Lawyer 2.0
September 14 - 15, 2019
"To be a good lawyer, one has to be a healthy lawyer."
- ABA Taskforce on Lawyer Wellbeing (2017)
Innovation is a human endeavor, first and foremost. As we innovate our technologies, our processes, and our delivery of services, the legal profession also must innovate with respect to its most valuable asset: our lawyers. This immersion experience provides attendees with the information and tools necessary to meet that challenge. You will develop an action plan to take back to your organization; a roadmap to ensure the human side of the practice receives the same kind of focused attention as the business side. Because our people are our business, in every way.
Lawyer 2.0 :: Immersion Details
September 14 - 15, 2019 :: The Wond'ry @ Vanderbilt
What's the problem?
Our lawyers are not healthy and they are not happy. To start, we have a substance use and mental health disorder crisis on our hands. A landmark 2016 study from the American Bar Association together with Hazelden Betty Ford demonstrates that fact, finding rates of these problems among licensed, employed lawyers at more than double that of the general population. That fact alone demands action.
But the problem extends further. We spend long, stressful hours at work followed by “downtime” tethered to our devices. In firms, associates find little chance of promotion to partner, which even if attained, holds more pressure to bill big hours and build big business. Most lawyers also face constant client pressure to do more with less at lower cost. It’s a recipe for burnout and an unappealing option to many of today’s brightest young lawyers and law students.
We're creating solutions!
Innovative organizations are responding to these critical issues in order to attract and retain the best talent and provide optimal client service. In 2017, the ABA Task Force set forth suggested steps for legal employers to take to begin to address the problems identified in the study.
And since early fall 2018, many firms have signed the ABA's Pledge to Advance Well-Being in the Legal Profession. By tackling the problems the profession faces through the framework of the Pledge, your organization can develop and implement programs and policies that address these issues in a way that comports with your culture and business.
Join our faculty of legal industry veterans with experience in all disciplines and perspectives necessary to developing and sustaining healthy, happy, and productive attorneys. Their roles have included practicing lawyer, management member, human resources professional, business development professional, and mental health professional.
The ABA’s 2016 study, 2017 report, and 2018 pledge will provide the framework for our program. This will be a unique learning experience designed to provide you with an understanding and tools that will help you lead the change at your organization.
Q: Who is this Immersion designed for?
A: Anyone and everyone who plays a role in helping lawyers thrive!
We've designed Lawyer 2.0 for law firm leaders on both the practicing and administrative sides of the profession. From senior management and practice group leaders to hiring partners, human resources professionals, and professional development leaders, anyone who touches the attorney experience will gain valuable insights. While we will be looking at the big picture, we’ll also be drilling down on the practical understanding and tools you need to hit the ground running when you return.
Q: What is the schedule?
A: Two full days of interactive and highly-engaged learning, collaborating, and planning concrete next steps!
Friday evening, September 13, 2019 | Vanderbilt Law School
Institute faculty host an optional, informal gathering at Vanderbilt Law School for all participants. An opportunity to meet your cohort and faculty, we highly encourage attendance.
Food and beverages designed to introduce the cohort to Nashville will be served.
Saturday, September 14, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm | The Wond'ry at Vanderbilt
7:45 am: Registration and breakfast.
8:00 am: Morning Session: The Facts and the Path Forward
· Hard Facts and Personal Stories
· The Costs of the Status Quo and Benefits of Embracing Change
· A Deep Dive into the ABA Pledge to Advance Attorney Well-Being
12:00 noon: Working lunch (provided)
1:15 pm: Afternoon Session: Setting Ourselves Up for Success
· Leveraging Allies and Existing Resources
· Diversity, Inclusion and Well-Being
· Identifying and Addressing Cultural Challenges
5:00 pm: Conclusion of Day 1.
Sunday, September 15, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm | The Wond'ry at Vanderbilt
7:45 am: Breakfast and informal conversation.
8:30 am: Morning Session: Effectuating the Change
· Securing Buy-In From the Top Down
· Assessing and Refining Resources
· Partnering With Outside Organizations
· Planning for Challenges and Resistance
12:00 noon: Working lunch (provided)
1:15 pm: Afternoon Session: Spreading the Message and Tracking Success
· Implementing Effective Change Management
· Incorporating Metrics to Track and Measure Success
3:00 pm: Conclusion of Day 2.
Q: Who is teaching this Immersion?
A: Experienced and engaging faculty and facilitators.
Lawyer 2.0 will be led by Lisa Smith, author of Girl Walks Out of a Bar, who will be joined by Julie Cole, Chief Client Relations Officer at Quarles & Brady LLP, Mark Goldstein and Cat Moon, along with mental health professionals with deep experience in working with lawyers.Lisa and Mark both serve on ALM's advisory board guiding its year-long mental health in law reporting project.
Q: What is the cost and what is included?
A: $2200 + everything from soup to nuts is included!
Tuition for this PoLI Immersion course is $2200, with a discount offered to organizations with more than one person registering and for those enrolled in the Certificate in Law and Innovation program. Please contact Cat Moon at c.moon@vanderbilt.edu or 615-322-6591 for more information about this discount.
Immersion tuition covers all course materials and instruction, including facilitation of pre-work and post-work outside of the Immersion weekend schedule. During the Immersion, the Institute provides meals and refreshments including breakfast and lunch, and parking adjacent to the Wond'ry. For those who arrive in Nashville on Friday evening, we're hosting an informal gathering including food and beverage for the cohort, also included in tuition.
Immersion students also are invited into the PoLI Forum, an online community designed exclusively for Institute cohorts to facilitate and support their legal innovation journey.
