Technology

In-House Counsel And Law Firm Lawyers Meet To Plan The Future Of Law

SOLID Summit promises to bring together the leaders on all sides of the industry to discuss the future.

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As we muddle ever forward through lightning fast innovation in the legal industry, the dinosaurs hoping to put the brakes on legal practice grow fewer and fewer every year. Someone out there still get warm and tingly when they get their monthly Shepard’s pocket part in the mail, but clients and outside counsel alike are increasingly aware that the challenges facing the industry require embracing new solutions. Alas, those same lawyers are realizing that opening themselves to change is only the first step in moving the practice of law to the next stage of its evolution. Just walk around a show like LegalTech or ILTACON and it’s overwhelming how many products and services are floating around out there.

Some are great. Some are terrible. Some have a nut of a good idea that’ll never survive to perfection. Some are the perfect solution for today, but a miserable solution for tomorrow — maybe for reasons unforeseen. The problem is, bringing any innovation into practice requires an investment from the lawyers in both time and money. Even if lawyers are ready to embrace change generally, are risk-averse attorneys ready to pull the trigger on a specific path that might not reap the benefits they seek?

That’s why sometimes lawyers need to take a deep breath and have a serious talk about the industry among themselves. Hence the Summit on Legal Innovation and Disruption or SOLID, taking place September 15-16 in New York. The event, put together by the Cowen Group, plans to bring together “250 legal professionals and subject matter experts” including at least 100 in-house counsel and personnel from top companies ranging from Microsoft to JPMC to NBC and 50 lawyers from elite law firms to hear a number of short TED-style talks about — as the name suggests — innovation and disruption. Keynotes include speakers like MSU Law’s Dan Linna, whose new Legal Services Innovation Index is finally giving the industry some data on where it stands with respect to innovation.

But rather than just listen to speakers, SOLID is going to get the audience into the discussion through a series of table talks — facilitated by hand-picked experts — to carry the discussion forward harnessing the insights and experiences of everyone attending. Most importantly, SOLID is committed to keeping that knowledge production — the answers to the questions “what have you learned and what will you do about it?” — from disappearing into the ether once everyone leaves the conference center, aiming to continue the discussion in March at the next SOLID summit in San Francisco.

If you’re interested in attending SOLID next week, registration information is available here.

HeadshotJoe Patrice is an editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news.

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