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Legal Talk Network is thrilled to congratulate Dennis Kennedy, a legal tech consultant, director at Michigan State University’s College of Law and co-host of The Kennedy-Mighell Report, on winning the Lifetime Achievement award at the 2024 American Legal Technology Awards in Austin, Texas.
Since 2009, Dennis and fellow technologist Tom Mighell have led engaging conversations about the latest trends in technology on their podcast. They frequently invite the next generation of innovators on the show to discuss the programs, people, and procedures that are helping them thrive.
“The ‘Fresh Voices on Legal Tech’ interview series reflects the spirit of giving back—helping emerging voices, just as the pioneers before me once did for me,” Dennis wrote on his blog.
Cat Moon, co-host of Talk Justice and recent guest on the Kennedy-Mighell Report, introduced Dennis at the ceremony.
“Your generosity knows no bounds and the first thing I tell anyone who wants to explore and do work in legal tech is, ‘Be like Dennis,’ Cat commented post-event.
Earlier this year, Cat facilitated a “contrarian conversation” about the intersection of innovation, technology and creating access to legal services and legal help, with Dennis and Jane Ribadeneyra of Legal Services Corporation, remarking that Dennis “just knows his stuff.”
Dennis’s work doesn’t stop at podcasting. As an accomplished author, speaker, and educator, he has long been a thought leader and trusted voice on topics from digital transformation in law to practical applications of emerging technologies like AI.
His legacy will undoubtedly continue to influence and inspire the next generation of tech-savvy legal professionals.
Across social media, trailblazers congratulated Dennis on this well-deserved accomplishment, sharing how Dennis personally impacted their careers.
“Dennis has always been generous to me as I built a legal tech career,” Clio’s Lawyer in Residence Joshua Lenon wrote on LinkedIn. “A hero to many in this community for his actions, dedication, and spirit.”
“Dennis is one of the most thoughtful and smart humans in legal tech,” Gabriela Cubeiro shared. “He was one of the first industry people I met over a decade ago, and he was incredibly gracious to us at CASEpeer Legal Software back in the startup days.”
In honor of this celebration, we’ve compiled some of our favorite Dennis Kennedy quotes from the past few years.
“Your contributions, no matter how small they may seem at first, have the potential to make a significant impact.”
“I hear a lot of lawyers say they’re proud to be dinosaurs and are hoping they’ll exit successfully before the big asteroid hits. But I’d push back on that. There are lawyers all over the world who are doing creative things with technology and pushing the boundaries of the practice.”
“Make it easy for people to work with you.”
“When I hear people talk about conferences, what they’re saying to me sounds like Yelp reviews. They talk about parties. They talk about the cocktails they had, the swag they got, the hallway conversations, how far they had to walk and why there couldn’t be more golf carts. And to me, I’d rather they say, ‘Here are the cool things we learned at this conference.’”
“Every year, I try to identify a new tech skill or topic I want to learn well. That doesn’t mean that I actually accomplish it, but that’s sort of the discipline I’ve tried to develop.”
To read Dennis’s full reflection and the 8 key lessons that have shaped his career, read his blog entry here.
Legal Talk Network is a podcast network for legal professionals with hosts from well-known organizations and brands in legal. Over 20 active podcasts cover important legal news and developments, including access to justice, law school, industry events, legal technology, and the future of law.
