[author: *Michele C.S. Lange]
Each January, thousands of legal technologists gather in New York City to learn from peers, network with old and new colleagues, and let their hair down. Yes, another Legalweek (aka Legaltech) is behind us, and the ACEDS community was there for every step of the education and camaraderie.
Whether you attended the conference or stayed back home, the Twitter posts helped ensure we didn’t miss a beat. Below is a top ten list of memorable ACEDS moments (and tweets) from #Legalweek18. Enjoy!
10. The best swag: selfie lights. Kudos to the lucky few who snagged a selfie light, which ACEDS was handing out as its tradeshow swag this year. Who knew there was such thing as a selfie light?
9. #eDiscoveryRockstar selfies. Legalweek #eDiscoveryRockstar selfies were all the rage across the ACEDS community, and Kaylee Walstad, ACEDS Director of Strategic Partnerships, captured dozens of tradeshow attendees as they walked the exhibitor floor.
8. ACEDS around the world. Jan Scholtes and Annelore van der Lint from ZyLAB joined the Legalweek festivities, travelling from the Netherlands to represent the new ACEDS Benelux chapter. Jan and Annelore are two members of the Benelux ACEDS chapter board which is leading the first professional e-discovery community in the region.
7. Chapter bonding, New York style. New York ACEDS members gathered for a chapter “meet and greet” as this chapter, and many others across the world, plan to increase activities in 2018.
6. Bloggers unite. Legal tech writers amassed for a bloggers lunch sponsored by Relativity and hosted by ACEDS. For many attendees (including myself), it was a chance to meet the faces behind the articles that show up in our inboxes each week.
5. Merriment with Doug and Mary. Good food, fine drinks, and wonderful company. What more is needed after a long day of sessions? Doug Austin of CloudNine and ACEDS Executive Director Mary Mack were happy to accommodate anyone that made it over for happy hour at Ruth’s Chris Steak House.
4. Education. Education. Education. Top-notch speakers with interesting commentary. Don’t miss a full recording of the session, “From AI to e-Discovery: Innovation in Legal and Technology Education” featuring David Horrigan, Relativity, Honorable Xavier Rodriguez, US District Judge (W.D. Tex.), Mary Mack, ACEDS, Daniel Martin Katz, IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, William Hamilton, University of Florida Levin College of Law, and Laura Norris, Santa Clara University School of Law.
3. Back to the Future. ACEDS partnered with Thomson Reuters to host a judicial panel the night before Legalweek kicked off. ALM’s Rhys Dipshan summarized the panelists' candid dialogue, “Federal Judges: FRCP, Digital Evidence Laws Have Long Way to Go.”
2. New CEDS members join the community. Certification is the best way to validate your e-discovery skills. New CEDS members showed up in full-force at Legalweek, proudly touting their freshly earned credentials. If you didn’t get your certification in time, make a 2018 resolution to get your CEDS.
1. Start planning for next year. Mark your calendars for #Legalweek19, January 29-31, 2019. ACEDS hopes to see you there!
*Michele C.S. Lange is a freelance writer and attorney based in Minneapolis, MN. She has more than 15 years of experience in the legal technology industry and can be reached at mcs222@yahoo.com.
