The hosts discuss the effectiveness of legal tech education through conferences and CLE classes. They question the value of panel presentations and celebrity keynote speakers. They explore new approaches for legal tech conferences and the need for adult learning principles in legal education. They also discuss creating standards for technological competence in the legal field using AI technology and Google's Notebook LM.
Legal tech conferences and CLEs need to offer more practical and comprehensive learning opportunities to effectively educate lawyers on legal tech.
Self-directed learning, accessing reliable online resources, and actively engaging with the material are crucial for enhancing understanding and gaining practical skills in legal tech.
Deep dives
Rethinking the Learning Model for Legal Tech Conferences and CLEs
The podcast episode discusses the current approach to learning about legal tech at conferences and CLEs. The hosts question whether the existing model of short sessions and panel presentations truly facilitates effective learning. They emphasize the need for more practical and comprehensive learning opportunities, such as extended classes or online courses, to truly gain expertise in legal tech. They also highlight the importance of self-directed learning, finding reliable resources, and actively engaging with the material to enhance learning outcomes. The hosts explore the challenge of balancing educational content with social and networking aspects at conferences. They also bring up the lack of clear standards and definitions for technology competence in the legal profession and suggest the need for an organized effort to address this issue.
The Value of Online Resources and Hands-On Learning
The podcast episode emphasizes the importance of utilizing online resources and hands-on learning to enhance understanding of legal tech. The hosts discuss the benefits of accessing web versions or recordings of conferences, as well as utilizing podcasts and online courses to delve deeper into specific topics. They mention the value of self-driven experiments and practical application to gain practical skills. The hosts also highlight the advantages of watching webinars or tutorials at an accelerated speed to save time while still obtaining valuable knowledge. Overall, they advocate for seeking out various resources that match individual learning preferences and investments.
The Need for Standards for Technology Competence
The podcast episode calls attention to the absence of clear standards and requirements for technology competence in the legal profession. The hosts discuss the ethical duty of technology competence and its ambiguity in practice. They propose the idea of creating standards, definitions, and requirements for technology competence, either through their own efforts or by leading a task force of legal tech experts. While acknowledging the challenges of implementing such standards and gaining recognition, they express the need for progress in this area to ensure lawyers stay competent in technology and protect client interests.
Exploring the Limitations of Legal Tech Conferences and CLEs
The podcast episode critically examines the limitations of current legal tech conferences and CLEs. The hosts highlight the lack of advanced preparation, follow-up, quizzes, or testing in these events, which restricts the effectiveness of learning. They question the value of panel presentations, expressing concern about panelists who lack expertise or fail to provide practical takeaways. The hosts discuss the trade-off between entertainment and educational value at conferences, urging organizers to prioritize content over superficial experiences. They contemplate alternate approaches for conferences, particularly emphasizing the importance of making attendees aware of the latest technology and providing initial tools to stimulate further exploration.
Is our current approach to legal tech education helping or hurting lawyers? Dennis and Tom think through this question out loud, pondering whether lawyers can truly learn what they need to know through the typical legal tech conference session or CLE class. The guys might not agree, but they hash out their thoughts on learning opportunities, tech engagement, new approaches to tech-ed resources, and more.
Later, time for another round of Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down! Dennis reveals his latest scheme for creating better legal profession standards for technology competence, placing both Tom and himself on a “task force” of sorts. Does Tom want to join in on this tech-competence dictatorship? Tune in to find out.
As always, stay tuned for the parting shots, that one tip, website, or observation that you can use the second the podcast ends.
Have a technology question for Dennis and Tom? Call their Tech Question Hotline at 720-441-6820 for the answers to your most burning tech questions.
As Dennis mentioned, be sure to check out episodes from the Fresh Voices Series:
