The Importance of Legal Conferences
Legal conferences are invaluable for legal professionals seeking to elevate their career, expand their professional network, and stay on top of the latest industry developments and best practices. These events provide a rare opportunity to engage face-to-face with other legal experts who share your passions and goals. It’s a chance to create valuable connections that could lead to career-rewarding relationships in the future. Conferences, expos and trade shows allow firms to showcase their products and services to an audience of potential clients and partners . Legal conferences are also excellent opportunities to obsessively study your competition and gather all the information you need to stay at the forefront of your field. Staying informed and educated is a crucial part of being a legal professional. Legal conferences are essential for legal experts at all levels to understand industry standards and trends that continue to change and evolve. If you’re not attending legal conferences and networking with fellow legal professionals, you might as well be living under a rock for all the good it’s doing your law career.
Legal Conferences You Can’t Afford to Miss in 2025
The following legal conferences are anticipated to be the top events in the legal world for 2025. While conference dates are set, topics and speakers will be updated as the year progresses. We’ll include links to conference sites as we get closer to a given date. The conferences show the trends and information that will matter most for lawyers and law firms.
Legal Marketing Association Annual Conference March 8 – 11, 2025
LMA is the premier organization in the legal marketing field. Their annual conference covers all aspects of marketing, branding, and business development for lawyers and law firms. This is a must-attend event for anyone involved in legal marketing.
LegalTech New York February 4-6, 2025
LegalTech New York is the largest legal technology show of the year, with a focus on the latest tools and trends in legal technology. There is a strong focus on legal marketing and business development, as lawyers from around the country gather to discuss legal technology, trends, and how it can help them grow and improve their practices.
ABA Tech Show March 26-28, 2025
The American Bar Association Tech Show is another must-attend event for lawyers and legal professionals. The Tech Show is the ABA’s legal technology show for lawyers, with presentations covering a variety of topics and trends that are key issues in the legal world.
State and Local Bar Events
Most state and local bar associations have at least one conference that is dedicated to law firm marketing and business development. Whether your practice is corporate or litigation focused, these events provide value and insight into ways you can grow your practice. We’ll provide a complete list of 2025 state and local bar events as we get into December 2024.
What You Can Expect from Emerging Legal Trends at Conferences 2025
Emerging Legal Trends at 2025 Conferences
As we look ahead to 2025, the legal landscape is set to evolve even further, with new technologies, regulatory changes, and international developments at the forefront of global law conversations. At legal conferences this year, topics such as artificial intelligence in law, blockchain in legal operations, cross-border data privacy, and leading practices on remote work are on the agenda to be discussed.
Technological transformation continues to shake up the legal world, with industry experts predicting a steady rise in the use of AI and blockchain in legal practice. As legal professionals from around the world gather, these emerging technologies will take center stage as firms explore their potential applications and examine their role in the future of litigation, corporate law, and more.
Meanwhile, ever-challenging regulatory environments are garnering attention in many jurisdictions. Whether it is the introduction of new commercial and intellectual property regulations in response to digital innovation, or the grappling of post-pandemic economic recovery, these changes impact the way lawyers and law firms represent their clients. In addition to discussing these changes in depth, legal conferences seek to anticipate further regulatory changes that will affect the global landscape.
Global issues concerning the rule of law and access to justice are becoming more pressing. Law firms are taking stands and participating in initiatives on the need for decent working conditions in the gig economy, for example. Lawyer strikes and unionization efforts in some jurisdictions are also being tracked and discussed. Professionals from around the globe will engage in debates on these and other current events, exploring legal tools and strategies to improve the situation in many countries.
How to Identify the Right Conference for You
Choosing the right legal conferences to attend is not just about the best hotel room rates or the most enticing welcome reception. With so many conferences across the nation offering compelling content, a thoughtful agenda of which to attend is important for maximizing both budget and time.
Orlando in June may not be that exciting of a destination when you could be networking at the ABA Annual in Denver. Or maybe it is a better idea to build on your already extensive Nationwide course title catalog and instead head out to Seattle for the ALA Annual in April. If you factor in where your clients are based, the cost of flights and hotels, and the topic of the conference, you may find in the end that an inexpensive driving distance from home leads to the best ROI for your firm. I’m partial to conferences focused on law firm management, professional development, compensation, marketing, human resources, and all the ways that a practice is run and filled with topical info. That said, building good business relationships with referral sources can’t be underrated. Exploring which topics your referral sources are interested in is another way to make a list of conferences to consider. Of course, there are the conferences organized by the state and county bar associations. These conferences will naturally have the lowest cost for lawyers because they pay annual membership fees to the state bar organizations. And no matter what your area of practice or specialization, there is bound to be a bar association conference that is focused on these areas. There’s something for everyone.
How to Get the Most out of Attending a Conference
Professional conferences are a must. You want to attend, you just have too much to do. What’s a lawyer to do?
Well, I’m not going to lie. You’ve got to work a little bit on this. Plan to get the most out of the event. You want to come back with two things. New contacts and knowledge you can bring back to your law firm.
Research the schedule. Will your key clients be there? Who are other attendees that you’d like to connect with? What sessions and/or keynote is of interest? Look over the conference schedule in advance and plan how you want to spend your time. It’s remarkably easy to get caught up in lunch or drinks and miss awesome content. Hopefully you’re at the conference to learn about developments and trends that will impact your practice. Put those sessions on your calendar. No matter how tempting the cocktail reception.
Identify conference veterans. Many law firm leaders rarely attend industry specific events, especially if you are an industry specialist. But those people in your firm who do care to stay informed about your industry, they are veterans. Ask them what sessions they’ve attended in the past that they found worthwhile . Do they have recommendations for conference sessions to attend? Which sessions did they find had the best information? They attend events regularly and are likely to have good advice.
Networking. Ah yes. The "networking" part of conference attendance. It’s hard work and at times a little painful. But you know how to network. So go out of your comfort zone. Use LinkedIn to message key contacts and see if they’re also attending. Go out to lunch with those you connect with. You can strengthen existing relationships and forge new ones. Catch up with attorneys at your firm. Great way to collaborate and exchange valuable information.
Use social media. I know, I know – you’re supposed to be social when you’re networking. But hey, for all those who think Instagram and Facebook are a waste of time – I dare you to look me square on and tell me that you’re not open and approachable when you use photo sharing sites to interact with others. Social media can be helpful in meeting like-minded professionals during a conference.
And of course, share on social media about the conference and sessions you are attending.
In-Person vs. Virtual Conferences
As we look ahead to the landscape in 2025, the debate between virtual and in-person legal conferences continues to be a hot topic. While some argue that in-person conferences allow for deeper relationship building and a more immersive learning experience, others point to the advantages of virtual conferences, including lower costs, global accessibility, and the ability to review content at your convenience.
In 2025, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) could change the way we attend legal conferences. With the rapid improvement in VR technology, it’s not hard to imagine a world where instead of heading to a convention centre, you simply put on a headset and find yourself ‘transported’ to a conference. The technology could allow you to walk between virtual booths, interact with exhibitors and speakers, and network with other attendees, all from the comfort of your own office or home.
However, the technology has its limitations, and it may never fully replace in-person events. For example, the legal field thrives on personal connections, which are easier to make in-person. Additionally, it may be difficult to replicate the interactive elements of a conference, such as Q&As and networking opportunities, in a virtual space.
Ultimately, the next wave of conferences may turn out to be a hybrid of both virtual and in-person experiences, with the virtual component serving as an enhancement rather than a replacement. This could open up exciting new possibilities for attendance, allowing legal professionals from all over the world to participate, regardless of budget, location, and other barriers.
Credits Earned at Legal Conferences
Many legal practitioners are required to obtain a minimum of hours in continuing education (CLE) during every reporting period, which is often one year or two years. Taking part in legal conferences is a great way to obtain these credits and interactive legal conferences offer the most amount of credits to be obtained. Conferences where there are activities such as networking, masterclasses , and private dinners often have much higher CLE credit opportunities. Legal practitioner who take learning one step further and obtain certifications for niche specializations may be able to claim those credits as part of continuing legal education. Continuing legal education is often about becoming better at what you do. It gives you practical skills that can enhance your work life and allow you to be more productive. However, CLE is also about understanding risk management. With constantly evolving laws and increased regulations, risk is always on the minds of lawyers and firms because it is imperative that practitioners are educated on updated law.