Lisa: Cheer up, Dad. Did you know the Chinese use the same word for ‘crisis’ as they do for ‘opportunity’?
Homer: Yes. Crisitunity.
As usual, Homer Simpson’s got the right idea. The COVID-19 outbreak pushed the legal community to adopt new virtual practice models and put a stop to the face-to-face interactions and networking opportunities that mark the profession. In the face of this, why not take the opportunity to try something new and innovative? And if it can be for a good cause, that’s even better.
There aren’t any solid, CLE-awarding conferences to fly to right now, so Rocket Matter has created one virtually. Rocket Aid, as it will be called, will be a first-of-its-kind opportunity to show off just what we can do with conferencing technology. The $25 registration fee will be donated directly to United Way’s COVID-19 Fund, Pro Bono Net, as well as Feeding America, a charity network of more than 200 food banks.
Rocket Aid will stream live, online on April 16th and 17th, from 10am to 4pm EDT each day. The content will cover cutting-edge topics on running an online practice, ways to generate more revenue, and embracing modern tools that will help law firms adapt and thrive in a changing world. In addition to attending educational sessions, participants will have the ability to network during face-to-face virtual “happy hours” and breakout sessions.
To attend the show, register online here.
The programming for the two day show includes a number of talks offering insight either directly or indirectly related to practicing in a pandemic. There might even be an opportunity for you to join the roster of presenters for a few of these talks.
Rocket Aid’s content is mostly in place already, but the conference has a call for speakers for panels and additional suggested talks. Planned sessions include the following:
- Panel: COVID-19 and Law Firm Operations: What are We Learning?
- Session: Remote Lawyering Overview: The Tools You Need
- Session: Hidden Gems of Office 365
- Session: How to Increase Profits and Sanity by Running a Lean Law Firm
- Session: Saying “Adios” to Billing Headaches and “Hola” to Increased Profitability
- Session: A 12-Month Plan for Going Paperless
- Session: Cybersecurity for the Remote Lawyer
- Panel: COVID-19 Coverage and How to Think About PR
- Panel: Remote Technology Do’s and Don’ts
- Panel: Staying Sane While Working Remote
- Mini-session: An Economic Outlook for Lawyers During and After COVID-19 (non-CLE)
- Mini-session: Setting Up an Ergonomic Home Office (non-CLE)
Rocket Matter is also looking for speakers for mini 3- and 6-minute sessions on their remote successes as well as lawyers who would like to offer their thoughts on panels.
To apply for a speaker position, please apply here.
Consider just how quickly this has all come together. Less than a month ago, many of us were in Chicago for ABA Techshow. In a couple of weeks, we’ll be attending a virtual conference that hadn’t even been conceived back then.
As someone who, like most of you, has been locked away for a couple of weeks now, I look forward to seeing you all on April 16th and 17th!
Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.