Speaker Information

2026 Corporate Counsel Institute 

Welcome

Along with Corporate Counsel Institute Chair Chris Athas and Vice Chair Kristy Waterman, it’s my pleasure to welcome you as a speaker for the 65th Annual Corporate Counsel Institute. 

This page has been designed to provide all of the information you will need to know about the program and your participation. Key dates include:

Tuesday, March 31, 2026: Speaker Survey, Bios, and Photos Due
Thursday, May 7, 2026: Session CLE Materials Due
Thursday, May 14, 2026: PowerPoint Due

The Planning Committee takes great pride in providing one of the most interesting and relevant conferences for in-house counsel in the Midwest, and we are grateful for your support and participation.

Please contact me with questions and feedback.

Maryann Wou
Director, Professional & Continuing Legal Education
Office of Executive and Professional Education
Northwestern | Pritzker School of Law
maryann.wou@law.northwestern.edu
312-503-0192

COMPLETE THE SPEAKER SURVEY

What’s Here

You’ll find details on the bulleted topics below, and the link to a survey with requested response by Tuesday, March 31, 2026. 

Institute Location and Schedule

The Corporate Counsel Institute will be held in Thorne Auditorium at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, located at 375 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL (and not on the Evanston campus).

 View the online schedule

Survey

You should have the following items ready before completing the survey by Tuesday, March 31, 2026:

  • Biography (for returning speakers, if you intend to replace the one on file)
  • Headshot (for returning speakers, if you intend to replace the one on file)
  • Hotel check in/out dates for out of town speakers

Speaker Biography and Photo

The Institute materials and marketing will contain a professional biography and headshot of each speaker. If you have recently spoken at one of our Institutes, the bio and photo we have on file have been emailed to you. If you are satisfied with them, you can indicate that on the survey above. 

New bios and photos can also be submitted on the survey. The bio should be 200 words (approximately a half-page) in length and should describe career, public service, and educational highlights. Note that Northwestern Law may edit bios to ensure consistent form (e.g. capitalization, degrees earned) and length. 

Hotel Accommodations and Travel Policy for Out of Town Speakers

We appreciate the time and effort you contribute to the Institute and thank you for your understanding of our travel expense guidelines. With your support, we are able to provide a high-quality and affordable educational event.

Hotel Accommodations: The Institute has reserved a block of rooms for out-of town-speakers (those who are traveling from outside the Chicagoland area) at the Aloft Chicago Magnificent Mile located at 243 E Ontario Street.

The standard room charge of $259/night in addition to taxes and fees will be billed directly to Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. Other incidental charges such as movies, phone calls, refreshment expenses, etc. are the speaker's responsibility.

The Institute will cover hotel stays in the speaker block up to two nights. Please indicate on the speaker survey whether you will need a room and the date(s) you will be staying. The hotel traditionally sells out for this event, and it is important that we be made aware of your accommodation needs as soon as possible. Please do not book your own room; we will work with the hotel directly on behalf of all our speakers.

Meals: A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided each day of the Institute. 

Other Expenses: Air travel, outside meals, car rental, and other transportation will not be reimbursed.

Hotel Accommodations and Travel Policy for Regulators

The Corporate Counsel Institute is host-paid for government regulators. We appreciate the time and effort you contribute to the Institute and thank you for your understanding of our travel expense guidelines. With your support, we are able to provide a high-quality and affordable educational event.

Hotel Accommodations: The Institute has reserved a block of rooms for out-of town-speakers (those who are traveling from outside the Chicagoland area) at the Aloft Chicago Magnificent Mile located at 243 E Ontario Street.

The standard room charge of $259/night in addition to taxes and fees will be billed directly to Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. Other incidental charges such as movies, phone calls, refreshment expenses, etc. are the speaker's responsibility.

The Institute will cover hotel stays in the speaker block up to two nights. Please indicate on the speaker survey whether you will need a room and the date(s) you will be staying. The hotel traditionally sells out for this event, and it is important that we be made aware of your accommodation needs as soon as possible. Please do not book your own room; we will work with the hotel directly on behalf of all our speakers. 

Meals: A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided each day of the Institute. 

Reasonable expenses for meals not provided at the Institute will also be reimbursed as necessary. Dinner costs are limited to $65 per person (including taxes & tips).

Air Travel: We are pleased to provide air travel reimbursement, up to a maximum of $500. You will need to provide a receipt and/or invoice prior to being reimbursed. If you have any questions, please reach out to Winnie Zhu directly.

Car Rental and Ground Transportation: The Institute does not reimburse the cost of car rentals. Reasonable ground transportation will be reimbursed, but is limited to $50 each way.

Receipts: The University requires an original receipt for any reimbursable expenses exceeding $40. To receive reimbursement for your incidental expenses after the Institute, please email your receipts to Winnie Zhu. You will be notified when your reimbursement has been approved, and payment can be expected within 1–2 weeks following this notice. If you do not receive payment within 1–2 weeks, please reach out to Winnie Zhu.

Permission to Record and Photograph

Photographs and/or video will be taken at the Institute. These photos are for Northwestern Law use only and may appear on our website, social media outlets, and other promotional materials.

By virtue of your participation as a speaker, you agree to usage of your likeness in such media. If you do not wish to be photographed, please let Shilpa Gokhale know.

Written Materials

Substantive written materials for each session are required by most states in order to grant continuing legal education credits. They are important components of the program, and ones that our participants highly value during and beyond the event.

We require that each session has at least one document related to your topic submitted and several documents are encouraged. Examples include journal articles and client briefs. They should contain full citations to all authorities in the area whether you expect to discuss them in detail or not. While all speakers are encouraged to contribute, the primary responsibility for collection of written materials for panel sessions falls to the Moderator or Lead Presenter.

Documents should be emailed to Winnie Zhu by Thursday, May 7, 2026, to allow us adequate time to produce a complete set of materials, and ensure yours are included on the virtual platform. We provide each attendee, as well as speakers, a link to these documents prior to the start of the Institute. If you have questions about the type of documents that are appropriate please contact Shilpa Gokhale.

Please note: we will not have access to printing facilities during the conference, so please prepare any printed materials you want ahead of time. 

PowerPoint Presentations

  • We are asking each session to create a basic one-slide outline (at minimum) for your presentation to help provide attendees with a guide through your session content. If it makes sense to have a more substantive PowerPoint presentation for your session, we encourage you to create one. Your PowerPoint should be emailed to Winnie Zhu by Thursday, May 14, 2026.

  • Preparation and submission of PowerPoint presentations are the responsibility of the Moderator/Lead Presenter for panel sessions and the Primary Speaker for other session formats.

PowerPoint files will be loaded onto our computer prior to the Institute. We cannot accommodate speakers’ laptops for presenting. Please use our PowerPoint Template to ensure consistency. Do not add any additional logos or firm identification.

Planning Call(s)

Your Moderator/Lead Presenter (if applicable) will schedule one or more planning calls prior to the Institute to discuss roles, responsibilities, and overall direction of the session.

Continuing Legal Education Credit

If you wish to earn CLE credit, request an Attendance Log when you check in and return it to Institute staff indicating which session(s) you attended. If you wish to earn teaching credit, simply check the speaker box on the form so we may properly calculate that session and follow up with the appropriate certificate(s). Any specific MCLE questions may be addressed to staff at the Institute.

Marketing Materials

40% of new attendees learn about the Institute from a colleague or friend, so we appreciate you spreading the word about your involvement via firm/company websites, blogs, and social media. 

Also download the 2026 Institute Agenda and connect with us on LinkedIn.

Affiliate and Sponsorship Programs

Our Affiliate Program provides firms and organizations the opportunity to purchase discounted group tuition to the Institute. A Sponsorship Program has also been established to help subsidize costs and provide an enriched experience to our attendees. Questions about the Affiliate or Sponsorship opportunities? Please reach out to Shilpa Gokhale.

Attire

Business attire is recommended, however, please check with your moderator or lead presenter for alternative options.