HR: Essential Strategies for Law Firms: Building Emotional Intelligence with Effective Communication

This presentation will focus on the importance of building emotional intelligence and trust through effective communication. Strong communication skills are often lacking in law firm and legal department settings where “no news is good news,” avoiding difficult conversations and other negative dynamics abound.  This session will help reduce unnecessary obstacles to crucial communication between all members of legal departments and firms, resulting in a more productive and happier workplace.

CLM Application Credit for Functional Specialists:  1 hour in the subject area of Human Resources Management toward the additional hours required of some Functional Specialists to fulfill the CLM application requirements.

CLM Recertification Credit: 1 hour in the subject area of (HR) Human Resources Management.

Katherin Nukk-Freeman is the Co-Founder and President of SHIFT HR Compliance Training and a passionate advocate for building better workplaces. As a dynamic employment law advisor, training instructor and industry thought leader, Katherin is a highly sought-after speaker and considered the industry leader on the subject of addressing “Unconscious Bias” in the workplace. 

OM: Introduction to Legal Lean Sigma – Process Improvement & Project Management

The legal profession has been through an unprecedented period of change.  Alternatives to the traditional in terms of business models, workflow systems and pricing strategies are becoming part of the “new normal”.  Today’s legal and business professionals are faced with new challenges and opportunities to help their firms deliver greater value, and with it comes an increasing pressure in law firms to be more efficient, develop and employ strategies and initiatives all in an effort to reconnect costs to the value of legal services provided.  In this session, you will be introduced to Process Improvement and Project Management and how they interact with Lean and Six Sigma concepts to simplify processes and greatly improving efficiency and productivity.

Learning Objectives

• Understand the basic concepts and terminology associated with the processes of Process Improvement & Project Management
• Learn the benefits of combining Legal Sigma and Project Management into the law firm
• Communicate the five key phases that outline the framework for a Process Improvement project
• Understand the financial aspects of Project Management
• Review and understand the four Legal Lean Sigma Certification levels and how each can benefit your law firm 

CLM Application Credit for Functional Specialists: 1 hour in the subject area of Operations Management toward the additional hours required of some Functional Specialists to fulfill the CLM application requirements. 

CLM Recertification Credit: 1 hour in the subject area of Operations Management. 

Frederick J. Esposito, Jr, MBA, CLM, Chief Operating Officer of the regional law firm Rivkin Radler LLP, has more than 25 years of law and accounting firm experience. He is a thought-leader, frequent speaker and an author of articles on a wide-range of topics and best practices, including billing and collections, profitability, attorney compensation systems, alternative fee arrangements, process improvement, project management and strategic planning, for Law Practice Magazine, Law Practice Today and Attorney at Work, among others.

In June 2013, he was inducted into the National Speakers Association and in April and September 2012, respectively, he received ALA’s Outstanding Association Volunteer Award for his service as a leader and national speaker and was named CFO of the Year by Long Island Business News.  He has been a Certified Legal Manager (CLM)^SM  since 2006, the only CLM on Long Island, and from May 2013 – May 2016, was the Chair of ALA’s Certification Committee.  In addition to presenting for the ALA, he is also a frequent author and speaker for the ABA, BNA/Bloomberg, Lexis/Nexis and Thomson Reuters.

In the Fall of 2016, he became a Faculty Advisor and Presenter for the Nassau County Bar Association Academy of Law, and recently joined the Legal Lean Sigma Institute as adjunct faculty and consultant.  In May 2018, Fred earned a Yellow Belt Certification in Legal Lean Sigma and Project Management and is working towards his Green Belt Certification.  Fred has a specialization in financial and organizational management and has also managed and worked in a consulting capacity with several law firms, both international and domestic.

IT: Excel: Beyond the Basics

Take Excel  to the next level. Whether you need to crunch numbers for accounting, marketing, HR, or a practice group, the ability to get the right information to the right people at the right time can create a powerful competitive advantage for you. Increase your productivity in responding to queries. You will learn how to get Excel to provide the answers for you. The ability to analyze large amounts of data, extract actionable information from it, and present that information to decision makers is at the foundation of a successful firm.CLM Application Credit: 1 hour in the category of (IT) Information Technology.

CLM Recertification Credit: 1 hour in the subject area of (OM) Operations Management.

Douglas Gibson is the Director of Information at Chaffetz Lindsey LLP, a New York-based boutique. Doug is a frequent speaker on topics relating to eDiscovery and innovative use of technology in law firms. He is active in the Association of Legal Administrators, the Sedona Conference, and the International Legal Technology Association and currently serves as a Vice President of the Board of Directors of the ALANYC and is the Leader of its Website and Governance and Technology Teams.

FI: The Perils of Matter Profitability

Attendees will learn the concepts behind computing matter profitability, as well as the pitfalls that can lead to unintended consequences.  Join our chapter member, Paul Schwartz, CPA, as he simplifies this process for financial professionals, as well as human resources and office management professionals, seeking to broaden their knowledge base.

CLM Application Credit for Functional Specialists: 1 hour in the subject area of (FM) Financial Management toward the additional hours required of some Functional Specialists to fulfill the CLM application requirements. 

CLM Recertification Credit: 1 hour in the subject area of (FM) Financial Management.

Paul Schwartz, CPA is the Chief Financial Officer at Anderson Kill P.C., where he advises the Executive Committee and leads the accounting & finance team. Paul has over twenty years of financial management experience in law firms. Prior to working in law firm management, he worked for ten years in public accounting and for several years as an information systems consultant.