ABA Techshow opens with first-ever tie at Startup Alley pitch competition
Updated: Timeline creator and trial presentation software Case Crafter and generative artificial intelligence tool Querious both took home first place at the ninth Startup Alley competition at ABA Techshow.
Taking place for the first time at Chicago’s McCormick Place, the 40th Techshow opened Wednesday evening with the now-traditional Startup Alley pitch competition and will run through Saturday. Sponsored by Clio, this year’s competition featured 15 legal tech hopefuls presenting their products in three minutes or less for a chance to win.
Generative artificial intelligence loomed large over the proceedings, underscoring how far the technology has come in a short amount of time, especially when it comes to using it to enhance, respond to and facilitate the best experiences for lawyers.
For instance, there was Bot Mediation, a company purporting to be the first AI-powered mediator. There was Legau, a smart drafting solution supporting the entire document drafting cycle. There was Legion AI, which can draft a complaint in less than 30 minutes. And there were several legal research platforms using generative AI to help users work quicker and more efficiently.
The winners
Winners of 2025 Startup Alley competition at ABA Techshow with Bob Ambrogi, center, and Jack Newton of Clio, fourth from the right. (Photo by Victor Li/ABA Journal)For the first time in Startup Alley’s eight-year history, the battle for first place ended in a tie.
One winner was Case Crafter, which is an AI-enhanced tool that takes medical records, depositions, audio/visual evidence and anything else that relates to a case and turns it into a visual timeline.
“Every document is indexed and can be searched in a few seconds,” explained Tor Øyvind Fluør, the CEO and founder of Case Crafter, during his three-minute pitch session.
He added that all data is stored locally and not on the cloud. “You don’t have to worry about bad Internet with us,” he said.
The other winner was Querious, a platform that delivers real-time insights and aid to lawyers so that they can communicate more effectively with clients.
“Picture a business-savvy attorney, someone labeled a rainmaker,” Hilary Bowman, the startup’s CEO, said. “Are they great at conversation?”
The company uses generative AI to help attorneys uncover the most important details when communicating with their clients. Real-time legal insights are offered so that attorneys can maximize the legal advice they’re offering. It also offers instant access to legal content related to the case and suggests specific questions for the attorney to ask the client. Bonus: It takes just five minutes to sign up and get started, Bowman said.
Follow along with the ABA Journal’s coverage of the ABA Techshow 2025 here.
Lawft, a law practice management tool that automates workflows and streamlines law firm operations, including payment and time tracking and communication, finished third.
According to Bob Ambrogi, a lawyer and journalist specializing in legal tech who has hosted every competition since its inception in 2017, noted during his opening speech that some Startup Alley alums have gone on to bigger and better things. For instance, Time by Ping (now called Laurel), which offers automated timekeeping, has raised close to $60 million in venture funding since winning the inaugural competition.
“Continue to innovate,” ABA President Bill Bay said in a video statement following the presentations. “I hope you leave here inspired.”
Updated April 7 at 9:37 a.m. to correctly reflect several descriptions of the Startup Alley participants.
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