We are days away from the 2019 ABA TECHSHOW and I can already feel the excitement brewing on the OU College of Law campus. Last year’s TECHSHOW was nothing short of amazing. The only thing that rivaled the education I received in Chicago was the ability to network with some of the most influential thought-leaders in legal tech. This year, since I know a little more about what to expect, I thought I would share my goals for this year’s trip to Chicago.
The EXPO
Last year I was honored to be selected to attend TECHSHOW as a 1L. Looking back at how far I have come in my legal career, I realize how green I truly was. This year, I have begun narrowing down my practice area and have started taking steps to develop my skills accordingly.
At this year’s expo, I am hoping to begin a relationship with the vendors that I know I will be using in my practice. Gone are the winding walkthroughs picking up swag. Now I will be picking up swag with a purpose!
Startup Alley
Last year I was blown away with companies like EviChat at Startup Alley. This year, I hope to take this experience a step further and meet with several of these individuals about their intellectual property and the securing funding. My interest is both personal and for the OU College of Law as we both have huge things on the horizon.
The Lawyerist Crew
As the executive producer of the Oklahoma Energy Podcast, I appreciate good and thoughtful work in the legal podcasting community. I am a faithful listener of the Lawyerist podcast and I did not get a chance to meet the team at last year’s TECHSHOW. Their whole team will be in attendance this year and I hope to be able to connect.
Cybersecurity
We all know that cybersecurity is important but most attorneys are unsure who’s problem it is. There are some great workshops on the topic and I plan to be at every one.
Blockchain
I have been guilty of putting my focus on artificial intelligence above all. However, blockchain and distributed ledger have the opportunity to enormously disrupt the legal landscape. The best minds in the business will be in Chicago. I hope to dive into blockchain in the development stages in order to start using it in projects now.
I feel like the real problem with TECHSHOW is there is so much to learn you cannot simply attend every class. By being pruposeful in my planning I hope this year is the best ever!
Ryan Dobbs, 2L
President, Technology and Legal Innovation Society at the OU College of Law
Editor-In-Chief, OU TALIS Blog