Schedule

The most effective negotiators use a variety of skills and techniques depending on the context, their negotiation counterpart, and the client. Want to add their methods to your own negotiation toolbox? This session will show you how to develop and use:

• Assertiveness
• Empathy
• Flexibility
• Social intuition
• Ethicality

Using micro exercises and frameworks, you'll learn how to build on these skills and know when to use them for negotiation success.

If you know, employ, work with, or are a female lawyer, don't miss this lively panel discussion tackling the issue of women leaving the legal profession in growing numbers.

While women have made significant gains in the legal field over the past half century, recent indicators suggest they often leave the profession entirely - taking their skills, institutional knowledge, and contacts with them. Why are women leaving and how can we change this? What's missing in our profession for women? What can we as attorneys do to better support one another?

Gain a blueprint to strengthen your firm and support every member of your team with insights on:

• How women's roles have evolved
• Present-day communication styles
• Firm cultures
• Overcoming unconscious and perceived biases
• Strategies to attract and retain top female content

So much has changed since 2013. Same-sex marriages became legal in Wisconsin. Limited scope representation rules were created. Wisconsin lawyers couldn't get enough CLE about how the Affordable Care Act exchanges would impact their practices. Social media was here to stay - and could make or break your case.

Your practice probably looks quite different today than it did back in 2013 - and it'll undergo even more changes by 2023. In this provocative TED-inspired plenary, ten practitioners will each have six minutes to give their take on what law practice will look like in five years and how you can stay ahead of the curve. Journey into the future of:

• Competing against a growing number of DIY legal services
• Transforming attorney-client relationships
• The shift to virtual law practice
• How clients will pay their legal bills
• The growing importance of self-care
• Evolving ethics issues and rules
• And much more

Hang on to your seat - this fast-paced plenary is packed with insights and will give you plenty to think about. Don't miss it!

Enjoy hors d’oeuvres, beer, wine, and soda compliments of WILMIC and West Bend Mutual Insurance. Cash bar also available.

Emails. Instant messages. Phone calls. Walk-in interruptions. Social media notifications. The average American worker is interrupted every 2-3 minutes. Do you feel like you work a 14-hour day but only have a few billable hours to show for yourself by 5 p.m.?

Learn the habits and techniques to make technology your servant (not the other way around) and gain control of your work day and personal life. Discover the skills to become more focused and less overloaded with techniques to:

• Deal with distraction
• Manage your time
• Efficiently organize your tasks
• End the endless emails
• Make Outlook do more for you
• Automate documents and processes

(Please indicate attendance when registering for the Conference) Luncheon sponsored by M3 Insurance and the Real Property, Probate & Trust Law Section.

Whether you want tips for getting more from your favorite gadgets or are looking for the coolest gizmos to put on your Christmas list, don't miss this conference favorite! This speedy session is sure to make you smile with a look at the lighter side of technology. Discover how you can maximize your gizmos and gadgets to make your law practice and your life easier.

See why attendees get up early to grab a seat at this session. Plus, treat yourself to something special from our gourmet coffee bar before things get started.

When presenter Allison L. Wood opened her ethics consulting firm in 2011, 90 percent of lawyers disciplined in Illinois were solo or small-firm practitioners. Solo and small-firm lawyers are just as hard working, competent, and passionate about helping their clients as practitioners in larger firms. So why all the discipline?

In a solo or small firm, the practitioner is responsible for everything - marketing, obtaining clients, servicing clients, billing, collecting fees, and managing finances. On top of that, they must keep up with their primary practice area, understand new technology, and try not to post anything wrong on social media. And they do it all without the support and resources typically available in larger firms that offer protection from professional liability mistakes.

The good news is: help is here! This session will help you assess your own propensity for professional liability risks plus give you six solid strategies to mitigate those risks. Learn effective tactics for:

• Managing your practice
• Maintaining competency
• Managing client relationships
• Managing client funds
• Engaging in social media
• Protecting your well-being