Joy in the Law Conference 2026

A Movement for Joyful Lawyering

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2026 | SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

WHEN & WHERE

Joy in the Law 2026 is happening on October 2!

We’ll meet at the BASF Offices, 50 Fremont Street, Suite 1700, San Francisco from 8.30am to 4.00pm.

We’ll start at 8.30am with registration, networking, and breakfast. The program runs from 9.15am to 4.00pm with a no-host reception to follow at Studio Golf Bar & Grill, 350 Mission Street, San Francisco. See below for a more detailed agenda.

Tickets: $100 (before August 31) / $140 (from September 1)

Register quickly as tickets are limited!

See below for registration details.

What is Joy in the Law®?

In its most aspirational sense, Joy in the Law® is a movement to restore joy to the lives and careers of lawyers. Its goal is to increase the joy of lawyers who are already happy, and to inspire a journey towards career happiness for lawyers who feel unfulfilled. We believe that all lawyers can find work that makes them happy most of the time, if not every minute, and a professional life that squares with their values and priorities. Joy in the Law seeks to retire old ideas that being an attorney necessarily means being engaged in needlessly contentious battles, a career in which profit and winning are the only bottom lines that matter, or other negative stereotypes that give lawyers and the legal profession a bad rap. In addition, Joy in the Law seeks to be an antidote to the high burnout, alcoholism, and suicide rates that plague the legal profession.

For too long, joy has been viewed as incompatible with, or irrelevant to, lawyering. But the truth is, lawyers do their best work when they’re grounded, inspired, and supported, in other words, joyful. In addition, countless studies confirm that joy in the legal profession isn't frivolous, it's functional.

So how do we find joy as lawyers? Part of the journey requires a deep look at what makes lawyering difficult, such as conflict, and attempting to reframe how we engage with the aspects of lawyering that we often wish to avoid. Finding joy as lawyers also requires a willingness to learn new skills for inner resourcing, such as play and meditation.

You can read more about how Joy in the Law was founded or sign up to be on the Joy in the Law Listserv here.

Enter: The Joy in the Law Conference 2026

To support this effort, the Joy in the Law conference returns on October 2 in downtown San Francisco with a powerful program designed to explore the many facets of happy lawyering. The conference is now in its fourth iteration, and previous conferences have been a great success, with participants often hailing it as “life changing” and as “one of the best professional conferences they have ever attended.”

Whether you're already thriving as an attorney or seeking a reset, this conference is for you. You’ll leave with tools to help you reconnect with what matters most and reimagine how you approach your work. We’ll enjoy breakfast and lunch together, play together, meditate together, and build skills together that are so critical to our work as lawyers. You will also find a community of outside-the-box thinkers/attorneys who can be a resource for you in times of stress.

What YOU can look forward to

8.30am to 9.15am: Arrival and Networking

Ease into the day by connecting with peers and finding your community. Breakfast and coffee served.

9.15am to 10.00am: Permission to Play: Reimagining How Lawyers Work (Diana Maier and Matthew Cahill)

We will begin the day with a short meditation and introduction to the conference. Diana and Matthew will then discuss why play is so important in our work as lawyers, and will weave in playful practices throughout the day.

10.00am to 11.30am: Finding Joy Amidst Conflict (Roxy Manning PhD)

As attorneys, we are forced to deal with conflict day in and day out. This is often cited as one of the elements of deepest dissatisfaction to attorneys. However, it is possible to experience conflict in a way that is healthy and connecting, instead of destructive. Dr. Roxy Manning will take us on a deep dive into the world of non-violent communication, and how we deal with the inevitable conflicts that arise in our work as attorneys as a path to deeper connection.

11.30am to 12.00pm: Networking/Play Session II

12.00pm to 12.45pm: Lunch

1.00pm to 2.15pm: Finding Joy in the Age of AI: Navigating Change Together (Jachyn Davis)

Any legal conference you go to these days, people are talking about AI. Yet many attorneys feel deeply conflicted about AI. They realize they need to know how to use AI, and that it is a powerful tool, but also are aware of its shortcomings and negative impacts on the world. Jachyn Davis will share her own journey learning to navigate AI as an attorney. Through personal storytelling and guided reflection, she will invite fellow attorneys to explore their own relationship with AI and discover how to approach this time of change with purpose, agency, and joy.

2.00pm to 3.30pm: Joy in the Law Unconference (Rose-Ellen Fairgrieve and Brittny Bottorff)

Participants will first brainstorm other topics related to Joy in the Law that they wish to discuss during the conference. We will group together similar topics for two or three separate breakout sessions that occur simultaneously in different spaces. Participants can focus on one particular session, or visit all of them for shorter periods.

3.30pm to 4.00pm: Final Meditation and Closing

If you have any questions, please contact Diana Maier.

OUR AMAZING EVENT SPONSORS

Platinum Sponsor:
The Bar Association of San Francisco

Gold Sponsors ($2,500):
Available

CONFERENCE SPEAKERS

REGISTRATION DETAILS

Event Code: G261630. For a printable flyer, click here.

1. Sign in to your account, then select Register Myself at the bottom of the page.

2. Select Proceed to Checkout to enter payment information, then Submit Order to complete the registration process.

3. If you encounter any issues, please follow these instructions:

• Don't know your account information? Click Forgot username? or Forgot password? at the top right-hand corner.

• Don't have an account? Select Create Account at the top right-hand corner.

• Simply want to register for an event? Select Register for an Event at the top right-hand corner.

• Please contact Diana Maier if you are still unable to register.

PLEASE READ

Program Access
This is an in-Person program only.  Virtual access will not be available. Program recordings are not guaranteed and/or included with this registration, nor immediately accessible to registrants. Approved recordings of live programs are converted to On-Demand CLE Courses and available for separate purchase through a third-party library 30 business days after the live recording. 

Attending Programs
This event may be filmed or photographed. By participating in this event, you consent to have your likeness used for the BASF/JDC’s archival purposes and promotional materials. If you do not want to be photographed, please inform a BASF/STAFF person or the photographer.

Substitution and Cancellation Requests

If you are unable to attend, you may send a substitute in your place. Please complete the Event Cancellation Form.

Accessibility
People with disabilities and special requests contact Diana Maier regarding reasonable accommodations.