You picked them. Now’s your chance to see these 12 legal startups compete in a March madness pitch contest.
This week, for the first time ever at ABA TECHSHOW in Chicago, 12 legal technology startups will face off in a live, bracketed pitch competition where the audience will vote to select the most innovative among them. And some of you who are reading this right now had a role in selecting the 12 contenders.
Back in November, readers of Above the Law were invited to help pick the 12 startups that would compete in the pitch contest and that also get to exhibit in a special, first-ever Startup Alley in the TECHSHOW exhibit hall. We posted the pitches of 20 finalists and asked you to vote for your favorites. On December 12, after receiving thousands of votes, we posted the winners.
Now comes the final pitch contest. It takes place this Wednesday, March 15, during the TECHSHOW opening reception in the exhibit hall. The contest starts at 6:30 Central time and should be over by 7:15. Attendance is open to anyone, even if you are not a paid TECHSHOW registrant, provided you register for a free exhibit hall pass.
Here’s how the contest will work:
There will be two rounds. In the first round, pairs of startups will compete against each other in rapid-fire presentations, each startup getting two minutes to present their pitch. First-round presentations will focus on each startup’s elevator pitch and the pain point the product addresses. After each pair of presentations, the audience will vote on the winner.
The six winners of round one will go on to the second round. Here, each gets two minutes to demonstrate their product. Companies can demo the product live, but most will use prerecorded videos.
At the end of the second round, the audience will vote to select the first, second, and third place winners.
For the first round, the pairings are:
- ClariLegal v. UniCourt.
- LegalClick v. eBrevia.
- Ping v. Paladin.
- TrustBooks v. Aggregate Law.
- Court Buddy v. Doxly.
- JustLegal v. Alt Legal.
Astute readers may notice two changes from the 12 startups we listed as competing in December. One of the startups, LawBooth.com, this week changed its named to JustLegal.com. Another, LawTap.com, declined the invitation to participate, so eBrevia was next in line.
The first-place startup wins an advertising package right here on Above the Law.
I will be emceeing the contest and Mary Juetten, EvolveLaw cofounder, will be the official timekeeper.
If you are attending TECHSHOW or are in the Chicago area, we hope to see you at the contest. And keep in mind that all 12 companies will also be exhibiting in the Startup Alley portion of the exhibit hall, so look for them there.
(And if you’re wondering about the all-caps rendition of the TECHSHOW name, even though it’s not an acronym, it’s not for emphasis, but to comply with the conference’s branding guidelines.)
Earlier: This Week In Legal Tech: Vote For Your Favorite Startup
This Week In Legal Tech: The Winners Of The TECHSHOW Startup Alley Competition
Robert Ambrogi is a Massachusetts lawyer and journalist who has been covering legal technology and the web for more than 20 years, primarily through his blog LawSites.com. Former editor-in-chief of several legal newspapers, he is a fellow of the College of Law Practice Management and an inaugural Fastcase 50 honoree. He can be reached by email at [email protected], and you can follow him on Twitter (@BobAmbrogi).
