In just a few months, April 11-13, I'll be speaking at ABA TECHSHOW 2011 which will be held at the Chicago Hilton on Michigan Ave. This is the premier conference for lawyers interested in technology, sponsored every year by the Law Practice Management Section of the ABA. The conference and expo has something for everyone, whether you are a technology novice with a brand new iPhone or you have been comfortable using legal technology since the days when Westlaw looked like this (click to enlarge):
The sessions are excellent and cover topics of interest to solo or small firm attorneys, large firm attorneys, corporate counsel, litigators, users of Macs and PCs, users of iPhones, BlackBerries and Android phones, litigators, users of Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook, users of Google services, anyone interested in social networking, IT professionals, etc. You can see the complete schedule here.
I suspect that — just like last year — iPhone discussions will be everywhere, but I will be speaking about the iPhone at two sessions. On Wednesday morning, April 13, Michigan attorney Michael Morse and I will present the 2011 SmartPhone Shootout where we will compare and debate the best smartphones for lawyers. (Spoiler alert: I'll be touting the cool things you can do with an iPhone.) And then directly after that session, Portland attorney Josh Barrett who runs the great iPad site TabletLegal, Reid Trautz of the American Immigration Lawyers Association in D.C. and author of Reid My Blog! and I will conduct the fun and fast-paced session 60 iPhone and iPad Apps in 60 Minutes. I'm really looking forward to that session; we had a great time last year and the session was standing room only. Here are the apps that we discussed last year. It will be difficult to limit ourselves to 60 apps this year considering all of the great apps that have been released in the last 12 months, not to mention all of the new iPad apps (the iPad wasn't even out yet at last year's TECHSHOW).
As good as the sessions are, that is only part of the reason to go. There is also a lively Expo where you can see all of the latest and greatest legal technology from dozens of vendors.
But best of all, you'll get to meet and talk with tons of other people who enjoy using legal technology. For example, on Monday night, Josh Barrett of TabletLegal and I are hosting one of the "Taste of Techshow" dinners; ours will be for anyone who uses an iPhone or an iPad. (The iOS-curious will also be allowed to attend.) At a similar dinner last year, we only spent part of the time comparing our favorite iPhone apps, but we had lots of laughs and it was a great way to get to know some great people. There is also a Concierge Booth at TECSHOW that tends to be a place where everyone gathers to socialize. I bumped into a bunch of iPhone J.D. readers at the Concierge Booth last year, several of whom became friends.
I had never attended a major legal technology conference before I first attended ABA TECHSHOW in 2008, and I have had a great time every year that I have gone. If you have never attended a show like TECHSHOW, I encourage you to join us to see what you have been missing. Make your plans now to attend.
Finally, this is a special year for ABA TECHSHOW because it is the 25th anniversary. The occasion was a reason for some of the organizers to produce a video explaining why you should attend. The video is a little silly but worth watching. WARNING WARNING WARNING: you may want to shield your eyes halfway through when Reid Trautz shows up wearing a bathrobe.
