Tech show organizers still face challenges as well as lessons on how they can tailor future shows for audiences who may expect a virtual option. Hybrid events can be more expensive to put on. Organizers also need to weigh whether they will lose attendees if they offer a virtual option and how they can cater to sponsors who may prefer to pitch to people in person.
The pandemic pressured corporate legal departments to control costs and collaborate online to an unprecedented degree as demand for legal services surged. But missteps await legal departments that rush into implementing technology without first taking a thorough look at the bigger picture.
For years, tech and business experts have predicted the death of email. “My sense is that the younger generation of lawyers use email less as a communication vehicle, and [they] have grown up in a world where their communication is done through social media apps,” says Jason St. John, managing partner of Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr.
It’s no secret that attorneys are burned out—but the surprising news is that firms are finally taking action to combat it. Some legal teams are hiring burnout advisers to address attorney mental health in the hope that this will tackle attorney fatigue, detachment and other issues stemming from the competitive environment, long working hours and perfectionism that comes with the job.
A firm’s chosen fee structure and how its finances are handled can lay the foundation for the entire life of the business and sometimes provides early indicators in determining whether it will grow and thrive or eventually crumble.
It’s a seller’s market for paralegals. Remote work arrangements, which were uncommon pre-pandemic, today are nonnegotiable for many candidates. That’s been hard for some lawyers to accept.
The pandemic’s global economic and human impact has created new challenges for in-house legal teams. Supply chain disruptions, sharp increases or decreases in consumer demand, and the impact of uncertainty surrounding remote work options have pushed in-house legal teams to rethink the work they are doing and how they are doing it.
The metaverse and Web3, including virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, cryptocurrencies, non-fungible tokens and more, are evolving to become another Wild West technology frontier where existing laws are hard to apply, legal experts say.
Attorneys generally choose a law firm based on prestige, salary, location and future goals. But today, many are adding another criterion to the list: wellness programs. Self-care, which used to be a foreign concept to law firms, has finally entered the conversation.
When the pandemic hit, QR codes became very popular as people looked for a contact-free way to share information. Privacy advocates, however, see a darker side to QR codes. “Really sensitive information about you is being collected and monetized by the QR code-generation company,” says Nicole A. Ozer, technology and civil liberties director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California.
Firms bucking that downsizing trend say they’re investing in real estate to spark collaboration and camaraderie that lawyers, associates and support staff simply can’t experience when they’re siloed in home or remote offices.
This year’s Techshow, which took place March 2-5 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, wasn’t quite a return to normal. Nevertheless, for some vendors, setting up shop in the in-person exhibit hall again for the first time since the ABA Techshow 2020 gave them a chance to cement relationships that they have built online with customers.
As much of the world begins, hopefully, to emerge into post-pandemic life, finding purpose in one’s career has become more crucial than ever. While the legal field in particular can often be perceived as grueling work, it’s also an industry that enables its professionals to feel that they’re truly contributing to the greater good of society.
Miami-based personal injury attorney Amanda Demanda says since she started using Carvertise last year, she has frequently heard from people in the community who have seen ride-share cars with her image on them.
The ABA Journal wants to host and facilitate conversations among lawyers about their profession. We are now accepting thoughtful, non-promotional articles and commentary by unpaid contributors.
.png)
