MSJDN’s annual Making the Right Moves (MRM) event is a conference dedicated specifically to the professional development of military spouse attorneys. In past years, the event has been held in Washington, D.C., and in San Diego, California. This year, MSJDN is excited to gather in Seattle, Washington, for a day of education, networking, professional development, and celebration of military spouse attorneys. The conference will take place on Friday, October 23, at Bracewell & Giuliani LLP’s offices, located at 701 Fifth Avenue, Suite 6200, in Seattle, and features a full day of events.

Professionals from across the country will gather in Seattle to learn from and encourage one another and to discuss issues facing military spouse attorneys and how to make a legal career compatible with the military lifestyle. This year’s conference will feature many informative and interesting panels for military spouse attorneys, including presentations focused on technology, non-traditional careers for JDs, small business formation, and gaining experience through volunteering – just to name a few! Yet another panel will focus on “Grit and Growth” and the American Bar Association’s Grit Project that educates women lawyers about the science behind grit and growth mindset – two important traits that many successful women lawyers have in common. By presenting a panel focused on building a mindset for success, MSJDN hopes to help provide members with the tools to assess and learn these traits and thereby enhance their careers.

MRM 2015 will feature a dynamic array of speakers, including keynote speaker Dan Lear of Avvo. Currently the Director of Industry Relations for Avvo, Dan Lear is also the cofounder of the Seattle Legal Technology and Innovation MeetUp and the author of the blog Right Brain Law. The conference will also feature Bill Hayden, a senior attorney at Microsoft and retired naval officer who heads Microsoft’s veterans initiative, and Greg McLawson, the founding attorney of Sound Immigration, whose self-described passion is “reinventing the practice of law to make it work better for those we serve.” Ryan Gist, corporate counsel at Expedia, and Deborah Chapnick, senior counsel at Boeing, will also address attendees.

For entrepreneurs and those advising entrepreneurs, Donna Huneycutt, co-owner and chief operating officer of Wittenberg Weiner Consulting, will conduct a small business formation workshop. For those interested in the political realm, a “Homefront Rising” panel will explore careers in public service. Military spouse and former Romney transition team member Jinyoung Englund, Sen. Patty Murray staffer Kierra Phifer and several other experts will discuss how military spouses can engage in the political process.  These are just a few of the topics and speakers scheduled to share their expertise on a wide range of issues relevant to military spouses in the legal profession! See the full agenda on the event page.

In addition, during the networking luncheon, MSJDN will recognize one of its members with the MSJDN Professional Excellence Award. The day will conclude with a networking happy hour, where attendees can relax and celebrate the success of military spouse attorneys! MRM would not be possible without the support of generous sponsors including Bracewell & Giuliani, The Milspo Project, Wittenberg Weiner Consulting, the ABA Leverage Program, and Microsoft. MSJDN thanks our MRM sponsors, and we hope to see many of you in Seattle in October! Tickets, the full agenda, and more information are available now on the event page.