2024 Annual Retreat - November 8-9
This post is for those who have registered for the retreat:
We are thrilled you registered for Women Lawyers of Utah’s 2024 retreat! This post includes information and a schedule that may be useful as you prepare for the 2024 Annual Retreat weekend. We know this post is long, but we encourage you to review it to take advantage of all this year’s retreat offers! Because of the many women interested in attending the retreat, we moved venues to The Pendry Park City, a Montage Resort.
Please note that the Pendry has multiple buildings, and our events will occur in Buildings 1 and 3. A map is included at the bottom of this page.
We hope this year’s event will deepen our connections and embrace female strength and leadership.
We want everyone to feel welcome and included! We understand that these kinds of events can be overwhelming or intimidating. If you’d like a friendly face to answer questions or introduce you to new people, we encourage you to contact the Retreat Co-Chairs Shelby Hughes, shughes@kba.law, and Ellie Rudolf, elizabeth.rudolf@barrick.com, and they will answer your questions and set you up with a retreat buddy. Or find any person whose name tag has a red ribbon that says “Board Member.” We look forward to getting to know you!
What to wear/pack:
Friday Night: We are in our GOLD ERA, so you best believe we’re still bejeweled, and we can still make the whole place shimmer! Gold symbolizes the many positive things that our members embody—goal achievements, success, prosperity, celebration, wisdom, and confidence, to name a few. We are also inspired by the many female athletes who won gold medals at the Summer Olympics this year (more than half of Team USA’s Gold Medals were won by women!). To celebrate all the women in our membership who strive to be their best every day, we are going GOLD! We invite you to wear GOLD, glitter, or other sparkly attire.
Generally, we dress a bit more formal on Friday night. But most importantly, we want you to feel comfortable. So please feel free to wear a dress, your work attire, or even jeans, if you prefer—just try to work in some sparkle if you are so inclined!
Also, if you plan to take advantage of the free professional headshots we are offering, you may want to bring additional professional attire.
Saturday Morning: The morning session is much less formal. Most people dress casually, especially since there is a yoga session prior to the morning CLEs.
Free Time: The Pendry has an outdoor heated pool, hot tub, workout facility, and a spa. A reminder to pack accordingly if you plan to use these amenities.
The Resort:
The Pendry Park City, a Montage Resort
2417 West High Mountain Road
Park City, Utah 84098
Parking: When you get to The Pendry, you can either valet or self-park.
Valet: Valet is available at the hotel entrance. The Pendry has given us a discounted price for valet at $30/night.
Self-Park: To self-park, you may park in the paid public parking garage on the west side of High Mountain Road (see map). This parking garage is not affiliated with The Pendry, and WLU does not have negotiated rates to park there.
Registration: Registration opens at 3:00 p.m. in the Ballroom Foyer (Building 3, Level P1). At registration, there are special tags for judges, in-house attorneys, government attorneys, and first-time attendees so please grab one if applicable!
Friday Events:
CLE: Our first CLE, Soul Sisters: Tapping Into The Power and Value of Female Friendships, will begin at 4:00 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom (Building 3, Level P1). Note, Pendry check-in is not guaranteed before 4:00 p.m.
Chair Massages: Massage therapists will be available Friday from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Foyer of the Ballroom (Building 3, Level P1), compliments of The Appellate Group (WLU will also cover the tips). This year we have increased the number of massage sign-up spots, but get to the registration desk early to sign up for a massage time—these openings have historically filled quickly!
Professional Headshots: New this year, we are offering free headshots from professional photographer, Gillian Hunter, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Friday in Salon II (Building 3, Level P1, across from Grand Ballroom). This is offered on a first-come, first served basis and no sign up is required.
Reception: We invite you to a reception at 5:30 p.m. to enjoy appetizers and drinks, sponsored by Dorsey & Whitney and featuring wines from women-owned vineries and vintners. The reception will be in KITA Restaurant (Building 1). Weather permitting, we will have access to the patio, so consider bringing a jacket!
“Bonded” Jewelry: Back by popular demand, we will have a “bonded” permanent jewelry station from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Friday in KITA during the reception where you can get 25% off.
Photo Booth: Stop by our photo booth in KITA during the reception, sponsored by Dart Adamson & Donovan, to take a photo with friends, old and new, to remember the evening.
Friday Night: Our Friday night events kick off with dinner beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom (Building 3, Level P1), thanks to Holland & Hart for sponsoring! Our Friday night program, sponsored by Dentons Durham Jones & Pinegar, will celebrate five inspiring women award recipients. Afterwards, we encourage you to socialize, network, and make new connections. To help promote this year’s retreat theme, before dinner concludes, we are offering a networking activity that will strengthen our connections and make new ones! You may want to bring business cards, if you have them.
After-Party: Beginning at 9:00 p.m., join us in the Pendry Residence, located in Room 1608 (6th Floor of Building 1) for light snacks and drinks, sponsored by Michael Best. The after-party is intended for all women lawyers, and for many, it has become the favorite retreat event!
Information for your guests:
Children’s Suite: For those of you who pre-registered for babysitting, we have professional babysitting services by Guardian Angel from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in Pinwheel, the Pendry’s kids’ club, located on P1 of Building 1 and sponsored by TraskBritt!
Poker Suite: If you are planning on bringing a guest to the Pendry, they are invited to the Poker Suite, in Room 3602.1, located on the 6th Floor of Building 3, and sponsored by Conyers & Nix. The room will open around 5:30 p.m. There will also be other entertainment in the room to keep your guests occupied while you enjoy the retreat. We will have snacks and drinks available, but your guests are also welcome to bring their own.
Saturday Events:
Saturday Yoga: Thanks to Parr Brown Gee & Loveless for sponsoring our Saturday morning yoga sessions led by Lisa Mountain, Licensed Psychologist and certified yoga instructor. New this year, we will offer two yoga sessions, at 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. in the Junior Ballroom (Building 3, Level P1). We are excited that this year’s sessions will be building on the themes and skills from Friday’s CLE! Please bring your own mat as there are no mats available to rent this year. There also will be a drawing for $50 LuluLemon gift cards for two of the participants! Space is limited, so sign up here.
Saturday Breakfast & Morning CLEs: Saturday’s programming registration opens at 8:00 a.m. in the Ballroom Foyer (Building 3, Level P1). Breakfast also starts at 8:00 a.m. in the Grand Ballroom (Building 3, Level P1) through 10:00 a.m., and we thank Spencer Fane for sponsoring! If you are looking for special opportunities to network, look for the tables reserved for government and in-house attorneys at breakfast!
The CLEs, sponsored by Parsons Behle & Latimer, will also take place in the Grand Ballroom (Building 3, Level P1). The first CLE, “It is literally impossible to be a woman [lawyer]” will begin at 8:30 a.m., followed by the second CLE, Communicating Disagreement: Strategies for Personal and Professional Growth, at 9:30 a.m.
CLE Credit: We have received approval for 3 hours of CLE credits (1 for Friday afternoon and 2 for Saturday morning), including 1 ethics and 2 professionalism credits.
Saturday Check-Out Time (The Pendry): The Pendry rooms’ check-out is at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday.
Judges’ Lunch: After the Saturday morning program, judges and retired judges are invited to gather at the table with colleagues, past and present, to socialize and discuss current issues facing women judges. This lunch will take place in Park Place Fine Art (accessed through doors outside Grand Ballroom).
-------------------- Schedule --------------------
FRIDAY
3:00 - 6:30 p.m. - Registration
Ballroom Foyer, Building 3, Level P1
4:00 - 5:00 p.m. - CLE (Professionalism): Soul Sisters: Tapping Into The Power and Value of Female Friendships
Grand Ballroom, Building 3, Level P1
This session will focus on helping women access their unique power through connecting deeply with self and with other women. We will discuss the physical, mental, and emotional benefits of and societal challenges related to female friendships. We will also practice mindfulness for self-empowerment and skills to help build supportive connections with other women that can be incorporated into daily life.
Dr. Mountain will also be leading our Saturday yoga classes at 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.!
3:00 – 6:00 p.m. - Professional Headshots*
Salon II, Building 3, Level P1
*No Sign Up Required
4:00 – 7:00 p.m. - Chair Massages*
Ballroom Foyer, Building 3, Level P1
*Sign Up Required at Registration Desk
4:30 – 6:30 p.m. - “Bonded” Jewelry station
KITA Restaurant, Building 1, Main Level
5:30 - 7:00 p.m. - Reception
KITA Restaurant, Building 1, Main Level
All attorneys, judges, and students join us for a social gathering with appetizers and featuring women owned and run alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Indoor and outdoor, weather permitting.
Check out the Photo Booth and “Bonded” Jewelry station in KITA!
7:00 – 8:45 p.m. Dinner, Remarks, Awards, and Networking
Grand Ballroom, Building 3, Level P1
Gather with new and old friends for dinner. After dinner, we will present our annual Mentoring Award and Student Scholarships, as well as a special Lifetime Achievement Award. Following awards and dinner, we encourage you to participate in a fun networking event.
9:00 - 1:00 a.m. - After-party in the Pendry Residence
Room 1608, 6th Floor of Building 1
SATURDAY
7:30 - 8:30 a.m. - Yoga – First Session*
Junior Ballroom, Building 3, Level P1
*Space is limited; sign up required here
Get up early and join us for yoga. You’ll have plenty of time to make it over to breakfast and the morning CLEs.
8:00 - 10:00 a.m. - Breakfast
Grand Ballroom, Building 3, Level P1
8:30 - 9:30 a.m. - CLE (Professionalism): “It is literally impossible to be a woman [lawyer].”
Grand Ballroom, Building 3, Level P1
Inspired by Oscar-nominated America Ferrera's monologue as Gloria in Barbie, and supported by studies, statistics, anecdotes, law review articles, and a decade of studying implicit bias, as well as fun references to Barbie, Judge van Meerveld of the United States District for the Eastern District of Louisiana, will start with her own monologue about the continuing plight of women in the profession. This will be followed by topical, "gamified" prompts (sexism bingo, to be precise) designed to inspire sharing personal stories and brainstorming professional solutions for everyday instances of sexism and implicit bias that women in the legal community still face, and the role of both women and men in recognizing, counteracting, and correcting it.
9:30 – 10:30 a.m. - CLE (Ethics): Communicating Disagreement: Strategies for Personal and Professional Growth
Grand Ballroom, Building 3, Level P1
Dr. Jordan Allen, Ph.D. Communication, will help us gain and practice communication skills. Dr. Allen will explore the challenges and opportunities inherent in disagreements for professional women and assist us in developing a framework for understanding and managing difficult conversations. We will leave with practical communication strategies for expressing dissent and finding common ground.
10:30 – 11:30 a.m. - Yoga – Second Session*
Junior Ballroom, Building 3, Level P1
*Space is limited; sign up required here
11:00 a.m. - Hotel checkout time
11:30 - 2:00 p.m. - Judges’ Lunch
Park Place Fine Art, accessed through doors outside Grand Ballroom
After the Saturday morning program, judges and retired judges are invited to gather at the table with colleagues, past and present, to socialize and discuss current issues facing women judges.
THANK YOU
to our amazing sponsors,
whose generosity and continued support
make this retreat possible every year!
Exclusive:
Holland & Hart
Dorsey & Whitney
Dentons Durham Jones & Pinegar
Michael Best
Parsons Behle & Latimer
Spencer Fane
The Appellate Group
Parr Brown Gee & Loveless
Trask Britt
Dart Adamson & Donovan
Conyers & Nix
Gold:
Quinn Emanuel
Strong & Hanni
Zimmerman Booher
Silver:
Ballard Spahr
Barrick Gold
Foley & Lardner
Kirkland & Ellis
Kirton McConkie
Kunzler Bean & Adamson
Mayer Brown
Ray Quinney & Nebeker
Bronze:
LRB Family Law
Market Source
In-Kind:
Premier Legal
Spruce Aesthetics + Infusion Bar
Vine Lore Wine & Spirits
