How to Choose a Speaker for a Family Court Conference

A family court conference speaker should be credible with judges, attorneys and clinicians in the same room, and should leave attendees with something they can use the next morning. Choose for experience, clarity and fit with your audience, not just for a familiar name or a popular topic.

I’m Monique Harris-Whitt, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the founder of The Therapeutic Solution in Las Vegas. I speak and train on reunification, supervised visitation and court-involved family work, and I have worked with the people who plan these events. This guide is written for conference and event planners who have a program to fill and an audience to serve.

What your audience needs to leave with

Start with the audience, not the speaker. Before you look at names, write one sentence that finishes this thought: “After this session, attendees will be able to…”

That sentence does more to narrow a list than any biography. It tells you whether you need a session that teaches a skill, shifts a perspective, or gives a shared framework to a room of different professions.

Useful questions to answer first:

• Who is coming? Judges, attorneys, guardians ad litem, evaluators, therapists, program staff or a mix.
• What do they already know? A session pitched too basic or too advanced loses people quickly.
• What problem do they bring to the day? For example, inconsistent documentation, tension between providers and the court, or uncertainty about how fast contact should expand.
• What is the format? Keynote, workshop, panel or breakout.

A speaker who asks you these questions before proposing a topic is usually a good sign.

Credibility with mixed audiences

Family court events bring together people who see the same case from different angles. A judge needs clear, neutral information. An attorney needs something they can use in a hearing. A clinician needs practical clinical guidance. A good speaker can speak to all three without talking down to any of them.

Look for evidence of that range:

• Professional background. Does the speaker have direct experience in the area they will talk about, and the credentials that fit the topic?
• Experience with the court system. A speaker who understands how court reports are used will present more realistically than one who does not.
• A neutral, child-centered stance. Sessions that take sides between parents tend to alienate part of the room.
• Honesty about limits. A credible speaker says what a tool, approach or report can and cannot do.

You can often judge this from a short conversation. Ask how they would adapt a session for a room that includes judges and clinicians. The answer reveals a lot.

Practical, usable content

The sessions people remember are the ones they can use. A useful session usually includes:

• A clear framework attendees can repeat to a colleague
• Concrete tools, such as checklists, templates or question lists
• Examples, ideally composite, so no real family is identified
• Short activities that let attendees try something rather than only listen
• A way to continue, such as a follow-up resource or a point of contact

Be wary of sessions that are mostly theory, or that promise a cure-all. For a topic such as reunification, the useful questions are specific. How do clinicians decide when contact should expand? What does neutral documentation sound like? How can a provider’s report help a judge without overreaching? My training work is built around questions like these, which you can see in my approach to reunification training for therapists.

What a strong family court conference speaker brings to the room

Beyond content, a speaker shapes the feel of the day. A strong family court conference speaker does a few things quietly well:

• Respects everyone’s time. Sessions start and end when they should.
• Treats the audience as colleagues. Judges, attorneys and clinicians each bring expertise, and good speakers invite it.
• Handles hard topics with care. Child welfare and custody work involve real pain, so examples are composite and language is neutral.
• Welcomes disagreement. Professionals will not all agree, and a good session leaves room for that.

When you check references, ask about these qualities as well as about the content.

CE and CLE considerations

Continuing education credit can matter to your attendees, but it adds steps for you. A few points to settle early:

1. Decide whether credits are needed. Ask your audience or past attendees.
2. Identify who approves credits. Different professions and states have different approvers and rules.
3. Ask about process and timing. Approval often takes time, so plan before you publish the agenda.
4. Check what the approver requires from the speaker. Learning objectives, outlines and evaluations are common requests.
5. Confirm the outcome in writing. Do not advertise credit until it is approved.

Ask every candidate whether they have worked with the credit process before and what they would need from you. If your event is not offering credits, a speaker can still be valuable. Credits are a convenience for attendees, not a measure of a session’s quality.

Questions to ask before booking

Asking each candidate the same questions makes comparison fair and fast. Here are ones I would ask if I were in your seat:

Topic	Question
Fit	What would attendees be able to do after your session that they could not do before?
Audience	How will you adapt for a mixed room of judges, attorneys and clinicians?
Content	What tools or handouts do attendees keep?
Examples	Do you use composite examples, and how do you protect families’ privacy?
Format	What formats do you offer, and how long should each be?
Credits	Have you supported CE or CLE approval, and what do you need from us?
Logistics	What technology, room setup and timing do you need?
Follow-up	How can attendees reach you with questions afterward?
References	Can you share feedback from previous events?

Pay attention to how quickly and clearly a speaker responds. A prompt, organized exchange is often a good preview of how the event will go.

Planning the session well

Even a strong speaker needs a good setup. A few planning tips for working with your family court conference speaker:

• Share your audience profile and any recent concerns in the field.
• Agree on the session outcome in writing.
• Allow time for questions. Participants often learn most in discussion.
• Plan for a mix of seating and interaction. Round tables work better than rows for workshops.
• Collect feedback and share it with the speaker.

Taking the next step

If you are planning an event and would like to explore whether my keynotes and workshops fit your audience, you can read about keynotes and workshops on family reunification and then request speaking availability. Share your date, audience and format, and I will respond with what I can offer for your program.

This article is for educational purposes and is not therapy or legal advice.