Shen O’Carroll is set to deliver the keynote at the ABA TECHSHOW in Chicago, scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 26 to Saturday, Feb. 29 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, according to the American Bar Association (ABA). “Technology is becoming fully integrated in the practice of law. Our legal work is now more dependent on the use of technology, in and out of the office,” according to the ABA. “It helps us to practice more efficiently, serve clients more effectively, and better manage our daily lives. ABA TECHSHOW is where lawyers, legal professionals, and technology all come together. For three days, attendees learn about the most useful and practical technologies available.”
ABA President Judy Perry Martinez will also deliver comments during the event. Further, the Keane Award will be given to Hello Divorce founder Erin Levine during the conference. The award recognizes online legal service innovation.
Among some of the programs being presented at this year’s showcase are:
- “Online Dispute Resolution: Changing the Status Quo and Defining the Future of Work in the Legal Profession”
- “Implicit Bias: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You”
- “Risk Managed: Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery”
- “How to Create + Run a Virtual Law Practice”
- “Tech Forward: New Jobs for New Lawyers”
- “Does It Compute: The Limits of AI”
- “Bridging the Justice Gap: AI and A2J”
- “Using Data to Develop Your Law Firm Growth Strategy”
- “Innovation Foundation: Forward-Thinking Law School Curriculum”
The entire schedule is available online.
FROM TWITTER
Justice Department @TheJusticeDept
Today at the “Justice in Cyberspace” Symposium, Principal Deputy Chief Josh Goldfoot of DOJ’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section moderates a panel discussion about how law enforcement can use emerging technologies to locate perpetrators and solve crimes.
The conference keynote speaker, Mary Shen O’Carroll, is “responsible for overseeing key aspects of financial performance management, outside counsel management, systems/tools, and internal operations” at Google, according to her bio. She has been recognized by the ABA several times, including as a “Legal Rebel” in 2016. She was honored by LegalTech News as the Legal Department Operations Director of the Year in 2016 as well.
CNBC Report: Law Schools Trying to Keep Up with Growing Legal Automation
Advances in technology like artificial intelligence, streamlined communication and scanning software are reshaping how law schools approach their education models, according to an article from CNBC. Estimates from McKinsey show 23% of legal work could become automated, according to the article.
Law schools, at the same time, have become increasingly costly, with annual tuition and fees for the 2018-2019 academic year at $48,869 for private schools and $27,591 for in-state students at public law schools. As such, law schools are looking at lower-cost options for students as the field changes. UCLA Law School recently announced a new one-year Master of Legal Studies program which would “provide students with a master’s degree, but not a law degree, at a fraction of the cost, and in a fraction of the time.”
Technology, and large law firms “thinking more like businesses” were among some of the reasons for the shift.