One of the best ways to learn more about getting more out of an iPhone or iPad in your law practice is to hear directly from other attorneys with expertise in this area. This is one of the reasons that I enjoy going to ABA TECHSHOW in Chicago every Spring. Having said that, the last few TECHSHOW conferences have not focused on mobile technology as much as I would have liked. For years, I have heard great things about the MacTrack Legal conference. The conference has traditionally been focused on helping solo and small firm lawyers who use Macs, but this year — the 10th year of the conference — it will be called MacTrack / iTrack Legal, and most of the conference will focus on using iPhones and iPads. If you are looking to attend a conference to learn more about using your iOS device, I cannot think of a better place to go.
The conference is September 27 to 29, 2018, at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL. It is easy to get flights to Orlando from most anywhere, and it may be easier to justify the trip if your family can join you and attend the parks while you are at the conference. The conference occurs during the Epcot Food & Wine Festival. Attendees can take advantage of a discounted hotel rate not only during the conference, but also for three days before and after the conference.
While the venue alone makes this conference attractive, the real reasons for you to go are the speakers and the attendees. In past years, the speaker list has been fantastic, and the folks who are already identified on the conference website this year are fantastic. Not only do they know a ton about using an iOS device (and a Mac), but they are also friendly folks and great teachers. Just to mention a few, I’m big fans of Florida attorney Katie Floyd (of MacPowerUsers), legal tech consultant Brett Burney, New Jersey estate planning attorney Victor Medina (who is planning the conference), Canadian attorney Bjorn “Barney” Christianson, and Pennsylvania attorney Evan Kline. I’ve seen all of them teach sessions on using iOS devices, and in some cases I’ve even co-presented with them. In addition to the speakers, numerous attorneys have told me that they attend this conference again and again because of the great folks who were attending, which makes sense because this is a smaller and more intimate conference — the opposite of a mega-conference like TECHSHOW.
I had hoped to be able to speak at this conference this year given the focus on iOS, but unfortunately my schedule doesn’t permit it. But if your schedule does, I encourage you to give this one a look. I know that it will be an enjoyable and incredibly informative conference.
Here is a video in which Victor explains what makes this conference so special:
Here is a link to a PDF file with more information on the individual sessions.