Legalweek 2026 was scheduled for March 9–12, 2026 in New York.
Archive notice: This guide preserves the original pre-event information.
The original guide described an upcoming Legalweek program for legal professionals to network, develop professionally, and explore role-specific topics and strategies.
It said the ALM program would focus on the changing legal landscape and on helping legal leaders restructure, rebuild, and reinvigorate law firms and legal departments.
The following sections preserve the guide’s pre-event highlights for Legalweek 2026.
I. Powerhouse Keynotes That Go Beyond Legal
Legalweek 2026 brings together two powerhouse keynote speakers offering unique perspectives on leadership, creativity, and what it takes to perform when the stakes are high.
Eli Manning, the two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback and two-time Super Bowl MVP, will sit down for a special interview on leadership, tenacity, and the power of teamwork. With a career defined not only by championship success but by the discipline, grit, and collaborative mindset that enabled him to lead under pressure, Manning will reflect on the defining moments of his journey and share the leadership principles that guided him through each stage. His session, A Conversation with Eli Manning — Leadership, Tenacity & the Power of Teamwork, will explore how trust and communication build high-performing teams, the lasting impact of mentorship, and how leaders can adapt and thrive even within organizations with varying leadership styles.
Meanwhile, Mindy Kaling, the Emmy-nominated writer, producer, Tony Award-winner, and New York Times bestselling author, will deliver a candid keynote conversation on the choices, risks, and leadership moments that shaped her career. In Creativity, Leadership, and the Long View, Kaling will discuss how ideas are developed, teams are guided, and momentum is sustained over time. She'll share insights on decision-making in high-stakes moments, cultivating talent, and remaining grounded while navigating growth and public visibility.
II. Deep-Dive Workshops for GCs, Legal Ops, and AI Leaders
If you want the most practical takeaways from Legalweek, build your schedule around the workshops. These sessions tend to be less theoretical and more operational, meaning you’ll leave with frameworks you can pressure-test back at the office, not just talking points.
The GC Workshop is the best anchor if your world is equal parts risk, budget, and stakeholder management. Expect conversations that live closer to decision-making than doctrine, with a focus on how legal leaders prioritize, influence, and stay aligned with the business when the constraints are real.
The Legal Operations Workshop is where execution gets specific. This is the track for teams turning strategy into an operating model, tightening intake and triage, defining metrics that hold up under scrutiny, and making sure new initiatives stick past the pilot phase. If you’re tasked with showing measurable impact, this is your lane.
And the AI Workshop is where the conversation moves from fascination to implementation. In 2026, the difference-maker is not whether you can try AI, but whether you can scale it responsibly. Look for sessions that get into governance, data readiness, and control points, then pair them with at least one applied, build-oriented session so you walk away with both a vision and a plan.
III. The Judges Panel Returns — and This Year It's Personal
The Judges Panel has been a Legalweek staple for years, but the 2026 edition carries a different weight.
This year's panel, Safeguarding Justice: Judicial Safety, Independence, and the Rule of Law, is moderated by U.S. District Judge Esther Salas. In July 2020, a gunman posing as a delivery driver attacked Judge Salas's family at their New Jersey home, killing her 20-year-old son Daniel and critically wounding her husband. In the years since, she has become one of the most prominent advocates for judicial safety in the country, pushing for stronger protections while preserving judicial independence.
She'll be joined by U.S. District Judges Kenly Kiya Kato, Karoline Mehalchick, and Mia Roberts Perez for a candid, nonpartisan conversation about the realities of modern judicial service. Drawing on their own experiences from the bench, the panelists will address the rising pressures judges face, from heightened public visibility and personal safety concerns to the professional toll of presiding over complex, high stakes matters.
Expect a discussion that goes well beyond policy — exploring what it takes to maintain public confidence in the courts, protect judicial independence, and uphold the rule of law in a rapidly changing environment.
IV. Networking That's Built into the Experience
The sessions are fantastic, but the connections you make at Legalweek often end up being the most valuable part of the week.
With more than 6,000 attendees and 400+ speakers hailing from 51 countries across four days, Legalweek 2026 offers plenty of ways to connect across the legal ecosystem. Many of the best networking moments are built into the schedule, especially around the Exhibit Hall, with the opening welcome reception, dedicated networking breaks, networking lunches, and end-of-day receptions. Others happen naturally between sessions and in the hallways as people move between those anchors.
To make the most of it, go in with a light plan. Pick one theme per day, show up a few minutes early to your priority sessions, and stay a few minutes after. You will meet the people who care about the same problems you are trying to solve. A simple opener helps too. Ask what they are prioritizing this year, what is hardest to operationalize, or what they wish they had solved before they arrived.
The goal is not to collect contacts. It is to leave with a handful of high-quality conversations and a few clear follow-ups you can turn into real momentum once you are back.
V. Find Leah at Legalweek 2026
The original announcement said Leah planned to be at Legalweek 2026.
It described a planned 4th floor lounge for conversations with Leah’s legal-technology team and demonstrations of the agentic AI platform for contract lifecycle management, legal operations, and procurement workflows.
This archive retains that pre-event program description for reference.
Archive note: Legalweek 2026 has concluded. This guide remains available as pre-event information.
This guide remains available as an archive of the pre-event program.
