Sometimes more can be less when it comes to conferences. There’s definitely a place for smaller, more intimate conferences with focused content and less hard sales. Focusing on content like cybersecurity risks in the age of AI, adopting GenAI in legal institutions, and perhaps most importantly, leadership in times of change and disruption. The ILTA EVOLVE conferences have historically been focused and low key. This year’s conference looks to do the same while adding a leadership focus.
The ILTA EVOLVE conference kicks off today at the Gaylord Resort in Denver. It’s ILTA’s smaller conference that is being held for the third straight year. I’ve been to each one and quite frankly, I really like it because it’s small. Attendance is capped at a limited number and, in the past, exhibitors and sponsors have been placed in small uniform spaces in hallways outside the session.
The result: lower key, more time to talk and interact, less hurly-burly and running from place to place. As I have said before: “The result is a smaller, less formal, and less overwhelming conference. It’s a good idea. Sometimes less is indeed more.”
The program will include two really good keynote speakers and over 20 educational speakers. But here is the key to its success: the session is limited to only three topics. In the past, it’s been two topics: cybersecurity and GenAI. This year it’s expanded to a third: “Leadership in Legal Tech.”
I know what you are thinking, almost every legal tech conference these days is “limited” to GenAI. But ILTA is pretty good at keeping the sessions focused. And adding the third point on leadership this year is critical. Law firms are going through a potentially significant period of disruption both because of the advent of GenAI but also because that very tool increases cybersecurity risks, as I have written before. So focusing on leadership during this period of change is pretty insightful.
The opening keynote will be from Zach Abramowitz. Abramowitz spoke last year and gave a thoughtful presentation on the impact of GenAI that kept us spellbound for two hours and which I discussed. This year, the description suggests he will talk about something all too many firms are struggling with: how to apply GenAI in meaningful ways instead of just reacting out of FOMO. I know from experience how hard it is to find a keynote who knows the legal tech field and yet can do a good job as a keynoter. I’m looking forward to again hearing what he has to say.
The second and closing keynote goes outside the legal box and will be offered by Dr. Kevin Fong. Fong is well known as an emergency physician, space medicine expert, broadcaster, and author. I’ve never heard Fong and will be interested to see how his expertise and experience applies to law leadership. The title of his talk is Leading Through Uncertainty, which ties into the EVOLVE theme. And we are certainly in uncertain times.
In between, there are lots of interesting sessions. I’m particularly interested in the leadership sessions. In addition to the keynotes, there will be sessions on building resilience in legal organizations, building and maintaining data loss prevention programs, and finding a balance between risk and innovation.
On the cybersecurity front, there will be a women in security breakfast: it’s nice to see women get deserved recognition in this area which has too long been dominated by men. All too often, the contributions of women in the digital world are ignored and pushed aside. Think Joan Clarke, Dorothy Vaughan, Margaret Hamilton, Grace Hopper, to name a few.
Other cybersecurity offerings include how to better safeguard data, how to present cybersecurity metrics in ways that get attention (always a conundrum), how to conduct cyber tabletop exercises, and a discussion on the “emotional side” of a data breach, which sounds interesting. Unfortunately, despite the women in security breakfast, most of the cybersecurity presenters are men.
Of course, there are ample offerings on GenAI as you might expect. Things like its impact on knowledge management functions, the need for robust data governance, how to use GenAI responsibly (yes, as evidenced by reportedly over 1,300 incidents of lawyers getting caught citing fictitious cases, it is obviously still a thing), how AI can be used by neurodivergent professionals (I’ve found these kinds of discussions to be relevant and helpful to all of us, by the way), how to build a financially defensible AI plan, how to build and use custom AI agents, and how to create and maintain AI governance requirements in law firms.
It looks to be a good balance between the practical and broader topics that impact the profession. Of course, it’s always hard to know going in what the conference will look and feel like. I’ll also be interested to see how it will go in the Gaylord. In the past, unlike ILTA’s main conference, which has often been held in a mammoth Gaylord facility, EVOLVE has been in smaller, more intimate venues, making it feel less formal. I hope that doesn’t change despite the move.
I’ll be there for all three days and will let you know how it goes. But looking at the program, it looks pretty good. We will see if ILTA can maintain the vibe from the previous EVOLVE conferences. I’m hoping it can.
And I’m hoping for some good leadership-related lessons. God knows the profession needs it right now.
Stephen Embry is a lawyer, speaker, blogger, and writer. He publishes TechLaw Crossroads, a blog devoted to the examination of the tension between technology, the law, and the practice of law.
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