2025 Annual Conference

APRIL 10 - 13

the RITZ CARLTON NEW ORLEANS

come enjoy the soulful music and food of the french quarter festival

A DIFFERENT KIND OF CONFERENCE

A DIFFERENT KIND OF CONFERENCE

Meet us in new orleans for this life-changing conference.

You’ll earn CLE hours and network with colleagues, but you’ll also engage in meaningful conversation and make lifelong connections. The Society is a community dedicated to lifting women up, side by side, supporting them in their endeavors to be the best trial attorneys & women they can be. Our annual conference is where we come together to check in, support one another, and re-engage as a community.

Attention First & Second Year Attorneys!

Call 850-304-9674 to receive a discounted conference rate.

  • networking

  • HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS

  • continuing education

  • INSPIRING CONVERSATIONS

AGENDA Details (MORE ADDED WEEKLY)

  • 5:30 to 7:30 | Registration and Welcome Reception & Dinner
    Sponsored by Assemby NEOS

    DON’T MISS OUR VERY OWN SECOND LINE PARADE THAT BEGINS AT 7:30PM. We’ll parade for 8 blocks with our own Grand Marshall and Mardi Gras Indians, so wear comfortable shoes.Our parade is sponsored by Anytime-AI.

  • 7:30 AM to 8:30 AM | Breakfast in Mercier Terrace, Sponsored by Evidence Solutions

    8:30 AM to 8:45 AM | Welcome & Introductions
    Co-Chairs Karen Evans and Jennifer Hoekstra

    8:45 AM to 9:15 AM | We Ride at Dawn: How Lady Lawyers Will Lead America Out of the Dark, Alyson Beridon

    9:15 AM to 10:00 AM | Beauty is Pain: Exposing the Toxicity of the Cosmetics Industry, Danielle Mason

    10:00 AM to 10:15 AM | Coffee Break

    10:15 AM to 11:00 AM | From Techno-Phobe to Techno-Curious: Your Guide to Leapfrogging Your Way from the Stone Age to Flying the Plane with AI and Emerging Technologies,
    Jennifer Seymore

    11:00 AM to 11:45 PM | Show Me Your Case: Using Visual Aids to Tell Your Client’s Story
    Maggie Langdon

    12:00 PM to 1:00 PM | Networking Luncheon and Induction of President Elect
    French Quarter Bar, Ritz Carlton, Sponsored by STENO

    1:00 PM to 1:30 PM | Not Everybody Wants to be a First Chair: There are no small parts in our field, Talley Kaleko

    1:30 to 2:15 PM | Why Trial Work is a Team Sport and Every Member is Invaluable
    Christian Morris

    2:15 PM to 3:00 PM | Empower, Amplify, Achieve: Building a Team that Drives Success, Laura Yaeger

    3:00 to 3:15 | Coffee Break

    3:15 to 4:00 | Attorney/Paralegal and Client Relations, CourtneyWinston & Susan Staggs

    4:00 to 4:30 | Navigating Common Obstacles as a Freelance Paralegal, Rashida Forbes

    5:30 - 7:30 PM | Cocktails & Conversations with Laura Yaeger, in the Ritz Carlton Courtyard, Sponsored by Arthur Funding

  • 8:00 AM to 8:30 AM | Breakfast in Mercier Terrace

    8:30 AM to 9:00 AM | The Power of Your Personal Brand in Networking and Business Development
    Megan Whiteside

    9:00 AM to 9:30 AM | Sharpening Trial Skills: The Power of Mindfulness for Women Trial Lawyers
    Cookie Echsner-Rasmussen

    9:30 to 9:45 AM | Coffee Break

    9:45 AM to 11:00 AM | Building Your 8 Figure Damages House, Christy Crowe Childers

    11:00 to 11:30 AM | Trial Strategy Lessons from My Grandfather, a Gambler, Tara Eberly

    11:30 AM to 12:15 PM | Driving Complex Litigation to Scale, Dawn Smith

    12: 15 PM to 1:15 PM | Networking Luncheon & Awards Presentation 2025 Woman of the Year, Sponsored by Case Status

    1:15 PM to 1:45 PM | Shedding the Past - From Documents to Mindsets
    Sheila Hiestand & Marissa Sapega

    1:45 PM to 2:30 PM | Becoming Trauma-Informed and Dealing with Vicarious Trauma
    Jennifer Lipinski, Micha Star Liberty, & Renee Williams

    2:30 PM to 3:00 PM | How Are We Paving the Way for the Future of Female Litigators?
    Panel with Jennifer Hoekstra, Karen Evans and friends

    3:00 to 3:15 PM | Coffee Break

    3:15 to 3:45 PM | Money issues that can hold up a case or create exposure for the attorney (public benefits, minor needing court approval, VA, Medicare compliance, etc.)
    Marci Gordon

    3:45 to 4:30 PM | The Paralegal’s Playbook: Orchestrating Trial Success Behind the Scenes, Christy Hurt

  • 7:30 AM to 8:00 AM | Breakfast

    8:00 AM to 9:45 AM | Connection Advocacy
    Bettina Altizer

    9:45 AM to 10:00 AM | Coffee Break

    10:00 AM to 12:00 PM | Applying Connection Advocacy Skills in Your Practice of Law
    Bettina Altizer

    Conference Ends

Meet your 2025 FACULTY

Our host hotel is the
RITZ CARLTON NEW ORLEANS

Located on Canal Street in the French Quarter, The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans offers spacious hotel accommodations, a spa and live jazz.

Set within the 1908 Beaux Arts Maison Blanche building, our host hotel highlights traditional Southern ambiance with an elegant interior that reflects the graciousness of Garden District mansions. Bask in the beauty of the intimate courtyard, the spa’s Voodoo Ritual, and in-house jazz musician, Jeremy Davenport.

RESERVE YOUR ROOM HERE:

Hotel(s) offering your special group rate:

  • The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans for 359.00 USD per night - Last Day to Book : Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Book your group rate for Society of Women Trial Lawyers

Call-in:  Central Reservations at 1.800.826.8987

 Group Codes:  

SKGSKGA (Deluxe King Accommodations - $359 ++)

SKGSKGB (Deluxe Double Bed Accommodations - $359 ++)

Pre/post rates are only available if the hotel has availability and the hotel occupancy is less than 80% at time of request.

CONFERENCE ATTENDEES RECEIVE 20% OFF ALL SPA SERVICES, AS LONG AS YOU STATE THE GROUP NAME.

Hear from our members

  • Renee Franchi, Zinda Law Group

    “Thank you to Nancy and everyone in the SWTL family!  If it wasn’t for all the amazing support that I received at the SWTL conference in April, I don’t know if I would have ever made this leap.  Everyone I spoke with was so incredibly helpful, wise, and supportive when I needed it the most.  After I returned from the conference in Scottsdale, I was determined to forge a new path and find a way out to Colorado where I’ve always wanted to end up.  A few months later, I’ve found a wonderful new firm, made the trek from the east coast across the country, and I couldn’t be happier."

     

  • Christine Murphy, The Jaklitsch Law Group

    “I’ve spent many years attending (and trying to get out of attending) conferences. This is the ONLY conference that I want to attend each and every session. When I leave the Society of Women Trial Lawyers conference, I feel like I’m a better lawyer, but also a better person.”

  • Somer Brown, Cox Cox Filo

    “The seminars put on by the Society bring top-notch and relevant education, but also allow me to see, hear from, and network with an amazing group of women who ‘get it’ and support me and others in achieving their personal profession goals - whatever those may be!”

  • Amanda K. Klevorn, Burns Charest

    “Thank you so much for organizing this event—it was one of the best conferences I’ve attended in a very long time. Inspiring, empowering, and full of useful/substantive advice.”

  • Alexandra Rizzo Arnold, Dever Law Group

    “As someone who was sworn into practice during the height of Covid, it felt hard to network and meaningfully connect with others while behind a screen. This organization provides a true sense of community. I was personally greeted by other members during the first meeting I attended and have felt at home since.”

  • Cara L. O'Brien, O'Brien Law

    “Many heartfelt thanks to everyone that put so much effort and thought into the annual conference in Nashville. I’ve been to a lot of conferences and this one was so wonderfully different. The substance and energy were amazing. Everyone from Maryland loved everything about it. “

  • Kathryn L. Avila, Levin Papantonio Rafferty

    “Thank you so much for putting such a powerful group of women together and facilitating the energy we need to build each other up and empower each other. ”

Continuing Legal Education

An application for accreditation for continuing legal education credit is submitted to all applicable states. Number of credits awarded will vary based on state regulations. Please bring your license and/or bar information with you to the program.