You already know that conferences are one of the best ways to network with legal professionals in your extended community. This year, there are plenty of legal conferences, both virtual and physical, where you can connect and learn.
These are the top legal conferences to plan for in 2024.
Of course, all of the events listed here may be subject to change, especially if we see another round of virus surges or some other unpredictable circumstance. All the dates and locations listed in this article are correct as of December 2023, but check on the links provided to get the latest updates on each conference.
In chronological order, here are your top legal events for 2024.
National Trial Lawyers Summit
Miami — January 18 – 21, 2024
Trial Lawyers Summit is a gathering created for a distinct audience – civil plaintiff and criminal defense attorneys.
The event promises “various networking opportunities and informative sessions for the chance to improve trial and business management skills,” as well as captivating speakers (think TED Talks) on issues like traumatic brain injury cases, criminal defense strategies, law firm management, and class actions/mass torts.
And as if being in Miami in January wasn’t incentive enough, the event takes place from the Loews Miami Beach Hotel, which is a great launching pad for all sorts of social activities.
Legalweek
New York, New York – January 29 – February 4, 2024
One of the most popular annual conferences, Legalweek is “one week where thousands of legal professionals gather to network with their peers, dive deeper into their professional development, explore topics and strategies tailored specifically to their role, and gain the tools to get legal business done.”
This event is put on by the information and intelligence company, ALM.
You’ll catch sessions on topics like:
- Legal automation
- eDiscovery and data science
- Legal operations
- Business strategies
- Cybersecurity
- Practice management
- And more
As an added bonus, you get to learn all of those things right from the New York Hilton in Midtown. It’s a great central location that’s perfect for people who look forward to exploring the Big Apple.
American Association of Justice – Winter Convention
Austin, Texas – February 10 – 13, 2024
The American Association of Justice’s Winter Convention bills itself as a conference “by trial lawyers, for trial lawyers.”
In addition to presentations on things like hiring and retention, they offer specialized gatherings for women lawyers, new lawyers, and industry leaders. Each day of the conference begins with a group exercise class to get you pumped for the day.
If you haven’t yet traveled to Austin, Texas, the host city is another big draw. Austin is a mecca for live music, great restaurants, and endless other forms of nighttime entertainment.
ABA Tech Show
Chicago, Illinois – February 14 – 17, 2024
As an education-focused event, the ABA Tech Show is the perfect setting to learn about the intersection of law and technology.
While this year’s agenda has not been finalized, past Tech Shows have offered an impressive array of speakers both from traditional law firm settings as well as from some of the companies working feverishly to bring the legal industry on the forefront of technology.
LMA Annual Conference
San Diego, California, April 3 – 5, 2024
The Legal Marketing Association will host their Annual Conference this year at the Marriott Harbor in San Diego. This is the perfect conference for those of you who straddle the worlds of law and marketing.
The theme of this year’s conference is All In, and they promise more than 75 speakers, 30 different sessions, and over 80 exhibitors.
And just in case your higher-ups aren’t convinced that a legal marketing conference is worth the spend, the organizers have put together a Justification Toolkit to help you convince the firm this is the conference for you. After all, according to their website, this is the “best conference ROI of the year.”
Legal Up
Virtual — April 24 – 25, 2024
Legal Up is a 2-day virtual conference for all types of legal professionals who want to level up their careers in terms of wellness, marketing, technology, and more.
This was a virtual event before virtual events were cool, and being location-independent is one of the biggest advantages of this conference. Without needing to worry about flights, hotels, or extra time away from work, you can easily set aside the time to learn and network in a hassle-free environment.
With over five hours of available CLE credits and a 99% “would recommend” rate, it’s hard to find a good reason not to virtually attend this annual event.
Want to present? The Legal Up call for speakers is currently open.
ABA Spring Conference
San Diego, California – April 10 – 13, 2024
This theme for this year’s ABA Spring Conference is Mastering the Future: Revolutionizing Dispute Resolution in a Dynamic World. If your practice regularly includes mediations or arbitrations, this may be one of the most important conferences you attend all year.
Details have yet to be disclosed, but full registration information is anticipated to be released any day.
ABA IPLSPRING Conference
Bethesda, Maryland – April 17-19, 2024
The American Bar Association’s IPLSPRING Conference specializes in intellectual property law. You’ll find 20+ CLE sessions, lots of networking opportunities, and plenty of valuable information that can help your practice.
For those of you practicing intellectual property law, this is the place to go for updates on the latest legal developments, as well as opportunities to network with the leaders in your field.
2024 World Technology Law Conference
Washington, D.C. – May 8 – 10, 2024
The World Technology Law Conference, which is hosted by the International Technology Law Association, connects you with a global community of people who are interested in both law and technology.
While the details were still being worked out at the time of this post, this conference is a perfect opportunity for the growing number of legal professionals with global practices that rely on state-of-the-art technology to keep track of clients, courtrooms, and issues across multiple time zones.
Association of Legal Administrators Conference & Expo
Aurora, Colorado – May 19 – 22, 2024
The Association of Legal Administrators Conference and Expo, better known as #ALACONF24, is tailored for non-attorney legal professionals.
This is a must-attend event for all legal professionals practicing in the ever-evolving world of immigration law.
Registration is not yet open, but is anticipated to begin in early 2024.
Legal Geek
Chicago, Illinois – June 20, 2024
Legal Geek is a different style of convention. This laid back legal conference will be held in Chicago in the latter half of June. Aside from being educational, this conference is designed to be fun.
You’ll find TED-talk style sessions, Q&A with industry leaders, and plenty of valuable workshops.
If entertainment and networking are your favorite part of conferences, though, Legal Geek is the event for you. From street food to karaoke, there are plenty of ways to unwind and connect with other legal pros.
The Legal Geek Conference has a heavy emphasis on technology, so it is the perfect conference for those of you looking to bring your law firm technology into the future.
NALA Conference and Expo
Louisville, Kentucky – July 11-13, 2024
The NALA Conference and Expo is one of the best conferences focused on paralegals. This year, it is being held at the downtown Marriott in Louisville, Kentucky.
While details have not yet been released, this conference typically offers a wealth of education and networking opportunities for the people who make up the backbone of your firm.
ILTACON
Nashville, Tennessee – August 11-15, 2024
The International Legal Technology Association Conference is known as one of the best networking events for legal professionals of all kinds.
Very few details have been announced regarding this year’s event at the time of this publication. Nonetheless, ILTACON is a longstanding favorite convention among lawyers and other legal professionals. You can expect a valuable conference with a strong focus on technology.
Keep checking the website for information about speakers and registration.
Clio Cloud Conference
Austin, Texas – October 7-8, 2024
Even though this year’s ClioCon doesn’t take place until October, pre-registration is already available and the organizers are offering steep discounts for those of you who register before January 18.
Clio promises that this will be their biggest event yet, and while details are still being ironed out, this is one of the most popular conferences of the year for good reason.
You don’t have to be a Clio user to get the full value from this event. The education, networking — and, of course, the afterparty — are widely renowned as some of the best you can find.
ICLPF 2024: International Conference on Law, Policy and the Family
New York, New York – November 04-05, 2024
As one of the most academically-minded conferences on our list, the International Conference on Law, Policy and the Family is a gathering of academic scientists, researchers and research scholars.
While many of the details are still being prepared, the ICLPF is currently accepting proposals for papers to support the conference on the following topics:
- Analyses of the law relating to the family which carry an interest beyond the jurisdiction dealt with, or which are of a comparative nature
- Compliance with Laws and Regulations
- Literature in related disciplines (medicine, psychology, demography) of special relevance to family law and research findings in the above areas
- Research findings in the law, policy areas, reviews of laws and relevant reports
- Social policy literature of special interest to law and the family
- Sociological literature concerning the family and legal policy
- Theoretical analyses of family law
This could be your chance to meaningfully participate in the international discourse surrounding family law issues.
Other conferences in your area
Local bar associations and professional organizations often host valuable events that can last anywhere from an afternoon to a week. Make sure you sign up for email alerts with any local organizations to which you belong.
