Leadership Labs
Leadership Labs are free, live, virtual sessions that offer valuable insights and practical guidance on specific topics relevant to successful Inn management. By covering diverse topics such as program development, financial management, and membership recruitment, these sessions address key aspects of Inn management, equipping leaders with effective skills and knowledge to run successful Inns.
Leadership Labs are designed to be interactive and may include current Inn leaders sharing their Inn’s management processes to inspire engaging discussion amongst participants. These free sessions are offered for Inn executive committees and scheduled from 1:00–2:00 p.m. ET on the third Thursday of each month to allow Inn leaders to plan in advance to participate.
Inn leaders are encouraged to participate in one or more Leadership Labs scheduled throughout the Inn year. Experienced Inn leaders are highly encouraged to participate and share their expertise in effective Inn management with other participants.
Upcoming Leadership Labs
April 18, 2024 | 1:00–2:00 p.m. ET
The Achieving Excellence Program: A Road Map to Ensure a High Quality Member Experience
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Come join your American Inns of Court colleagues for a high-level overview of the Achieving Excellence program. Whether your Inn currently participates in the program, or if you’re thinking about opting-in, this interactive session will provide a summary of what the program is, how it improves the member experiences, and what are some of the key dates to be aware of. A Q&A session will follow a brief presentation, so bring your questions and be prepared to share your experience with others.
If your Inn needs help completing your Achieving Excellence items before the April 30, 2024 deadline, don't wait! Send an email with "Help" in the subject line to aexcellence@innsofcourt.org and we'll follow up with you promptly.
May 16, 2024 | 1:00–2:00 p.m. ET
Inn Membership Recruitment and Retention
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Does your Inn struggle to recruit new members? Have you experienced difficulties getting existing members to renew their members? If so, we encourage you to participate in the May Leadership Lab. This session will begin with a brief presentation about general membership recruitment and retention concepts, followed by specific examples of how Inns have successfully tackled this challenge . We’ll close with a Q&A session, so be prepared to ask questions and learn from one another.
June 20, 2024 | 1:00–2:00 p.m. ET
Program Development: Planning Mission Driven Programs
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Monthly Inn programs represent the most tangible benefit that American Inns of Court deliver to their members. Programs offer professional development, networking opportunities, mentoring moments and generally encompass everything that the Inns of Court movement is all about. At the same time, good program development can be time consuming and challenging.
During the June Leadership Lab, we’ll delve into examples of successful program planning models, and will hear directly from award-winning Inns about their program development process. Our goal is for participants to come away with tangible planning practices that can easily be implemented at any Inn.
July 27, 2024 | 8:00–10:00 a.m. ET
Leadership Breakfast
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This networking breakfast is held in conjunction with the Inns of Distinction Gala. Inn leaders from across the country engage in meaningful discussion to help identify the biggest challenges facing the profession and how Inns can be prepared to address those challenges. A summary of the session outcomes will be shared in a future article in The Bencher. Registration for the Leadership Breakfast is included with Gala registration, but Inn leaders not attending the Gala are welcome to join for a nominal fee. If interested, contact your Director of Chapter Relations to learn more.
September 19, 2024 | 1:00–2:00 p.m. ET
Inn Leader Orientation—An Introduction to the Inn Leadership Pipeline
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While all experience levels of Inn leaders are welcome, the September Learning Lab is primarily tailored for those relatively new to American Inn of Court leadership roles. The session will cover the history of the organization, an introduction to key Inn support staff at the national office, a high-level overview of available Inn management tools and resources, and a summary of what a successful Inn year looks like. We’ve also invited the President of the national Board of Trustees to share some inspirational remarks to set the stage for another successful Inn year.
October 17, 2024 | 1:00–2:00 p.m. ET
Technology Bootcamp—An Overview of Technology Platforms Available for Inn Management
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The American Inns of Court national office strives to provide tools and resources that make Inn management more effective. The October Leadership Lab will showcase two technology platforms that can help streamline your Inn’s ability to manage membership rosters and communicate not only to your members, but to anyone interested in learning more about your Inn’s activities.
This session will demonstrate the capabilities of the Inn Management System (IMS), a database used for sending and tracking meeting invitations, invoicing and collecting dues payments, and managing general Inn communications. You will also hear directly from Inn leaders who use the Umbraco webpage management platform to generate a creative web presence for their Inn. Whether your Inn already use these free tools or are hearing about them for the first time, join us to learn how to maximize their use.
Note: This will not be a “how-to” session, but rather a demonstration of these platforms’ capabilities. Your Inn is welcome to contact your director of chapter relations to coordinate a formal training session.
November 21, 2024 | 1:00–2:00 p.m. ET
Succession Planning—Identifying and Recruiting New Leaders to Ensure Sustainability
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As with any business entity, nonprofit or otherwise, long-term sustainability should be at the foundation of all major decisions. Sustainable organizations are highly dependent on diverse perspectives and fresh approaches to existing and unforeseen challenges. Good succession planning helps encourage inclusive and innovative environments, which are key to any Inn’s long-term stability.
As a member of your Inn’s executive committee, one of the most important contributions you can make is to identify your replacement. Join us for the November Leadership Lab as we explore different succession planning models.
January 16, 2025 | 1:00–2:00 p.m. ET
Mentoring—A Critical Component of the Inn Experience
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Mentoring is one of the most valuable experiences Inns can deliver to their members and represents one of the primary reasons attorneys are drawn to the Inn experience. To be effective and add value to membership, the mentoring must be intentional and on a regular cadence. Within these parameters, there are many ways to mentor and be mentored. Join us during Mentoring Month to learn about different ways Inns are delivering mentoring experiences and discover all the mentoring resources available to make it easy.
February 20, 2025 | 1:00–2:00 p.m. ET
Community Outreach - Expanding Your Inns Impact Through Community Outreach Projects
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Community Outreach activities extend the American Inns of Court mission by providing exposure to the broader community and offering opportunities for Inn members to represent the ideals of the American Inn of Court. Join us for the February Leadership Lab where we’ll explore successful outreach activities that have been conducted by Inns across the country. Following a brief presentation on community outreach concepts, we hope to have an Inn leader highlight how their Inn's community outreach activities have made positive impacts within their community. We’ll close the session with an open Q&A session to help generate ideas that your Inn can implement.
March 20, 2025 | 1:00–2:00 p.m. ET
Effective Financial Management and Reporting Practices
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Good, sustainable Inn management requires the development of an annual budget that balances membership dues, and any other revenue, with re-occurring expenses. Effective financial management is one of the most critical elements of ensuring your Inns long-term viability. In the March Leadership Lab, we’ll explore many components of managing Inn finances, including budget development, alternate sources of revenue (sponsorships), and common pitfalls to avoid.