2026 Diversity for Success Seminar

June 3–5, 2026
Omni Louisville Hotel | Louisville, Kentucky

Downtown Louisville daytime

How Inclusion Strengthens Every Corner of Our Communities!

Save up to $500 when you register on or before April 20!

Save Your Spot Today

DRI invites you to the 20th annual Diversity for Success Seminar and Corporate Expo in Louisville, Kentucky. Attendees will gain insights from and network with in-house counsel and potential referral sources. This seminar is designed to address the recent legal decisions and lawsuits designed to stunt recent efforts to increase diversity in our educational and occupational settings. Attendees will leave with resources and tools to incorporate into their career and organization to improve Diversity and Inclusion (D&I).

Join us for the Corporate Expo!
This will take place on Friday, June 5 at the Omni Louisville Hotel.
You must be registered for the seminar and be a DRI member to participate.

Apply for the Corporate Expo

What You Will Learn:

  • How universities are continuing to promote diversity and inclusion despite the recent Supreme Court decision to deprioritize D&I.
  • How employers are responding to lawsuits regarding D&I initiatives.
  • Skills to address implicit bias in artificial intelligence.
  • Developments in discriminatory legislation targeting the LGBTQ+ community.

Expand Your Network By:

  • Connecting with an unparalleled number of in-house counsel, potential clients, and referral sources.
  • Taking advantage of the unique opportunity to pitch yourself and your law firm to in-house counsel at the 2026 Corporate Expo.
  • Attending the Networking Reception with participants of DRI’s Young Lawyers Seminar and Insurance Bad Faith and Extra-Contractual Liability Seminar.

Counsel Meetings with Major Companies
Take advantage of the opportunity to engage with key industry companies* including:

  • TBD

*Subject to change

Representatives from These Companies* Will Be in Attendance
Engage with in-house counsel and claims executives:

  • TBD

*Subject to change

To save this page as a PDF, click on the "Print Brochure" button and under printer destination select "Save as PDF" or "Print to PDF."

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Thank You to DRI's Diversity and Inclusion Committee Leadership

Valerie Fontenot
Valerie Fontenot
Program Chair
Charity Hyde
Charity Hyde
Program Vice Chair
Atoyia S. Harris
Atoyia Harris
Committee Chair
Mohamed N. Bakry
Mohamed Bakry
Committee Vice Chair
Sharon Stuart
Sharon Stuart
Law Institute

Discover the opportunities available through the Diversity and Inclusion committee and and learn how you can get involved.
Join today and make a difference

Registration Information

Worry-Free Registration: Cancellations received thirty (30) days or more before an in-person seminar are entitled to a full refund.

In registering for this seminar, I attest that I devote a substantial portion of my professional time to defending the interests of individuals, business, associations, or governmental entities in civil litigation. I understand that DRI reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to cancel my registration, without a refund, if I do not meet the criteria described above.

Save up to $500 when you register on or before April 20, 2026!

Register for the Seminar

 Member PricingNon-Member PricingNon-Member Bundle ^
Early Bird Registration *
(Now thru Apr. 20)
$1,195$1,395$1,315
Regular Registration *
(Apr. 21–Jun. 2)
$1,395$1,595$1,515
Onsite Registration *$1,495$1,695$1,615
Group Registration
(Non-Sponsored)
Group registration is for registering four or more attendees. Members and non-members receive a 15% discount off the member and non-member rates respective to the time the group registration is initiated (i.e. Early Bird, Regular or On-Site registration periods). There is one free registration with every 10 paid registrations.
If you want to register for the group pricing, fill out the form here. Please note that online registration is not available for this offer.
Corporate/GovernmentEffective November 1, 2025, DRI is expanding the Corporate Membership category to include attorneys working for a government entity. Corporate Membership includes complimentary registration for DRI seminars.
  • If you are not already a DRI member, join as a Corporate Member before registering to take advantage of this benefit.
  • If you are a current Government Member, please contact DRI Membership at membership@dri.org and the team can assist in converting your membership, which will allow you to take advantage of the complimentary registration.
Non-Member Bundle ^If you're new to DRI and not a DRI member, take advantage of the Non-Member / Trial Membership Bundle and receive up to 9 months of membership when you register for the seminar. You’ll be able to add this special offer to your cart at checkout.
Discover the benefits of DRI membership.
Note: Trial membership processing can take up to 30 days from the date of purchase. Renewing members and members with recently lapsed memberships are not eligible for a Non-Member Bundle.

*If your membership has recently lapsed, please renew it before registering to ensure you receive the discounted member rate. If you are interested in joining DRI to receive the member pricing, click here to visit the Application page.

Hotel Information

The seminar will be held at the Omni Louisville Hotel, 400 S. 2nd Street, Louisville, KY, 40202. To speak with the hotel directly, please call 502.313.6664.

A limited number of discounted rooms are available at the Omni Louisville Hotel. Take advantage of the hotel's group rate of $269.00 Single/Double by making reservations through the link below by May 4, 2026.

Book Online and Secure your Group Rate

Room availability and rates are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservation requests received after this date are subject to room and rate availability.

Networking Events

Premier Networking Reception at Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory
Sponsored by: ABC

Date: Wednesday, June 3, 2026 from 5:30–7:30 p.m.
Pricing: Included in seminar registration; guest ticket $99
Location: Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, 800 W Main St, Louisville, KY 40202

Join us for a premier networking reception at the iconic Louisville Slugger Museum—great conversations, local flavor, and a behind-the-scenes vibe in the heart of downtown Louisville. Add on to this unique experience by purchasing a ticket to engage in a bourbon tasting and/or tour the infamous Louisville Slugger Factory (for an additional cost, see below).
The cost of the reception is included in seminar registration; a guest ticket is available for $99 when you register for the seminar, or can be purchased later or onsite.

Factory Tour
Tour times available: 5:45 p.m., 6:00 p.m., 6:15 p.m.
Add-on Price: $30/person
Enjoy exclusive after-hours access to the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, featuring a unique, curated experience that celebrates Louisville history, craftsmanship, and culture. Admission is limited and ticketed. Includes a complimentary mini bat at the conclusion of the tour.

Bourbon Tasting
Tasting times available: 5:45 p.m., 6:30 p.m.
Add-on Price: $65/person
Step up to the plate for a spirited evening at the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory. This ticketed bourbon tasting invites guests to sample a curated selection of Kentucky bourbons while exploring the rich history of America’s pastime—where craftsmanship, tradition, and flavor collide. Cheers to an unforgettable Louisville experience!

Full Agenda

*Schedule and speakers are subject to change

Wednesday, June 3, 2026

Time (Eastern)Session
11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.Registration
12:00-1:00 p.m.

Women of Color Luncheon (Ticketed Event)

More information coming soon.

1:00-5:00 p.m.

Women of Color Roundtable (Not for CLE)

Included in your registration. Open to Insurance Bad Faith and Young Lawyers attendees as well.

5:30-7:30 p.m.

Premier Networking Reception | Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory

Join us for a premier networking reception at the iconic Louisville Slugger Museum. Add on to this unique experience by purchasing a ticket to engage in a bourbon tasting and/or tour the infamous Louisville Slugger Factory.

Click here for full details on the reception.

6:00-7:00 p.m.Networking / Cocktail Hour
7:30 p.m.

Dine-Arounds

Join colleagues and friends at selected restaurants for dinner (on your own).

Thursday, June 4, 2026

Time (Eastern)Session
8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.Registration
8:30-9:30 a.m.Coffee Service
9:00 a.m.

Welcome and Introductions

Sharon D. Stuart, Attorneys Insurance Mutual of the South, Birmingham, AL
Valerie Fontenot, Jones Walker, New Orleans, LA

9:15 a.m.Jury Selection & Voir Dire
10:15 a.m.Coffee Break
10:30 a.m.Immigration Law Update for Defense Lawyers
11:30 a.m.AI in Legal Practice: A Generational View
12:30 p.m.

Diversity Awards Luncheon with Presentation of Sheryl J. Willert Award

Luncheon included with seminar registration.

2:00 p.m.

Navigating the Legal Profession: Progress and Pitfalls for Diverse Attorneys

During this session we will discuss where diverse attorneys are seeing changes in attitudes towards diverse attorneys within law firms and among clients, where work still needs to be done, and how the current political landscape is affecting the progress made.

3:00 p.m.The Future of Diversity in the Legal Profession
4:00 p.m.DRI Executive Town Hall
5:00 p.m.Adjourn
5:00 p.m.Committee Meeting (Open to All)
6:00-7:00 p.m.

Networking Reception

7:30 p.m.

Dine-Arounds

Join colleagues and friends at selected restaurants for dinner (on your own).

Friday, June 5, 2026

Time (Eastern)Session
8:30 a.m.Registration and Coffee Service
9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.Expo
12:30 p.m.Adjourn

CLE Information

Earn up to TBD hours of continuing legal education hours (CLE), including TBD hour of Ethics credit from this seminar.

View CLE Credit by State

In some states that charge late CLE submission fees, there will be a $100 late fee to report CLE credits submitted more than 30 days after a seminar/virtual event. Click here for details on CLE late fees.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

DRI's Diversity for Success Seminar is proudly supported by:

Seminar Sponsors

Dinsmore Legal Counsel Gordon & Rees Scully Mansukhani PM Perez Morris

If you would like to learn about seminar sponsorship opportunities, including pricing, or to reserve your spot, please fill out the form to get started.

DRI Cares

Blessings in a Backpack

Blessings in a Backpack Who Will Feed the Kids this Weekend?

Please join us in supporting Blessings in a Backpack, an organization that mobilizes communities, individuals, and resources to provide food on the weekends for school-aged children across America who might otherwise go hungry. Seminar attendees will have the opportunity to fill bags of food on the way to the joint networking lunch on XXXXX. Feeding a child before you feed yourself is a wonderful way to support children and families in the XXXXX community.

Donate to Blessings in a Backpack

Additional Resources

If you have any questions that are not addressed on our website, please contact DRI Customer Service at 312.795.1101 or custservice@dri.org.