A Tale of Two Scholarship Winners: Lori Bearden and Denise Hofrichter

Lori Bearden

The ALA conference in Montreal was titled “Education Extraordinaire” but for me it was “Experience Extraordinaire”. 

I got the extra treat of starting the week by attending the Region 2 meeting.  We all benefit from the local Atlanta chapter network, but I was able to see the next level of support that the Region provides to the chapters. 

The range of conference sessions covered all aspects of an administrator’s job--human resources, accounting, technology and office management.  The facilitators were seasoned speakers that I thought were able to make their topics informative as well as interesting and entertaining.  The vendor exhibit hall was like our business partner luncheon on steroids.  You could talk to three or four different companies representing any service or product you might be interested in, or you could learn about new and innovative products.

To me, the ALA conference promoted a feeling of camaraderie among folks that might otherwise be considered competitors.  There were moments of inspiration, particularly the message from the outgoing president David Constantine, whose firm was devastated by Hurricane Katrina.  There were moments of fellowship such as when the life, service and accomplishments of president-elect Martha Llano, who had passed away unexpectedly, were expounded by those that had known and loved her.  And to bring it all home, there was a time of honest rivalry at the awards ceremony. 

Overall, my conference experience made it abundantly clear that the true purpose of ALA is to educate, support and encourage its members.  I certainly feel I came away better able to do my job and contribute to my firm.  As important though, I had an opportunity to get to know, respect and build friendships with many Atlanta chapter members on a level not easily attained by simply attending monthly luncheons.

Two important take-aways—(1) wear comfortable shoes because this group is really on the move and (2) make your reservations early, it’s a sure bet that next year’s conference in Las Vegas will be a winner.

Editor's Note: Lori also took the CLM exam which she passed with flying colors!

Denise Hofrichter

When I won the scholarship to go to Montreal for the 35^th Annual Association of Legal Administrator’s Conference to say I was thrilled would be an understatement.  I couldn’t believe that I would have such an opportunity to attend seminars that would assist me with my day to day office duties and give me a vast range of ideas to better the firm.  I was delighted at the idea of meeting other people in this position with so much knowledge and experience to share.  Attending the conference was very awakening. Traveling to Montreal was a bonus. 

Sunday evening I attended the Newcomers’ Orientation.  They went over everything that the conference had to offer and I received my first pins or stickers from different ALA groups. Afterwards I attended the welcome reception.   Right from the beginning I learned that the ALA is a large group of old and new friends that are willing to share information and support one another.

Monday is when all the sessions began.  The conference was an eye opening experience on the different hats the office administrator wears.  It offered everything from hiring to firing, finance to benefits, and old technology to new.  There were so many sessions offered and I knew it would be difficult to decide which I would benefit from the most.   

Most of the speakers did a great job of keeping your attention and staying on track.  One of my favorite sessions was The Healthy Administrator and the speaker was the conference chair, Judy Hissong.  Not only did Judy keep my attention but she helped me realize everyone needs time to breathe.  Finding and working on “My Chi” has been my goal for the last month.  Everyone should work on developing positive energy and the first place to start is taking a few minutes a day for you.  If you find time in the day for yourself, your day is much more pleasant and beneficial. 

The vendor hall was overwhelming at first.  I did not realize how many different types of businesses there are to help law firms succeed in becoming the best they can be.  There were companies that offered everything a firm needs to keep running smoothly and successfully. It offered an enormous amount of information.  Coming back to the partners with all the information I gathered was very impressive. I know this information will benefit the firm.

During Mr. Joe Calloway’s speech on Extraordinary Organizations I heard two things that stuck with me.  One of them is “vision without execution is hallucination”.  This is so true.  We all have ideas in how to make our surroundings better and we need to act on them.  I believe the second is a continuation of the first:  “mistakes are seldom fatal; what is fatal is to do nothing in a dynamic marketplace”.    I believe that during this “Education Extraordinaire” week, this is one of the most informative and accurate statements.

Throughout the week I met incredible people from all over the world.  Good and bad stories were shared along with some laughs.  I learned that the ALA is a support group.   It is such a wonderful and knowledgeable organization to be involved with and one that can help you with just about any situation.

The sessions were informative and I took a lot of information back with me.  The conference was a magnificent experience and one that I think every Office Administrator should experience.

Editor: Marianne M. Lawhead (mlawhead@sheastokes.com) (This publication is the property of the Atlanta Association of Legal Administrators. Reproduction or reprint without prior permission is strictly prohibited. Click here to request reprint permission.)

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