Methods of Registration

2010 Spring Meeting Registration Information

A variety of methods of registration are available for your convenience.  We encourage you to register by March 31st.  Those registered by this date will be included in the List of Attendees distributed onsite. 

METHODS OF REGISTRATION

A variety of rates and discounts are available to each attendee such as:

• Full Section Member
• Young Lawyer (35 years and under)
• Government/Academic/NGOs- For those with a primary position at an academic or government institution (i.e., la firm lawyers who also are adjunct professors would pay the firm rate). 
• Corporate Counsel
• Full-Time Law students
• New!  Tuesday-Friday Programming Only for Law Students-  New rate that includes the full week of registration, plus admission to the Associates Boot Camp on Tuesday Morning. (A $255 value)
• Members of Cooperating Organizations
• Daily Rates
• Non-Section Member

The ABA automatically adjusts registrations submitted at the incorrect rate. 

Your registration fee includes: admission to all CLE sessions for CLE credit, networking breaks; course materials; and admission to the Friday Night Chair’s Closing Reception.

EVENT TICKETS
To purchase tickets to any Section sponsored ticketed and non ticketed events you must be registered for the meeting. Tickets for evening events and luncheons can be purchased on the registration form or onsite the day before the events and luncheons.  We regret that because we must guarantee our final numbers with the hotel and venues the day before, we can not sell same-day tickets.  There will, however, be a bulletin board at registration where meeting attendees can exchange and gift tickets.

EARLY BIRD DISCOUNTS
Registrations must be postmarked no later than March 8th, 2010 to receive the early bird discount.  Registrations must be received by the Section office by March 8th for registrants to be included in the List of Attendees.

GROUP DISCOUNT
Group discounts are available for multiple registrations from law firms and corporate legal departments submitted prior to March 31, 2010.  You will receive 50% off the highest registration fee for each additional registrant after the fifth full paying registrant, as long as all register at the same time.

Please contact Jessica Smith at smithj@staff.abanet.org or 202.662.1673 for additional information and instructions about completing this process.

CONFIRMATIONS
Confirmations will be sent within two weeks of receipt of your registration form (provided complete information and appropriate payment was submitted).  Please be advised that incomplete registration forms will delay the processing of your registration.

If you have not received a confirmation within the time-frame estimated of two weeks, please email smithj@staff.abanet.org.  Please allow the estimated time given for confirmations prior to calling the Section to check on the status of your registration. 

REFUND POLICY

• Cancellations must be made in writing and received by the Section office by March 31st, 2010 for a full refund of fees, less a $100 administration fee.  No refund of registration or fee for a ticketed event will be granted after that date except in the case of medical emergency or extenuating circumstances approved by the Section in its sole discretion. Please allow four to six weeks after the conference for the processing of any refunds. 
• When a completed registration form and payment have been submitted to the Section office either by mail or fax, the registration is considered to be a firm commitment and you will be expected to pay the registration and any ticketed event fees, unless a written cancellation is received as set forth above.
• Individuals may re-sell their purchased tickets by their own discretion, unless the ticket is indicated to be “non-transferable.”

SPECIAL/DIETARY NEEDS
Confirmed registrants should notify smithj@staff.abanet.org by March 26th if special assistance for access and/or dietary needs is required. 

HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS
The host hotel for the 2010 Spring Meeting is the Grand Hyatt New York located at 109 East 42nd Street (Park Avenue at Grand Central Station) in New York City.  The Grand Hyatt New York has reserved a limited block of rooms for the group until March 23, 2010, at the special low per night rate of $229.00 plus taxes.  You are encouraged to make your reservations early as availability in the group room block is not guaranteed if the inventory is consumed prior to the date noted above.  To reserve your accommodations at this hotel, please call 1-800-319-5354 (U.S. and Canada only) and reference the “ABA Section of International Spring Meeting.”  Reservations may also be made online.

MANDATORY CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION CREDIT (CLE)
Accreditation has been requested for the 2010 Spring Meeting programs by the ABA MCLE Division from every state with general mandatory continuing legal education requirements for all lawyers admitted in that state.  All appropriate paperwork will be available at the CLE Counter next to the Registration counter.  We will be informing you at a later date whether this meeting will be offered for credit to New York “Transitional attorneys,” “Non-Transitional attorneys” or both. 

TRAVEL INFORMATION
You are encouraged to make your airline reservations via the online ABA Travel site where you automatically receive special negotiated ABA discounts on airfare and car rentals from a variety of carriers.  Visit www.abanet.org/travel to make your travel arrangements.  If you have not used this site before, it takes only a few moments to establish a username and password allowing you to immediately book your reservations.

DRESS CODE
For the 2010 Spring Meeting, business casual and business attire are both appropriate.  Note that the Thursday night Dinner/Dance Reception at The New York Public Library is black-tie optional.