Well, it’s done. AALL has concluded its annual conference, this time in Cleveland, home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. My first inclination after spending 2 ½ days with them: law librarians rock. Then I thought about it: maybe they don’t. Which, strangely enough, is exactly why they do.
I’ll explain. The conference, like most law librarians, was low key. The modern legal technology conference has conditioned us to expect glitz and glamour. Breathless promises. Artificial intelligence that is always “revolutionary,” “transformational,” and mysteriously scheduled to arrive next quarter. Over-the-top parties.
Compared to the glitz and glamour of Legal Week and the upcoming ILTA conference, the AALL conference was a sea of humility between two oceans of conceit, to borrow a phrase. But it’s that humility that makes what librarians do and their conference so profound.
Profound and Candid Content
I saw the profound in a lot of the content. Judge Micah Smith’s keynote was not designed to entertain with cliches and fancy PowerPoints. It was instead designed to make us think about how we should be leading our teams and our profession: with empathy and out of concern for others. Servant leadership.
Other sessions I attended did the same. One session took on the name change of the Cleveland baseball team to the Guardians. Now that sounds like a fluff piece, just a little local interest spot. But it wasn’t. It told the story of an almost 30-year struggle by Native Americans for dignity. A struggle that involved bravery and patience and even a lot of determined lawyering. A struggle to enable them to feel welcome not only in the city’s baseball stadium but in community as well. It was all about leadership and the profession’s responsibility to stand up for those who need it and justice.
And most of the sessions other than vendor showcases were given by actual law librarians. Those with feet on the ground dealing with the issues of the day. There was a candid session about vibe coding where even the panelists admitted they couldn’t quite do it. You don’t get that kind of honesty many places. Panels also wrestled with the everlasting problem of effective lawyer training, hallucinations, and ethics. And many more I never got to.
Even the vendor presentations were low key. It was not the smoke and mirrors of many conferences but practical demonstrations with refreshing honest commentary about existing products that didn’t always quite work. I even came across an emerging platform for trial training that I thought was pretty innovative.
Learning Not Selling
This same low-key atmosphere carried throughout the conference. The vendor hall was nicely laid out for networking and discussions. The booths were staffed by knowledgeable people who understood the products, not sales folks. I think the vendors even understood they are talking to people at AALL who know bullshit when they hear it. And they don’t want to hear it.
There were not the blow-your-doors-off parties and receptions either. AALL had an opening night reception in the exhibit hall but that was pretty much it for official parties. Bloomberg had a nice reception at one of my favorite venues, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (If you’ve never been, you should go. It’s a fascinating place, believe it or not.) But even it was subdued. No tech bro fights in the lobby. No scantily clad women in chairs hanging from the ceiling.
And there were precious few blockbuster vendor announcements at the conference. Again, I think that reflects the vendors’ appreciation of their audience. I know, that in and of itself is remarkable. But my impression is the vendors use the conference to work with the librarians who most often end up shepherding their products into law firms or law schools.
So rather than waste time talking about what might come down the road some future quarter as vendors do with most big product announcements, the vendors spent their time getting feedback, providing training and information, and talking to the users.
AALL also puts an emphasis on networking, giving attendees time to talk to each other. There were lots of breaks from educational sessions for strolling through the exhibit hall or just catching up. At times, it bordered on too much for me, but then I’m no law librarian hanging with my guys.
It did make for a relaxed conference and atmosphere. I got home with knees that didn’t hurt, a reasonably clear head, and enough energy to unpack my suitcase without requiring two days of recovery.
Cleveland: A Good Fit
It was the conference’s first time in Cleveland and the first legal tech show I know of held there. Cleveland is a big city but it’s remarkably easy to get around in. And no, the river was not on fire.
Lots of entertainment opportunities. Having hotels attached to or close to the Convention Center were a real plus. The Convention Center itself was pretty nondescript, which was also a plus. No mile walks to get someplace. No need for a facility app to figure out where the restrooms were or where your next session was going to be. All in all, it was a refreshing experience, which is what you want for a conference like this one.
A Few Knocks
One knock was the food. Or lack thereof. No breakfast, no lunch. There was coffee but little beyond that. That meant if you wanted something to eat, you had to leave the Convention Center or buy something at the limited facilities there. But that’s no big deal and after the first day, I frankly didn’t miss it.
And the smoke from the wildfires on the first day or so. AALL needs to have a word with the Canadians about fire prevention. And they could have had a few more tables and chairs at the opening reception.
Sorry, it’s my job to find something to complain about.
Same Time Next Year
It’s for the good stuff that I plan to keep coming to the AALL conference. My only hope is that they keep the same atmosphere: one of learning and questioning instead of entertaining and wooing. It’s refreshing to have real discussions with people who understand the products and their clients’ needs and issues — those of the lawyers and legal professionals with whom they work. Learning more than spectacle.
So that’s why, at the end of the day, law librarians really do rock. They are Hall of Fame in my book.
Stephen Embry is a lawyer, speaker, blogger, and writer. He publishes TechLaw Crossroads, a blog devoted to the examination of the tension between technology, the law, and the practice of law.
The post Law Librarians In The City Of The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame appeared first on Above the Law.