All scheduled events are tentative and subject to change. Check back for frequent updates and program descriptions.
You can register for Midyear Meeting today!
All times are Central Standard.
2021 Midyear Meeting Schedule
Tuesday, February 16
5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
YLD Virtual Dine-Arounds
Come join your fellow YLDers for an unforgettable (virtual) meal. For those in Hawaii, come armed with (or chat while you cook) your favorite lunch. For our West Coast folks, share with us your go-to afternoon snack and tips for staving off that afternoon slump. And for our Central and East Coast folks, we’re talking dinner—cook, plate, eat and share your favorite dinner. Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to break bread with your fellow YLDers and learn about their favorite restaurants, recipes, and meals.
Wednesday, February 17
9:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.
YLD Wellness: Meditation Series Day 1
Why not start of each day of the conference with mindfulness meditation? Join YLD'er Christina Sava for a 15 minute mid-day break.
10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
YLD Council Meeting
1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
YLD Fellows Board Meeting
2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
YLD Committee Showcase and Scavenger Hunt
Interested in learning more about the practice-specific content that the Young Lawyers Division provides for its members but don’t know where to start? Want to know more about the Division’s process for appointing leadership positions or its Well-Being programming? Join us for the YLD’s first ever virtual Committee Showcase.
Using the Remo platform, attendees will be able to visit with tables dedicated to our various practice-area specific committees to learn more about what they do and how you can get involved. We will also have tables for our Professional Development team, the Appointments process with Chair-Elect Choi Portis, and the YLD Well-Being team. And throughout the hour, attendees will have to keep their ears and eyes open for clues for the scavenger hunt that will take place during the showcase.
3:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.
YLD Wellness Initiative: Making your Place in the Legal Profession as a Young Attorney; and Yoga for the Desk Bound (CLE)
The National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being identifies Occupational Well-Being as one of the six dimensions of Lawyer well-being. But how do we cultivate personal satisfaction, growth, and enrichment in work when the legal profession places so many demands on young attorneys?
This session will explore how to thrive in your career by bringing your authentic self to the table. Young attorneys have a big role to play in advancing the legal profession into the future, but this movement starts on the personal level. In this session, renowned attorney, author, mindfulness coach and productivity consultant Ritu Goswamy will guide participants in exploring:
- The importance of finding your unique voice and creating your place in the legal profession
- Reconnecting to what you love about being a lawyer so that you can bring a renewed energy to your work life
- Embracing personal evolution as a means of evolving the practice of law
This session will also include a 15-minute desk yoga session led by St. Louis attorney Amy Rebecca Johnson.
5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
GPSolo Young Lawyers Networking Event
We hope you can join us for an evening of trivia, networking and fun! As part of the 2021 ABA Midyear Meeting, the Solo, Small Firm and General Practice Division (GPSolo) and the Young Lawyers Division (YLD) are co-sponsoring an event for young lawyers, new lawyers, or anyone who likes trivia. You have to register for the Midyear meeting to sign up for Trivia Night – but the good news is that it is all free!
Winner get bragging rights for all eternity. Sign up at: ambar.org/midyear.
Thursday, February 18
9:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.
YLD Wellness: Meditation Series Day 2
Why not start of each day of the conference with mindfulness meditation? Join YLD'er Christina Sava for a 15 minute mid-day break.
10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
YLD Diversity Dialogue Virtual Discussion
11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
YLD Wellness: Mindful Yoga
Breathe. Relax. Take some time to listen to your mind and body. Why not start your day off with mindfulness meditation and yoga. Join YLD as we charge through a 30-minute yoga power session. Namaste.
This will be a flow style class an example of Yin class. For participants, you will need a mat, grab either blocks (or pillows/blanket whichever items they have) for props. A blanket and a throw pillow works great, so there is no need for participants to go out and purchase blocks.
2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Understanding and Navigating the Student Debt Crisis
Based on brand new survey data, the ABA YLD has issued a landmark report on the current state of law student loan debt. Among the many findings, we learned that over 75% of respondents had over $100,000 in student loan debt, and that almost 90% of respondents said their debt had a major impact on important life decisions. In this program, we will dive into the report’s findings and discuss proposed solutions – on both the practical, personal level and the systemic, policy level – to address these critical issues.
Speakers
- Kyle Fry, Assistant General Counsel, Kent Corporation
- Abre’ Conner, Directing Attorney, Law Foundation of Silicon Valley
- Nancy Conneely, Director of Policy, AccessLex
- Chad Christensen, Project Manager, Law School Survey of Student Engagement (LSSSE)
Moderator
- Aaron Sohaski, Director of Contracting and Compliance, Henry Ford Health System
3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
YLD Candidates Forum
4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
YLD Scholars Virtual Meet Up w/ Walmart
4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Spirit of Excellence Awards Luncheon (YLD sponsor only)
- Produced by: Commission on Racial Ethnic Diversity in Profession
Friday, February 19
10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
The Emotional Influence of Gruesome Photographs in the Courtroom (CLE)
Lawyers, judges, and juries are faced with a barrage of evidence and arguments displayed in visual form –sometimes gruesome in nature. Courtroom images can influence beliefs, emotions, and judgments in ways that have yet to be empirically examined. This research seminar explores how emotionally evocative modes of visual evidence can affect the psychology of jurors’ decision making processes —through influence on emotions, attention to evidence, and legal judgments at the individual and group level. The results of two experiments conducted by ABF Research Professor Janice Nadler have shown that gruesome photographs of a murder victim can increase the propensity to convict, with an increase of conviction dependent on race. The panel will further examine the extent to which gruesome photographs limit juror attention to evidence rousing negative emotions, and present potential safeguards that may mitigate the prejudicial effect of this type of visual evidence.
Moderator
- Hon. Bernice Donald U.S. Court Of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
Panelists
- Janice Nadler, Research Professor, American Bar Foundation Nathaniel L. Nathanson Professor of Law, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law
- Mary D. Fan, Jack R. MacDonald Endowed Chair and Professor of Law, University of Washington
- Sandra Guerra Thompson, Newell H. Blakely Chair; Director, Criminal Justice Institute, University of Houston Law Center
Sponsor
- The Fellows of the American Bar Foundation
Co-sponsor
- ABA Young Lawyers Division
11:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
YLD Wellness: Meditation Series Day 3
Why not start of each day of the conference with mindfulness meditation? Join YLD'er Christina Sava for a 15 minute mid-day break.
1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
YLD Assembly
4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
GOOD Guys Judicial Edition: Calling All GOOD Guys: Male Leaders are Key to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Sponsored by:
- National Conference Women's Bar Association
Co-Sponsored by:
- Commission on Women In the Profession
- Young Lawyers Division
5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
2021 ABA YLD Midyear Wrap Up
Don’t leave just yet. Take this time to reflect on our time together, hear about programs or events you may have missed, and spend just a bit more time with your YLD friends. Led by NCT Vice Director Cameo Joseph.
Sunday, February 21
2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Caucus of Young Lawyer Delegates to the ABA House