5 Reasons CLOC Institute is the Best Legal Ops Conference

As we draw closer to this year’s CLOC Institute 2018 conference in Las Vegas, it’s a good moment to review the top five reasons we feel this yearly event is, without doubt, the premier gathering for Legal Operations professionals.

They’re the reasons why we think CLOC Institute conferences are a vital, not-to-be-missed opportunity for any legal professional with questions or concerns about legal operations technology, and how technological transformation may affect their practice or operations come tomorrow.

The organization behind it

The dedicated Legal Ops leaders behind the Corporate Legal Operations Consortium have tirelessly devoted themselves to founding and growing a community of professionals who recognize and are taking steps to address the onrushing challenges confronting the legal industry.

More than simply founding a community, though, they’ve made it a proactive, truly contributory entity, providing the vision, educational opportunities and resources necessary to meeting the moment. The breadth of legal operations technology options, and the need to distinguish which of them are truly beneficial, and will deliver better time-to–value, requires assertive communication and knowledge sharing.

That’s what we’ve seen consistently from CLOC, and it’s what its membership has grown to value.

The community it assembles

As CLOC puts it, the “energized, inclusive and open community we’ve created welcomes industry veterans and newcomers, allowing attendees to create a breadth and depth of connections not available anywhere else.”

That was obvious even at the very first CLOC Institute in 2016, when nearly 500 Legal Operations executives, in-house counsel, law firm attorneys and executives, vendors, and consultants came together. Last year, attendance nearly doubled, featuring a wealth of CEOs, technology leaders, and other senior executives, proof positive of the value they find in this conference.

For everyone in attendance, CLOC Institute presents a unique opportunity to forge connections, create opportunities, and learn from others’ experience.

The insights and information it disseminates

This year, CLOC Institute will feature over 80 educational sessions, rich with insight and illuminations about the course of Legal Operations technology. We’re happy to be among the participants, yet there’s so much to see and attend during the conference that no Legal Ops professional should go away disappointed.

It’s also a chance to not only receive the insight and guidance of Legal Operations technology experts, but a chance to pose them pointed questions. The critical path forward in legal tech adoption can look complex and confusing, and it’s not the same journey for every Legal Ops department. CLOC Institute gives attendees a chance to gain invaluable clarity as they look ahead.

The technologies it debuts and demonstrates

At last year’s event, Jeff Franke of Yahoo and our own Ben Bogin presented our AI Alexa offering. Informative and (for the presenter, somewhat nerve-wracking!) technology demonstrations are a powerful way to witness new technologies and have a sense of what they can tangibly deliver to Legal Operations.

Whether an attendee is watching an onstage demo or visiting with one of the many vendors on hand at CLOC Institute, they’re in a position to evaluate the potential of actual technology platforms and products. And, on occasion, be right at Ground Zero when some striking announcements are make that stir more than a few ripples in the legal technology media. Who knows what will happen this year..?

The fun factor

I’m not actually referring to the fact this year’s event is set in the Bellagio, right in the heart of Las Vegas. Inside the halls and meeting rooms of CLOC Institute, there’s a buzz and excitement at play rivaling anything happening at the tables. It’s heartening, it’s energizing, and it’s a privilege to share.

As Connie Brenton and others have remarked repeatedly, right now is a thrilling time to be part of Legal Operations, thanks to the innovation and commitment that have been on the rise to solve the many challenges ahead. CLOC Institute is at the very center of that evolution. Or as Mary Shen O’Carroll summed it up during her closing remarks at last year’s conference,