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Helmed by Co-Chairs Gyi Tsakalakis and Jeannine Lambert, the 2023 ABA TECHSHOW returned to the Hyatt Regency in Chicago (March 1-4). This marks the 2nd year of in-person gatherings for this legal technology conference since the Pandemic waned. In a good way, this year’s event felt more like business-as-usual. Regardless of someone’s tech knowledge, there were plenty of programs and access to experts giving a leg-up on law firm operations. Legal tech companies were more than happy to discuss products and services making the practice of law easier/more profitable. In addition, knowledgeable speakers (usually attorneys) generously shared their secrets to running better firms and getting the most out of practice life.
At last check, the Expo Hall was nearly sold to capacity. In terms of the vendors, there were small booth offerings for newly minted start-up companies as well as larger spaces for the more established companies. Hosted by long time legal technology journalist Bob Ambrogi, day one’s opening event was the 7th annual start-up pitch competition for companies in the legal tech space. This year’s winner was Universal Migrator, a company that makes migrating practice management or document management platforms simpler.
As for our podcast coverage, we were excited to talk with expert speakers about topics like Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), the Metaverse, Web 3, and A.I. Like many others out there, we’ve heard about Chat GPT’s use of artificial intelligence and this year’s ABA TECHSHOW gave us an opportunity to learn much more about it. On the regulatory front, we also hosted a discussion about the ABA’s Model Rules of Professional Conduct 5.4 and 5.5 (Fee Sharing, Law Firm Ownership Models, and Unauthorized Practice of Law). For a complete list of our podcast episodes and notable guests, please see below:
Conference Chair Gyi Tsakalakis stops by to give a quick run-down of the event and gives advice on how to get the most out of this annual gathering. Stay tuned for a little timeless Stoic Wisdom.
‘Insights From the Legaltech Visionaries Panel’
Top Entrepreneurs in Legal Tech (Jack Newton, Kimberly Bennett, Jazz Hampton, & Erin Levine) sit down to discuss the ethos of innovation, overcoming fear, and motivational advice for making dreams come true…
‘Integrations In Law Practice’
Catherine Stock and Tressa Schultze discuss the value and benefits for their customers following the integration of MyCase into Infotrack.
‘The Fourth Dimension – Law in the Metaverse’
We take a special trip into the Metaverse and discuss the emerging legal issues inside this new world with Mathew Kerbis, Diane LittleJohn, and Kristen Roberts. Spoiler: There are a lot of ways for attorneys to make money there.
‘Web3 and Law Firm Financials’
From Crypto-Currencies to Non-Fungible Tokens, there are a lot of ways to create, buy, and sell digital property. But when is it considered property vs. currency? The answer to that question triggers a variety of legal issues. Jessica Neer McDonald and Jamie Szal give us the walk-through.
Artificial Intelligence might be here to stay but is it ready for litigation? Pablo Arredondo and Stephen Embry stop by to discuss the proper way lawyers should be using today’s A.I. as well as predict the future implications of this rapidly developing technology.
‘Public Hearing on Proposals to Amend Rules of Professional Conduct 5.4 and 5.5’
When it comes to fee sharing, law firm ownership, and the unauthorized practice of law, there are a wide gamut of opinions. Thankfully, we have an expert panel (Lynda Shely, Darth Vaughn, Jayne Reardon, and Ed Walters) to give us a road map on what’s being discussed by the American Bar Association for their Model Rules of Professional Conduct.
Notable Guests (in alphabetical order):
After receiving his J.D. and MBA, Laurence Colletti went into solo practice with emphasis in general business and commercial real estate. He has always carried a strong passion for web-based media with a particular interest in podcasting and video. Laurence leverages his legal background against that passion to help bring sophisticated, relevant content to Legal Talk Network podcasts. You can follow Laurence on Twitter at @LaurenceEsq.
