Hi everyone!
I liken the ILTA conference to a day at SeaWorld or the Renaissance Festival. There are multiple shows going on at the same time and if there are particular shows you want to see you need to map it out in advance or you might miss something. Have you mapped out your week at conference? Since it is only a week away I decided to map out my week and thought I would share some of the things I’m really looking forward to. I have not included the daily meals but the food is always terrific and meals are also a great opportunity to meet old friends or new. HINT: Try sitting at a table with people you don’t know and introduce yourself – people are always friendly and I’ve made some great new friends this way. I also have not included the numerous vendor demo room sessions but be sure to review these and attend as well.
Before I get to far ahead of myself, first and foremost, use the fabulous tools ILTA provides to plan your week!
You can download the mobile app to your mobile device http://conference.iltanet.org/mobileapp. ando set up your agenda here. With the mobile app you will have a the complete schedule with times and locations right at your fingertips along with trivia (these are musts)! Also you will have hotel maps and access to the interactive exhibit hall.
Or,
You can go to this link http://conference.iltanet.org/RightMenu/Planyourweek and search for any of the sessions you would like to attend (hint: you can also choose to add any of these events to your calendar).
If you are interested in Litigation and Practice support and you’ve never been to conference (or if you are just wondering why you should attend certain events) READ ON…Just one word of CAUTION…these are just my top picks. Be sure you look at all of the excellent sessions and pick the ones that are right for you!
Sunday is the day that most attendees arrive and there is quite a line-up:
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Time
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Event
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Why I’m attending
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Upon arrival
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Registration
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Be sure to get the skinny on trivia. They usually start providing clues out of the gate and they continue throughout the week! Trivia Answer sheets are available at the Ask ILTA desk. Good luch at $500 big ones!
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4:00-4:45
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Litigation and Practice Support Community of Interest
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This is a great chance to meet other attendees that are interested in litigation and practice support before conference gets into full swing. You might even meet a conference buddy to attend sessions and events with. We will also have an informal discussion on some of the current issues in litigation and practice support.
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6:00-7:00
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Conference Orientation
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Especially for first time attendees but also for veterans, this is a great chance to meet the conference co-chairs and ILTA’s volunteer leaders. They also ususally provide some tips to improve your conference experience!
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7:00-9:00
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Opening Reception
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Another great chance to meet up with old friends and new. Members and vendors will have a chance to connect with old friends and make new ones. Hors d'oeuvres, liquid refreshments and lively entertainment! What better way to officially kick off conference!
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Monday – Conference Day 1
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Time
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Event
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Why I’m attending
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9:00-10:30
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Keynote
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ILTA keynotes are always outstanding! They inspire me and get me phsyched for the upcoming week!
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11:00-12:00
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Lawyers and E-Discovery: Driving Behavior Change – LPSPG1
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I am looking forward to hearing this outstanding panel’s tips and tricks on changing how attorneys think about e-discovery.
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1:00-2:00
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Practice Support: A Risky Business – LPSPG2
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I can use all the help I can get in navigating this minefield. Managing and mitigating risk is key to our profession! Be sure to havev your moble app handy for the live audience poll!
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2:30-3:30
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Litigation Support: What in the World? – LPSPG3
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Panelists are from Australia, Canada, UK and United States. What better way to hear about what’s going on in the world than hearing our peers from around the world! Be sure to have your mobile app handy for the live audience poll!
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4:00-5:00
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Innovative Law Firm or Law Department Awards (2 separate sessions) – AWARD3, AWARD4
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Attend one of these sessions to see the top innovations of 2012 and you can vote on your favorite!
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5:15-6:30
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Regional meetings
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These are a great time to meet others in your region! A great time to build local connections in Litigation and Practice support and meet your ILTA City Reps.
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7:00-9:00
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ILTA's Vendor Reality World - Exhibit Hall Opening Reception
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Vendors and even some attendees will decorate or dress as their favorite reality TV show. Come and get a bite to eat, meet vendors and get familiar with the exhibit hall.
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Tuesday – Conference Day 2
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Time
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Event
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Why I’m attending
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8:30-10:00
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Keynote – KEY2
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Again, I can’t say enough about ILTA keynotes. They inspire me and give me great ideas I can use!
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10:00-11:00
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Snack Break in Exhibit Hall
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Break out your Vendor Bingo card and go meet some vendors! There are numerous great prizes available if you will be present on Thursday for the drawing! It is not to soon to start getting stamps.
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11:00-12:30
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The Future of Practice Support – LPSPG4
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A town hall for litigation and practice support professionals! This is a great chance to participate in this interactive session! There will also be live polling so have your mobile device handy.
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1:30-2:30
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Fixed Fees for E-Discovery – LPSPG5
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I’m looking forward to hearing from this outstanding panel! They are in the trenches and will provide you with examples of how fixed fees have worked for them and what risks you should be aware of.
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2:30-3:30
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Snack Break in Exhibit Hall
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Again, don’t forget your Bingo cards!
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3:30-4:30
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The ESI Debate is On! – LPSPG6
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This exceptional group includes Chris Dale, Patrick Oot and George Socha with Browning Marean as the moderator. Here differing opinions on the hottest topics in e-discovery. This is sure to be an interesting discussion!
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4:30-6:00
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Litigation and Practice Support Reception
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Another great opportunity to meet fellow litigation and practice support professionals! Have a drink or a bite to eat and make some new friends. This is sponsored by our good friends at Kroll Ontrack.
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6:30-11:59 p.m.
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ILTA’s Sports Bar – Dinner and Social Event
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This will be a great time! Get decked out in your favorite sports team attire! (I’ll be in my Buckeye garb!) Another great networking opportunity!
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Wednesday – Conference Day 3 (Yawn….after the sports bar event)
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Time
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Event
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Why I’m attending
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8:30-10:00
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Keynote – KEY3
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A great chance to get inspired for the day ahead! You may need some inspiration if you closed down the sports bar event J
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10:00-11:00
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Snack Break in Exhibit Hall
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Bingo! Stamp, stamp, stamp!
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11:00-12:30
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Client-Oriented Document Review – ORG5
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The high cost of document review has made headlines over the last few years. This experienced panel will discuss techniques to successfully identify relevant evidence, prioritize review and marshal the appropriate attorneys and staff to assess opportunities for improvement. Learn how matters of all sizes benefit from client-oriented document review.
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1:30-2:30
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I may attend one of the sessions on Information Governance, Records Management or Project Management, Then again I may meet with vendors during this time or possibly take a break J
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2:30-3:30
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Snack Break in Exhibit Hall
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Go meet some vendors and fill up your Bingo card!
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3:30-4:30
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Law Department Discussion Part I (E-Discovery Topics) LDPG3 or Managing the Unmanageable in E-Discovery LEX2
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This session is top notch and I always get a lot of take aways. This is truly a session for Law department members to discuss their experiences and thoughts on electronic discovery. Law firm members can gain a lot by carefully listening to this roundtable discussion. There is also a session on “Managing the Unmanageable in E-Discovery” at this time so you get to decide which one is best for you.
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4:30 on
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Free night
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This is your free night to do what you wish! There are great vendor parties, you can have a quiet dinner at a restaurant, go to the spa or pool… or just veg out!
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Thursday – Conference Day 4 (The final stretch)
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Time
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Event
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Why I’m attending
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8:30-10:00
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E-Discovery Project Management: Hands-On Workflow Creation HAND7A
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As much as I value the Keynote sessions (and the one at this time looks great!) I will likely attend this hands on session. Attendies will have the opportunity to create a basic case management workflow process using SharePoint 2010. Be sure to arrive early if you want to drive the computer. There are only so many computers and these sessions tend to fill up fast. If the computers are full when you arrive find a buddy who is willing to share the experience!
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10:00-10:30
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Beverage Break in Exhibit Hall
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Last chance to fill in your Bingo card
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10:30-12:00
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E-Discovery Project Management: Hands-On Workflow Creation HAND7A or if you aren't doing the hands on session you may want to attend Budgets for Matters in the Law Department: Outside Counsel and AFAs - LDPG4
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This is part 2 of the ediscovery hands on workflow session. If you aren't attending the hands on session there is another excellent session at this time! Here from law department members about factors affecting law department budgeting and AFAs.
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12:00-12:45
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Vendor Bingo Drawing
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Must be present to win! Be there!
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12:30-1:45
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Lunch and Annual Meeting
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Learn more about the ILTA Organization and recognize the volunteers!
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2:00-3:00
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How To Manage E-Discovery Without a Litigation Support Department – ORG7
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Great session with tips on how you can manage e-discovery when you don’t have all the resources needed to do so!
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3:30-4:30
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Discovery Management Strategies: What's Your Next Move? – ORG9
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This is a great opportunity for attendees to participate in a collaborative discussion regarding the various approaches to people, process and technology when dealing with discovery. This expert panel will provide some practical thoughts on avoiding the wrong path.
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4:30-6:30
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A MUCH NEEDED BREAK
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6:30-11:00
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ILTA Awards Dinner and After-Glow Parties
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I truly enjoy this dinner and I take advantage of the opportunity to dress up a bit. At the third annual Distinguished Peer Awards Dinner, the winners from each category will be announced. Following this sit-down dinner in the Potomac Ballroom, there will be two After-Glow Parties — a jazz club and a high-energy dance/cocktail room. I’m more of the Jazz type but I may have to hit both!
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Friday – The Day After
I always feel melancholy when conference is over but at the same time a sense of relief J I usually need at least 2 days to catch up on sleep!
I hope this was helpful and I look forward to seeing you at conference! Till then…
#LitigationSupportoreDiscovery #IP #PracticeManagementandPracticeSupport