October/November 2019

Capital Connection is published monthly for members of the Capital Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators to provide information for the education and benefit of legal administrators, law office managers, managing partners of law firms, and other law related associations. Capital Connection is not engaged in rendering legal, financial, or tax counseling or advice through this publication.  The contents of all articles, letters, and advertisements published in Capital Connection should not be considered endorsements by the Capital Chapter of ALA nor the opinion expressed therein of any products advertised.   Contributing authors are requested and expected to disclose financial and/or professional interests and affiliations that may influence their writing position. Articles and materials accepted for publication are subject to editing by the editorial team and become property of the Capital Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators. Links to Capital Connection may not be shared without permission from the Chapter. 
Editors: Cindy Conover; Valerie Williamson; Beth Fowler
Associate Editor: Paula Serratore
​Contributing Editors: Jenna Carter; Brianna Leung; Jackie Thomas; Heinan Landa; Catalina Mejia; Cindy Schuler; Jamy J. Sullivan; Amy Walkowiak
Newsletter Designed By: Jessica Davis


In this issue:

President's Message

Jenna Carter

New and Returning ALA Capital Chapter Members

Celeste Holmes
Womble Bond Dickinson
IP Administrator
100 Light St.
Baltimore, MD 21202
Celeste.Holmes@wbd-us.com 

Ross Allen
Williams & Connolly LLP
Operations Manager
725 12th St., N.W.
Level P1
Washington, DC 20005
rallen@wc.com
Bryan Pigeon
Spiegel & McDiarmid LLP
Director of Operations
1875 Eye St., N.W.
Suite 700
Washington, DC 20006
bryan.pigeon@spiegelmcd.com

Michele Eliopoulos
Wilkinson Walsh +Eskovitz LLP
Human Resources Manager
2001 M St., N.W.
10th Floor
Washington, DC 20036
meliopoulos@wilkinsonwalsh.com

5 Strategies for Selling Change to Attorneys

Brianna Leung
Principal Consultant, GrowthPlay​

Traditional change management theory tells us there are unique change stages that a person must traverse to be able to accept, embrace and implement change. The Prosci ADKAR® Model specifies that an individual must experience each of these five stages in this order:

Awareness for why the change is happening
Desire to participate in the change
Knowledge for how to change
Ability to make the change
Reinforcement to sustain the change
For the change leader, stages one through three are entirely about getting people’s hearts and minds aligned with the change. When legal management professionals can create conditions for people to buy into the change, more than half of the work is done. Let us explore five "selling change" roles leaders can play to create conditions for attorneys and staff to buy into the change at each of the five change stages.

1. Awareness is created by The Lead Generator role. When it comes to building awareness around why the change is needed, the messenger should have charisma, confidence and influence when communicating to others about the change. And when those traits are combined with relationship-building strengths, you have the hallmarks of a Lead Generator. As a Lead Generator for Change, your role is to create a positive buzz around the change, build a coalition of key influencers and maintain an active and visible presence while carrying the change banner.
​When legal management professionals can create conditions for people to buy into the change, more than half of the work is done.
2. Desire is built through The Account Manager role. Desire is created at an individual level. In order to gain someone’s desire to change, you must invest in getting to know them, understand what motivates them, and learn what is important to them both personally and professionally. Leaders with strengths in these areas tend to play the Account Manager role well. As an Account Manager for Change, your priority is to explain the WIIFM (what’s in it for me) in a way that demonstrates your understanding and empathy for the other person and appeals to their specific needs and goals.

3. Knowledge is imparted by The Educator role. Once people understand why the change is needed and they have the desire to do what is required for the change to happen, they will often require some education around where to start and how to keep it going. And because lack of know-how is often a reason for people to give up, the role of Educator becomes key to continuing to sell the change. As an Educator of Change, you are focused on removing barriers to success and being a source of valid, factual and unbiased information for those during the change process. You instill a sense of comfort and confidence in people, encouraging them that they can do what is being asked of them.

4. Ability is instituted by The Architect role. As the cliché says, “knowing is half the battle,” and the other half is doing. Until someone is “doing,” the change does not become effect. The Architect for Change helps people connect dots, find new ways of accomplishing things, and be successful by using the resources available to them.

5. Change is reinforced and sustained by The Inventor role. Finally, the change may be in place and people may be doing the right things, yet rarely does that mark the end of the process. It is too easy to slip back into old habits when work gets busier or the new way becomes too difficult. The Inventor for Change is always seeking ways to help people realize new benefits, improve their skills and experience improved outcomes.

With coaching and training, you can build skills in all five of the "selling change" roles. You may also wish to team and collaborate with other leaders who have complementary strengths to your own. The most important thing to know is that you are uniquely positioned as a leader in your firm to make change happen. Lean into your strengths to create buy-in and support for your good ideas. The firm can’t do it without you. 
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brianna Leung is a Principal Consultant with GrowthPlay, where she leverages talent analytics to help legal professionals drive innovation and change within their organizations.

Copyright ©2019 Association of Legal Administrators. All Rights Reserved. alanet.org.

2019 Business Partner Appreciation Event:
​ALACC All-Stars

Jackie Thomas
DC Office Administrator, Arnall Golden Gregory LLP
Vice President-Elect, Community Services

September 12th’s Business Partner Appreciation Event was a home run.  Capital Chapter Business Partners and members enjoyed hot dogs, Cracker Jack, and other amazing ballpark food while networking at the World Series Champion Washington Nationals' stadium.  All were treated to a full ballpark tour, a chance to take a turn in the batting cages, rides on the bullpen cart, and the opportunity to rub elbows with Teddy.  We appreciate our Business Partners and hope that everyone enjoyed this fun event.   

Windows 7 End of Life: What Your Firm Needs to Know (and Do)

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Heinan Landa
Founder & CEO, Optimal Networks, Inc.

As you’ve probably (hopefully) heard by now, Microsoft will be ending support for Windows 7 as of January 14, 2020.
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Below we’ll walk through what exactly this “end of life” means for your firm, what options you have going forward, and what action we ultimately recommend you take.
 
What Windows 7 End of Life Means
After January 14, 2020, all devices running a Windows 7 Operating System will no longer receive any software updates or security patches from Microsoft.

Cybercriminals are constantly creating new viruses and malware that can break through security defenses and infect our machines; in 2017 alone, Symantec detected 670,000,000 new strains of malware. A primary way to protect your machines from these ever-evolving security threats is to regularly apply security updates that take these new strains of malware into account.

After January 14, 2020, Microsoft will stop applying these security updates to Windows 7 machines, leaving them exposed and vulnerable to a security breach. As we saw with the Windows XP end of life, bad actors keep track of when these machines become vulnerable, and double down in their efforts to wreak havoc.
 
Your Options Going Forward
If you currently use Windows 7 machines in your firm, you have three main paths to take:
 
1. Do nothing.
Technically speaking, you don’t have to do anything; your computers will still work on January 15th, and you’ll still be able to get work done.

If you don’t deal with any sort of valuable data whatsoever—meaning everything could be spread to the Dark Web without consequence—and if you and all your clients and vendors and partners have an incredibly high tolerance for risk, you might not be worried about bad actors looking to gain access to your systems or otherwise cripple your machines.

As this is basically never the case for law firms who necessarily deal with privileged information, we do not recommend this course of action.
 
2. Perform in-place upgrades.
Another option is to keep your existing Windows 7 machines, and upgrade the Operating System to Windows 10. Before making this kind of switch, consider:
  • Whether or not your machine has the capacity (power, space, etc.) to run the new OS.
  • Whether your local applications are compatible with Windows 10, or whether you need to upgrade those as well.
  • How you’ll coordinate the upgrade with each of your staff members. 

If you go this direction, you’ll end up paying for Windows 10 licensing, plus the labor it will take to upgrade each of your machines one by one. 
 
3. Buy new hardware.
Lastly, you can purchase new workstations that have a Windows 10 Operating System. If your current machines are over 3 years old, this is probably your best bet.

Here are a few specific devices we tend to recommend to our law firm clients:
  • Dell OptiPlex 7060 SFF Desktop
  • Lenovo ThinkCentre 720s SFF Desktop
  • Lenovo ThinkPad T490s Laptop
  • Dell Latitude 5400 Laptop

In this case, you’ll have a fairly large investment in hardware, licensing, and setup labor ahead of you.
 
A Note on Virtual Desktops
There is technically a fourth option here that might be especially compelling for those using desktop computers: migrate to a Virtual Desktop (Desktop as a Service) platform. In this scenario, your desktop computers can be fully replaced by “thin clients,” or low-powered (and low cost) PCs—devices that are sometimes rented out to your firm as part and parcel of the solution.

As this constitutes a full move into the cloud, it’s something to discuss in-depth with your IT team to figure out if and when a migration makes sense.  
 
Our Recommendation
In most cases, we recommend that our clients take approach #3: buying new hardware. However, no matter which path you decide to take, the key is to make a decision as soon as possible; January is right around the corner, and upgrade or replacement projects take time (usually months!).

Work with your IT team to identify the best path forward for your organization, and get the ball rolling.

Because once January 15th hits, the odds will be stacked against those who wait.

November 2019 Diversity Observances

November is National Native American Heritage Month, which celebrates the history and contributions of Native Americans.
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​Click here to view the full list of November 2019 observances

She Stood for Freedom: A Conversation with Freedom Rider Joan Trumpauer Mulholland

Catalina Mejia
Human Resources Coordinator, Wiley Rein LLP
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In the large narrow room of Carmine’s restaurant in downtown DC, one could easily overlook Joan Trumpauer Mulholland sitting in the corner. It’s once she goes on stage and begins to speak that you are sure you have never met anyone quite like her. The dynamic between Mrs. Mulholland and her son Loki is lovely as they begin the story of how his mom became the woman she is today. Joan tells the audience how she became involved with the Freedom Riders and the challenges they faced. When held on death row in Mississippi after being arrested for a sit in, she describes what she felt: cramped, frustrated, but surprisingly not scared. Joan can be described in many words, but "fearless" comes to mind as she goes on to describe how she was held in a cell for two months with minimal communication and no knowledge of what the next day would bring.

More than once, Joan mentioned the power of non-violence and the power of the press being critical to the Civil Rights cause.  She went into detail about the famous lunch counter sit in. The gruesome details of the violence elicited a gasp from the audience, but Joan remained composed. Her son then asked if looking at the photos of the lunch counter reminds her of the racism happening today. She started by saying that she doesn’t want to be political, but responded with a resounding “Absolutely!” She continued: “history is repeating itself, and in this country, there has never been a black problem only a white problem.”
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 The conversation closed with sweet words from Loki who says, “I don’t need to do a lunch counter sit in because my mom already did, but that doesn’t mean the struggle is over.”   

HR Retreat Recap: The Evolution of HR - Moving Forward and Making Changes

Cindy Schuler
Office Administrator, Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP
Co-Chair, Human Resources Community
​
On October 10th, the HR Community hosted a half day event entitled “The Evolution of HR – Moving Forward and Making Changes.”  There were four topics discussed:
 
Employee Engagement – Engagement and Retaining Employees in Today’s Workplace
 
Rianne Rome, Chief Talent Officer of JK Moving/CapRelo presented on employee engagement.  She discussed the three levels of engagement, the 2018 Gallup study, myths and conceptions about employee engagement, and what fosters engagement in the workplace.  Rianne spoke specifically about the fact that money is not necessarily the top priority for employees, but rather the quality of professional relationships, the nature of the work, and opportunities for career development.  She emphasized the fact that trust between the employer and employee has a great impact on employee engagement.
 
Rethinking the Annual Performance Review – Creating More Effective Performance Review Methods
 
Jeanine Elgin, Administrator at Pilsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, spoke about moving from a stale and inflexible performance rating system to a new program were performance behaviors aligned with firm goals.  She specifically discussed the long and ongoing journey associated with moving away from a system where everyone gets an “A+,” where there was no communication/follow-up and no lack of accountability.  Jeanine spoke about creating goals for a new system to get the buy-in from others, the key changes Pilsbury made in creating a new performance rating system, the challenges involved, and lessons learned.  Jeanine emphasized that while the system has changed and is more effective, it is still a work in progress and will continue to evolve over the years.
 
Breaking News in Employment Practices
 
Chris Jones, Branch Manager, and Giovanni Garay, Market Manager, at Adams & Martin Group spoke about #MeToo and the need for sexual harassment training even if your state does not require it.  They discussed specifically that while training is great, we must also advocate to walk people through the process when a complaint is made by possibly assigning someone outside of the senior management team to do so.
 
Chris and Giovanni also discussed equal pay and that while the District of Columbia has not yet ruled on removing current salary information from employment applications, that we should start doing so based upon the states who have already done so.  
 
Third, Chris and Giovanni discussed the legalization of marijuana and its implications in the workplace in states where it is legal.  They mentioned that 33 states have legalized marijuana and that we should keep our eyes and ears open as the topic of whether or not elimination of drug testing for people authorized to use marijuana for medical reasons is discussed. 
 
And finally, Chris and Giovanni discussed the use of gender neutral language and getting ahead of the game early on with respect to preferences when we are hiring employees.  In addition, they gave us some tips on avoiding gendered pronouns.
 
How to Support Attorneys in 2020 and Beyond
 
Kevin Blafkin, Director of Administration for Morrison & Foerster LLP, Patrice Shannon, SHRM-CP, HR/Attorney Recruiting Manager for Pilsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, and Zeno Lantos, Secretarial Manager for Sidley Austin LLP discussed with us their alternative methods in supporting attorneys now and in the future. The panel discussed their specific programs, and the challenges and pitfalls (in addition to the successes) with creating those programs. And most importantly, the panel stressed that while they may have implemented new programs to support attorneys in the years to come, there is no “one size fits all” model of support.  
 
Thank you to our Diamond Business Partner HITT Contracting for sponsoring our speakers today, and to our Gold business partners for sponsoring our lunch. And a huge thank you to our speakers, and to all who attended.  

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Evaluating a Job Offer

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Jamy J. Sullivan
Executive Director, Robert Half Legal​

In today’s job market, talented legal professionals are in high demand. Law firms and legal departments are acting quickly to secure their top candidates — pressuring them to make fast decisions after receiving job offers.
                                       
But taking on a new position is an important and potentially career-changing decision, and you should be looking at more than just the starting salary. Don’t make these five mistakes when evaluating a job offer.

1. Accepting (or declining) the initial offer — Salary negotiation is the name of the hiring game. In fact, when hiring staff, 70 percent of the managers polled for a recent Robert Half survey expect candidates to counter with a higher figure. So be sure to consult reliable sources like the Robert Half Legal Salary Guide to see how much more you could be earning.

But pay is only one aspect of a job offer. You could also ask for more vacation days, a hiring bonus, tuition reimbursement, telecommuting options and an enhanced healthcare plan. Don’t hesitate to negotiate perks, especially if the hiring manager is unable to offer you a higher starting salary.
 
2. Failure to consider work-life balance — In the excitement of being invited to join a new firm, you may brush away worries about a longer commute, more travel, weekend hours and so forth. But if the new job requires you to spend more time in traffic, out of town or at the office, it may not be worth it — especially if you have responsibilities at home.

When considering a job offer, ask the hiring manager about flexible hours, work-at-home days and amenities like on-site childcare. If the daily commute will be farther or during peak rush hour, you may soon fall out of love with the new position no matter how interesting it is.
 
3. Not inquiring about professional development -- To remain on top of technological changes and the latest legal trends, you need access to continuing education. Would your new employer help you keep learning and growing in your career? After onboarding, does the company offer any training besides mandatory sessions on workplace discrimination and the like? Even if the company sanctions professional development, who would foot the bill — the employer or the employee? Is there a formal or informal mentoring program?
 
The ideal is to work for a generous organization that is eager to help develop its workforce. With the current unemployment rate, you don’t need to settle for less.

4. Thinking just about the present — This new position may give you an immediate income boost, but how will it affect your career in the long term? You want a job in the legal field that moves you closer to your professional goals, not further away from them.

For example, is the company a leader in its practice area and an early adopter of new technology, or is it sedate and set in its ways? Would this job challenge you and help you acquire valuable hard and soft skills, and possibly give you experience in a hot practice area? Seriously consider these intangible benefits — or the lack of them.
 
5. Ignoring organizational culture — No salary hike or sign-on bonus is worth it if you dread going to the office every day. Consider what you like and dislike about your current organization, taking into account everything from dress code to communication style.
 
Before you sign on the dotted line, try to spend some time in the would-be employer’s office environment. Are workers happy to be there? Do you get positive vibes from prospective colleagues? How well do the workplace values and philosophy align with your own? Your future job satisfaction can largely depend on an employer’s corporate culture.
 
If you’re a skilled legal professional with several years of relevant work experience, many employers will pay more to have you join their team. You have choices and bargaining power. So take the time to assess a job offer, as mistakes with accepting a new role or salary can cost you in terms of both career advancement and earning potential. 

Jamy J. Sullivan is executive director of Robert Half Legal, a premier legal staffing service specializing in the placement of attorneys, paralegals, legal administrators and other legal professionals with law firms and corporate legal departments. Based in Menlo Park, Calif., Robert Half Legal has offices in major North American and global markets and offers a full suite of legal staffing and consulting solutions.

Networking Happy Hour & Silent Auction

Pamela Christian-Wilson
Assistant Director - Benefits, Covington & Burling LLP​
Vice President Community Services

On Thursday, November 14th the ALA Capital Chapter hosted a Happy Hour and Silent Auction.  The room was electric and filled with enthusiasm and excitement as the competitive, but friendly, bidding took place throughout the evening.  Items for the Silent Auction were donated by Business Partners and our very own ALA Communities:  Branch Office, Small Firm, Diversity & Inclusion, and Human Resources.  The Communities were tasked with creating baskets with a theme.  The Community basket that raised the most money would be declared the winner. And the winner was Branch Office – Congratulations to them! Collectively, the Community baskets raised over $700. 
 
Helping to make the evening a huge success were our Business Partners.  With donations and participation from our Business Partners to include HITT Contracting, rand* construction,  Adams & Martin, ALL-STATE LEGAL, Canon Solutions America, Epiq, and SunTrust, as well as the W Hotel and the Eaton hotel, we raised over $3,400!  Business Partners, we value you and are proud to call you "Partner".  Proceeds from the Silent Auction will go towards the Toni K. Allen Scholarship Fund.
 
A very special thank you to Gensler for their hospitality and allowing us to use their beautiful space for the Happy Hour and Silent Auction.
 
To our members, Business Partners and friends of the ALA Capital Chapter, your support is vital to the continued success of the Chapter and the Toni K. Allen Scholarship Fund.  Thank you again for your generosity and for attending the event.

Next Generation Leaders Community Recap: 
​Panel Discussion - Everything You Wanted to Know about the Path to Leadership from Current Leaders

Amy Walkowiak
Practice Group Business Administrator, Perkins Coie LLP
Co-Chair, Next Generation Leaders Community

On October 16, members of the Capital Chapter’s Next Generation Leaders Community and Small Firm Administrators came together at Ropes & Gray LLP for a very special joint monthly meeting. The event was a panel discussion on the topic of leadership, titled “Everything You Wanted to Know about the Path to Leadership from Current Leaders.” The panelists were a diverse group of four industry leaders with varying perspectives within legal management, who offered up some very thoughtful and powerful takeaways. 

Andy George, Chief Financial Officer at Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP, gave us food for thought when it came to allowing your “at-home” self and “at-work” self to be one and the same, as well as the importance of the mentor/mentee relationship. Jenna Carter, Office Administrator at Ropes & Gray LLP and the ALA Capital Chapter’s current President who is also serving on the ALA Board of Directors, gave us some powerful insight into learning to accept constructive criticism and being open to change, discussed the value of surrounding ourselves with “goal friends” to support us in achieving success.  Debbie Leitner, a Practice Management and Operations professional at Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, and the 2019 Immediate Past-President of the Legal Marketing Association’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Board, helped us to understand how authenticity and integrity are fundamental to great leadership, and conveyed valuable words of advice on how to successfully manage our work/life balance. William M. Washington, Chief Financial Officer (Americas) at Hogan Lovells provided powerful tools to remain positive and focused in the face of adversity when encountering obstacles to reaching your goals, as well as some great tips for building professional relationships.   

A special thanks to all of our panelists for contributing to this engaging discussion and providing the members of the Next Generation Leaders and Small Firm Administrators communities with their insight as well as tools for pursuing new a different leadership roles. They also inspired us to further pursue personal development goals by learning from the real-life experiences of our peers. Our panelists did a great job of imparting inspirational words of wisdom as well as practical advice that we can apply to our own career paths. Thank you to everyone who attended!

Administrative Committees

Communications and Media Relations
As members of the Newsletter and Media Relations Committee, Chapter members participate in producing the award-winning Capital Connection. Members gather to brainstorm new ideas for editorial themes for upcoming editions. The newsletter reports Chapter business activities such as Section and Committee news and provides information about upcoming educational and other events. It also includes articles of interest to members and other legal management personnel, collected, authored and/or edited by members of the committee. This committee also works with other legal associations and the media to ensure that ALA and the Capital Chapter are represented in the legal industry. The Newsletter Committee welcomes new members.

Contact: Cindy Conover, Cindy.Conover@Shearman.com; Valerie Williamson, valerie.williamson@bassberry.com; Paula Serratore, pserratore@alacapchap.org

Diversity & Inclusion
The Capital Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators is a professional organization comprised of administrative managers from private, corporate and government legal organizations in the Washington DC, Northern Virginia and suburban Maryland areas.  ALACC embraces and encourages diversity within the legal profession. We value diversity and those initiatives that promote it and look to partner with affiliated professional legal organizations to advance diversity. We not only strive to raise awareness, but to increase our sensitivity in the area of diversity and more closely reflect the diversity of our community at large. Having a more inclusive and diverse legal community will improve the quality of our organizations workforce and respond to our client’s requirements for diversity. As a committee we are very interested in your thoughts, comments, and suggestions about achieving greater diversity in our Chapter, our profession, and in our firms. 

Contact: Cheryl Flynn (Chair), cflynn@wileyrein.com; Beth Fowler (Co-Chair), bfowler@robbinsrussell.com
Salary Survey
The Salary Survey Committee is responsible for maintaining, updating and running the local survey each year. They review the positions listed, the job descriptions, and the benefits questions to ensure that the survey remains relevant to the end users. The members of the committee also promote the survey within the Chapter to stimulate participation. 

Contact: Sheri Shifflett (Chair), Cheryl.Shifflett@saul.com; Valerie Williamson, valerie.williamson@bassberry.com;






Member Experience
The Member Experience Committee will establish a welcoming environment for new members to be integrated into the Chapter through a formal Ambassador Program. Ambassadors will provide support and guidance to new members through their first 12 months of membership, ensuring new members realize benefits of membership and become ambassadors of the Chapter. 

Contact: Dot Mooney (Co-Chair), dmooney@powerslaw.com​; LaVerne Anenia (Co-Chair), LaVerne.Anenia@dbr.com


Educational Communities

Branch Office Administrators
The Branch Office Adminsitrators Community focuses on a broad range of topics of interest to local adminisraotrs who must coordinate with other officees of their firms. The Community's monthly luncheon meetings, held on the second Tuesday of the month, provide a venue for members to discuss issues of common interest, share ideas, and network. Members are encouraged to raise topics and to recommend speakers.

Contact: Barbara Kernus (Chair), bkernus@gsblaw.com; Joanna Hurt (Co-Chair), jhurt@mccarter.com
Listserv: branch@lists.alacapchap.org
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Office Operations Management
The members of the Office Operations Management Community represent a cross section of legal expertise from functional administrators to branch office managers. The Office Operations Management Section (OOMS) meets on the fourth Wednesday of every month to discuss operations related hot topics. We welcome all members to join the section, especially if you are an administrator in a small law office and you have to wear multiple hats. We can provide you with many best practices to run your operation smoothly.

Contact:  Kenia Garner (Chair), kenia.garner@pillsburylaw.com; Jacqueline Keener (Co-Chair), jackie.keener@threecrownsllp.com
Listserv: ooms@lists.alacapchap.org
Intellectual Property (IP)
The Intellectual Property (IP) Community focuses on all aspects of legal management as it pertains to the IP Administrator. The group discusses the complexity of the ever-changing IP environment and how to effectively create and apply IP specific, non-legal procedures in both boutique and general practice firms. 

Contact: Matthew Cichocki (Chair), mcichocki@cooley.com; Judi Heston (Co-Chair), jheston@nixonpeabody.com
Listserv: ipadmin@lists.alacapchap.org



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Small Firm Administrators
The purpose of the Small Firm Administrators Community is to provide Administrators of law firms with 35 or fewer attorneys educational opportunities through vendor presentations, idea sharing and open forums specifically designed for those who work in smaller firms. The Small Firm Management Community meets the fourth Tuesday of the month at host law firms.

Contact: Valerie Williamson (Chair), valerie.williamson@bassberry.com; Tabatha Harris (Co-Chair), tsh@dwgp.com  
Listserv: smallfirm@lists.alacapchap.org


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Human Resources
The Human Resources Community operates as a venue for educational information on global human resources issues.  While the Community is mostly comprised of HR professionals, any member is invited to participate in the meetings which typically take place on the second or third Wednesday of each month.  The meetings feature industry speakers or roundtable discussions on topics such as recruiting, benefits, strategic planning, performance management, career pathing, retention and other matters of interest.

Contact: Tiffany Montgomery (Chair), tmontgomery@velaw.com; Cindy Schuler (Co-Chair), cindy.schuler@hugheshubbard.com

Listserv: hr@lists.alacapchap.org

Next Generation Leaders
The mission of the Next Generation Leaders Community is to support our next generation of leaders and close the gap faced by our association and the legal industry as a whole by providing a community for Millennial legal managers and new managers in the legal field with a focus on mentoring, education, and networking. To accomplish this goal, the section hosts monthly meetings, pop-up events, and educational sessions, and provides 2-way mentoring opportunities. 

Contact: Kate Fettrow (Chair), kfettrow@wileyrein.com; Amy Walkowiak (Co-Chair), awalkowiak@dcwhitecollar.com 
Listserv: nextgen@lists.alacapchap.org