The Law Practice Division has put on the ABA TECHSHOW for the last 39 years. This includes 2021, when, for the first time in the history of the show, we had no other choice than to deliver the show virtually because of the pandemic. Imagine that, a show that for the previous 35 years was delivered in-person, with live programming and a vibrant EXPO, had to completely reinvent its delivery in real time, with less than a year to plan it out. Occasionally, I still get asked “how did you pull that off?” My honest answer is that, because of our TECHSHOW programming from previous years, we were in a good position to understand what our technology needs were and how we would have to plan a show’s delivery, now virtually, and how to get those resources in place within a short time frame. And we did. Through the efforts of our amazing volunteer members, we were up to the challenge. It was a successful show based on how we evaluate ourselves, including program delivery and meeting exhibitor expectations.
Big ideas are born from a lot of different motivations and places. This can include necessity, improvement, the lack of something existing that could fulfill a need (market demand and/or gap in the market), convenience, costs, compliance, competition, advancement in technology and innovation. All of these can be found in the products and services that are featured as part of the ABA TECHSHOW EXPO. It is foundational to what the ABA TECHSHOW is all about. Looking back at 2020, many of us weren’t even using––or at least regularly using––products like Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Today, most of us are.
Looking ahead to April of 2025, ABA TECHSHOW will be celebrating its 40th anniversary. It’s quite an accomplishment for all our friends and partners in the legal tech community, the Law Practice Division and the ABA. The 40th anniversary is certainly a great time to reflect upon where legal technology was, is today and where it is headed tomorrow and beyond. Last year artificial intelligence (AI) was one of the hottest and most coveted subjects presented at the show. This year it will still be a formidable topic, as it has so rapidly evolved that our attendees will expect the latest innovations and uses within their practices. ABA TECHSHOW will cover the legal tech market from AI to the core concepts our attendees have come to expect from a show finishing its fourth decade of such offerings.
If you haven’t attended before, it is going to be a special show in our history. This year’s show will be upgraded with a new hotel, and the programming and EXPO taking place at McCormick Place Chicago. For more information and to register please connect with us. Can’t find what you are looking for? Please don’t hesitate to contact me. We hope to see you there!
