This coming week I will be in New York for Legalweek, to join 8,000 others in the legal industry to talk everything legal innovation and legal tech. This is a journey I have been making since 2010, although due to the pandemic, it is my first in person since 2019.
Just like all the other years, I am really looking forward to what the event has to offer, as 4 years away seems far too long as we know so much is changing in the legal industry – and quickly.
According to the hosts ALM, “Legalweek is one week where thousands of legal professionals gather to network with their peers, dive deeper into their professional development, explore topics and strategies tailored specifically to their role, and gain the tools to get legal business done.”
You can read more about Legalweek on the official event website.
The largest legaltech event
Legalweek continues to be the largest and longest running legal technology event on the calendar. This year there are 300+ speakers and attendees from 34 countries, with many different tracks.
The event has a wider focus for legal professionals away from just the technology, or more specifically the predominantly eDiscovery focus of the years of LegalTech. This has been enhanced further with Legalweek’s wider focus on technology and innovation in the business of law, together with exploring the broader issues facing the legal profession.
One of the reasons that I continue to go, as you simply cannot afford not to ! For me, waiting 4 years, and I certainly have Legalweek withdrawal – especially the reconnecting and meeting new people in-person.
So much is happening every year with how technology and innovation is impacting the practice of law. There is considerable change and disruption that is already impacting the legal profession, with so much more on the horizon.
I almost forgot I am half way through this post and I have not mentioned Chat GPT !
In all seriousness I am interested to hear more about the potential impact of Chat GPT for the legal industry and more widely the development of AI generally. It will be great to hear and see what is happening with some of the industry leaders and also have the tech providers are either embracing the opportunities of AI, or resisting any change. I look forward to reporting back.
Its still about the networking
The greatest value that I get from Legalweek is the networking opportunities. Everyone is in the one place, all the leading experts, together with technology providers. The event is a great platform to share experiences and discuss issues, whilst catching up with the latest technologies and trends. With the amount of meetings, demos, and catchups I have scheduled, 2023 will be no different.
Don’t just take my word for it, hear from some of the industries leading experts for their tips to make Legalweek a success.
If you are going to be at Legalweek come and say hello.
I look forward to reporting back after the event.
In the meantime I have nearly a 16 hour flight to New York from Auckland !!
