2026 Annual Conference

APRIL 23-26, 2026

the HENDERSON BEACH RESORT

SEE YOU IN SUNNY DESTIN, FLORIDA!

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SPONSORSHIPS

A DIFFERENT KIND OF CONFERENCE

A DIFFERENT KIND OF CONFERENCE

Meet us in FLORIDA for this life-changing conference.

You’ll earn CLE hours and network with colleagues, but you’ll also engage in meaningful conversation and make lifelong connections. The Society is a community dedicated to lifting women up, side by side, supporting them in their endeavors to be the best trial attorneys & women they can be. Our annual conference is where we come together to check in, support one another, and re-engage as a community.

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Attention First & Second Year Attorneys! Call 850-304-9674 to receive a discounted conference rate.

Meet your 2026 FACULTY

2026 AnnuAL Conference

rising with the tide: Power, purpose and advocacy in the face of adversity
Co-CHAIRED by April Collins & MAGGIE LANGDON

  • 6:00 to 8:00 PM | Registration and Opening Reception on the Sunset Terrace, Henderson Beach Resort

    Co-Sponsored by EVE & Assembly NEOS

  • 6:30 AM to 7:00 AM | Student Coffee and Resume Review

    7:00 AM to 8:00 AM | Networking Breakfast, CRYSTAL BALLROOM 3

    8:00 AM to 8:15 AM | Welcome & Introductions, CRYSTAL BALLROOM 1 & 2

    8:15 AM to 9:00 AM | Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
    La’Verne Edney

    9:00 AM to 10:30 AM | Peeking Behind the Curtain: From Focus Groups to Jury Selection and Beyond
    Artemis Malekpour

    10:30 AM to 10:45 AM | Coffee Break, FOYER

    10:45 AM to 11:30 AM | Workplace Toxicity and How to Cure It
    Carrie Roane & Dana Brooks

    11:30 AM to 12:15 PM | Building Winning Teams: Build Well, Lead Strong, Win Together
    Lexlee Overton

    12:15 PM to 1:15 PM | Networking Lunch with Woman of the Year Presentation, CRYSTAL BALLROOM 3

    1:15 PM to 2:00 PM | Building the Team: Managing Co-Counsel, Experts & Clients in Nationwide Cases
    Ashlea Schwarz

    2:00 to 2:45 PM | Diversification: The Key to Building Your Practice
    Madeline Pendley

    2:45 to 3:15 PM | Power, Presence, & Perception: Building a Brand That Matches Your Impact
    Alecia Emidy & Sydney Ludtke

    3:15 PM to 4:15 PM | Student Skills Training with Faculty

    5:00 to 7:00 PM | Sunset Bar Association Happy Hour
    hosted by Marci Gordon of Comprehensive Settlement Solutions and Perry & Young Law Firm, AT THE HENDERSON HAUS (walking distance)

  • 7:00 AM to 8:00 AM | Networking Breakfast, CRYSTAL BALLROOM 3

    8:00 AM to 8:45 AM | Leaps of Faith: Making Bold Career Choices Work for You
    Danielle Mason, CRYSTAL BALLROOM 1 & 2

    8:45 AM to 9:30 AM | Learning from Our Losses: Building Resilience, Confidence and Strength to Carry into Future Cases Renee Franchi

    8:45 AM to 9:30 AM | Paralegal Breakout Session: Intake with Integrity: Trauma-Informed Practices that Protect Survivors and Strengthen Litigation Outcomes
    Taxie Lambert,     DESTIN BALLROOM

    9:30AM to 10:15AM | Coal to Diamonds: Using Your Bad Facts to Your Advantage
    Bibi Fell

    9:30 AM to 10:15 AM | Paralegal Breakout Session: Presence to Power - Mastering Authority as a Woman Paralegal
    Bettina Altizer,     DESTIN BALLROOM

    10:15 to 10:30 | Coffee Break, FOYER

    10:30 AM to 11:15 AM | MetaData Matters: Using Digital Evidence To Win
    Caroline Newsome

    11:15 AM to NOON | Using AI to Level the Playing Field Hannah Garrett

    11:15 AM to 12:15 PM |Paralegal Breakout Session: Roundtable Session
    Taxie Lambert, Amy Angelo, Rashida Forbes & Susan Staggs,     DESTIN BALLROOM

    12:00 PM to 1:00 PM | Networking Lunch, CRYSTAL BALLROOM 3

    1:00 PM to 2:00 PM | Whose Story Is This? Finding the Person Behind the Case
    Courtney Winston & Dr. Shami Goyal

    2:00 PM to 2:45 PM | Mom Guilt: The Internal Conflict
    Nicole Smith

    2:45 PM to 3:30 PM | Grit and Grace: The Long Path to Becoming a Lawyer. Diane Friend

    3:30 to 4:00 PM | PR Strategies for Any and Every Size Firm
    Stephanie Wolf

    5:30 TO 7:30 PM | SUNSET DOLPHIN CRUISE, Sponsored by MeanPug (must sign up in advance)

  • 7:30 AM to 8:00 AM | Breakfast, CRYSTAL BALLROOM 3

    8:00 AM to 11:00 AM | Winning Without Raising Your Voice: The Art of Elicitation, Interrogation, and Deescalation for Women Trial Lawyers
    Bettina Altizer, CRYSTAL BALLROOM 1 & 2

    Conference Ends

Our host hotel is
the HENDERSON BEACH RESORT

Experience the timeless romance of Henderson Beach Resort on Florida’s Emerald Coast. Where Southern charm meets modern luxury.

Generations have chosen Henderson Beach Resort as a place to reconnect, discover, and unwind. Surround yourself with the beauty of nature and shape storied memories that will last a lifetime.

Please use the booking link below to secure your room or call the reservation department at 855-741-2777 and use the group name “Society of Women Trial Lawyers” or group code “10G87W”.

Society of Women Trial Lawyers at The Henderson Beach Resort & Spa

·The price shown online is reflective of the room rate, resort fee, and taxes on the resort fee. The contracted rate is shown on the booking page. The above link will remain active until the block is full or on the cutoff date (April 1st), whichever comes first. Guests looking to book a condo should book a standard room first through the link, then email krichards@hendersonbeachresort.com with the condo size you would like to upgrade to.

Continuing Legal Education

An application for accreditation for continuing legal education credit is submitted to all applicable states. Number of credits awarded will vary based on state regulations. A minimum of 14 hours including 1 hour of ethics has been approved by most states. Please bring your license and/or bar information with you to the program.

 

Hear from our members

  • Renee Franchi, Soteria Law

    “Thank you to Nancy and everyone in the SWTL family!  If it wasn’t for all the amazing support that I received at the SWTL conference in April, I don’t know if I would have ever made this leap.  Everyone I spoke with was so incredibly helpful, wise, and supportive when I needed it the most.  After I returned from the conference in Scottsdale, I was determined to forge a new path and find a way out to Colorado where I’ve always wanted to end up.  A few months later, I’ve found a wonderful new firm, made the trek from the east coast across the country, and I couldn’t be happier."

     

  • Christine Murphy, The Jaklitsch Law Group

    “I’ve spent many years attending (and trying to get out of attending) conferences. This is the ONLY conference that I want to attend each and every session. When I leave the Society of Women Trial Lawyers conference, I feel like I’m a better lawyer, but also a better person.”

  • Somer Brown, Cox Cox Filo

    “The seminars put on by the Society bring top-notch and relevant education, but also allow me to see, hear from, and network with an amazing group of women who ‘get it’ and support me and others in achieving their personal profession goals - whatever those may be!”

  • Amanda K. Klevorn, Burns Charest

    “Thank you so much for organizing this event—it was one of the best conferences I’ve attended in a very long time. Inspiring, empowering, and full of useful/substantive advice.”

  • Alexandra Rizzo Arnold, Dever Law Group

    “As someone who was sworn into practice during the height of Covid, it felt hard to network and meaningfully connect with others while behind a screen. This organization provides a true sense of community. I was personally greeted by other members during the first meeting I attended and have felt at home since.”

  • Cara L. O'Brien, O'Brien Law

    “Many heartfelt thanks to everyone that put so much effort and thought into the annual conference in Nashville. I’ve been to a lot of conferences and this one was so wonderfully different. The substance and energy were amazing. Everyone from Maryland loved everything about it. “

  • Kathryn L. Avila, Levin Papantonio Rafferty

    “Thank you so much for putting such a powerful group of women together and facilitating the energy we need to build each other up and empower each other. ”