| Time (Eastern) | Session |
|---|
| 8:00–9:00 a.m. | Women in the Law Morning Meet Up Join us for a cup of coffee and breakfast bites and connect with attendees of Civil Rights and Women in the Law before the seminars begin. It is a perfect opportunity to network and share ideas between the committees and kick off
the seminars on the right foot!
|
| 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. | Registration |
| 9:00 a.m. | Welcome and Introductions Jodi V. Terranova, Wilson Elser, Washington, D.C.
Kristen E. Dennison, Littleton Joyce Ughetta & Kelly LLP, Merritt Island, FL |
| 9:15 a.m. | Keynote: Building Your Own Path, Fireside Chat with Dayna Adelman - Author of "Youngest One in the Room" (Non-CLE) What does Forrest Gump have in common with each of us? A life of unplanned yet meaningful escapades. At least, that's what Dayna Adelman believes. Join us for a moderated fireside chat as we explore what it means to forge your
own path in a world where you may find yourself as the youngest one in the room, the only woman, or the only American—and how to transform those moments into sources of strength, growth, and unexpected opportunity. Along
the way, Dayna embraces Gump’s famous mantra: “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” Whether you are just entering the legal profession, in a place of professional
transition, or looking to understand the past to define the future, Dayna’s human approach to sharing her lessons inside and outside the boardroom--while revealing both the joy and pain of the self-discovery process along
the way--will resonate with you. Marie Chafe, Conn Kavanaugh, Boston, MA
Dayna Adelman, New York , NY |
| 10:15 a.m. | Break |
| 10:30 a.m. | Building Your Trial Skills, Defenses, and Strategy Nationally recognized trial lawyers share insightful experiences and best practices from the trenches. Lori Cohen, Greenberg Traurig, Atlanta, GA
Martha Gaythwaite, Verrill Dana LLP, Portland, ME
Sharon D. Stuart, Attorneys Insurance Mutual of the South, Birmingham,
AL
E. Holland “Holly” Howantiz, Tyson & Mendes, Birmingham, AL
|
| 11:30 a.m. | Building Your Skills: The Art of Difficult Conversations Difficult conversations are an inevitable part of leadership and legal practice—whether with clients, colleagues, or teams. How you handle these moments can make or break relationships and results. This panel brings together
the chairman and CEO of an Am Law 200 firm and a consulting psychologist who works extensively with lawyers to share strategies for navigating these challenges with clarity, empathy, and authority. You will leave with practical
tools to accelerate your leadership influence, elevate your communication, and foster collaboration that drives meaningful results. Rachel Fry, PhD (Attorney Coach and Consulting Psychologist), Fry Consulting, Birmingham, AL
Tim Lupinacci (Chairman and CEO), Baker Donelson, Birmingham, AL |
| 12:30 p.m. | Women in the Law Awards Luncheon
Join the Women in the law seminar attendees for celebratory lunch (included in your registration) as we spotlight this year’s recipient of the Mary Massaron award. |
| 2:00 p.m. | Breakout Sessions (Non-CLE) - Building Stronger Workplaces: Honoring Every Woman
- Rebuild Your Joy by Returning Your Heart
- Building a Safe Space: Corporate Counsel Only Breakout
|
| | Building Stronger Workplaces: Honoring Every Woman Join Alysia Christiaen, lawyer and founder of Child-Free Women in the Workplace (CFW²), for an interactive session exploring the often-overlooked experiences of child-free women in professional life. Through personal reflection
and shared insights from the CFW² platform, Alysia will highlight the subtle biases and structural blind spots that shape workplace culture and invite participants to reflect on their own assumptions. This session will
spark conversation, challenge norms, and offer practical ways to create more inclusive, supportive environments for all women—whether mothers or not. Alaina N. Devine, Campbell Conroy & O’Neil, Boston, MA
Alysia M. Christiaen, Child-Free Women in the Workplace, London, Ontario |
| | Rebuild Your Joy By Retuning Your Heart Join Don Blackwell, author of “Dear Ashley ...” - A Father's Reflections and Letters to His Daughter on Life, Love and Hope (2013), and, more recently, of Retune Your Heart – Finding the ‘”Extra”
in the Ordinariness of Everyday Life, and its accompanying journal, The Playbook of Your Childhood Heart (2025), as he reminds us of where we began and why it’s important to find our way back to the way our hearts lived
and loved before the world got hold of them. Several years ago, while assisting a loved one through some difficult life challenges, it occurred to Don that we have been going about this “adulting” and “lawyering”
thing all wrong—and it’s contributing to a whole host of uniquely “adult” issues and siphoning the joy out of our lives. The good news is, we all hold the key to reversing the process. Don will share
his heart-altering conviction that the answers to many of our very adult problems and the key to experiencing true joy and the fullness of life we long for depend on our ability to find our way back to and embrace the traits
that accompanied all of our hearts into this world. In this light-hearted and engaging talk, Don explains the importance of rediscovering your unworldly-adorned childhood heart so that you can live a joy-filled life. He also
shares practical “tips” on how to get there. You will leave with a "build it again" mindset, a more positive self-image, the ability to be fully present, reflexive forgiveness and grace, and boundless love. Donald A. Blackwell, Weinberg Wheeler Hudgins Gunn & Dial, Miami, FL |
| | Building a Safe Space: Corporate Counsel Only Breakout Join fellow corporate counsel in an engaging roundtable discussion about current trends, strategies, and challenges in-house counsel face. Bring your thoughts, concerns, questions, and ideas with you as this is the one where you
get to pick the topics to discuss. Linda Fulop-Slaughter, Sompo International, Morristown, NJ |
| 3:00 p.m. | Adjourn |
| 3:00–3:30 p.m. | Committee Business Meeting (open to all) |
| 4:00–6:00 p.m. | Small Group Networking Events Click here for details on the the networking events. |
| 6:00–10:00 p.m. | Women in the Law Large Group Networking Activities Details will be provided after registration with networking activities flyer. |