Nominations are open for The Changing Lawyer Awards 2020, four categories of awards that recognize individuals, firms and companies in the legal industry for their roles in embracing and driving change through new technology, service models or behavior.

The awards will be presented on Oct. 1 during The Changing Lawyer LIVE!, a virtual conference with an agenda that includes a keynote by the first female private space explorer and panels on diversity in law and digital transformation.

Both the awards and the conference are produced by the legal technology company Litera.

The deadline for nominations for the awards is Friday, Sept. 25. Awards will be given in four categories:

  • The Law Firm of the Year, which recognizes the law firm that has most successfully reimagined the way they serve their clients.
  • The Legal Innovator of the Year, which recognizes the individual who has driven the most significant change and provided strategic vision within their firm.
  • The Disruptor of the Year, which recognizes the alternative legal service provider or legal tech supplier that has most successfully disrupted the broader legal profession.
  • The Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes an individual who has been influential throughout their career as a champion of change, demonstrating a commitment to driving the evolution and beneficial impact of technology within legal services.

This is the third year of the award. Nominations can be submitted here.

[Disclosure: I am a judge for this year’s awards.]

Changing Lawyer LIVE!

The awards will be presented during an Oct. 1 virtual conference, The Changing Lawyer LIVE! This is the second time Litera has presented this virtual conference. Back in April, it was among the first in the legal industry to produce a virtual conference with its inaugural event.

The conference is free to attend and will feature two keynote speakers:

  • Anousheh Ansari, who in 2006 became the first female private space explorer and the first astronaut of Iranian descent. A serial entrepreneur, she is cofounder and chair of Prodea Systems and was formerly cofounder, CEO and chair of Telecom Technologies Inc.
  • Ed Sohn, a veteran managed services executive and head of solutions and product at Factor. (See my recent piece about Sohn, Managed Services Veteran Ed Sohn Leaves EY Law To Join Axiom Spin-Off Factor.)

Other sessions will look at digital transformation in the legal industry; driving diversity, equity and inclusion in the legal profession; and reimagining the future of work.

Photo of Bob Ambrogi Bob Ambrogi

Bob is a lawyer, veteran legal journalist, and award-winning blogger and podcaster. In 2011, he was named to the inaugural Fastcase 50, honoring “the law’s smartest, most courageous innovators, techies, visionaries and leaders.” Earlier in his career, he was editor-in-chief of several legal publications, including The National Law Journal, and editorial director of ALM’s Litigation Services Division.