Technology

ABA TECHSHOW 2021: It's Virtual But Still Has Lots To Offer

This year's conference has surprised me.

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It’s the end of a long winter and you know what that means: it’s time for the ABA TECHSHOW! This year, the conference is virtual out of necessity. It won’t be quite the same, but I can tell you this: thus far, it has exceeded my expectations, as I explain below.

But first, let’s back up a bit to last year’s conference. For many of us in the legal technology space, it was one of the last times we were able to get together before the pandemic struck. Social distancing became the norm very quickly thereafter. As a result, the TECHSHOW planning board made the decision to hold the conference virtually some time ago, and while I’ve been excited to see what it would offer, I wasn’t holding out much hope. After all, by all accounts, there were no plans to hold an avatar-based conference, and as regular readers of my column know, I’m all about that type of online conference.

It turns out that ABA TECHSHOW 2021 is definitely structured more like a “traditional” virtual conference. You can learn all about the ins and outs of this year’s show here.

As a result, when I logged on for the first time, I wasn’t particularly excited about its potential since, in my experience, this type of virtual conference tends to be very flat and somewhat boring. That being said, this year’s conference has surprised me. For starters, there’s just something about the ABA TECHSHOW that draws me to it each year, and somehow that comes through even in a virtual setting. I’m not sure if it’s the gathering of so many legaltech enthusiasts, the forward-thinking educational content, or the collection of so many cutting-edge legal technology products in one exhibit hall. Whatever it is, the aspects of the conference that make it unique managed to shine through despite the virtual setting.

For starters, the virtual format is probably the best one I’ve seen so far. It’s easy to navigate and the user interface is colorful and uncluttered. The sessions themselves are about as good as virtual CLEs can be, and the programming this year covers a vast array of legal technology topics, ranging from cybersecurity and collaboration to law practice management, marketing, and artificial intelligence.

Similarly, the Start Up Alley competition held at the beginning of the conference felt just as lively as ever, and the best part about it was that seat access wasn’t an issue this year! If you didn’t attend and are interested in finding out who won, Bob Ambrogi provides that answer in this post.

Next, let’s talk about networking. The networking aspect of the conference is muted compared to year’s past, but that’s to be expected when a conference is held online. Despite the  limitations inherent in networking virtually, one aspect of the platform’s networking functionality that was a pleasant surprise was the ability to hold video networking sessions, which is a decidedly more interesting way to interact than through chat messaging. That being said, I do wish there had been one or two atypical networking sessions scheduled with the sole goal being to provide conference attendees with a bit of fun: perhaps a wine tasting, cooking demonstration, or a trivia session.

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Finally, there’s the virtual Exhibit Hall. If you’re in the market for a particular legal technology product, an online exhibit hall has its benefits. For starters, you don’t have to worry about sore feet — instead, you can just click on a link and check out the software. The virtual booths have videos and other information available along with “live” company representatives who are available to answer any questions you might have or even provide a demo of the product. In some ways, virtual exhibit halls can be a more streamlined way to research legal software.

Last, but not least, although I haven’t worn my “press hat” while attending an ABA TECHSHOW for many years now (since MyCase, the company I work for, exhibits at the conference), I did end up attending a virtual demo of a product after being asked to do so. During that meeting I learned all about American LegalNet’s newly released product ALN Cloud.

In addition to offering their customers the affordability, convenience, and security benefits that go hand-in-hand with most cloud-based software, their new cloud-based platform makes it easy for American LegalNet’s customers to easily access and view their workflows while simultaneously mitigating risk with real-time court rules and feature updates. Customers can also take advantage of the new mobile apps which provide “enhanced functionality for docketing professionals on the go by integrating calendars, court rules and case monitoring alerts.”

Of course, there are lots of other great software programs available for your perusal on the virtual Exhibit Hall floor, so make sure to check them out. And if you’re attending the conference, take a minute to send a virtual “hello” my way. I’d still love to hear from you even though we can’t connect in-person this year — and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that next year we can raise a glass together in Chicago!

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Nicole Black is a Rochester, New York attorney and Director of Business and Community Relations at MyCase, web-based law practice management software. She’s been blogging since 2005, has written a weekly column for the Daily Record since 2007, is the author of Cloud Computing for Lawyers, co-authors Social Media for Lawyers: the Next Frontier, and co-authors Criminal Law in New York. She’s easily distracted by the potential of bright and shiny tech gadgets, along with good food and wine. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikiblack and she can be reached at niki.black@mycase.com.

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