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ALA Gateway: Message From the President - January 2026

Posted by admin1 on Jan. 9, 2026  /  Subscribe 0

Happy New Year! January is a time for a fresh start and renewed energy, and I am thrilled to begin this year with all of you as we continue building on our shared vision: communicating, connecting, collaborating, and celebrating together.  Before we dive into the opportunities ahead, I want to thank each of you for your dedication and resilience throughout last year. Your efforts have laid a strong foundation for the success we will achieve together in 2026. Let’s keep going!

Renewal Time! 

Start the new year off right by securing your spot for 2026!

·       Business Partners – Don’t miss out on another amazing year of collaboration. Click HERE to complete your Business Partner Sponsorship Form and check out all the benefits in our Business Partner Packet.

·       Legal Professionals – Keep your membership active and continue enjoying exclusive resources and networking opportunities. Renew your membership today through our Membership Application.

Let’s make 2026 our best year yet—sign up now and stay connected!

2026 Annual Conference & Expo

The ALA Gateway Chapter is pleased to support the professional growth of our members by offering up to ten (10) scholarships to attend the 2026 ALA Annual Conference & Expo.  ALA’s Annual Conference delivers first-class education, networking, and professional development opportunities. This is an excellent opportunity to expand your knowledge, connect with colleagues, and bring valuable insights back to your organization. 

To apply for a scholarship application click: HERE. Completed applications must be returned to the Treasurer by the deadline listed above.  For the ALA Gateway Travel Policy click: HERE.  For additional details about the conference, including programming and events, please visit: https://annualconference2026.alanet.org/

BAMSL Mock Trial

Volunteers are needed to serve as judges and jurors for the Missouri High School Mock Trial Competition.  The mock trials are structured like real courtroom trials and follow similar rules and procedures. High school students learn first-hand how the legal system works and what role judges, lawyers, juries, and witnesses play in the court system. This increased understanding helps students develop a deeper appreciation for our justice system and the administration of justice. The competition also helps students develop and improve their public speaking and critical thinking skills. No mock trial or litigation experience necessary.  Please consider volunteering to support this great initiative.  Click Missouri High School Mock Trial Competition for more details.  Here are the dates of the events:

• Tuesday, February 10, 2026 – Round 2 (Evening): 5:30 p.m.
• Thursday, February 12, 2026 – Round 2 (Evening): 5:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, March 3, 2026 – Regional Finals (Evening): 5:30 p.m.
• Thursday, March 5, 2026 – Regional Finals (Evening): 5:30 p.m.

To sign up please click HERE.

Stay Connected

Follow us on social media for the latest updates, event highlights, and community news. Let’s stay connected all year long!  Find us on Facebook:  @ALA-Gateway, or connect with us on LinkedIn: @ALA Gateway Chapter.

December 3, 2025 Holiday Party

We had a whale of a time at our “Seas & Greetings” Holiday Breakfast at the St. Louis Union Station and Aquarium!  It was great to see all the members and Business Partners who helped share some holiday cheer on a cold morning.  We contributed to our community initiative collecting books for elementary students in the Riverview Gardens School District.  Our generosity is making waves!

SAVE THE DATE! Click here to sign up now! 

·   January 21 - educational virtual meeting 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm: The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA): What Legal Administrators Need to Know.

·       February 25 - BP Appreciation Event 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm at 4 Hands Brewing Co.

·       March 13 & 20 – Essentials of Chapter Leadership (virtual).

ALA has legal management education to fit your needs.  Whether you're looking for credits or to stay current on trends (or both!), ALA offers a variety of in-person and virtual options to fit your needs. Here’s a look at what’s coming up: Upcoming Events & Education 

ALA Gateway’s Peer Connection Program

In an effort to welcome new members to ALA and ensure they can easily access and make the most of their ALA member benefits, a program is available to pair interested new members with an ALA mentor.  We call this program our Peer Connection. The ideal mentor is a friendly and enthusiastic ALA member who enjoys connecting with others, sharing knowledge, and promoting the value of belonging to ALA.  Mentors are well-informed about the Association’s products, services, and opportunities, allowing them to guide and support new members as they navigate their ALA experience.  If you are interested in volunteering please reach out to us.  You can also check out the opportunities at the national level here: Short Term Volunteer Opportunities and Volunteer at ALA.

ALA National’s Ambassador Recruitment

Similar to our Chapter’s Peer Connection mentorship, ALA Membership Ambassador Program also welcomes new members to ALA at the national level.  To express interest and learn more about becoming an ALA Ambassador, simply join the ALA New Member Launchpad Online Community and post “I’m interested in learning more about becoming an Ambassador.” To learn more about being an Ambassador please visit: Ambassador description.

REMINDER: MEMBER BENEFITS AND ALA RESOURCES

Looking for ways to maximize your membership? Check out these additional benefits from ALA! A full listing can be found on our Resources page, but here are some highlights:

·       Publications

o   BOLD Bites — ALA's weekly newsletter that includes industry news updates, highlights of ALA events, ALA member and association news and more.

o   Legal Management — your award-winning educational magazine, provides insights from legal industry thought leaders, trends and knowledge to keep you ahead of everything that impacts the professional environment.

o   Legal Management Talk podcast — delivering 15- to 20-minute episodes that feature event speakers, Legal Management authors, conference speakers and ALA leaders.

• Online Community:  Are you having an issue and want to know what the other law firms are doing?  The ALA Online Community is a great resource to have all your questions answered.  A “how to” for chatting with local Gateway Chapter members can be found at https://ala-gateway.org/ListServ.
• Career Center: contains articles regarding career advancement and maintains a Job Bank for Employers and Job Seekers.
• Legal Marketplace/Business Partner Directory: is a directory of “top solution providers to the Legal Management Industry.”  ALA encourages its members to support the Business Partners that support ALA.  Search for an ALA Business Partner to address the needs of your firm and begin receiving exclusive member discounts through ALA’s Value in Partnership (VIP) program.
• ALA Gateway Business Partners:  In addition to the Legal Marketplace, the Gateway Chapter has its own local Business Partners that support the Chapter.  It’s because of the support of these Business Partners that we can provide top notch education and other community and social events to our Gateway members.  Please familiarize yourself with our local Business Partners and reach out to them for any of your firm’s needs.
• Certified Legal Manager (CLM) Program : Have you ever considered obtaining your CLM certification? ALA’s CLM program “allows a qualified legal management professional to demonstrate, through an examination process, a mastery of the core areas of knowledge identified as essential to the effective performance of a principal administrator.” Several of our Gateway members have their CLM certification. Fun fact! ALA’s Chicago Chapter has a study group to help you prepare. Information regarding the study group can be found at https://alachicago.org/page/ChicagoStudyGroup.

If you have any questions, please reach out to me at [email protected].

Jessica Fenton
2025-2026 ALA Gateway President

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