Spring has Sprung and so has the legal/legal IT award season. While most legal associations, related special interest groups as well as many vendor user conferences have some sort of an award program, there are a handful more than worthy of a shout out.
ABA honors Jeffrey M. Allen with its 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award
The American Bar Association Solo, Small Firm and General Practice Division honored our longtime friend, Jeffrey M. Allen with its 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes the efforts and accomplishments of outstanding solo and small firm practitioners as well as bar leaders and associations. Allen will receive his award at the Solo and Small Firm Awards Luncheon on Friday, May 13, during the 2016 Joint Spring Meeting.
We have known and worked with Jeff for the last 15+ years so we were more than excited to read the ABA's announcement recognizing his contributions to the legal space. Allen has been a member of the American Bar Association since 1973 and has been active in the GPSolo Division for most of that time, holding several leadership positions in the last 34 years, making him the member with the longest standing record of continuous leadership service to the division. He has chaired many substantive and administrative committees for the division and currently serves as the editor in chief of GPSolo Magazine and the GPSolo eReport. Allen also serves on the council of the Senior Lawyers’ Division and as a member of the editorial board for Experience Magazine and the Voice of Experience. Allen also served on the editorial board of the ABA Journal for six years and as a member of the ABA Standing Committee on Technology and Information Services (SCOTIS). Allen has written hundreds of articles on technology and legal practice and regularly writes for several magazines, including GPSolo Magazine, Experience Magazine, the American Journal of Family Law and the GPSolo eReport.
ACEDS awards eDiscovery visionary Craig Ball, Esq. with ACEDS Lifetime Achievement Award
The Association of Certified eDiscovery Specialists (ACEDS) recently announced the winners of the 2016 ACEDS Awards, marking the organization's second annual celebration of eDiscovery professionals and experts. The nominees, who were nominated by their peers, were all pioneers and innovators in the e-discovery industry and are dedicated and committed to advancing the profession and remaining at the forefront of technology advancements, education, and training.
Among the 2016 award winners, our legal tech friend and colleague Craig Ball was honored for his "lifelong commitment to the advancement of the eDiscovery profession." Well deserved. Craig has been an eDiscovery 'guiding light' since we've been around legal (17+ years) and even long before that. You don' t need to read his long list of accolades and credentials to quickly realize he knows his stuff. No matter how busy, he'll take time to say hello and lend his expertise where applicable.
InsideLegal's JoAnna Forshee named on ABA LTRC’s Women of Legal Tech 2016 list
In keeping with the spirit of progress, the ABA Legal Technology Resource Center recently presented its inaugural “Women of Legal Tech” for 2016. From tech founders and CEOs to small business owners, the list, with the addition of 10 new honorees in 2016, now includes 50 female legal influencers. JoAnna Forshee, my partner in crime and InsideLegal & Envision Agency CEO, was deservedly included in this year's list, further adding to her legal 'trophy case' [she was also the recipient of the 2004 Lex Proficio Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Advancement of Legal Marketing awarded by Ross Kodner and a 2015 Fastcase 50 honoree].
Upcoming legal tech awards to keep an eye on include the Fastcase 50 (July), ILTA's Distinguished Peer Awards (late August at ILTACON) and the College of Law Practice Management's InnovAction Awards (honored at Futures Conference in September).