7:30 - 8:00 AM
Networking/Check In
8:00 - 9:15 AM
Navigating Well-Being Washing: A Guide to Authentic Wellness Initiatives
The phenomenon of "well-being washing" poses a significant challenge for organizations seeking to genuinely prioritize employee well-being while avoiding superficial or performative initiatives. This session is designed to equip organizations with the knowledge and strategies needed to identify signs of well-being washing and transition towards authentic, impactful wellness strategies that foster genuine employee engagement and trust.
Presented by Debra Fortenberry, Esq. and Sandra Thébaud, PhD, Wellness Matters Consulting P.B.C.
Submitted for 1.5 Professionalism Credits
9:15 - 9:30 AM
Refreshment Break
9:30 - 10:30 AM
Where Do We Start? One Firm's Pilot Program on Growing a Trauma Responsive Workplace
In today's legal workplaces, understanding and addressing trauma has become increasingly crucial for fostering a healthy and productive environment. This workshop offers a comprehensive framework for cultivating a trauma-responsive culture within your organization.
Through the lens of a successful pilot program implemented by Colorado law firm McKinley Law Group, LLC, this workshop will provide a structural, team-based approach to addressing burnout, trauma, and chronic stress in lawyers and legal staff.
Whether you're just beginning to explore this concept or looking to enhance your existing practices, this workshop offers valuable insights and practical guidance to help you create a workplace where all employees feel seen, heard, and supported.
Presented by Cassie Gillespie, LCSW, Cassie Gillespie, LLC, Tiago Guevara, Esq., McKinley Law Group, LLC, and Anna Rivera Rodgers, Esq., McKinley Law Group, LLC
10:30 - 10:45 AM
Morning Break
10:45 AM - 12:00 PM
The Link Between Well-Being and Inclusion
A transformative program designed to explore the dynamic relationship between Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and employee well-being within organizations. By prioritizing DEI efforts and fostering a culture of belonging, organizations can create environments where employees from diverse backgrounds thrive, leading to enhanced levels of well-being and organizational success.
Presented by Patty Powell, Esq., Counsel for Counsel, LLC
Submitted for 1.5 EDI Credits
12:00 - 12:45 PM
Networking Lunch and Table Topic Conversations
(Box lunch included with registration)
12:45 - 1:15 PM
Well-Being Activity
Navigating Emotional Zones of Tolerance: Enhancing Emotional Intelligence and Resilience
Participants will learn about their thresholds for tolerating and managing various emotions, and how their zones of tolerance can impact their behavior and well-being. Explore strategies for identifying personal emotional triggers and understanding how they influence emotional responses. Finally, participants will learn mindfulness and self-reflection practices to increase their ability to observe and regulate their emotional states.
Presented by Jessica Cordero, JCordero Consulting Solutions, LLC
1:15 - 2:30 PM
Permission to Self-Care
Self-care is key to your evolution yet is neglected all too often. Whether due to the demands of life, traditions of culture and society, or self-inflicted expectations, addressing the needs of YOUR human gets brushed aside to tend to those around you. While this may work out for a short time, eventually the neglect will have consequences. Permission to Self-Care is a workshop designed to explore all facets necessary to nurture the whole being, as well as offer tangible take-aways to navigate the real-life challenges you face both personally and professionally.
Presented by Michelle Zellner, Better Beings
2:30 - 3:45 PM
The Busy Person's Guide to Following Through Consistently
Working in the legal field is demanding and can even be overwhelming. Finding clients, serving clients, satisfying clients, and getting paid by clients often means lawyers put their own welfare needs on the back burner. It can be hard to recognize this, let alone address it, on one's own. Lawyer well-being can be supported at various levels, from individual health and wellness coaching to organizational initiatives that promote a culture of well-being.
Generic advice, such as “exercise daily” or “eat healthier,” may not apply to everyone. Some people may already be exercising enough or eating healthily enough and have challenges in other areas of health that this advice does not address. Additionally, for lawyers, the lack of time to add exercise, learn about nutrition, and plan and prepare food is often a barrier to adopting a healthier lifestyle.
This presentation will outline the key mindsets for optimal health and walk participants through the process of behavior change. You'll create a vision for optimal health, which includes diet and exercise, sleep, physical environment, fulfillment and purpose, community and relationships, and mindfulness. Then, together we'll identify the area of health to start implementing changes that will have the most impact on your health and well-being. You'll set a goal in that area and identify action steps you can take to immediately experience improved health and well-being.
Presented by Elaine Proulx, ESP Wellness
Submitted for 1.5 Professionalism Credits
3:45 - 4:00 PM
Refreshment Break
4:00 - 5:00 PM
Defining Professional Culture: What Are We Tolerating, Accepting, and Rewarding as a Profession
The legal profession operates within a unique ecosystem characterized by a distinct set of norms, practices, and ethical standards. However, within this framework, there exists a complex interplay of behaviors and attitudes that shape the professional culture of lawyers and legal institutions. This panel seeks to unpack and critically analyze what aspects of professional culture are tolerated, accepted, and rewarded within the legal profession.
Drawing upon insights from seasoned practitioners, scholars, and industry experts, this panel will explore the following key questions:
Tolerance: What behaviors and practices are commonly tolerated within the legal profession, and how do they impact the professional conduct and reputation of lawyers and legal institutions?
Acceptance: What aspects of professional culture are universally accepted within the legal profession, and how do they influence the day-to-day operations and decision-making processes?
Reward: How are success, achievement, and excellence defined and rewarded within the legal profession, and to what extent do these metrics align with ethical standards and professional values?
Power Dynamics: What roles do power dynamics, hierarchies, and institutional structures play in shaping and perpetuating certain aspects of professional culture within the legal profession?
Challenges and Opportunities: Are there instances where the prevailing professional culture in the legal profession inhibits diversity, innovation, or access to justice, and how can these challenges be addressed proactively?
By engaging in a candid and introspective discussion, this panel aims to shed light on the complexities of professional culture within the legal profession and its broader implications for the delivery of justice and the integrity of legal systems. Through collective reflection and dialogue, participants will explore pathways for fostering a more inclusive, ethical, and equitable professional culture that upholds the core values of the legal profession.
Presented by Miko A. Brown, Esq., Mark A. Fogg, Esq., Childs McCune, Dean Alexi Freeman, Esq., Sturm College of Law, University of Denver, and The Hon. Mariana Vielma, 17th Judicial District
Submitted for 1.5 Professionalism Credits
5:00 PM
Adjourn
