Professional conferences pay for themselves

Professionals spend years in school learning their trade.  Then after they enter their profession they are often required by their professional licensing organization to keep current in their field.  Keeping current for lawyers means taking ten to fifteen hours per year of continuing education.  It is often expensive and seemingly unproductive.

It does take time, true.  But to those who would call it unproductive, because it can't be billed to a client, I would say think again.

While taking on my first Fair Labor Standards collective action case more than twelve years ago, I was overwhelmed. Fortunately, the National Employment Lawyers Association was holding an FLSA focused conference that year.  Too bad it was in San Francisco.  That was a long way from my little shared office space in Middletown, Ohio.  It appeared too expensive and risky.  I calculated the benefits I hoped for against the clear monetary expense, and got my airline ticket west.

I met some extraordinary people. Authors of practice guides like Janice Kearns, and nationally known litigators like David Borgen.  I also met a super sharp lawyer from NYC named John Bernstein.  Nearly a year after that meeting, which gave me more than enough info to powerfully settle my case in Ohio's southern district, I got a call from a class action lawyer from New York.  He wanted local counsel in Ohio and Mr. Bernstein referred him to me.

Since that time I have done two more class cases with this lawyer, with settlements in the many million dollar range.

I didn't get those kinds of cases because I was in the fray already.  I got them because I took a chance and went to a national lawyers conference and made some friends.  That trip has paid for itself hundreds of time over and has been an inspiration to me ever since.

The American Bar Association's class action and derivative claim committee had its annual class action institute in Boston this past week.  I went for the great agenda and to meet up with some friends I made at a litigation conference earlier this year.  I was thrilled by the quality of the content, but even better than that, I was fortunate to meet some incredible lawyers who work all over the nation and the world.  We may not talk daily or even monthly, but we now have connections built face to face in a forum that allows for real evaluation.  Your MarHub profile or website copy is like smoke in comparison to the quick and certain impression you can take, or present, talking about the law or judges or sports teams with your potential co, or opposing counsel.

Go to your national professional meetings.  Join the players on the biggest stage you can manage.  They are just like you.  It is likely that you will be welcome into the cast just by virtue of showing up with a good attitude.  These conferences bring all attendees up. Sometimes in ways you don't see coming.  Don't wait. Go to the next one.  Do it.