vice Chair

Join the Women in the Law Committee

Registration Information

DRI Members enjoy exclusive early access to seminar registration. Don’t miss this limited time opportunity to secure your spot before other registrants, and at the lowest price. Everyone else can register for Early Bird starting October 19 through December 4.

DRI Members - Register Today!

Non-Member Registration Options:

	Member Pricing	Non-Member Pricing	Non-Member Bundle ^
Member Only Early Access	$1,195	Not Offered	Not Offered
Early Bird Registration*	$1,395	$1,795	$1,715
Regular Registration*	$1,595	$1,995	$1,915
Onsite Registration	$1,695	$2,095	$2,015
Group Registration (Non-Sponsored)**	$1,095 per person	$1,095 per person	$1,095 per person
Government	Government members will receive the applicable government rate for the seminar upon login. If the government rate does not appear after logging in, please call DRI directly at (312) 795-1101 to receive the discounted rate. Invoices can be sent after purchase upon request.

Not a DRI Member? Select the Non-Member Bundle and Save!

^ Not a DRI Member and new to DRI? Take advantage of the Non-Member / Trial Membership Bundle and receive up to 9 months of membership when you register for the DRI Women in the Law Seminar. You’ll be able to add this special offer to your cart at check out. Note: Trial membership processing can take up to 30 days from the date of purchase, please contact DRI Customer Service with any questions.

Learn more about membership at DRI and get started on your DRI journey today!

*If your membership recently lapsed, please renew your membership prior to registering to ensure you receive your discounted member rate. If you would like to join DRI to receive the member pricing and see the benefits of becoming a member, click here to go to the Application page.

**Group registration is for registering four or more attendees, members and non-members. There is one free registration with every 10 registrations. You must lock in the rate three weeks prior to the seminar. If you want to register for the group pricing, fill out the form here (online registration is not available for this offering).

Agenda with Speakers

*Schedule and Speakers subject to change

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Time (Mountain)	Program
9:00 a.m.	DRI Cares Additional Voluntary Offsite Project Come early and kick off the seminar with some networking. Join fellow DRI Women in the Law, Construction, and Civil Rights members while serving the Phoenix community. Together, we can do great things! Check back for more details soon.
12:00 p.m.	Registration
3:00 p.m.	If You Can Only be One Thing, Be You Join long-time WITL friend and Certified Dare to Lead facilitator Kori Carew as she leads us through an interactive journey focused on self-reflection and authenticity. Learn tips and skills to empower yourself and the women you work with, for, and around by embracing your true self. Then, use those truths to create a more inclusive and satisfying workplace. Koriambanya S. Carew, Bridge 68, LLC, Chicago, IL
6:00 p.m.	Networking / Cocktail Hour
7:30 p.m.	Dine-Arounds Join colleagues and friends at selected restaurants for dinner (on your own).

Thursday, January 18, 2024

Time (Mountain)	Program
8:00 a.m.	Registration & Coffee Service Get to know the early risers in our group over a cup of coffee.
9:00 a.m.	Welcome and Introductions J. Richard Moore, Bleeke Dillon Crandall, Indianapolis, IN Sarah Thomas Pagels, Laffey, Leitner & Goode, LLC, Milwaukee, WI
9:15 a.m.	Super Women: Women Empowering Women Join us for a fireside chat with Heidi Friedman interviewing Debbie Epstein Henry on her journey as a lawyer turned professional speaker, author, and public speaking coach -- inspiring women around the world to lead our best lives. Heidi and Debbie will provide specific tips to uncover our superpowers as women: using our intelligence, skills, relationships, and judgment to empower other women. In doing so, we empower ourselves. Deborah Epstein Henry, Southold, NY Heidi B. Friedman, Thompson Hine LLP, Cleveland, OH
10:15 a.m.	Coffee Break
10:30 a.m.	Generational Lessons on Leadership: Lessons from Ted Lasso During this session, emerging leaders will explore the future of leadership from a unique and entertaining perspective, focusing on how we can apply the leadership approach of the entertaining sports comedy Ted Lasso to our legal workplaces. The panel will delve into how Ted's "be a good person, respect others, and judge no one" philosophy can help your organization not just survive but thrive in changing and challenging times. This presentation will include entertaining examples from Lasso, the fictional English soccer coach, and share the top ten ways legal organizations can apply Lasso’s unique style to build success and satisfaction. Laura Emmett, Strigberger Brown Armstrong LLP, Ontario, Canada Elizabeth Sorenson Brotten, Foley & Mansfield, Minneapolis, MN
11:30 a.m.	The Community Needs You: Lawyers Serving on Nonprofit Boards (Ethics) Join our panel to explore how lawyers can volunteer for nonprofit boards of directors without always having to give legal advice. The discussion will present the ethics of lawyers helping the community and how to balance that with your day job and other responsibilities. Also learn how in-house counsel handle volunteering and value when their outside counsel serve on nonprofit boards. Rebecca A. Nickelson, Sinars Slowikowski Tomaska, St. Louis, MO Niki Schaeffer, Reliability First, Cleveland, OH Kristine K. Campbell, U-Haul International, Inc., Phoenix, AZ
12:30 p.m.	DRI Cares - Blessings in a Backpack On your way to lunch, support Blessings in a Backpack, DRI Cares, and the DRI Foundation by filling a bag with food for a child experiencing food insecurity in our community. Feed a child before you feed yourself to make a difference in the lives of children and families all over our country and in this local community.
12:30 p.m.	DRI Networking Lunch Join us for a special hour as we celebrate the newest recipient of the Mary Massaron Award. Lunch is included in your registration fee. Please indicate on your registration form whether you plan on attending so that we can get an accurate headcount.
2:00 p.m.	Breakout Sessions (choose one)
	Young Lawyers Breakout Make Your Mark: Marketing Yourself as a Young Lawyer This breakout session will focus on the practicalities and mindset of marketing yourself as a lawyer. Topics will include tips for building your brand; ethical issues to avoid when self-marketing; differentiating yourself by embracing what makes you you; and overcoming self-doubt and imposter syndrome. Ericka Esposito-Kull, Littleton, Park, Joyce, Ughetta & Kelly LLP, Radnor, PA Allison Laffey, Laffey, Leitner & Goode LLC, Milwaukee, WI Maggie Ogletree, Norman, Wood, Kendrick & Turner, Birmingham, AL
	Succession Planning: Preparing and Empowering the Next Generation Join our group of seasoned women lawyers to talk about how law firms and their clients are best served by being transparent about their succession plans. Learn why early (and frequent) discussions of how and when transitions should happen are not just best practice but a client requirement. Anne R. Yuengert, Bradley, Birmingham, AL Karen K. Karabinos, Chartwell Law, Atlanta, GA Sheila M. M. Schiffman, Vitesco Technologies, Auburn Hills, MI
3:00 p.m.	Committee Business Meeting
3:30 p.m.	Small Group Networking Activities In addition to “Together We Network!” session (listed below), additional small group networking opportunities will be provided after registration.
3:30 p.m.	Small Group Networking Opportunity Together We Network! Join Marianne Trost, long-time friend of DRI’s Women in the Law Committee, for a fresh take on business development and networking. In this interactive session, you will learn from each other as well as take away some tips to hit the ground running at your next networking event. Try them out at the WITL Reception later that evening! Marianne M. Trost, The Women Lawyers Coach, Fountain Hills, AZ
6:00 p.m.	Premier Networking Reception Join fellow seminar attendees at our Premier Networking Reception. More details to come.
8:00 p.m.	Large Group Networking Activities More details to be provided after registration.

Friday, January 19, 2024

Time (Mountain)	Program
8:00 a.m.	Registration and Coffee Service
8:20 a.m.	Welcome and Announcements Bethany N. White, Arnett Law Group, LLC, Chicago, IL
8:30 a.m.	Operating in Your Power and Sharing with Others Join us for an interactive session on how to apply the Effective Communication Formula (Inform, Influence, Inspire, Entertain); embrace your personal leadership style; understand how you are perceived by others; apply effective self-dialogue techniques to motivate yourself and others; gain techniques to use with others using transparency and vulnerability to drive collaboration; and learn how to build and leverage communication gaps across generations and cultures so that everyone feels seen and heard at the table. Denise Thomas, The Effective Communication Coach, Dallas, TX
10:10 a.m.	Coffee Break
10:30 a.m.	Women Can and Do Lead: Spotlight on the Bet the Company Litigation Learn from women who have served as lead counsel in bet the company litigation, including some of the most public and challenging trials regarding the opioid crisis. These fierce women litigators will share tips from the trenches and talk about how they used all of their skills to garner a successful result for their clients. Amy Sherry Fischer, Foliart, Huff, Ottaway & Bottom, Oklahoma City, OK Amy Laurendeau, O'Melveny & Myers LLP, Newport Beach, CA
11:30 a.m.	Implicit Bias in Depositions (Ethics) (Joint Session with Construction Law Seminar) Even if you know how to recognize implicit bias, do you know how to address it during a deposition? Our panelists will share examples of where implicit bias is raised, how to address it on (or off the record), and ways to prevent it from happening in the first place. Leave this seminar for tips to make your next deposition your best deposition. Jaime L. Regan, Harris Beach PLLC, New York, NY Chris S. Egner, Continental Tire Company, Fort Mill, SC Pamela W. Carter, Esq., Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, P.A, New Orleans, LA
12:30 p.m.	Adjourn

Headquarters Hotel Information

A limited number of discounted hotel rooms have been made available at the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown, 340 N 3rd Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004. Take advantage of the group rate of $259.00 Single/Double in one of two ways:

Reserve your Room Online
Contact the hotel directly at 800.325.3535 and mention DRI Seminars.

The hotel block is limited, and rooms and rates are available on a first-come, first-served basis. You must make reservations by December 19, 2023, to be eligible for the hotel's group rate. Requests for reservations made after December 19 are subject to room and rate availability.

CLE Information

Earn up to 8.00 hours of continuing legal education hours (CLE) from this seminar.

View CLE Credit by State

Other Information

If you have any questions or concerns regarding DRI programs, please contact DRI Customer Service at 312.795.1101 or custservice@dri.org.