As 2025 comes to a close (this year has FLOWN), I’ve been thinking about what it has meant — for the International Lawyers Network, for the legal profession, and for me personally as someone who spends her days at the intersection of connection, leadership, and global collaboration.

It wasn’t a year where I published as much as I would have liked (isn’t that always the way?), but it was a year full of learning, recalibration, and growth. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned after nearly two decades of community-building in the legal industry, it’s this:

Quiet years are not empty years. They’re the years when the foundation gets stronger.

Here are a few things 2025 reinforced for me.

1. Showing up matters more than you think.

Whether it’s a conference, a webinar, a specialty group meeting, or a simple email check-in, I was reminded again this year that the smallest touchpoints often lead to the biggest impact.

Not every conversation leads to a referral or a new collaboration — but every conversation strengthens the fabric of your networks. And in a world that feels busier and more digital every day, showing up consistently is becoming rarer…and therefore more powerful. This is just as true in our personal relationships as it is at work, by the way.

2. Engagement isn’t about participation — it’s about purpose.

We’ve all been through a cycle of declining virtual engagement post-pandemic, and 2025 was the year I finally stopped trying to “fix” attendance and instead focused on alignment.

When we design programs around what truly matters to the people we serve — whether that’s young lawyers trying to build confidence or managing partners trying to benchmark their strategy — engagement naturally increases.

Purpose drives participation, not the other way around.

And of course, while we’d all love to see thousands of people commit to participating in the offerings we have, quality matters over quantity – always.

3. Sustainable leadership is about pacing yourself.

Between event planning, recruitment, ESG commitments, a new CRM, and evolving expectations from our member firms, there were moments this year where the workload felt…substantial.

But pacing is part of leadership.

You don’t have to sprint every month. You don’t have to be everywhere at once. What you do need is clarity — on priorities, on values, and on what can wait until next quarter. I’ve thoroughly embraced a matching of the seasons of nature with the seasons of my work and my life – we aren’t always meant to be going nonstop. And often, in those gentler time, we find the real magic.

I’m ending 2025 with a clearer sense of where to put my energy — and where not to.

4. You can never underestimate the power of the in-person connection.

I say this ALL the time, and we saw this again at our Annual Conference in San Diego.

You simply cannot replicate the spark that happens when people share a meal, swap stories, or discover a mutual interest that has nothing to do with law. Those seemingly small interactions are what transform “a network” into my people.

The future of collaboration is hybrid — but the heart of it remains wonderfully, stubbornly human. (PS, this is also why we may use and embrace AI, but it won’t replace lawyers)

5. Growth requires letting go.

This year, ILN welcomed new members, said goodbye to others, and explored opportunities in markets that continue to evolve. I also found myself letting go of processes, expectations, and habits that no longer served our long-term goals.

The lesson?

You can’t build what’s next if you’re holding onto what used to work.

Sometimes the bravest (and most strategic) thing you can do is release something so that a better version can take its place. And oh my, has this proved to be true for me personally as well.

6. Community is built one trust-filled moment at a time.

Whether I was advising a firm exploring membership, guiding a new ambassador through onboarding, or mediating a delicate issue between members, I was reminded again that our work is built on trust.

Not speed.
Not scale.
Not volume.

Trust.

And trust isn’t flashy — it’s steady, cumulative, and deeply relational. It’s the quiet backbone of everything we do. And community is more necessary in this moment than it ever has been before.

Looking Ahead

If 2025 was a year of laying groundwork, then 2026 feels like a year of activation — new systems, new voices, new opportunities for our lawyers to grow, collaborate, and support each other.

And hopefully…more writing from me!

Thank you for reading, for sharing, and most importantly, for being part of this community — whether as an ILN member, colleague, friend, or simply someone who believes in the value of connection.

Here’s to a meaningful, engaging, and inspired year ahead.