Every year the ABA TechShow provides a great way to hear about tech trends in the legal field from practitioners, entrepreneurs, trainers, and journalists.
Tech Trends can include everything from shiny new devices to evolving business models to updated regulations and laws. With these changes come many legal challenges and opportunities.
I’m always interested to hear the types of practical advice and ongoing concerns brought to the TechShow. I’ve highlighted what stood out to me at this year’s show – if you attended and want to share what you took away in the comments, that would be very welcome!
Keynote & Futurism
This year’s keynote from 1871 CEO Betsy Ziegler titled “The Future is Here” included everything from amusing “smart” devices to self-driving cars to facial recognition to AI.
While many of these new technologies are certainly already changing our world, I was concerned that her talk didn’t mention the many ethical and civil rights issues that come with technology built on such a “move fast” model:
New #bizmodel is companies not owning their content: @facebook @Spotify @Airbnb - all companies have to operate like software companies now, to keep up with innovation. If you aren't moving as fast as the innovators around your company, you're going down.#ABATECHSHOW @BetsyZEO
— EBarney (@EBarney) March 1, 2019
So many of these new technologies have MASSIVE civil liberty concerns. @ACLU on Facial Recognition:https://t.co/nFKBPaSpDJ#ABATECHSHOW @BetsyZEO
— EBarney (@EBarney) March 1, 2019
We don't need robot teachers & doctors "in Africa"
If "we" want to get involved "in Africa" it's more valuable to invest in local talent & skills, not just in our usual dependency & exploitation patterns:#ABATECHSHOW https://t.co/Ci19u3JghF
— EBarney (@EBarney) March 1, 2019
Changing Business Models
Other sessions I attended addressed these technology and business model changes with more nuanced examples of the changing technology and legal opportunities.
In “Bringing Tech into the Law Office: Becoming Your Firm’s Data Privacy Officer” Feras Ahmed of OneTrust, Privacy Management Software discussed the new legal challenges posed by the GDPR and the importance of planning for compliance with privacy polices, data management and more.
Learn more about @OneTrust & similar #privacy tools with the @PrivacyPros vendor report: https://t.co/TFTKp7wOT3
Also, see @FastCompany 2019 report on the #security sector: https://t.co/GLnuftQNxz@feracity #ABATECHSHOW
— EBarney (@EBarney) February 28, 2019
In their “Succeeding in a Gig Economy” presentation, Basha Rubin and Emily M. Wajert noted the range of legal and regulation issues evolving in the “sharing economy” and highlighted key cases for the ride share industry, among others. Find links and examples in my twitter thread.
Client-Centered, Emotionally Intelligent
While “Client-Centered” legal services is hardly a new trend, I did notice more language about “Emotional Intelligence” or “soft skills” as part of the tech show this year. Several presenters emphasized how key these are for reputation management, marketing online, review sites and managing client relationships.
Natalie Runyon of Thomson Reuters talked about her work defining how Emotional Intelligence fit into a new model of successful lawyers in “Tech Competencies: Past, Present & Future”:
#ABATECHSHOW
Measuring a successful Δ model lawyer would look like – @CEOLeader is sharing upgraded version of @DeltaModelLawyr5 core skills for personal effectiveness:
– relationship mgmt
– entrepreneurial mindset
– #EmotionalIntelligence
– Communication
– Character pic.twitter.com/dntPiw77j8— EBarney (@EBarney) February 28, 2019
She shared her strategy for getting buy-in for training on these areas in the Q&A:
Q @miss_eli - How do you train laywers in #EmotionalIntelligence when they've based their careers on being told "you're good at arguing, go do this"
— EBarney (@EBarney) February 28, 2019
A @CEOLeadr - Career Services focus on networking skills for job hunt, building connections, firms on conflict mgmt#ABATECHSHOW
Client Centered Relationship Management
George Psiharis, Chief Operations Officer of Clio shared their work quantifying relationship management strengths and weaknesses in a Lunch & Learn titled “The Opportunity Gap for Client-Centered Legal Services” – find the link to the full report along with quotes and links in my twitter thread:
Lunch & Learn from @GeorgePsiharis of @gocleo on "The Opportunity Gap for Client-Centered Legal Services" based on their 2018 Legal Trends Report:https://t.co/EPsAKCUT8L#ABATECHSHOW
— EBarney (@EBarney) March 1, 2019
How do you improve how clients feel about you?
– managing expectations
– building relationships w/ #EmotionalIntelligenceWhy do people avoid lawyers?
– cost/benefit issues
– costs not clear
– DIY
– overwhelmed by process
– hard to judge quality#ABATECHSHOW @GeorgePsiharis— EBarney (@EBarney) March 1, 2019
Client Centered Reputation Management
Jordan Schuetzle of Thompson Reuters and Megan Zavieh of ZaviehLaw emphasized the social and ethical challenges lawyers face with clients in their “Reputation Management in the Digital Age”
Timing matters: ask at the right time, from the right people
Get personal: avoid generic form letters/requestsHow do you ask in the middle of the case? You can automate follow up emails, but don't make it seem too impersonal (use names, follow up)
– @ZaviehLaw #ABATECHSHOW— EBarney (@EBarney) March 1, 2019
Your own online behavior can & will be held against you – whether or not you get investigated, people can see it/ find it / search for it without your knowledge and remember it.
How to stay aware? At minimum @google alert & claim your profiles to get notifications#ABATECHSHOW
— EBarney (@EBarney) March 1, 2019
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