2024 MIE National Conference for Legal Aid Managers
2024 MIE National Conference for Legal Aid Managers
Renewing the Promise of Legal Aid: Respecting the Past, Embracing the Present, Creating the Future
April 10 - 11, 2024
The Royal Sonesta Harbor Court, Baltimore, MD
The Draft Agenda for this Conference is now available— click here to view!
This event is full. Please contact Erica M. Szuplat, Administrative Assistant, MIE, emszuplat@mielegalaid.org, to be placed on the wait list.
Join MIE for a conference designed to enhance your skills as a manager, supervisor, or director of legal work in your legal aid organization. Connect with your peers as we grapple with changes and explore best practices around management in today's workplace, and consider how things might evolve in the future.
This conference is designed for anyone in the chain of legal work supervision, from lower level manager to executive director, and will include programming for all experience levels.
This conference will run for two full days, from 8:00 am Wednesday, April 10 through 4:00 pm Thursday, April 11.
Attendees will be able to choose among many conference sessions relevant to the work of a legal aid manager. Topics will include:
- A Different Kind Of 1L: Lessons Learned After a Total Leadership Turnover
- Building Resilience: Supervising In a Traumatic Era
- How to Be an Anti-Racist Organization
- Implementing Effective Strategies for Inclusive Management
- Leadership And Advocacy in Legal Aid: Paving the Way For Systemic Change
- Leading With Lived Experience: Benefits of Hiring Directly Impacted People
- Leveraging The Digital Wave: AI-Driven Strategies for Legal Aid Leadership
- Overcoming Legalese: Plain Language for Managers
- Overcoming the Generational Divide: Skills for Removing Tension and Maximizing Performance
- Tips for Managing Pro Bono Volunteers
- Unlocking Excellence: How the Science of Employee Engagement Can Help You Enhance Performance, Reduce Turnover, and Create the Culture You Desire
- Using An Equity Filter to Lead Your Team
- Whose Strategic Plan Is It Anyways? Bridging The Gap Between Leadership and Team Members
- and many more!
Announcing our Opening Plenary Presentation and Speaker:
Unlocking Excellence: How the Science of Employee Engagement Can Help You Enhance Performance, Reduce Turnover, and Create the Culture You Desire
Presented by Kathryn Cronin Miller
Social sector organizations routinely face people and culture challenges that distract from the mission. Whether it be team conflict, generational divides, high rates of vicarious trauma, or tension between senior management and staff, when employees are focused on internal challenges, they aren't focused on clients or the community. All of this results in high rates of turnover, a decrease in outcomes, and additional stress for those involved. The good news? Organizations around the world are utilizing the science of employee engagement to rethink how they approach people challenges and radically transform their workplaces. In this session, we'll review the science of employee engagement--the single largest driver of performance--and look at several examples of how engagement-driven methods have helped social sector leaders rehabilitate their organizations. Participants will leave the session with concrete takeaways they can immediately implement to increase engagement, boost productivity, and get everyone focused on the mission again.
Kathryn will also be presenting "Overcoming the Generational Divide: Skills for Removing Tension and Maximizing Performance" as a concurrent session.
Kathryn Cronin Miller, MSW, LCSW, (she/her) is the Founder and Principal Consultant of A Better Place To Work. Kathryn joined the social sector in 2005, focusing on women's services, youth development, mental health, and trauma. She has a special focus on the nexus of legal and social work practices, having worked in, consulted with, and volunteered for various legal services agencies across the United States. Kathryn is an expert in increasing employee performance and creating optimal organizational cultures. At the core of her approach is a relationship-based, trauma-informed, and anti-oppressive method that helps social sector leaders to eliminate tension and transform their workplaces. Kathryn knows that people work is mission work--when employees are engaged, the organization, clients, and community win, too.
Announcing our Closing Plenary Presentation and Speaker:
Implementing Effective Strategies for Inclusive Management
Presented by Kimberly Jones Merchant
A primary role of an effective manager is to create an environment where supervisees engage fully in the pursuit of the organization’s mission to increase access to justice. This engagement can be fostered by implementing intentional, inclusive strategies for decision making, feedback sharing, and professional development. This session will articulate strategies for supervision across difference, empowering managers to adjust for the needs of a complex team, both remote and in-person. Factors such as age, race, and ability will be examined as attendees consider inclusivity as a supervision priority.
Kimberly will also be presenting "How to Be an Anti-Racist Organization" as a concurrent session.
Kimberly Jones Merchant is a solo practitioner and principal of Kimberly Jones Merchant, P.A., currently serving as City Attorney for Indianola and Greenville, Mississippi, and Board Counsel for the Hollandale School District. Through her consulting practice, KEA Collaborative, she provides training and consulting services to legal aid and public interest organizations with a commitment to race equity in its internal practices and external advocacy. Merchant has provided her expertise on the topic of race equity and justice at numerous conferences and events, as well as served as faculty and consultant for legal aid and public interest organizations across the nation. Merchant is the former Senior Director of Advocate Resources and Training and the Director of the Racial Justice Institute (RJI) and Network at the Shriver Center on Poverty Law where she provided strategic oversight for the growth and expansion of the annual Racial Justice Institute, and its alumni advocacy network.
Please send any questions to Jared Smith, MIE Director of Programs, at jared@mielegalaid.org.
Registration Rates
This event is full. Please contact Erica M. Szuplat, Administrative Assistant, MIE, emszuplat@mielegalaid.org, to be placed on the wait list.
Each registration fee covers one participant.
MIE Subscribers: $700
Non-subscribers: $800
Presenters will receive a 50% discount on registration.
Breakfast both days, lunch the first day, and afternoon snacks/coffee both days will be provided.
Registration Information & Policies
Deadline: Register and Reserve Your Room by: March 12, 2024
Registration fees are non-refundable. MIE will provide a credit for the registration fee which may be used by any staff at your organization for any future MIE events (trainings, conferences, webinars) or MIE subscription payments. Credits do not expire. Late cancellations may be subject to a deduction in credit due to unavoidable charges incurred. Registrants who do not cancel before the start of an event will not be credited, however, they will receive access to the event materials or recordings. An event registration may be transferred to a colleague at the same program at no additional cost. In most cases, registration transfers may be made at any time prior to the start of an event. Please notify MIE of substitutions as soon as possible. If a registration transfer is not practicable, credit will be provided instead.
If you need assistance during the registration process, please contact Erica M. Szuplat, Administrative Assistant, MIE, at emszuplat@mielegalaid.org.
Photo and Hotel Consent MIE may need to speak to hotel staff regarding room reservations in our block for the training. In addition, we will be taking photographs during the training that may be used in publicity efforts, including future MIE communications, social media, the MIE Journal, or at the MIE website. By registering, you're confirming that you allow MIE to speak with hotel staff regarding your room reservation and understand that your photo may be taken during the training and used for publicity efforts.
Current CDC COVID-19 recommendations can be found here. Please take any steps you deem necessary to protect your health and those around you, and be comfortable in our training environment.
Hotel
The Royal Sonesta Harbor Court
550 Light St.
Baltimore, MD 21202
MIE event rate: $189 + taxes/fees
Reservation information: Reserve Your Room Online Now.
The Royal Sonesta Hotel Block is full.
If you are unable to secure a room at the Conference hotel, our nearby overflow hotel is available at the same price:
Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel
300 S Charles St
Baltimore, MD 21201
MIE rate: $189 + taxes/fees
Reservation information: Reserve Your Room Online Now
Baltimore, MD 21202
United States
| MIE Subscribers | $700.00 |
| Non-subscribers | $800.00 |
| MIE Subscribers Presenters 50% off | $350.00 |
| Non-subscribers Presenters 50% off | $400.00 |