The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/34686
Kryptonite of Client Confidentiality?” presentation; while making a passionate plea for lawyers to honor client confidentiality and treat it as their purple cow (Seth Godin-speak for your ‘unique value proposition’), she cited many examples of how social media and technology can get practitioners in trouble when it comes to their honor code. This also seems mighty relevant to legal IT since the more they know about their users’ communication habits, the better they can secure and protect them from, if nothing else, themselves. Overall, several Ignite sessions focused on the broader themes of client communications, client relationships and ethics. One of the more memorable presentations in terms of onsite applause and post- event buzz was Jay Shepherd’s “Quantum Leap: How Will You Practice Law in 2019?” With six minutes to state his case, Jay stressed the importance for legal professionals to begin to value and sell their knowledge as opposed to communicating “activities” via billable time sheets…an alternative take on alternative fee arrangements. While all 12 Ignite Law talks contained their share of “aha!” moments, those addressing the “Freemium Practice of Law” (Dennis Kennedy), “Preparing for a Post-PC Law Practice” (Tom Mighell) and the introduction of “Bespoke Legal Services in an Off-the-Rack Culture” (Victor Medina) created the most buzz. Since it is impossible to thoroughly summarize all Ignite Law 2011 presentations and speakers, readers are encouraged to seek out the InsideLegal and Ignite Law websites which include all 12 talks and links to various related posts and articles. Also, we are very excited about a selection of Ignite speakers that have provided several articles for ILTA members within this Law2020TM to Peer. ILTA -themed issue of Peer JoAnna Forshee is the CEO of InsideLegal.com, an insider’s guide to doing business in legal technology, and has spent the last 12 years working with legal technologists, consultants, vendors and media — spanning roles as legal industry event producer, legal industry advisor, social media guru and PR/marketing agency founder (Envision Agency). InsideLegal has partnered with ILTA since 2004 to produce its vendor education program and administer the annual Technology Purchasing Survey. JoAnna can be reached at jf@InsideLegal.com and on twitter at @InsideLegal. IGNITE TAKE-AWAYS Restrictions breed creativity: Try giving a presentation on the future of legal technology and how it will change the profession forever. Now do so within six minutes. While this Ignite-style format may seem way too restrictive to result in anything valuable, don’t underestimate the power of a concise, well-timed and flowing, rapid-fire presentation. There’s no time for fluff or spin, but enough time for creative ideas, food for thought and musings that will engage your audience. Change is a catalyst for new ideas: Most of us have delivered presentations before, but how many of us have done so in a six-minute format? Although our speakers conduct a total of approximately 245 presentations per year, they all wanted to challenge themselves to prepare for six minutes, while still providing their audience with new ideas and more take-aways than a typical 60-minute presentation. Our speakers are definite pros, but when asked about the difficulty of preparing their Ignite presentation on a scale of 1-10, their average response was 7.4. Pondering the future makes for a better today: ILTA had it right when they launched the Law2020™ multi- year, multiple platform initiative in 2010. Invite, motivate and, to a degree, force ILTA members and the legal community- at-large to plan for the future and paint a picture of what our legal technology future will look like. While plotting the future, come up with creative ways to implement changes today. Ignite Law provides a similar forward-thinking vehicle, six minutes at a time. Ignite Law: The perfect way to bottle and sell enthusiasm: Ignite Law is so much more than just the name of a “future of law practice” event. Whether you attended Ignite Law or have seen the videos online, there is no denying the energy and enthusiasm oozing out of the speakers’ pores. Take a healthy dose of nervous energy, adrenaline and caffeine, mixed with crowd enthusiasm and encouragement, and what you get is highly flammable and intoxicating — whether this is your first legal speakers event or your 100th. Social media and Ignite go hand-in-hand: From initial promotion of the event to online voting, as well as ticket sales, the main communication vehicles were Twitter, a handful of blog posts and the Ignite Law website. Want to see the power of social media? Take an idea like Ignite Law and watch the excitement spread! ILTA Peer to Peer the quarterly magazine of ILTA 135