{"id":155679,"date":"2026-07-01T09:29:42","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T17:29:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2026\/07\/01\/3-questions-for-a-law-student-turned-conference-host-part-ii\/"},"modified":"2026-07-01T09:29:42","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T17:29:42","slug":"3-questions-for-a-law-student-turned-conference-host-part-ii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2026\/07\/01\/3-questions-for-a-law-student-turned-conference-host-part-ii\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Questions For A Law Student Turned Conference Host (Part II)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Last week, I presented Part 1<\/a> of my written interview with law student turned litigation funding conference host, Charles Zuo. That column presented his answer to the first of my three questions and focused on his efforts to ensure that his conference had a diverse set of voices as presenters. What follows are Charles\u2019s answers to my remaining two questions. As usual, I have added some brief commentary to his answers below, but have otherwise presented his answers as he provided them.<\/p>\n

Gaston Kroub: What was the biggest challenge you anticipated (or had to overcome) to put on a successful conference as a law student?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Charles Zuo:<\/strong> I expected it would be hard to get high-profile industry figures to trust a current student, lock in their schedules, and commit to a conference in Chicago. To be candid, traveling nationwide to Chicago on Friday, May 1, demanded real commitment \u2014 from travel planning to clearing their work calendars.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, most of the feedback I received was encouragement, support, and unsolicited help. I got early backing from Marc Carmel, Michael Kelley, and Dai Wai Chin Feman, who spoke with me almost weekly to help me figure out where I could improve. With that early support, I secured 20 speakers in the first five weeks. A number of guest speakers offered unsolicited referrals and recommendations, which made my job far easier. Within about 10 weeks I had over 50 speakers \u2014 to the point where I had to politely ask a newly interested speaker for some patience while I checked the remaining slots.<\/p>\n

The \u201cpre-game\u201d \u2014 a litigation-finance-and-bankruptcy panel at Northwestern Law School \u2014 also helped raise awareness and strengthen the credibility of both the conference and me. On April 13, the Restructuring & Bankruptcy Law Group (RBLG), a student-run association at Northwestern, partnered with the Northwestern Legal Finance Association to co-host the school\u2019s first litigation finance panel. William Farrell (Longford Capital), Marc Carmel (McDonald Hopkins), Jeffrey Lula (GLS Capital), Judge Michael Slade (U.S. Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Ill.), and Professor Bruce Markell (Northwestern Law) joined. The one-hour lunch-and-learn was oversubscribed, drawing 63 attendees, and with the speakers\u2019 firms amplifying it online, it helped put Northwestern and Chicago on the map in litigation finance. Every speaker accepted promptly and came well-prepared \u2014 no small thing given their workloads. Hao Yu, president of RBLG, was instrumental in organizing and coordinating the logistics. I couldn\u2019t have done it without them.<\/p>\n

I am also deeply grateful to Northwestern\u2019s leadership for lending the conference their support and credibility. Dean Francesca Cornelli of the\u00a0 Northwestern Kellogg School of Management recorded a welcome video for our nationwide guests; Dean Zachary Clopton of the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law offered remarks during the conference; and Assistant Dean Don Rebstock joined us in person to deliver the opening remarks. Having the institution show up \u2014 on camera and in the room \u2014 meant a great deal, both to me and to the speakers who traveled to be here.<\/p>\n

My whole conference prep team is also a legend. Sixteen of current Northwestern students, undergrad, MBA, JDs, Masters worked over 1,400 hours in aggregate. No questions asked. Not stoppable. Fast iteration. Were the team for commercial purposes, I could not imagine what great performance it could deliver. Mitchell Green, a current Kellogg MBA (E&W), president of Kellogg Investment Management Club (E&W), had committed to co-host the conference when the program was not yet well-planned. His courage and vision were rare to see and impressive. I very much appreciate my cohorts\u2019 great support. Glory to them.<\/p>\n

GK<\/strong>: What an impressive effort by Charles to pull this all together, aided as he says by the contributions of others. The lesson that I think is obvious from his answer is that when it comes to raising the level of discourse around litigation finance, there are many parties interested in making that happen. From one of our leading law schools deciding to host the conference, to the industry participants of all stripes willing to dedicate their time as speakers, to the attendees willing to take a chance on a new event \u2014 everyone\u2019s input was welcome and important to making the conference the success that it was. The litigation finance community remains a tight-knit one, but everyone also recognizes the importance of increasing participation from a broader swath of the legal industry in order to continue the healthy growth of the space. Conferences like the one that Charles put on remain critical contributors to that effort.<\/p>\n

GK: What do you believe made your conference worthwhile for industry participants to attend?<\/strong><\/p>\n

CZ:<\/strong> Chicago is a magical city \u2014 and a serious venue for both legal and funding work. Zoom and Teams are great for deal communication, but the courts and the attorneys are here, and they won\u2019t always be a click away on a virtual call. And who says no to a Chicago summer, Goose Island, and Intelligentsia coffee (no sponsorship, I promise)?<\/p>\n

The conference is also a not-for-profit; upholding a plurality of voices is one of its founding principles. If you want diverse perspectives, you have to be in the room \u2014 that\u2019s where you meet the full range of stakeholders and hear the full range of opinions. It\u2019s a student-run, not-for-profit event \u2014 in fact, this round it ran at a slight personal loss, which I\u2019d call the best kind of investment: the only thing I cashed in was credibility, and that compounds.<\/p>\n

And as technology comes to dominate the workplace (for better or worse), I believe meeting people in person still matters enormously. A good prompt can help you prep the work \u2014 but people are the parties you\u2019re actually dealing with.<\/p>\n

GK<\/strong>: Amen to Charles\u2019s well-taken view on the importance of in-person events, even as today\u2019s video tools have made remote face-to-face discussions an attractive alternative. And considering the importance of Chicago to the litigation funding ecosystem, as the home of numerous leading litigation funders as well as one of the USA\u2019s top legal markets, it is no surprise that Charles did not have a rough time selling the city as a venue for the event. All in all, the disparate elements that went into making the conference a success on its first iteration will serve future installments in good stead.\u00a0<\/p>\n

My thanks to Charles for the insights and cooperation, and I wish him the best with respect to the next steps of his legal career.\u00a0 On a personal note, it was invigorating to encounter an aspiring lawyer with a vision and the ability to execute on that vision, especially in light of the legitimate concerns that many have raised regarding the impact of AI on the future experiences of young lawyers. Charles is setting a worthy example of the continuing importance of a willingness to think big. He also demonstrates what is possible when the hard work of pulling a conference together for the first time is embraced and acted on. Kudos to him and I hope others in his age bracket will take succor from his success \u2014 and will be inspired to try and replicate his contribution to the legal community in their own ways.\u00a0 I am always open to conducting interviews of this type with other IP thought leaders, so feel free to reach out if you have a compelling perspective to offer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Please feel free to send comments or questions to me at gaston@k2k.law or via Twitter: @gkroub<\/a>. Any topic suggestions or thoughts are most welcome.<\/p>\n

\n

Gaston Kroub lives in Brooklyn and is a founding partner of K2K IP Law, an intellectual property litigation boutique that also serves as a leading consultancy on patent issues for the investment community. Gaston\u2019s practice focuses on intellectual property litigation and related counseling, with a strong focus on patent matters. You can reach him at gaston@k2k.law or follow him on Twitter: @gkroub.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The post 3 Questions For A Law Student Turned Conference Host (Part II)<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Last week, I presented Part 1<\/a> of my written interview with law student turned litigation funding conference host, Charles Zuo. That column presented his answer to the first of my three questions and focused on his efforts to ensure that his conference had a diverse set of voices as presenters. What follows are Charles\u2019s answers to my remaining two questions. As usual, I have added some brief commentary to his answers below, but have otherwise presented his answers as he provided them.<\/p>\n

Gaston Kroub: What was the biggest challenge you anticipated (or had to overcome) to put on a successful conference as a law student?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Charles Zuo:<\/strong> I expected it would be hard to get high-profile industry figures to trust a current student, lock in their schedules, and commit to a conference in Chicago. To be candid, traveling nationwide to Chicago on Friday, May 1, demanded real commitment \u2014 from travel planning to clearing their work calendars.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, most of the feedback I received was encouragement, support, and unsolicited help. I got early backing from Marc Carmel, Michael Kelley, and Dai Wai Chin Feman, who spoke with me almost weekly to help me figure out where I could improve. With that early support, I secured 20 speakers in the first five weeks. A number of guest speakers offered unsolicited referrals and recommendations, which made my job far easier. Within about 10 weeks I had over 50 speakers \u2014 to the point where I had to politely ask a newly interested speaker for some patience while I checked the remaining slots.<\/p>\n

The \u201cpre-game\u201d \u2014 a litigation-finance-and-bankruptcy panel at Northwestern Law School \u2014 also helped raise awareness and strengthen the credibility of both the conference and me. On April 13, the Restructuring & Bankruptcy Law Group (RBLG), a student-run association at Northwestern, partnered with the Northwestern Legal Finance Association to co-host the school\u2019s first litigation finance panel. William Farrell (Longford Capital), Marc Carmel (McDonald Hopkins), Jeffrey Lula (GLS Capital), Judge Michael Slade (U.S. Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Ill.), and Professor Bruce Markell (Northwestern Law) joined. The one-hour lunch-and-learn was oversubscribed, drawing 63 attendees, and with the speakers\u2019 firms amplifying it online, it helped put Northwestern and Chicago on the map in litigation finance. Every speaker accepted promptly and came well-prepared \u2014 no small thing given their workloads. Hao Yu, president of RBLG, was instrumental in organizing and coordinating the logistics. I couldn\u2019t have done it without them.<\/p>\n

I am also deeply grateful to Northwestern\u2019s leadership for lending the conference their support and credibility. Dean Francesca Cornelli of the\u00a0 Northwestern Kellogg School of Management recorded a welcome video for our nationwide guests; Dean Zachary Clopton of the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law offered remarks during the conference; and Assistant Dean Don Rebstock joined us in person to deliver the opening remarks. Having the institution show up \u2014 on camera and in the room \u2014 meant a great deal, both to me and to the speakers who traveled to be here.<\/p>\n

My whole conference prep team is also a legend. Sixteen of current Northwestern students, undergrad, MBA, JDs, Masters worked over 1,400 hours in aggregate. No questions asked. Not stoppable. Fast iteration. Were the team for commercial purposes, I could not imagine what great performance it could deliver. Mitchell Green, a current Kellogg MBA (E&W), president of Kellogg Investment Management Club (E&W), had committed to co-host the conference when the program was not yet well-planned. His courage and vision were rare to see and impressive. I very much appreciate my cohorts\u2019 great support. Glory to them.<\/p>\n

GK<\/strong>: What an impressive effort by Charles to pull this all together, aided as he says by the contributions of others. The lesson that I think is obvious from his answer is that when it comes to raising the level of discourse around litigation finance, there are many parties interested in making that happen. From one of our leading law schools deciding to host the conference, to the industry participants of all stripes willing to dedicate their time as speakers, to the attendees willing to take a chance on a new event \u2014 everyone\u2019s input was welcome and important to making the conference the success that it was. The litigation finance community remains a tight-knit one, but everyone also recognizes the importance of increasing participation from a broader swath of the legal industry in order to continue the healthy growth of the space. Conferences like the one that Charles put on remain critical contributors to that effort.<\/p>\n

GK: What do you believe made your conference worthwhile for industry participants to attend?<\/strong><\/p>\n

CZ:<\/strong> Chicago is a magical city \u2014 and a serious venue for both legal and funding work. Zoom and Teams are great for deal communication, but the courts and the attorneys are here, and they won\u2019t always be a click away on a virtual call. And who says no to a Chicago summer, Goose Island, and Intelligentsia coffee (no sponsorship, I promise)?<\/p>\n

The conference is also a not-for-profit; upholding a plurality of voices is one of its founding principles. If you want diverse perspectives, you have to be in the room \u2014 that\u2019s where you meet the full range of stakeholders and hear the full range of opinions. It\u2019s a student-run, not-for-profit event \u2014 in fact, this round it ran at a slight personal loss, which I\u2019d call the best kind of investment: the only thing I cashed in was credibility, and that compounds.<\/p>\n

And as technology comes to dominate the workplace (for better or worse), I believe meeting people in person still matters enormously. A good prompt can help you prep the work \u2014 but people are the parties you\u2019re actually dealing with.<\/p>\n

GK<\/strong>: Amen to Charles\u2019s well-taken view on the importance of in-person events, even as today\u2019s video tools have made remote face-to-face discussions an attractive alternative. And considering the importance of Chicago to the litigation funding ecosystem, as the home of numerous leading litigation funders as well as one of the USA\u2019s top legal markets, it is no surprise that Charles did not have a rough time selling the city as a venue for the event. All in all, the disparate elements that went into making the conference a success on its first iteration will serve future installments in good stead.\u00a0<\/p>\n

My thanks to Charles for the insights and cooperation, and I wish him the best with respect to the next steps of his legal career.\u00a0 On a personal note, it was invigorating to encounter an aspiring lawyer with a vision and the ability to execute on that vision, especially in light of the legitimate concerns that many have raised regarding the impact of AI on the future experiences of young lawyers. Charles is setting a worthy example of the continuing importance of a willingness to think big. He also demonstrates what is possible when the hard work of pulling a conference together for the first time is embraced and acted on. Kudos to him and I hope others in his age bracket will take succor from his success \u2014 and will be inspired to try and replicate his contribution to the legal community in their own ways.\u00a0 I am always open to conducting interviews of this type with other IP thought leaders, so feel free to reach out if you have a compelling perspective to offer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Please feel free to send comments or questions to me at gaston@k2k.law or via Twitter: @gkroub<\/a>. Any topic suggestions or thoughts are most welcome.<\/p>\n

\n

Gaston Kroub lives in Brooklyn and is a founding partner of K2K IP Law, an intellectual property litigation boutique that also serves as a leading consultancy on patent issues for the investment community. Gaston\u2019s practice focuses on intellectual property litigation and related counseling, with a strong focus on patent matters. You can reach him at gaston@k2k.law or follow him on Twitter: @gkroub.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The post 3 Questions For A Law Student Turned Conference Host (Part II)<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last week, I presented Part 1 of my written interview with law student turned litigation funding conference host, Charles Zuo. That column presented his answer to the first of my three questions and focused on his efforts to ensure that his conference had a diverse set of voices as presenters. What follows are Charles\u2019s answers […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":155636,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-155679","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-above_the_law"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/xira.com\/p\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Chicago-art-V7wzlF.jpg?fit=636%2C322&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/155679","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=155679"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/155679\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/155636"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=155679"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=155679"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=155679"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}