In the years I have worked for this magazine, I've attended countless legal conferences. And they all seem to take on the same rhythm. I attend a preconference networking event at a local restaurant, and I arrive at the conference the next morning for a day of panel discussions and educational sessions, which is usually followed by a cocktail reception–then possibly a group-organized dinner at another local restaurant.

Recently, I had the opportunity to go to an event I had never attended before–the Corporate Counsel Women of Color Career Strategies Conference in Beverly Hills, Calif. For the most part, the CCWC conference followed the same routine as many other legal events, but it had a much livelier rhythm.

Association founder Laurie Robinson (assistant general counsel for CBS Corp. and InsidePerspectives contributor) kicked off the event by giving away a $5,000 prize (prizes such as this were raffled off throughout the day) before introducing the
first panel, “12 Strategies on How to Survive and Thrive as a Woman of Color in the Workplace.” The entire conference took place in one big room at the Beverly Hilton–sans the typical breakout sessions. Surprisingly–with more than 1,000 attendees–this worked out well. Attendees had ample opportunity to network with peers, and conference organizers took
advantage of the breaks to continue the opportunities for learning, with speakers from respected companies such as MasterCard, American Airlines and Toyota sharing “10 Secrets to Discover Your Best Career Yet!” And during lunch, saxophonist Mike Phillips entertained the crowd with his lively jazz. The best way to describe this conference is “high energy.”

But ultimately, the event was about women learning the best strategies for their careers. And it certainly delivered. The panel discussions and speeches were full of sound advice about making the most of an in-house career. Laurie and her team should be proud of the unique event they've created and all the women they are helping achieve their goals. I am grateful to have been invited.

In a separate but sad note: InsideCounsel (formerly Corporate Legal Times), has had to say a final farewell to one of its founders–Thom Goodman. Thom, who helped get CLT off the ground in the early 1990s and served as publisher for its first decade, passed away in late September. Thom understood that in-house counsel would be well-served by receiving
a national magazine solely devoted to their unique management issues. We would like to thank him for creating not only the first publication to address the needs of the in-house bar, but also the solid foundation on which we have built InsideCounsel.

Thank you, Thom.

In the years I have worked for this magazine, I've attended countless legal conferences. And they all seem to take on the same rhythm. I attend a preconference networking event at a local restaurant, and I arrive at the conference the next morning for a day of panel discussions and educational sessions, which is usually followed by a cocktail reception–then possibly a group-organized dinner at another local restaurant.

Recently, I had the opportunity to go to an event I had never attended before–the Corporate Counsel Women of Color Career Strategies Conference in Beverly Hills, Calif. For the most part, the CCWC conference followed the same routine as many other legal events, but it had a much livelier rhythm.

Association founder Laurie Robinson (assistant general counsel for CBS Corp. and InsidePerspectives contributor) kicked off the event by giving away a $5,000 prize (prizes such as this were raffled off throughout the day) before introducing the
first panel, “12 Strategies on How to Survive and Thrive as a Woman of Color in the Workplace.” The entire conference took place in one big room at the Beverly Hilton–sans the typical breakout sessions. Surprisingly–with more than 1,000 attendees–this worked out well. Attendees had ample opportunity to network with peers, and conference organizers took
advantage of the breaks to continue the opportunities for learning, with speakers from respected companies such as MasterCard, American Airlines and Toyota sharing “10 Secrets to Discover Your Best Career Yet!” And during lunch, saxophonist Mike Phillips entertained the crowd with his lively jazz. The best way to describe this conference is “high energy.”

But ultimately, the event was about women learning the best strategies for their careers. And it certainly delivered. The panel discussions and speeches were full of sound advice about making the most of an in-house career. Laurie and her team should be proud of the unique event they've created and all the women they are helping achieve their goals. I am grateful to have been invited.

In a separate but sad note: InsideCounsel (formerly Corporate Legal Times), has had to say a final farewell to one of its founders–Thom Goodman. Thom, who helped get CLT off the ground in the early 1990s and served as publisher for its first decade, passed away in late September. Thom understood that in-house counsel would be well-served by receiving
a national magazine solely devoted to their unique management issues. We would like to thank him for creating not only the first publication to address the needs of the in-house bar, but also the solid foundation on which we have built InsideCounsel.

Thank you, Thom.