Developing the Words, Actions, and Achievements to Change Yourself, Your Practice, and Your Organization

ABOUT THIS PROGRAM

This program examines how the duties of zealous representation, competence, and communication impact attorneys’ understanding and respect of the identities of clients and colleagues who are transgender, gender non-conforming, or neurodiverse, and offers practical guidance for creating a legal environment—and workplace—where everyone feels seen, respected, and effectively represented. Attendees will learn ways to:



• Identify the ethical obligations implicated in representing transgender, gender non-conforming, and neurodiverse clients, and in working alongside transgender and neurodiverse colleagues. 
• Apply the ABA Formal Opinion 500 framework to recognize how intake, communication, and documentation practices may inadvertently exclude or marginalize clients and co-workers. 
• Use inclusive language, including pronoun practices and gender-neutral drafting, to reduce bias in client-facing documents and workplace communications.
• Build a more inclusive practice and organizational culture by embedding inclusive practices structurally into everyday intake, engagement, and workflow processes.

Health Trends, Hype & What the Science Says: What Top Women’s Health Experts Want You to Know

Every week, there seems to be a new health trend flooding our social media feeds. Eat more protein. Take creatine. Walk with a weighted vest. Wear a continuous glucose monitor. Use vaginal estrogen on your face. But which trends are backed by science—and which are mostly marketing?

Drawing on the reporting behind her book, The New Rules of Women’s Health, award-winning health journalist Meghan Rabbitt shares what the world’s leading physicians, researchers, and women’s health experts say about today’s biggest wellness trends. You will leave this talk with practical, science-backed advice that cuts through the noise so you can make smarter decisions about your health.

Meghan Rabbitt is an award-winning journalist and author of The New Rules of Women’s Health: Your Guide to Thriving at Every Age. She specializes in writing about women’s health and wellness, and her work has appeared in many national publications, including Women’s Health, Oprah Daily, Prevention, Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper, and more. She’s known for translating complex medical and scientific topics into clear, actionable information—and for telling stories that help readers better understand their bodies, their health, and themselves. 

Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | Substack | Book

The panel will bring together in-house counsel and law firm lawyers to share practical, on-the-ground experience with AI tools in legal practice today. The conversation will span the range of what's available—from AI products built specifically for in-house teams and trained on a client's own work product to the more generalized AI tools widely used across legal practice.

Panelists will discuss the internal dynamics that often shape how these tools actually get adopted within organizations, including why certain legal or business departments remain resistant to using AI, and the opposite risk of becoming too dependent on it without keeping a careful eye out as to common pitfalls. The panelists will also touch on data security and privilege considerations when deploying AI tools in-house, as those considerations often are top of mind for legal departments evaluating these products.

Beyond the company and firm perspectives, the discussion will turn to how AI is affecting lawyers’ work and relationships more broadly, including its impact on hiring and staffing needs, how firms and companies are approaching supervision of AI-assisted work, the contractual and engagement provisions emerging to govern AI use, and evolving expectations around reporting.

Drawing on real-world examples from both corporate legal departments and law firms, this session will give attendees a practical, grounded look at where AI is genuinely adding value in legal practice—and where caution is still warranted.

NY Chapter will be meeting in-person at a "watch party"- TBD

DC Chapter will be meeting in-person at a "watch party" - TBD 

Elena Kraus

As Executive Vice President & Chief Legal & Risk Officer of Whataburger Restaurants, Elena Kraus skillfully balances risk and opportunity to guide the company’s strategic decisions. She leads a dedicated team responsible for all aspects of legal governance, compliance, and risk for Whataburger, a 1,200-unit, 17-state restaurant brand recognized for having the highest average unit volume (AUV) in the QSR burger segment.  Prior to joining Whataburger, Elena served as Senior Vice-President and General Counsel of Walgreens.