As Connie pointed out this is a week for legal technology focused discussions – both Ted Tjaden and I spoke at one of the Toronto conferences this week, though attendance was light in comparison to the record crowds at the Pacific Legal Technology conference, LegalIT and the Legal Futures conference of the College of Law Practice Management.

ALM are sponsoring Virtual LegalTech, a virtual trade show covering legal technology, which will take place Thursday. It features live webcasts and seminars, virtual trade booths, online networking, chatting, blogs, and more. "It's everything you'd expect from a live conference, brought right to your computer". They're bring together speakers from North America and Australia for a session on International E-Discovery. Thursday's event is followed by sessions in March, May, September and December next year.

In addition to five interactive sessions covering technology, the virtual trade show will include a session called “Fixing the Broken Recruitment System,” about associate recruitment trends and projections. This is a live interview by Aric Press, Editor-in-Chief, The American Lawyer with Ashish Nanda, Faculty Chair, Executive Education and Research Director, Center for Law and the Professions, Harvard Law School and Lynn Mestel, President, Mestel & Company.

The CLE line-up is at least as interesting as the Toronto events:

11:00 AM Cost-Conscious Technology Adoption. CLE Eligible*
Despite a troubled economy, money must be spent on technology. Today, it is more critical than ever to ensure you are squeezing all you can out of existing technology and acquiring the new tools that will save both time and money. This session features the large, medium and small firm perspective on business driven technology adoption.

Joe Utsler Joe Utsler, Vice President of Product Strategy, IPRO Tech Rachelle Rennagel Rachelle Rennagel, Chief Knowledge Officer, Sheppard Mullin Richter and Hampton LLP Alston W. Walker Alston W. Walker, Manager, Litigation Practice Systems – Litigation Technology and Support Services, Fish & Richardson P.C.

IPRO Tech
12:00 PM The Challenge of Preserving and Collecting Evidence in a Cloud.
As more and more information is being stored on websites, the challenges of preserving and collecting evidence become more difficult. How do you search for information if it's not somewhere you can physically search? This hour long panel discussion will delve into the challenges that the "cloud" presents and offers guidance for in-house and outside counsel on preservation.

Jeff Fehrman, Vice President of Forensics and Consulting, Integreon Craig Ball, President, Craig D. Ball, P.C Tom Morrissey, Sr. Director, IT Litigation, Purdue Pharma LP (DC)

Integreon
1:00 PM Special Plenary Session

Virtual LegalTech: Thought Leader Series – Fixing the Broken Recruitment System

Each Virtual LegalTech will feature an hour long interview with one of the industry's foremost experts as conducted by an ALM editor.

Join us at our inaugural American Lawyer Thought Leader Series when Aric Press, Editor-in-Chief, The American Lawyer speaks with Ashish Nanda, Faculty Chair, Executive Education and Research Director, Center for Law and the Professions, Harvard Law School and Lynn Mestel, President, Mestel & Company and President, Hire Counsel who is sponsoring this session.

The legal profession is experiencing serious dramatic changes. The most obvious has been a season of associate layoffs, deferrals, and general hiring distress. It seems clear that the conventional associate recruitment model is broken and has been for some time. Ashish Nanda has an idea for a significant change- akin to the medical school model.

It's not just associates who are troubled. The lateral partner model is severely roiled, reflecting anxiety about the economy in general and the legal marketplace in particular. Lynn Mestel has been a maestro of laterals for decades. She will join the panel to discuss her views about the current situation. Ashish will apply his view from his studies of "hiring stars" in hiring and the legal profession.

2:00 PM International E-Discovery. CLE Eligible*
International E-Discovery is one of the greatest challenges facing the legal industry today. To a large extent, things that are law in the US are utterly ignored in the EU and UK. How then do you collect and preserve when the systems, ethics and cultures are at odds? This panel will examine the disparities and offer insight to navigate.

Michelle Mahoney, Director of Applied Legal Technology, Mallesons Stephen Jaques George Rudoy, Director of Global Practice Technology and Information Services, Shearman & Sterling, LLP Chris Dale, eDiscovery Information Project Christopher Byrne, General Counsel, Wave Software

3:00 PM IT Leadership in Turbulent Times.
With so many organizations experiencing restructuring and layoffs, it's often not easy to see the opportunities within the chaos. But IT professionals can help their organizations, their IT teams, and their own careers not just cope with tough times, but excel. Our panel will address the often-counter-intuitive ways that can help your company or law firm thrive – and at the same time, promote "green" protocols. From training, to effective travel, you'll find the advice pragmatic and encouraging, as we discuss how to better incorporate technology for increased productivity; improve client/customer relationships; and improve profits!

Monica Bay, Editor-in-Chief, Law Technology News, ALM James E. McKenna, Senior Manager of Infrastructure Operations, Morrison & Foerster LLP John G. Roman, Jr., Director, Litigation Technology Services, Nixon Peabody LLP

4:00 PM The Microsoft Boot Camp.
Only 10% of the functions of Microsoft Office Suite are ever used. The essential Microsoft Boot Camp will explore the secrets of Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook and offer advice on using Sharepoint and using it well. Windows 7 is going live in late October and this session will delve into tricks and techniques to make it work for you.
Donna Payne, CEO, PayneGroup