Update on LegalTech's FutureTech Track

We've been  putting the final touches on the upcoming, first-time ever  Law Technology News Presents FutureTech  at LegalTech West Coast.

We're calling it "The Trifecta" inside ALM, because it's the first time  we've conceived an effort that includes a live presentation, podcasts, and an LTN report.

And I'm updating this post today (June 4) with exciting news: FutureTech will be sponsored by BlueArc, a San Jose-based company that provides "high performance unified network storage systems to enterprise markets, as well as data intensive markets, such as electronic discovery, entertainment, federal government, higher education, internet services, oil and gas and life sciences."

BlueArc supports "both network attached storage, or NAS, and storage area network, or SAN, services on a converged network storage platform." We're thrilled to have them as our sponsor of FutureTech!

Here's the 411:

1. Live: Day-long FutureTech track presentation at LegalTech West Coast (L.A.) on Friday, June 27.

2. Podcasts: Podcast package of six standalone presentations, for our  Law Technology Now   podcasts (created in partnership with Law.com and Legal Talk Network).

3. Law Technology News (print/digital/website): We'll run a “FutureTech" story, in the August 2008 edition, based on the topics in the track.

FutureTech Live Program at LegalTech West Coast

Panel description: The legal profession is undergoing a dramatic change as firms face a future where clients expect “better, faster, cheaper” legal services, demand use of technology, and require accountability. No longer can law firms be run behind closed doors, managed like private clubs. Today’s firms must compete to win — and retain — business, and are expected to demonstrate the same priorities as their clients: for quality work, diversity, cost management, and responsiveness. This track will explore how firms and clients are responding to these challenges. 

Law Technology News’ editor-in-chief Monica Bay  will moderate all panels

1. Sell Your Tech 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
It’s no longer enough for firms to win business based on legal skills alone. Today’s savvy firms realize that they must offer top-line technology to win and keep clients. Our panelist will share how their firms have integrated technology tools, such as extranets and wikis, to increase collaboration and better serve their clients’ expectations.

Doug Caddell  —  CIO, Foley & Lardner.
Rob Kahn — Director, Business Development, Fenwick & West
Robin Solomon – Firmwide Knowledge Manager, Heller Ehrman

Green Law 1:30-3 pm
It’s Not Easy Going Green.... Or is It? Using technology tools to create a “green” workplace will not only lower your energy consumption, it will increase productivity, morale, profits, improve lifestyles and health, cut costs, and help you get, and keep, new clients. How your organization can establish a program, from leadership needed to concrete programs that work.

Alvidas Jasin, Director of Business Development, Thompson Hine
Bruce Lymburn, Partner, Wendel, Rosen, Black & Dean
Tony Hoke, Global Technology Purchasing/Asset Manager, Morrison & Foerster

TomorrowLand  3:30-5 pm

Where is legal community headed, and what challenges does it face, as technology becomes embedded in every facet of our lives? From delivering the best possible legal services to our clients; to providing opportunities to excel in the workplace and at home; to confronting the challenges of competing interests in a global economy; it’s a heady challenge to move forward. Named for the iconic futuristic venue at Disneyland, this panel will showcase six legal technology leaders who will forecast what lies ahead — and where opportunities may abound.
 
J. Craig Williams – Partner, The Williams Lindberg Law Firm  (Tech & Law in Multi-jurisdictional Practices)
Craig Ball – Consultant/Attorney (Crystal Ball: Future of E-Discovery)
Douglas Caddell — CIO, Foley & Lardner (Next Generation – Systems & People)
Peter Hsiao — Head, Land Use & Environmental law Group, Morrison & Foerster (CleanTech)
Tom Baldwin — Chief Knowledge Officer, Reed Smith (Relationship Capital) 
Judith Flournoy – CIO, Loeb & Loeb  (Leadership)

I got the idea for the TomorrowLand sessions from TED (Technology Entertainment Design) -- the Silicon Valley think tank that produces amazing conferences where speakers are allowed exactly 18 minutes to talk. That's it. 18 minutes.

I loved the concept, so I'm trying this format (15 minutes) for the third session of the track -- AND -- we are going to tape them to create "Almost Live from LegalTech West Coast" -- six standalone podcasts for my Law Technology Now series (a joint project between Law.com & Legal Talk Network -- you can even subscribe on iTunes!

Finally, the LTN component: We'll produce at least one article in the August LTN, which will be available in print, digital and website versions.

We are tremendously excited about this first-ever Live/Podcast/Print/Digital/Website effort, and we hope you will join us at LegalTech West Coast, on June 27. And listen, and read! About the only media we're NOT doing (yet) is TV -- but don't rule that out for the future. Let me know what you think!