Many NALP members already plan to attend the 2025 Annual Education Conference (April 8-11). However, for those who need to seek authorization or funding to attend, here is some information that should help you make the strongest case for your attendance (or your team’s attendance) at the conference.
The NALP Annual Education Conference (“AEC”) remains the single largest, most comprehensive, and most well-respected educational program in our profession. The content provides much to choose from — over 95 concurrent sessions and 3 plenary sessions — covering all areas of our professions from law student and partner recruiting and career counseling to professional development; law student PD; public service; diversity, equity, and inclusion; well-being, and more. With considerable overlap across all our sectors, many sessions will also cover topics at the intersection of these areas.
No doubt you are already aware of the conference’s value; now you may need to communicate this value to those who need to authorize or fund your attendance. The following documents provide important information to make the case for you – or other members of your team – to attend the annual conference.
Advocating for Conference Attendance
Given the challenges and changes in our profession and our world over the past few years, it is imperative to stay on top of current industry trends; learn about best practices as they evolve; and develop, rekindle and maintain relationships with peers across the industry. This document has some tips that should help you make the strongest case for your attendance at the NALP Annual Education Conference.
If you need to request support or authorization to attend the annual conference, consider whether making the request in writing is the best approach. In addition to reviewing the tips below, you may use and tailor this sample memorandum (MS Word file). Your request should:
As stated above, the NALP Annual Education Conference remains the single largest, most comprehensive, and most well-respected educational program in our profession. Review the full conference brochure (available here in PDF) in detail to gather more of the specifics to support your request to attend the conference.
As you pull together your best case for you or other staff members to attend the annual conference, here are some things to keep in mind:
Costs: Estimate all the costs involved, including the registration fee, airfare, lodging, meals, ground transportation, and other miscellaneous travel expenses.
Highlight the value provided by the conference in relation to the registration fee: The conference price is a bargain when you consider how much is included in addition to the networking and educational programming from leaders and leading experts in the profession – 7 meals and 3 receptions including three breakfasts, three lunches, the Opening Reception, the Regional Receptions, the DEI Reception, plus the Member Celebration, which includes light dinner options.
Take advantage of early registration: The “early bird” conference fee for NALP members is $1,025 and is available until early March. Note that it is beneficial to have members of your staff become individual associate members of NALP to get this conference rate.
Use AEC attendance as a retention tool: It is no secret that the job market for legal career professionals is competitive. Encouraging your employer to invest in you and other members of your team can be a powerful retention tool as it demonstrates a commitment to professional development and signals how much contributions are valued. In an environment where employers are seeking ways to demonstrate employee appreciation outside of compensation, attendance at the AEC is a great solution!
Team building for your organization: The AEC is a great time to get members of your team (whether they be in the same office or located around the country) together for team building. For many organizations, this could be the first time that colleagues will have an opportunity to meet face to face for several years.
Overview of who attends the conference: It may be important to provide an overview of who attends the conference. Conference attendees include law school and legal employer representatives from across North America, as well as many industry vendors and consultants. Attendees typically work in recruitment, professional development, and diversity, equity, and inclusion within legal employer organizations, and in career counseling, recruiting, professional development, public interest advising, and pro bono coordination at law schools. No matter what sort of institution they come from, most NALP members will find representatives of their peer institutions at the conference. The opportunity for law schools and legal employers to exchange information is invaluable, as is the chance to learn about innovative practices from other peer institutions.
Overview of the speakers: NALP conference speakers are a mix of NALP members, consultants, law firm partners, law school professors and deans, judges, CEOs, and other experts. Make a note that the NALP conference features a wide array of speakers from across the legal industry.
Consider consultants for your organization: Point out that the AEC is a great chance to see outside consultants and speakers that you might consider bringing to your institution.
Benefits to your law school: You will have the opportunity to hear first-hand from the ABA during a special Q&A session. In addition, you will have the chance to meet with and learn from peer institutions on how they manage the issues you are dealing with every day. Another selling point might be the opportunity to meet with alumni in the city where the conference is located. Alumni visits could be added to an extra day of the conference week. The conference also offers an opportunity for you to connect in a meaningful way with the recruiting staff at firms where you seek to place law students. It is a chance to hear about recruiting trends and anticipated hiring needs shortly before the start of the busy summer recruiting season, as well as for you to advocate for and communicate the needs of your students.
Benefits to your legal employer: Highlight the networking opportunities the conference presents, such as the chance to meet staff members from schools or peer institutions with which your organization seeks to develop stronger ties and connections. For organizations with multiple offices, the conference provides an opportunity to meet with professionals from other offices and discuss topics that affect everyone in the organization. Remind your supervisors that the conference will provide an opportunity to connect in a meaningful way with the career development personnel at law schools where you seek to recruit summer associates; with professional development department representatives to learn best practices and explore opportunities for collaboration between you and your organization’s counterparts; with DEI professionals and consultants offering insights into how to implement change across all talent functions of your organization; with seasoned alumni program professionals to help build or enhance your own initiative; and with well-being professionals who can share their own organizations’ tips for mental health and well-being management. Meet representatives from numerous organizations all in one place.
In-person networking: After so many online activities and programs, networking in-person with colleagues in the legal industry will help advance your organization’s goals. Meet others who are managing similar issues, learn best practices, discuss problems, and bring solutions back to your organization. Meet vendors in the legal careers industry as well.
Professional development for you: Relate the conference content to any goals you and your supervisor have set for your own professional growth. List any skills or knowledge you expect to gain or develop from attendance. If you are a lawyer, you may want to indicate that the conference provides an opportunity to earn CLE credit.
Prior conferences as an example: Refer to a time when you attended another conference, got an idea, and implemented it at your offices. Say something in the memo like: “As you may recall, it was at a past conference that I learned about [example subject], which led to our successful [launch of program] or [adjustment to initiative] or my personal development in [skill].”
Coverage for your responsibilities: Depending on how your office is staffed, it may be important to think about, and even document, how your responsibilities will be covered while you are gone, or how you plan to stay on top of your responsibilities while you are away.
After the conference: Think about and explain how you intend to gather and then share information when you are back from the conference. You may want to offer to brief deans or partners on the conference highlights, as well as prepare summaries of particular programs or share handouts from specific sessions with other staff members on your team. Consider scheduling a time afterward for a short presentation and Q&A to your colleagues on lessons learned. When you implement ideas gained from the conference, be sure to let others know.
Figure out whether it makes sense to make your best case in person or in writing. In either case, do not put it off — asking early will demonstrate how important this is to you, provide time for handling questions, and allow you to take advantage of “early bird” registration fees, advance purchase airfares, and the discounted conference hotel rates.
Key Facts - Registration fee of $1,025 is well worth the investment! It includes:
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