Kraft Kennedy

I Don’t Need That… Or Do I?
2026-06-03 15:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
I Don’t Need That… Or Do I?
Explore the hidden risks and operational pitfalls that arise when law firms delay technology updates. This ALA webinar dispels common misconceptions around “nonessential” upgrades and demonstrates how aging systems quietly increase security exposure, reduce productivity, and hinder AI and cloud readiness. Attendees will learn how to identify overlooked modernization opportunities and implement practical improvements that drive measurable impact.
Session Takeaways:
Identify common misconceptions that stall necessary technology upgrades in law firms.
• Recognize operational and security risks introduced by aging systems.
• Understand modernization strategies using Microsoft 365, cloud services, and managed solutions.
• Evaluate ROI and cost‑benefit models to strengthen leadership approval.
• Communicate modernization needs effectively to attorneys and executive stakeholders.
Sulabh Upadhyaya is an experienced Management Consultant with nearly twenty years in legal technology. Since joining Kraft Kennedy in 2008, he has advised law firms on operational and technology challenges, drawing on deep expertise in IT leadership and project management. Known for building strong client relationships, Sulabh delivers practical, actionable guidance that helps clients achieve successful outcomes. He is also a frequent speaker at ILTA and ALA events.
Charles Ottenweller is a legal-tech industry leader with over twenty years of experience as a CIO and Management Consultant. He combines experience with law firm operations and their successes with the people, process, and technology required. He has spoken at events for ILTA, American Bar Association, Association of Legal Administrators (ALA), DRI, ALAS, and more.
Register: Here
When: Wednesday, June 3, 2026 | 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm ET
Where: Virtual
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ALA Golden Gate Wine Pop-Up
2026-06-09 17:00 - 18:00
ALA Golden Gate Wine Pop-Up
Chris Arrowsmith and ALA (Association of Legal Administrators) Golden Gate friends will gather for an evening of conversation, connection, and flavor at the Wine Pop-Up with Ryan and and Katrina.
When: Tuesday, June 9, 2026 | 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Where: San Francisco Wine Society
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ALA NYC Charity Fundraiser
2026-06-09 17:30 - 20:30 | Trattoria Dell’Arte, 900 7th Ave, New York City, New York
ALA NYC Charity Fundraiser
Caesar Rodriguez and the ALA NYC community will come together for a special fundraising event in support of Give Beauty Wings, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering individuals of all ages through inclusive programs, creativity, and community connection.
Give Beauty Wings offers programs tailored to both individual and organizational needs, with a strong focus on supporting the disabled community while remaining open and welcoming to everyone. Their mission is rooted in celebrating the universal beauty within each person and encouraging the unique gifts and full potential of every participant.
When: Tuesday, June 09, 2026 | 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM EDT
Where: Trattoria Dell’Arte
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ALA Boston Happy Hour
2026-06-10 17:30 - 19:00 | Fin Point Oyster Bar + Grill, 89 Broad St, Boston, MA, 02110, United States
ALA Boston Happy Hour
Join Kraft Kennedy, Laurel, and ALA Boston friends for a post-luncheon happy hour featuring lite bites and refreshing drinks.
When: Wednesday, June 10, 2026 | 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Where: Fin Point Oyster Bar + Grill
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ALA Chapter Leadership Institute 2026
2026-06-16 - 2026-06-18 | Tempe, Tempe, AZ, United States
ALA Chapter Leadership Institute 2026
The Kraft Kennedy team, ALA Board of Directors, chapter leaders, and the Chapter Connections Committee will come together for a collaborative two-day experience filled with energizing keynote speakers, engaging breakout sessions, and interactive small group exchanges.
Sessions will focus on chapter management, recruiting and engaging members, and attendees will leave equipped with essential tools to harmonize their leadership abilities, fresh insights, and new connections to strengthen their chapter impact.
Register here
When: Tuesday, June 16, 2026 – Thursday, June 18, 2026
Where: Tempe, Arizona
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Webinar: Why Firms are Going Passwordless
2026-06-16 14:00 - 15:00
Cyber Chapter of ALA Webinar: Why Firms are Going Passwordless

Passwords are no longer enough to protect today’s law firms.
This informative session will explore how Passkey technology is reshaping authentication and helping firms move toward a passwordless future. Register here.
Kraft Kennedy CIO, Marcus Bluestein, will share real-world success stories of firms that have embraced passwordless strategies and demonstrate how frictionless login enhances both security and user experience.
Join us to:

Discover how passwordless authentication reduces risk while delivering a faster, more seamless user experience.
Understand why passwordless authentication should be a priority security initiative.
Explore Passkey functionality and the components that improve security as well as user experience.
Experience a passwordless environment and watch an actual passkey logon across Microsoft programs.

When: Tuesday, June 16, 2026 | 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm ET
Where: Virtual Webinar
Who Can Attend: ALA Members and professionals focused on operational efficiency and security.
Register for ‘Why Firms are Going Passwordless’
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ALA Chicago Education Event & Summer Social
2026-06-16 15:30 - 19:00 | The Bell, 225 W Randolph, Chicago, IL, 60606, United States
ALA Chicago Education Event & Summer Social
Succession planning isn’t just for retirement. It’s about protecting your firm’s stability and culture through intentional leadership development. In this session, two seasoned law firm administrators will share practical strategies they have used to identify and prepare future leaders, document critical processes and ensure smooth leadership transitions.
Explore how to navigate the emotional side of letting go and, just as importantly, how to align your plan with your firm’s unique culture and your partners’ expectations for filling your role when the time comes. Leave with actionable tools to strengthen your firm’s leadership pipeline and be ready for whatever comes next.
Learning Objectives:

Understand why succession planning preserves firm culture and stability
Align planning with firm culture and partner expectations
Navigate the emotional side of letting go
Identify and develop internal leadership talent
Create a clear, supported transition plan

CLM Credit avialble for this event.
After the session, join Sara Zezza and ALA Chicago friends in toasting to summer.
Register Here
When: Tuesday, June 16, 2026 | 3:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Where: The Bell
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Trust by Design: Practical AI Governance and Change Management
2026-06-23 11:45 - 13:15 | Van Ness LLP, 2000 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 20006
Generative AI tools like Microsoft Copilot can boost productivity, but only when people trust how the tools are used, what data they can access, and how outcomes are reviewed.
Our team will help translate AI and governance concepts into plain language for legal administrators and operations leaders. Attendees will learn how to set practical guardrails (policies, roles, approval paths, and risk checks), align to compliance expectations, and run a change plan that drives adoption without surprises. Technical IT directors will leave with a shared “business-first” governance blueprint they can implement with their stakeholders.
This session will equip legal management professionals with a governance-first approach to adopting generative AI, balancing innovation, confidentiality, compliance, and culture, so the organization can use tools like Copilot responsibly, consistently, and confidently.
Register here
Learning Objectives

Define generative AI and “Copilot-style” assistants in business terms, including common benefits and common failure modes (privacy, accuracy, and overreach).
Identify the core building blocks of AI governance: decision rights, acceptable use, data boundaries, human review, documentation, and exception handling.
Highlight a lightweight operating model that connects admins to legal ops, risk/compliance, HR/training, and IT/security (who owns what, who approves what, and how issues are escalated).
Show attendees how to apply practical change-management techniques to move from pilot to production: communications, training, measurement, and feedback loops.

Featured Speakers:
Stacy Jenkins is a dedicated client experience professional. For over two decades. Her specialties include client relationship management, strategic consulting and marketing expertise in information technology. She has been with Kraft Kennedy for over five years and previously held similar roles in client management and solutions consulting.
Marcus Bluestein is the Chief Information Officer at Kraft Kennedy. With almost 35 years of experience at Kraft Kennedy, Marcus is focused on providing technology services to our clients. He enjoys discovering and implementing the newest technologies for both research and production use and is a frequent speaker at events like Kraft Kennedy University, ILTA webinars and industry events, including ILTA’s Evolve and ILTACON, and at regional ALA chapter events.
Location:

Van Ness LLP
2000 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Suite 6000
Washington, DC 20006

Register here
Time & Date:
June 23, 2026
11:45am ET – 1:15pm ET

Mile High ALA Networking Happy Hour with Pickleball
2026-06-24 16:00 - 19:00 | Moodswing Denver, 3625 E 48th Ave, Denver, CO, 80216, United States
Mile High ALA Networking Happy Hour with Pickleball
Caesar Rodriguez and Mile High ALA friends will gather for an evening of pickleball, fun, food, drinks, and great conversation.
When: Wednesday, June 24, 2026 | 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Where: Moodswing Denver
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ALA Golden Gate Social Hour
2026-06-24 17:00 - 18:00 | Shotski’s Alpine Lodge, 239 Kearny Street, San Francisco, CA, 94108, United States
ALA Golden Gate Social Hour
Chris Arrowsmith looks forward to an evening of refreshing drink and conversation with ALA Golden Gate friends.
When: Wednesday, June 24, 2026 | 5:00 – 6:00 PM
Where: Shotski’s Alpine Lodge
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ALA Golden Gate BP Appreciation
2026-06-25 11:45 - 14:00 | Sens, 4 Embarcadero Ctr., San Francisco, CA, 94111, United States
ALA Golden Gate BP Appreciation
Chris Arrowsmith and ALA Golden Gate friends will gather for a celabratory lunch and afternoon of raffle prices and community cheer.
When: Thursday, June 25, 2026 | 11:45 AM – 2:00 PM
Where: Sens
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ALA Central Florida Pickleball Pop Up
2026-06-25 17:30 - 19:30 | PickleX, 6100 Hanging Moss Road, Orlando, Florida, 32807
ALA Central Florida Pickleball Pop Up
Savannah Cameron and ALA Central Florida friends look forward to an evening of friendly pickleball competition, light snacks, and refreshing drinks.
Register: Here
When: June 25, 2026 | 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Where: PickleX
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ALA Suncoast Summer Social
2026-06-25 17:30 - 19:30 | Yeoman’s TopGolf, 202 N. Morgan St., Tampa, FL, 33602, United States
ALA Suncoast Summer Social
Martin Leyendecker and ALA Suncoast friends look forward to an evening of lite bites, refreshing drinks, and friendly round of golf during the Summer Social.
When: Thursday, June 25, 2026 | 5:30 – 7:30 PM
Where: Yeoman’s TopGolf
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ALA Capital Chapter Toni K Allen Lunch
2026-07-15 12:00 - 14:00
ALA Capital Chapter Toni K Allen Lunch
Stacy Jenkins, John DiLullo, and ALA Capital Chapter friends will gather for an afternoon luncheon and Toni K. Allen scholarship presentation.
When: Wednesday, July 15, 2026 | 12:00 – 2:00 PM
Where: Bobby Van’s Grill
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Chapter Leadership Institute 2026
2026-07-16 - 2026-07-18
Chapter Leadership Institute 2026
The Association of Legal Administrators (ALA) Chapter Leadership Institute ia a unique opportunity that brings together chapter leaders, the ALA Board of Directors, and the Chapter Connections Committee for a collaborative experience featuring energizing keynote speakers, engaging breakout sessions, and interactive small group exchanges.
Sessions will focus on chapter management, recruiting and engaging members, and equipping attendees with essential tools to align on goals, strengthen team connections and return with shared strategies and fresh ideas.
Explore how leadership thrives on creativity, expanding your range, and the courage to improvise when it’s time to sing a new tune.
When: July 16 – 18, 2026
Where: Tempe, Arizona
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[Master Class]ILTA: Beyond the Help Desk: Rethinking Law Firm Technology Support in a Multi-Vendor World
2026-07-21 12:00 - 13:00
[Master Class] ILTA: Beyond the Help Desk: Rethinking Law Firm Technology Support in a Multi-Vendor World
Mid-size and large law firms depend on a complex mix of highly integrated platforms, from Microsoft and iManage to Citrix, NetDocs and beyond, but when issues cross systems, traditional vendor support often falls short. In this pre-ILTACON webinar, we will explore why law firms need more than reactive troubleshooting: they need expert, cross-platform guidance that understands the realities of legal operations.
Attendees will learn how to address common support gaps, reduce finger-pointing across vendors, and bring more strategic oversight to fast-changing cloud environments. Joe Hoegler, Kraft Kennedy’s Chief Technology Innovation Officer, will discuss how firms can benchmark their approach against peer organizations and make smarter decisions about support models, technology investments, and change readiness.
Register here
Webinar Key Takeaways

Law Firm Support Is More Complex Than Ever

Understand why legal workflows, user expectations, and business priorities create support needs that standard vendor models often miss.

Vendor Support Alone Often Falls Short

Recognize where siloed support, slow escalations, and limited legal-industry context can delay resolution and frustrate users.

Expert Guidance Helps Firms Move Beyond Break/Fix

See when firms benefit from architect-level support for strategic troubleshooting, implementation guidance, and advisory input.

Cloud Change Requires Better Readiness

Identify what firms can control, what they need to prepare for, and how to stay ahead of rapid platform changes.

Discussion and Q&A

Leave with practical questions to evaluate your firm’s current internal/external support model and identify opportunities to improve.

Webinar Moderator:
Beth Anne Stuebe: Beth Anne Stuebe is Director of Sales Operations and a leader in marketing, sales, and content strategy. She is known for building high-impact messaging, driving audience engagement, and managing content across webinars, podcasts, events, and strategic communications. Her background includes leadership roles with ILTA, FileTrail (Litera), and iManage.
Featured Expert:
Joe Hoegler: Joe Hoegler is Chief Technology Innovation Officer at Kraft Kennedy, where he leads technology services delivery and solution development for clients across the legal industry. With more than 20 years of experience in legal technology, he works closely with practice leaders to align innovative solutions with client priorities while maintaining exceptional service quality. Joe has deep expertise in cloud services, enterprise messaging, infrastructure, and emerging technologies, and he has led projects for numerous AmLaw 100 firms as well as small and mid-sized organizations. He previously led Kraft Kennedy’s Infrastructure and Enterprise Systems practice group. Joe is a frequent speaker on artificial intelligence, security, cloud computing, remote work and collaboration, and enterprise

Location:
Webinar, virtual only
Register here

When:
Tuesday, July 21, 2026
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET

ALA Boston 2026 Summer Social
2026-08-13 16:30 - 19:00
ALA Boston 2026 Summer Social
Caesar Rodriguez and ALA Boston friends will gather for an evening of conversation, connection, and summer celebration.
When: Thursday, August 13, 2026 | 4:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Where: Hyatt Place Seaport
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ILTACON 2026
2026-08-23 - 2026-08-27 | Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, 2800 Opryland Drive, Nashville, TN, 37214, United States
Kraft Kennedy Happenings
See what we have planned for ILTACON 2026. Featured Kraft Kennedy Sessions, Advance entry for our giveaways, Roadmapping, and more.
Get your Tickets Now for The Annual ILTACON Golf Outing.
ILTACON 2026 | August 23-27, 2026 | Gaylord Opryland | Nashville, TN.
Registration
ILTACON 2026
Date & Location
Sunday, August 23, 2026 – Thursday, August 27, 2026 | Gaylord Opryland
Agenda for ILTACON 2026
What is ILTACON?
The educational program includes a variety of topics and trends developed by co-chairs and experienced members in formats to meet a variety of learning styles that include learning pathways, panel discussions, hands-on training and attendee-driven sessions.
ILTACON is a robust 4.5 day conference, with comprehensive peer-driven programs, educational content, and face-to-face networking. Check back ILTACON 2026 Agenda
What is ILTA?
The International Legal Technology Association (ILTA) serves the professional needs of more than 25,000 international legal technology professionals and their organizations. Since 1980, the association’s focus is to achieve results for our membership and the legal technology profession at large. Much of the value we provide as an association occurs through the coordinated efforts with our global volunteer membership teams.
More information on all ILTA events and conferences can be found here. Information on ILTA Volunteer roles can be found here.
More Information
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