You already know Filevine as your go-to legal tech stack, with the highest-rated case management software for law firms.
But Filevine has also gained some fame and acclaim for its user’s conference. Replete with big-name speakers, face-to-face engagement, and grand celebrations, Filevine gatherings are not to be missed.
LEX Summit 2023, which recently concluded, was bigger and better than ever. Nearly 1,000 legal leaders gathered to build their networks, learn new skills, and reimagine the legal experience.
Here’s a countdown of our favorite experiences at this year’s gathering.
Top 10 Moments from LEX Summit 2023
10: Getting Filevine-certified
As Filevine gains a greater centrality in the industry, it’s more important than ever to have a way to demonstrate your proficiency to others.
This year, for the first time ever, participants left LEX Summit with an official Filevine certification. Following hands-on training at Basecamp, participants had their skills evaluated, and those who could demonstrate their abilities left with official badges. Certification demonstrates your value to current and future employers looking for professionals who know the ins and outs of the premier legal tech stack. Stay tuned for more info about Filevine University, as we will launch a new experience soon.
9. Hitting the slopes on ski day
Of course, we came to LEX Summit for insights into the future of the legal profession. But it’s a crime to visit the ‘powder capital of the world’ in February and not hit the slopes.
That’s why we were so excited to see that LEX Summit registration came with a free ski resort day. And not just for any old resort: for Snowbird, which is maybe the top ski destination in the whole country.
After three days of learning and networking, a ski resort day was the perfect ending. Especially because it also came with a dedicated space at the resort to eat, drink, and cozy up for those who weren’t inclined to ski.
8. Hearing mind-blowing breakout sessions
You can’t make us pick just one. This year’s gathering had top-notch discussions in the breakout sessions, inspiring new insights and opening up new possibilities. We enjoyed learning from each other in smaller group settings — while earning CLE credit too!
Here’s a shout-out to a few of our favorites:
Todd Burnham, who teaches Law Practice Management at the University of Colorado Law School, gave us a free university class. His COO, James Townsend, and firm manager, Donna Bystricky, joined him to teach us how to build sustained growth and consistent success using Filevine.
Michelle Dent, head of the legal ops team at Carta, along with Malouf Companies Chief Legal Officer Jeff Steed and Filevine’s Head of Legal Alex Pearson, helped us understand the best practices for managing a modern legal ops team.
Connect with Michelle Dent on LinkedIn
Jaqueline Bretell and Jessica Anguilar from Bighorn Law taught us how to build your firm’s pre-lit machine into an unstoppable business engine.
Galen Hair and Mitri Shatara from Insurance Claim HQ and Alexander Shunnarah, Trial Attorneys, shared their secrets for finding and implementing the right integrations.
Visit Insurance Claim HQ Website
Jeremy Kokenes and Steve Hendricks from Witherite Law Group provided some truly eye-opening ways to use our own data.
And there were so many more. The brilliance of the legal minds within the Filevine family continue to amaze us.
7. Sneaking a peek at the brand-new Customer Benchmark Report
Amid social change and economic uncertainty, it’s crucial to understand how you and your firm stack up against your peers. Are others letting their employees work remotely? Are they expanding practice areas or raising rates? How are they using legal technology in their practice?
So when Mary Lyon, Filevine’s Chief of Staff, R&D, showed us a sneak peek at a brand new customer benchmark report, we all paid attention.
The report provides valuable statistics on various topics, such as remote work, firm growth, and the use of legal technology. By comparing your firm's performance against industry benchmarks, you can identify areas for improvement and make informed decisions. The report will be coming soon for download. STAY TUNED!
6. Getting the big picture of legal tech with Bob Ambrogi
Journalist Bob Ambrogi is my go-to source for legal technology news. His blog LawSites, his columns in Above the Law, and his podcast LawNext all carry a real depth of understanding mixed with a no-nonsense analysis which I find refreshing.
So it was a pleasure to hear him pontificate in person on the sea-change technology has brought to the practice of law. Calling it the most significant change in the industry to date, he analyzed the ‘untethering effect’ we’ve all been experiencing.
Check out Bob’s own report-back from LEX Summit.
View more of Bom Ambrogis Legal Technology News
5. Living it up at LEX Fest and other celebrations
Listen: we all know one major reason to attend a legal tech conference is to create valuable networking connections with movers and shakers in the industry. And nothing facilitates making new friends, like good food, fine drinks, and lively activities.
Filevine is known for throwing a good party. This year did not disappoint. Those attending Basecamp watched an epic Super Bowl game on the big screen at a deluxe venue. We were sipping on swanky cocktails the following evening and making new friends at the welcome reception. And then came the awe-inspiring afterparty: LEX Fest, replete with live music, wild activities, and the wry comedy of Nate Bargatze.
4. Learning the secrets of great workplaces from Michael C. Bush
A tight labor market has left many businesses anxious about hiring and retaining workers. We’re all asking how to differentiate our workplace from the crowd. What are the practices and perks that translate into worker loyalty?
No one is better at answering those questions than Michael C. Bush. He’s the CEO of Great Place to Work, the research and analytics firm behind the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work for List, among many others. Michael’s profession is understanding what workers need and want and translating that into actionable steps that leaders can take.
It was extraordinary to hear Michael in person explain how purpose-driven leaders can make their workplace great, by focusing on trust, respect, fairness, and credibility — and caring for their team as people, not just employees.
Learn more about Michael and Great Place to Work
3. Finding our true grit with Angela Duckworth
When I heard Angela’s TED Talk years ago, something clicked. Instead of thinking that talent or intelligence would dictate the course of my life, I learned how much would come down to what goes through my head when I fail.
So it was a true joy to see this icon on the stage at LEX Summit. Angela presented the research behind her instant New York Times bestseller, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, emphasizing how this information could be helpful for legal leaders. She showed us what leaders can do through role modeling, how to keep their teams going on hard days, and how to seek out passion and perseverance in new hires.
2. Witnessing brand-new product announcements
One of the biggest reasons to come to a Filevine user conference is to get the first look at the most exciting new products and features.
Filevine prides itself on a powerful development team, consistently offering new tools and updates to improve the lives of legal professionals. Here’s a taste of what they revealed to us this year:
- Integration with NetSuite
In a huge development, the legal futurist team announced that Filevine can now integrate with the premier cloud business software Oracle NetSuite. NetSuite is used by major players like Salesforce, Audi, and Cisco. This integration works seamlessly across Filevine, Outlaw, and Lead Docket, allowing you to sync projects, contacts, time entries, cost entries, check requests and KPIs.
- Sidebar
One of my favorite new Filevine features is Sidebar, which allows you to carry on discussions without leaving Filevine. You can keep Filevine as the system of record, document your work, and get quick answers, without bogging down your activity feed.
- Fully customized and automated intake tools
New updates to Lead Docket let users tailor their process to screen and onboard new clients. You can also automate any part of the process to increase your capacity and quality.
- Versatile electronic signatures
Need to group signatures, control the order in which forms are signed, or send a combination of multiple documents and templates in a single envelope? Want to do all of that with speed and efficiency? New Vinesign updates give you complete control over the electronic signature procurement process.
- More intuitive time tracking and better billing.
This is a big one. We’re talking about embedded time tracking in your workflow, time capture from mobile devices, bulk invoice creation, finalizing, and distribution — all the tools you need to bill more quickly, eliminate errors and get paid sooner.
1. Getting real about the future of law with Ryan Anderson
The most talked-about moment at AI came during Filevine CEO Ryan Anderson’s opening keynote address. “AI will replace lawyers—” Ryan announced as the blood pressure of everyone in the room rose. Fortunately, he concluded the sentence: “—who fail to adapt.”
Ryan revealed just what that adaptation can look like. Filevine is creating curated legal flows that invite deep focus rather than constantly interrupting it, search abilities that are radically more personalized and specific, legal timelines that are wildly more interactive, and — most importantly of all — more personal space for thought and reflection.
At the summit’s conclusion, Ryan revealed a few new offerings that promote this vision with the help of the Legal Futurist team. One tool will enable automation even when dealing with complex forms across multiple languages. Using AI, Filevine’s tool will translate client documents into other languages, then extract and label that data to auto-populate immigration forms.
Ryan’s conclusion made us all more hopeful and ready to face the road ahead: “AI will not replace you because Filevine will help you adapt.”
Did you miss out? If so, ensure you’re first in line for next year’s LEX Summit.
Many thanks to the conference planning crew and all speakers and attendees who brought their energy, ideas, and commitment to make this event one for the books.