ILTA CEO Joy Heath Rush. ILTA CEO Joy Heath Rush. Courtesy photo.

 

Editor’s Note: This is an excerpt from the Reinventing Professionals podcast, hosted by legal tech speaker and consultant Ari Kaplan, provided to Legaltech News. Ari Kaplan speaks with Joy Heath Rush, the CEO of the International Legal Technology Association, which provides educational and networking opportunities for professionals who support the practice of law with technology. Joy will be attending her 24th ILTA conference this year, but it is her first as the organization’s chief executive officer.

 

Ari Kaplan: Tell us about your background and your role at ILTA.

Joy Heath Rush: My background in legal tech goes all the way back to 1981. I worked for a shared services organization in Washington, DC and my boss wanted me to complete training on word processing. Since I was the most computer-phobic person that ever walked the earth, I was sure I was going to lose my job and I did everything possible not to go to that class, but I went and at lunchtime called my colleagues and said: “I’m hooked. This is the greatest thing ever.”

I’ve been involved in legal technology ever since. After spending a few years with that organization, I spent 28 years with Sidley Austin in a variety of different jobs, but started in document processing. It was then that I got involved in ILTA, first as a volunteer, then as a member (and later, president) of the board of directors, and even as a business partner.

Kaplan: How has the organization changed in the two and a half decades since you started getting involved with it?

Heath Rush: The overall industry has grown and there are more people focusing on technology than there were when I first got involved. Law firms are bigger and much more global, the technological sophistication of our clients has increased, and we have lots of members from corporate legal departments.

Kaplan: What is your vision for this year’s ILTACON?

Heath Rush: My vision combines the best of yesterday with the best of tomorrow, but there are things that are so ingrained in the DNA of ILTA that we would never want to change, such as the feeling of it being a family reunion and the opportunity for people to connect. There is a sense of community at ILTACON. We will be offering even more chance to collaborate in a formal and informal way with people who have similar jobs and serve in similar roles, including extended networking periods and exhibit hall hours to engage with our sponsors.

We are featuring a startup alley of companies bringing disruption and advancement to legal technology, for which we allocated eight spaces, but had 40 well-qualified applicants. On Thursday, August 23, we have an entire track called “Law Firm 101” designed for people who are new to working in the legal profession and want to learn more about the business that they are supporting.

Kaplan: What new programming can attendees expect?

Heath Rush: A few years ago, we introduced several groups of sessions that are offered in a continuum on topics, such as disruption, innovation, and Office 365. We know that some attendees want the opportunity to take a deep dive into different aspects of technology. We also have a range of terrific keynotes and a great press panel in which members of the media from around the world will highlight what they are covering. I always look forward to the “Women Who Lead” session, where we address issues of diversity in leadership.

Overall, we have taken nine communities of interest designed for people with common jobs and roles and created a series of three collaboration sessions that start on Sunday and extend through to Thursday. During these programs, attendees can participate in facilitated conversations about the challenges they are experiencing and ways to overcome them. We plan to take the best of education plus the best of networking and smash them together into a fantastic experience for people who attend.

Kaplan: What are the advantages associated with attending ILTACON?

Heath Rush: Anytime you get together with your peers in person, you just learn more. You make connections that let you get the straight story about things when you really need it. ILTA allows attendees to network with their peers in the same kinds of roles and similar organizations.

While I always tell first-time attendees to take a deep dive into something that they are doing every day for work to obtain a tangible takeaway, I also encourage them to sit in on at least one session that is completely out of their normal day-to-day routine. If you’re an applications analyst who hopes to be a CIO someday, go to some of the C-suite sessions and listen to what CIOs are talking about to better understand the problems with which they are dealing so you can prepare yourself for that future career.

Kaplan: What is changing in the legal profession that is driving attendance at events like ILTACON?

Heath Rush: First, it’s technology. There are so many tools available touching so many aspects of the practice of law that no single individual no matter how brilliant, dedicated, and fast can keep pace. Going to an event like ILTACON gives you the chance to discuss specific issues with peers and ask them very targeted questions.

Second, the business models in the legal industry are changing. From the Big Four and alternative legal services providers to managed services and wholly-owned subsidiaries of law firms, there are many new entities beyond the traditional law firm. An event like ours gives attendees the chance to meet with those who are operating those businesses and how they fit into the legal ecosystem.

Kaplan: How do we cut through all of the noise created by the array of messages in legal tech today?

Heath Rush: Start by identifying your most trusted sources, which you can do by talking to your peers. For example, ask them which podcasts they listen to and what newsletters they read. We always say that ILTA is peer-powered and produces content that people can trust. You should generally look to the media outlets and other content providers that you trust to give you good, unbiased, timely, and important information.

 

Ari Kaplan regularly interviews leaders in the legal industry and in the broader professional services community to share perspective, highlight transformative change, and introduce new technology at ReinventingProfessionals.com.