Legalweek Logo 2020

Four months from today will be the kick off to the Legaltech conference. Once again, the conference will be a show within a show, one of now three conferences (more on that later) comprising Legalweek New York in the New York Midtown Hilton between February 4-6, 2020, with pre-show workshops on February 3.

While the core is the same from the past few years, that's not to say there won't be changes—and I'm not just talking about the 20/20 vision jokes you'll see at every other exhibit hall booth. The preliminary agenda has been posted at Legalweekshow.com, and LTN has learned of some changes attendees should expect from the keynotes, exhibit hall and more.

1. It's Rod Rosenstein: Following last year's opening keynote of U.S. attorneys general Alberto Gonzales and Loretta Lynch, Legalweek is once again going back to the government well with someone who has been in the news recently: former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. In that role, Rosenstein oversaw special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into alleged ties between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 elections before President Trump transferred oversight of the probe in late 2018.

According to ALM, Rosenstein will be speaking on the politicization of law, specifically his views on the importance of separating politics from the rule of law. But that doesn't mean that tech will be absent from the talk, as he also plans to touch on the evolving role of the Department of Justice and law enforcement in tackling new threats—including cyber, social media and data privacy and protection.

2. Exhibit Hall Shakeup: Given the number of legal technology companies entering the industry (as well as the ones with increased funding who command more space), it's no surprise that the exhibit hall has gotten a bit crowded over the past couple of years. To help facilitate traffic—and to give the floor a fresh feel—ALM will be rolling out a new layout to the space, as well as a new entrance.

The main exhibit hall entrance as well as registration will now be moved from the hotel's second floor to the third floor promenade. This allows for more space and easier movement, particularly when it comes to keynote and some session room traffic. But that's not to say that programming will be separate from the exhibit hall—in fact, some Legaltech session rooms will be placed among the exhibit hall floor in the new set up.

3. My New Home: There's also a new space for another group, one who I personally find very important: the journalists in attendance. The entrance to the keynote ballroom will be transformed this year into what ALM is calling a "Live Newsroom." Featuring desk space, interview backdrops and (my own personal request) plenty of outlets, the live newsroom serves as a space for ALM journalists and other outlets to work, conduct interviews and hold meetings. It's also where I'll be for a good portion of the show, so come say hi!

4. Product Innovation Competition, Take 2: Last year, Legalweek debuted its Product Innovation Competition, which acted as a showcase for some emerging legal technologies and awarded a prize on the final day of Legalweek among seven finalists. That competition is back for year two, with a focus on innovation once again at the fore. What's new this year is the judging panel and the contestants, which will be announced closer to the time of the show.

5. One Part of a Whole: The Legaltech conference and programming once again takes center stage as the centerpiece of the larger Legalweek show, but the surrounding conferences are changing it up this year. Once again, law firm CIOs and their partners may be interested in attending the LegalCIO conference, which is unchanged from years past except for new programming. The Business of Law Forum, LegalMarketing, and LegalDiversity and Talent Management Conferences though are now combining into a single Voltron under one name: Legal Business Strategy.

Gina Passarella, the editor-in-chief of The American Lawyer, is spearheading the programming and direction of the combined Legal Business Strategy conference, and will be posting more on its contents on The American Lawyer in the coming days. But for those attending Legaltech who wish to be a part of all of the programming, they can do so with a streamlined Master Pass to the event—which also includes discounts for teams of 5 or above.