NAWL’s 2025 Leadership Program is a virtual 6-week intensive cohort that seeks to strengthen participants’ leadership skills and build their professional networks. The mission of the Program is to help participants prioritize themselves and advance their careers.
Each session is designed to assist participants in fortifying their sense of leadership and developing meaningful connections through impactful presentations, small-group discussions, and community-building exercises. The Program is intended for NAWL members who have not previously participated in the Leadership Program and are in a mid-to-senior career stage or beyond and ready to move to the next level (for example, into partnership, equity partnership, a leadership or management position in their company or firm, or otherwise) and are looking to finetune their leadership skills in the process. All participants will be provided individual growth opportunities on emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and other learned skills that lead to continued career development and career opportunities.
If you're not yet a NAWL member but would like to register for the Leadership Program, click here to become a member first.
Leadership Program sessions will be held each Thursday from March 27 - May 1, 2025.
The 90-minute sessions will be held virtually, with a speaker or panel discussing each topic to kick off the session, followed by breakout sessions with designated smaller cohort groups. These cohort groups will remain intact throughout the Program to foster meaningful relationships, create trusted spaces for discussion, and ensure deep, long-term connections.
Participants must commit to attend five out of the six sessions when registering.
12:00 - 1:30 PM ET
Discovering Your Leadership Path
Welcome to the first step of your Leadership Program journey! In this orientation session, you’ll hear an overview of how the Program works and connect with your small-group cohort, setting the stage for your growth over the next six weeks. Through cohort discussions, you’ll uncover what it means to be a leader, identify your leadership skills, and gain insights into your strengths, values, and areas for development.
12:00 - 1:30 PM ET
In this session, you’ll learn how to master the art of speaking truth to power in a way that strengthens your personal brand and builds credibility. Whether you’re addressing management, clients, or colleagues, discover strategies for confidently delivering tough messages – like telling clients or leadership they’re wrong and need to pivot – while maintaining professionalism and respect.
We’ll explore how to frame your feedback constructively, develop a strong executive presence, and communicate with clarity and influence in high-stakes environments, such as boardrooms or team meetings. By the end of this session, you'll feel more comfortable asserting your ideas and opinions, ensuring your voice is heard without compromising your reputation or relationships.
12:00 - 1:30 PM ET
Building Your Personal Brand: Standing Out Professionally
In today’s competitive landscape, cultivating a strong personal brand is essential to distinguishing yourself in your profession. This session will guide you through the process of defining, refining, and promoting your unique value proposition, whether you're advancing in your current role or positioning yourself for new opportunities. Through practical strategies and real-world examples, you'll learn how to align your professional identity with your strengths, values, and goals, while building a reputation that resonates with colleagues, clients, and industry leaders.
By the end of the session, you'll have actionable tools to enhance your presence both online and offline, ensuring that your personal brand becomes a powerful asset in advancing your career.
12:00 - 1:30 PM ET
The Team Management Toolkit: Strategies for Leading with Impact
Effective team management is an essential skill for any leader, and building the right toolkit can set you up for success.
In this session, you will learn key strategies, techniques, and tools to enhance your leadership approach and improve team performance. From setting clear expectations to fostering collaboration and managing conflict, we’ll explore practical methods for handling the everyday challenges of leading a team. You’ll leave with a personalized team management toolkit designed to empower you to lead with confidence, cultivate a positive team culture, and drive results.
12:00 - 1:30 PM ET
In this panel discussion, a diverse group of professionals will share their unique career journeys, highlighting how nonlinear paths—filled with pivots, detours, and unexpected opportunities—have shaped their success. From changing industries to evolving roles, our panelists will discuss the value of embracing flexibility, learning from setbacks, and remaining open to new directions.
Hear firsthand stories and gain inspiration for your own career.
12:00 - 1:30 PM ET
Ask Me Anything: Insights from Legal Industry Experts
Curious about the leadership trends, best practices, or insider tips in the legal profession? This "Ask Me Anything" session gives you the chance to engage directly with a panel of industry experts. Whether you’re looking for advice on career growth, tackling challenges, or navigating emerging opportunities, our panelists are here to provide real-time answers to your burning questions. This interactive session allows you to tap into the knowledge and experience of professionals who have successfully shaped their careers and workplaces.
Come prepared with your questions—this is your opportunity to gain valuable wisdom from those who’ve been there and done it!
NAWL Member
Non-Profit / Government Attorney
NAWL Sustaining Sponsor*
Price
$1,500
$750
$1,000
*Sustaining Sponsors are allocated a set number of complimentary tickets by level. Additional tickets can be purchased with this registration type. If your organization is a Sustaining Sponsor, check with them for more details.
"If I had to choose one thing that I found most valuable it would have been the cohort groups. It was fantastic that this was the same group of women each week."
"I am so impressed by the quality of the speakers, variety of topics and how practical the program was overall. Also enjoyed the breakout sessions and getting to know attorneys from around the country with different backgrounds and practices."
"From my experiences, I have not always been able to network, learn, and be inclusive in a summit such as this. This was definitely one of most, if not the top best experiences of my professional career. I found myself after every session chatting about speakers and our discussions in our cohort groups with my friends and partner. Thank you for putting on this program!!"
"Being able to hear the perspectives from other women was so valuable."
"If I had to choose one thing that I found most valuable it would have been the cohort groups. It was fantastic that this was the same group of women each week."
"I am so impressed by the quality of the speakers, variety of topics and how practical the program was overall. Also enjoyed the breakout sessions and getting to know attorneys from around the country with different backgrounds and practices."