Pioneers in Legal Technology Honored: Law Practice Management and Technology Section Celebrates Inaugural Awards Ceremony

November 2024

Generative AI. E-Discovery. Computer Forensics. Practice Management. Terms which at one time may have been reserved solely for use by computer and engineering scientists have now become mainstream. These technologies impact everything from how people place an online product order to ensuring high-level network security for top secret government operations.

The law profession is not immune. While the concepts of managing a law practice and the use of technology may be viewed as diametrically opposed ends of a spectrum, at the highest levels these two areas intersect on a daily basis.

Recognizing the critical utilization of industrial science in the practice of law, CLA’s Law Practice Management and Technology (LPMT) Section held its first-ever awards ceremony honoring those who have helped achieve tech success in the legal industry. Nearly 100 people attended the inaugural event, celebrated in Los Angeles on October 23, 2024.

“We wanted to recognize California legal community accomplishments around technology and practice management,” said Shannon Bales, LPMT Section Chair. “We also want to use this as a spring board for our volunteer network of lawyers, paralegals and technology experts to create content and applications which may be used by lawyers.”

Almost every area of the law is touched by technological advances and will have a significant impact on the future of the practice of law. From forensic collection to deposition hosting and analysis, there is a wide degree of expertise available to assist legal professionals.

“As an organization, CLA must raise the technical knowledge of attorneys,” Bales emphasized. “If you don’t know how to operate these tools, you are doing your clients a disservice. CLA is bringing ‘nerds’ to the modern world of lawyers.”

Dozens of applicants applied and were reviewed by a LPMT panel of judges before Section members cast final voting decisions.

“CLA believes it is critical to recognize the accomplishments you are bringing about to ensure the legal professions navigates change effectively, efficiently, and with inclusion,” Bales told the evening’s supporters. “It was not an easy decision to select our 2024 award recipients. We received many applications, all sharing the innovative and incredible accomplishments being achieved. You all have a broad and impressive array of experience, and it is exciting to watch as you join together to network and discuss possibilities.”

Receiving the first-ever awards were: Kim Smith and Kristen Robinson, Lifetime Achievement; Melanie Chan, Attorney of the Year for Practice Management; Arya Firoozmand, Attorney of the Year for Technology; Munger, Tolles, & Olson LLP, Law Firm of the Year; Tony Sipp, Professional of the Year for Law Practice Management; Peg Gianuca, Professional of the Year for Technology; Overture Law, Vendor of the Year for Law Practice Management; and, Gavel, Vendor of the Year for Technology.

CLA President, Betty Williams, congratulated all of the award winners in a video message saying, “Tonight we are honoring your creativity, your commitment, and your ground breaking work that effects the practice of law. Your work positively impacts our work. You make us look good.”

LPMT is CLA’s only Section exclusively devoted to the practical aspects of starting, growing, and prospering a law practices. The goal is to help you attorneys practice more efficiently and use technology more effectively. “We want to partner with interested volunteers who would like to show their thought leadership by creating educational content to be distributed through the CLA’s learning management system,” explained Bales.

To learn more about upcoming LPMT webinars, technology demonstration labs, and other events, visit: https://calawyers.org/section/law-practice-management-and-technology/. You can also reach out to Shannon Bales who is the chair of LPMT.