Sometimes
more
can
be
less
when
it
comes
to
conferences.
There’s
definitely
a
place
for
smaller,
more
intimate
conferences
with
focused
content
and
less
hard
sales.
Focusing
on
content
like
cybersecurity
risks
in
the
age
of
AI,
adopting
GenAI
in
legal
institutions,
and
perhaps
most
importantly,
leadership
in
times
of
change
and
disruption.
The
ILTA
EVOLVE
conferences
have
historically
been
focused
and
low
key.
This
year’s
conference
looks
to
do
the
same
while
adding
a
leadership
focus.
The
ILTA
EVOLVE
conference
kicks
off
today
at
the
Gaylord
Resort
in
Denver.
It’s
ILTA’s
smaller
conference
that
is
being
held
for
the
third
straight
year.
I’ve
been
to
each
one
and
quite
frankly,
I
really
like
it
because
it’s
small.
Attendance
is
capped
at
a
limited
number
and,
in
the
past,
exhibitors
and
sponsors
have
been
placed
in
small
uniform
spaces
in
hallways
outside
the
session.
The
result:
lower
key,
more
time
to
talk
and
interact,
less
hurly-burly
and
running
from
place
to
place.
As
I
have
said
before:
“The
result
is
a
smaller,
less
formal,
and
less
overwhelming
conference.
It’s
a
good
idea.
Sometimes
less
is
indeed
more.”
The
program
will
include
two
really
good
keynote
speakers
and
over
20
educational
speakers.
But
here
is
the
key
to
its
success:
the
session
is
limited
to
only
three
topics.
In
the
past,
it’s
been
two
topics:
cybersecurity
and
GenAI.
This
year
it’s
expanded
to
a
third:
“Leadership
in
Legal
Tech.”
I
know
what
you
are
thinking,
almost
every
legal
tech
conference
these
days
is
“limited”
to
GenAI.
But
ILTA
is
pretty
good
at
keeping
the
sessions
focused.
And
adding
the
third
point
on
leadership
this
year
is
critical.
Law
firms
are
going
through
a
potentially
significant
period
of
disruption
both
because
of
the
advent
of
GenAI
but
also
because
that
very
tool
increases
cybersecurity
risks,
as
I
have
written
before.
So
focusing
on
leadership
during
this
period
of
change
is
pretty
insightful.
The
opening
keynote
will
be
from
Zach
Abramowitz.
Abramowitz
spoke
last
year
and
gave
a
thoughtful
presentation
on
the
impact
of
GenAI
that
kept
us
spellbound
for
two
hours
and
which
I
discussed.
This
year,
the
description
suggests
he
will
talk
about
something
all
too
many
firms
are
struggling
with:
how
to
apply
GenAI
in
meaningful
ways
instead
of
just
reacting
out
of
FOMO.
I
know
from
experience
how
hard
it
is
to
find
a
keynote
who
knows
the
legal
tech
field
and
yet
can
do
a
good
job
as
a
keynoter.
I’m
looking
forward
to
again
hearing
what
he
has
to
say.
The
second
and
closing
keynote
goes
outside
the
legal
box
and
will
be
offered
by
Dr.
Kevin
Fong.
Fong
is
well
known
as
an
emergency
physician,
space
medicine
expert,
broadcaster,
and
author.
I’ve
never
heard
Fong
and
will
be
interested
to
see
how
his
expertise
and
experience
applies
to
law
leadership.
The
title
of
his
talk
is
Leading
Through
Uncertainty,
which
ties
into
the
EVOLVE
theme.
And
we
are
certainly
in
uncertain
times.
In
between,
there
are
lots
of
interesting
sessions.
I’m
particularly
interested
in
the
leadership
sessions.
In
addition
to
the
keynotes,
there
will
be
sessions
on
building
resilience
in
legal
organizations,
building
and
maintaining
data
loss
prevention
programs,
and
finding
a
balance
between
risk
and
innovation.
On
the
cybersecurity
front,
there
will
be
a
women
in
security
breakfast:
it’s
nice
to
see
women
get
deserved
recognition
in
this
area
which
has
too
long
been
dominated
by
men.
All
too
often,
the
contributions
of
women
in
the
digital
world
are
ignored
and
pushed
aside.
Think
Joan
Clarke,
Dorothy
Vaughan,
Margaret
Hamilton,
Grace
Hopper,
to
name
a
few.
Other
cybersecurity
offerings
include
how
to
better
safeguard
data,
how
to
present
cybersecurity
metrics
in
ways
that
get
attention
(always
a
conundrum),
how
to
conduct
cyber
tabletop
exercises,
and
a
discussion
on
the
“emotional
side”
of
a
data
breach,
which
sounds
interesting.
Unfortunately,
despite
the
women
in
security
breakfast,
most
of
the
cybersecurity
presenters
are
men.
Of
course,
there
are
ample
offerings
on
GenAI
as
you
might
expect.
Things
like
its
impact
on
knowledge
management
functions,
the
need
for
robust
data
governance,
how
to
use
GenAI
responsibly
(yes,
as
evidenced
by
reportedly
over
1,300
incidents
of
lawyers
getting
caught
citing
fictitious
cases,
it
is
obviously
still
a
thing),
how
AI
can
be
used
by
neurodivergent
professionals
(I’ve
found
these
kinds
of
discussions
to
be
relevant
and
helpful
to
all
of
us,
by
the
way),
how
to
build
a
financially
defensible
AI
plan,
how
to
build
and
use
custom
AI
agents,
and
how
to
create
and
maintain
AI
governance
requirements
in
law
firms.
It
looks
to
be
a
good
balance
between
the
practical
and
broader
topics
that
impact
the
profession.
Of
course,
it’s
always
hard
to
know
going
in
what
the
conference
will
look
and
feel
like.
I’ll
also
be
interested
to
see
how
it
will
go
in
the
Gaylord.
In
the
past,
unlike
ILTA’s
main
conference,
which
has
often
been
held
in
a
mammoth
Gaylord
facility,
EVOLVE
has
been
in
smaller,
more
intimate
venues,
making
it
feel
less
formal.
I
hope
that
doesn’t
change
despite
the
move.
I’ll
be
there
for
all
three
days
and
will
let
you
know
how
it
goes.
But
looking
at
the
program,
it
looks
pretty
good.
We
will
see
if
ILTA
can
maintain
the
vibe
from
the
previous
EVOLVE
conferences.
I’m
hoping
it
can.
And
I’m
hoping
for
some
good
leadership-related
lessons.
God
knows
the
profession
needs
it
right
now.
Stephen
Embry
is
a
lawyer,
speaker,
blogger,
and
writer.
He
publishes TechLaw
Crossroads,
a
blog
devoted
to
the
examination
of
the
tension
between
technology,
the
law,
and
the
practice
of
law.