Reasons Mac-Using Attorneys Should Attend ABA TECHSHOW 2013

If you need a quick legal-tech fix, or if you’re looking for more legal-tech knowledge, or if you need some massive CLE, you should consider attending the American Bar Association’s TECHSHOW 2013, which will be held in Chicago at the Hilton from April 4 – 6, 2013.  Why? There’s so much to mention, but one of the highlights will undoubtedly be the Mac Track.

This year’s Mac Track was planned by the amazing and brilliant Randy Juip, and it lasts all day on April 5th.  The faculty members include Ben Stevens, Reid Trautz, David Sparks, Larry Staton, Victor Medina, and Mark Metzger, who will present the following sessions:

• Making the Switch for the Mac-Curious :: On Friday, 4/5 at 8am, Ben Stevens (founder of the Macs in Law Offices forum and publisher of The Mac Lawyer blog) and Reid Trautz (former TECHSHOW chair and publisher of Reid My Blog) are giving a talk on how best to make “The Switch” from PC’s to Macs for the Mac-Curious. The session is really slick, Ben and Reid have put a ton of work into it, and I’m sure we’ll get some new converts! 
• Mac Power Users: The OSX Edition :: On Friday, 4/5 at 10am, David Sparks (from the insanely useful and popular Mac Power Users podcast and the Mac Sparky blog) and Larry Stanton (from Sweet Pea Software) are getting down and dirty with the Mac OS, presenting tips on using Automator and AppleScript and other such cool things. 
• Mac Power Users: The Third Party Provider Edition :: On Friday, 4/5 at 2:30pm, Victor Medina (MILOfest organizer) and Mark Metzger (behemoth of intellect and captain of men) are delving deeply into the offerings from the Mac 3rd-party developer community.
• The Super-Awesome Mac Hour of Amazement :: This battle-royale of Mac Illuminati (Ben Stevens, Victor Medina, Mark Metzger, and Larry Staton) defies explanation. You’ll have to see it to believe it, but even then, your eyes may melt. 

In addition to the Mac Track, there are CLE-approved sessions in the following categories: Paperless Productivity; Litigation; Large Firm; Social Media; Tech Grab Bag; Cloud Collaboration; Meet the Author; Solo/Small Firm; Tablets & Smartphones; E-Discovery; Advanced IT; iOS in Action; Android; Windows 8; 60 Sites in 60 Minutes; A plenary presentation on the CraigsList Killer; and keynote speaker David Pogue!

TECHSHOW also features a packed EXPO hall, with hundreds of legal-tech vendors, countless social opportunities (including Taste of TECHSHOW dinners!), and all sorts of other amazing stuff. If you haven’t considered TECHSHOW, or even if you’re on the fence, put some thought into attending. The early-bird registration deadline is coming up on March 11, 2013. You can get more details at www.techshow.com. There are very few legal conferences that are as useful to attorneys as TECHSHOW.  Plan to attend – you won’t regret it!