LMA25 offers four exceptional Pre-Conference Programs to take a deep dive into key educational areas as part of the Annual Conference. Whether you focus on business development, are responsible for your firm's marketing activities, are newer to legal marketing (Quickstart™), marketing communications or you and a few others are the marketing department, the LMA25 Pre-Conference Programs offer that deeper dive into these areas of interest and allow for sharing and networking with others with the same focus.
All Pre-Conference Programs are held on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, and require additional registration, or choose the conference Bundle which includes one Pre-Conference Program. Pre-Conference speakers and enhanced descriptions will be released with the full conference program in early-December. Visit the registration page for pricing and to register.
Double down on your CMO opportunities at LMA25. LMA is excited to launch the new CMO Experience, providing a unique opportunity to connect with fellow CMOs in a separate and exclusive wing of the conference for a suite of exceptional education, networking and amenities and includes the CMO Pre-Conference Program. Gather with fellow CMOs to learn from industry experts, connect with each other and stay ahead of the curve in legal marketing and business development. LEARN MORE
This year's Pre-Conference Programs include:
All Pre-Conference Programs are subject to change. Times for each program will run within the window of 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. Exact timing will be shared in early-December.
This program is designed for marketers at all levels or sizes of firms whose roles focus on business development and sales, competitive intelligence, pitches and proposals, nurturing leads, and client feedback and success.
This is the Era of AI. Generative AI has already proven to be an essential tool to increase productivity and help law firms drive revenue and deliver services faster. This pre-conference program, designed for law firm business development professionals at all levels and in firms of all sizes, empowers business development professionals to harness AI to improve decision-making, maximize growth, and impact the firm’s bottom line in their everyday activities.
Learning Outcomes:
- Describe the pros and cons of disruptive legal technologies and when to apply them to traditional business development practices
- Determine how to coach your lawyers to understand the ways clients across industries are using AI in their business
- Examine how AI can make your BD strategies smarter and more efficient
- Identify the various LLMs and which one to use when
- Develop skills around crafting prompts that return results that advance your work
Co-Chairs:
Jessica Jaramillo, Marketing and Business Development Strategist, Fennemore
Rebecca Wissler, Director of Business Development, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP
LMA QuickStart ™ LIVE! – Legal Marketing Essentials
Presentations will tie to LMA core competencies within the Body of Knowledge – a foundational resource for professional development in marketing – and will provide practical skills and tools participants can immediately put to use at their own firm. As a bonus, all QuickStart Pre-Conference attendees will receive a complimentary copy of LMA's Body of Knowledge (valued at $179!).
Geared toward legal marketers with fewer than five years of experience, LMA QuickStart™ will dive into a hot topic in each of the six domains within LMA’s Body of Knowledge. Attendees will gain a foundational understanding from industry leaders on each topic before tackling an interactive exercise.
Participants will leave QuickStart with a better understanding of key issues, and practical ideas for approaching them in their roles so they can return to their firms and make an impact. Aided by networking opportunities throughout the session, attendees will also leave with a cohort of peers who they can call upon in their legal marketing journey.
Learning Outcomes:
- Identify ways you can influence overall success of your firm
- Describe basic concepts of the business of law, including law firm structures and key drivers of profitability
- Understand how legal communication professional roles interact with other marketing functions
- Explain how to align marketing objectives with financial metrics, use data and analytics to optimize marketing performance, and leverage dashboards and forecasting to inform decision-making
- Identify tips for managing up, working with difficult partners, seeking feedback, asking questions about professional development, and learning your firm’s practice areas
Co-Chairs:
Lexie Blaner, Client Growth Operations Manager, Barnes & Thornburg LLP
Jean Brinker, Director, Business Development & Marketing Operations, Beveridge & Diamond
Michael Coston, Founder & CEO, Coston Consulting
This program is designed for marketing professionals from all firms and roles who are focused on communications. The content is intended for professionals who are responsible for developing internal and external strategies to articulate a firm’s value proposition, creating plans to protect its reputation and implementing those strategies through various communications disciplines.
Marcomm, media engagement, and business development represent key pillars of a successful firm strategy, each playing a distinct and complementary role in building brand and driving growth. While marketing and communications focuses on engaging and persuading target audiences, and business development concentrates on identifying and capitalizing on growth opportunities, both are crucial for driving a firm forward and achieving long-term success – and, are most effective when aligning and sharing goals.
This interactive pre-conference session, featuring a range of industry experts, will explore several key marketing and communication channels and discuss how to break down silos to leverage each within a larger business development strategy. Attendees will learn tactics for engaging lawyers and creating buy-in, creating and delivering messaging that aligns with the firm’s brand identity and objectives, and measuring success.
Learning Outcomes:
- Describe and discuss marketing and communications fundamentals
- Explain techniques for aligning marketing and communication tactics with business development strategies to create a unified approach
- Determine how to track and interpret relevant KPIs
- Practice strategic thinking to develop integrated campaign strategies in a case study scenario
- Leverage actionable takeaway resources – share with colleagues and other firm stakeholders
Co-Chairs:
Emily Flowers, Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications, Jenner & Block LLP
Brooke Loucks, Global Director of Marketing and Communications, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP
This program is designed for in-house marketers at firms of fewer than 100 attorneys or with two or fewer marketing personnel, as well as anyone who may have to work with limited resources.
It can sound cliche when a small or mid-size firm says it “punches above its weight” or does “big firm legal work at small firm prices,” but the bottom line is there is a lot of truth in those statements.
CMOs, marketing directors and managers at these firms often play an outsized role (or are under-utilized) in the operations of the firms, working with everyone from the entry level support staff to C-Suite. With so much on your plate, it’s critical to understand where you can provide the most strategic value.
This Pre-Conference will leverage the knowledge and experience of in-house marketers who have established themselves as a strategic resource within their firms. The program will cover a range of business development and marketing topics so that attendees can leave with a clear action plan and tap into new resources that will allow them to punch above their weight.
Learning Outcomes:
- Increase your confidence and influence by learning the right questions to ask so that you connect the dots, provide maximum value and develop a 360-degree view of the firm.
- Discuss how to effectively communicate budget needs to lawyers and leadership, including how to find the workarounds and the funds to achieve results.
- Identify onboarding best practices for coaching and preparing Associates for partnership to ensure engagement and development.
- Exchange best practices and devise creative and sustainable marketing & BD programs that generate results for small to mid-sized law firm marketing departments.
- Grow your network of small to mid-sized marketing leaders.
Co-Chairs:
Kaley Green, Marketing & Business Development Manager, Folger, Rubinoff LLP
Scott Pacheco, Director of Marketing & Communications, Lerch, Early & Brewer