AILA Texas 2024 Fall Wellness Conference in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Welcome Reception Happy Hour
Hyatt Ziva Resort Location TBA

Sunrise Yoga on the Beach
Experience the transformative power of morning sunshine

Brenda Waun, Certified Yoga Instructor

Movement and breathwork to feel good, reduce stress and anxiety, boost energy levels, and improve your productivity while watching the magnificent sunrise on the beach!

Registration & Breakfast
Hyatt Ziva Resort Location TBA

Conference Kick-Off with Chapter Chair Beatriz Ballerini
Hyatt Ziva Resort Location TBA

DEI & Wellness in the Workplace
1.0 Hours Ethics CLE

Speakers:  Dustin O’Quinn, Esq. and Faye Kolly, Esq.

Join Attorneys Dustin and Faye as they kick off our conference with highlights all about DEI & Wellness in the workplace. This panel will navigate:

• Why DEI is critical to an ethical and respectful workplace for us and for our team.
• Why wellness practices are necessary for a respectful workplace.
• How to balance DEI and wellness

Defining Success in Immigration Practice:  Many Paths to Finding Your Way
1.0 Hours Ethics CLE

Speakers: Andres Santiago, Esq. and Allison Kranz, Esq.

Just like there are so many models in how to shape your immigration practice, there are multiple ways to define success. The panelists will introduce traditional and non-traditional paths and how each defines success in their practice.  They will provide tips on how to tweak your law practice model to best serve your clients and promote your longevity in practice.

Transforming the Narrative:  Your Life as a Hero’s Journey
1.25 Hours Ethics CLE

Speakers: Author Stephen Gerringer and Rebecca Kitson, Esq.

We all experience difficulty, crisis, and resiliency in our lives on multiple levels – from the personal to the professional, and beyond. Whether we know it or not, how we frame these experiences helps shape our sense of meaning and purpose. Are we struggling through an economic downturn, or slaying dragons? Are we burnt out from overcommitment, or experiencing a dark night of the soul that precipitates personal transformation?  These questions can foster a greater understanding of who we are, and how best we can serve others in our careers as attorneys.

From Joseph Campbell’s Hero with a Thousand Faces, published in 1949, to Benjamin Roger’s groundbreaking clinical study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology this past year, the framework of the Hero’s Journey offers profound insight into both modern culture and individual lives. Join published author Stephen Gerringer of the Joseph Campbell Foundation, and Rebecca Kitson, Esq. of Rebecca Kitson Law (friend for over 30 years of their own life journeys) for a practical application of mythology in your life.

Chapter Lunch and Business Meeting
Hyatt Ziva Resort TBA

Virtual Assistants:  The Secret Ingredient for a Smooth and Successful Practice
1.0 Hours CLE

Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, Esq., Roberto “Beto” Campos, Esq., and Luiggi Perdomo, Esq.

An amazing panel of very experienced lawyers who are experts in incorporating virtual assistants into their practices. Today, there are so many ways to include virtual assistants in your practice model.  Feeling overwhelmed where to start? How do you find the model that is the best fit to contribute to the efficiency and success of your firm?  The expert panelists will discuss their varied experience with virtual assistants and how it has contributed to the longevity of their practice. The practitioners will provide us with tips, best practices and lessons learned in incorporating virtual assistants into our team.

The Importance of Succession Planning in Immigration Practice: Ensuring Leadership, Continuity, and Legacy
1.5 Hours Ethics CLE

Speakers: Charity Anastasio, Esq, Clayton Cartwright, Esq., Craig Dobson, and Sergio Karas, Esq.

Succession planning is essential to every lawyer’s practice. As lawyers we have an ethical responsibility in succession planning for the benefit of our colleagues, partners and clients.  The panelists will discuss how to implement a structured success planning process to provide for a smooth transition of leadership and ensure the legacy of your firm.

Well-being break!

Roundtable: Rewriting Your Journey
1.0 Hours CLE

Speakers:  Author Stephen Gerringer and Rebecca Kitson, Esq.

Living Myth-application/reflection of a Hero’s journey guided workshop

Happy hour! Conference de-stress and informal meet-up

Location: TBD

Join us at the bar for some lovely post-meeting/pre-dinner refreshments!

Enjoy the Transformative Power of morning sunshine with the following morning activities:

Sunrise Yoga
Join friends for Yoga and Meditation on the Beach with Brenda Waun, Certified Yoga Instructor

Dawn Song – for those who want more woo
Join Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch and her mom Susan Lincoln on the beach to greet the day with gratitude, breath, singing, aliveness, and joy!

Positive Money Mindset: Building a sustainable, fulfilling, and profitable practice
1.25 Hours Ethics CLE

Speakers: Mills Bender, Founder & CEO of Mills Knows Bills, LLC., and Jennifer Walker Gates, Esq.

Student Loans? Law School debt? Costs associated with practicing law.  Colleagues who appear more successful? How do we build a positive mindset around money? What is our perception of our value and how does that impact our financial decisions?  Panelists will discuss how we can develop awareness of our money mindset and how it’s impacting us, tips for adjusting our thinking about money if we want to, and resources for changing or improving our financial behaviors and results.

Proactive Health Management: Healthcare practices and priorities to identify and minimize effects of illness
1.0 Hours CLE

Speakers: Erika Beetcher, CNP, DNP, MS and Rebecca Kitson, Esq.

Listening to important signs and symptoms from our bodies and minds to enhance quality of life and longevity. Implementing screening and evaluation strategies for early disease detection.

Well-being break!

Conquer the Clock: Powerful Strategies to Overcome Procrastination
1.0 Hours Ethics CLE

Speakers: Laura Kelley, Esq. and Professional Certified Mindful Coach

Procrastination, it happens to all of us. The key is to have strategies in place that when consistently applied they can help us gradually reduce procrastination and improve productivity. In this panel, Attorney Laura Kelley will introduce mental hacks and practical tips for moving forward, finishing sooner and getting sh*t done.

Lunch, Bon Appetit!

Grab friends and enjoy lunch at one of the resort dining options.

Dealing with the hard stuff – how to rise above
1.0 Hours Ethics CLE

Jennifer Walker Gates, Esq. and Craig Dobson, Esq.

Mistakes, they happen, you are not alone. It is crucial to be proactive when the worst happens. The panelists will discuss best practices to  implement when something goes wrong and strategies for leveraging mistakes to become a better lawyer.

Boundaries: The Secret to an Immigration Lawyer’s Success and Joy
1.0 Hours Ethics CLE

Speakers:  Lynn Calder, Esq. and Charity Anastasio, Esq.

In the demanding practice of immigration law, setting boundaries and striving for balance in your life and work are not just personal luxuries—they are professional and ethical necessities. This program discusses how to sustainably manage your workload while providing the best possible service to your clients by establishing boundaries with clients, co-workers, and yourself.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn what boundaries are and the art of setting them to preserve your time and energy
• Discover how personal well-being directly translates to enhanced client communication and collaboration (RPC 1.2, Allocation of Duties and Scope, and RPC 1.4, Communication)
• Engage in an exercise on considering your sacred values, and finding the boundaries you need to support those values
• Identify what a balanced life means to you and create the routines to prevent burnout and stive for well-being

Wellness break!

Roundtable: Fostering Resilience
1.0 Hours CLE

Speakers: Jennifer Walker Gates, Esq., Beatriz Hernandez, Esq. and Erika Beetcher, CNP, DNP, MS

This workshop will introduce tactics for gauging our stress, planning for keeping ourselves calm, strong, and healthy through long-haul challenges, and how to practice good self-care and emotional regulation when our stress levels go off the chart.

Workshop: Money Mindset
1.0 Hours CLE

Speaker: Mills Bender, Founder & CEO of Mills Knows Bills, LLC and Allison Kranz, Esq.

Join Mills Bender, Fractional CFO for Blue Collar business owners, in a guided workshop that will provide actionable steps to set up your business finances.

Conference Adjourns – Closing Meditation