‘‘Twas the Night Before #ABATECHSHOW & All Thru the House…

Tomorrow is a new day. A time for reconnecting with friends and acquaintances. A time to learn new things. A good reminder not to talk about politics, nor religions, or even take on controversial topics like “Who Shot J.R.?”

It’s more than that of course, but I will do my best to plan ahead. I have started picking out my sessions, marking the “must attend” blocks and the “backup” sessions, and of course trying to figure out which ones are for beginners and which sessions are for full immersion.

My camera is loaded with fresh film (kidding,) and I’m packed. Now I just need to source a decent whisky when I’m there and a few people to share with and all will be well in the universe.

The most important thing is for everyone to stay positive, remember in most cases you’re a guest so play nice, and even though you’re in a big city think ecological and leave no footprints.

Stay tuned, there may be mayhem.

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#ABATECHSHOW Run-up – thoughts before the rush

ABA Techshow is a week away so I just thought I’d take a few moments to opine on the journey to Techshow and try to make a few last minute suggestions:

1) Be AT the conference while you’re there – sure work interferes with best laid plans all the time but most people will be traveling to Chicago from out-of-state/out-of-country and you should squeeze every last bit of learning out of the few days you’re there. Delegate or postpone as much as you can before you head out.

2) The Canadians – I know I’ve mentioned the ubiquitous Canucks before but I say this again, seek them out and ask questions about what’s going on with Canadian regulators in Ontario, British Columbia and Nova Scotia. They’re friendly, often know how to drink, are up for almost any kind of food or beverage, and as a bonus will often buy you a drink. (Ask to see their BlackBerry)

3) Go outside – Techshow is hypnotic and a bit overpowering so if you’re like me you start way too early and finish way too late. It’s a good idea when you’ve had your 19th vendor expo break to just skip it and go for a long walk. Walk to the lake, walk to the river, find the Billy Goat Tavern and have a razor thin somewhat tasteless but really cheap cheezborger. What could go wrong?

4) Find the parties – There are parties. Ask around. Some you will need a ticket or will have to get on a list. Get on the list 😉

5) Find the Legal Talk Network guys. They will have their finger on the pulse of Techshow – who they want to interview, who you shouldn’t miss, and where the good spots are for hurried food and drink (they work a lot so don’t harass them too much or they won’t get to eat.)

6) AI will be big this year so listen in to the keynote, the sessions, look for a robot lawyer. Stop and talk to Andrew Arruda (he will have a fresh haircut, big smile, and a TShirt identifying him as some guy named ROSS.)

7) Come to Canada – Did you know you can fly to downtown Toronto from Chicago (Midway) for about $300 return on Porter Air? If you haven’t been to Toronto it’s a world class city with amazing food and communities.

8) Enjoy yourself – there are lots of vendors. Kick the tires on something good! Ever heard of TrialPad? Check them out if you want to litigate and organize/present your trial from an iPad. Heck you can even meet Ian O’Flaherty, the “Honorary Consul of Ireland in Miami.” (He’s also CEO of the aforementioned company.) Practice management software? Yeah there’s lots of that there too from new kids on the block to the big players who have been around for 10 years.

9) Learn something – Go to the new attendee orientation if you have only been once or twice (or have never been.) It’s 07:30AM on March 8th.

Learn about Macs, hotspots, security, incremental backups, NAS, what’s a JungleDisk, cyberinsurance, where is the dark web, what is whaling and spear fishing, and, will you need a bigger boat.

10) Be careful, have fun, enjoy everything and know your limits, be respectful and try not to talk about politics unless you’re among “friendlies.”

Hope to see everyone there!

Twitter: @psuba98

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#portraits Nikon D4 as driven by children #justme

My kids understand light. They’re all artists in some fashion. They know what they like and if there’s something they want to try they just try it. They go though a lot of different media, currently they’re hooked on pencils, paint, 3D cutouts with paper, popups, and anything they can do with glitter. I’m not sure I ever had their imagination artistically. I’m more of a “tell me what you want exactly and I will do my technical best to achieve it” kind of person. My art is straight ahead with occasional flashes of something. Their art is all brilliance and flash.

This is how my 11 year old sees me. I’m often told I don’t smile. I’m not totally surprised, most people who take photos don’t like to be in them and I’m one of those people. Look at me smile in a photo and it’s almost identical in every shot. It’s not an effusive grin.

Random photo for the day.

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#ABATechshow My Survival Guide 2018

I have tried this during other years and I thought I would take another crack at it this year hoping I can add a few useful tips for any first time attendees. I am attending this year for the 9th time and each year I learn something new and it has evolved (at least for me,) over the years. I remember the shock a few years ago when the Blackberry “tips” session had two people in the room. . .that indicated all was not well in the RIM world. Now Blackberry doesn’t make actual phones anymore. . .times have changed.

As always you can SKIP ALL OF MY RAMBLING by going to the official First Time Experience Guide. I’d like to think mine is a little fun.

Speaking of change, the venue has changed for the first time in ages! This year its at the Hyatt Regency at 151 East Wacker (at least I hope I got that right.) If you register for ABA Techshow there is a discount offered for USD$189 but you have to book the conference first and then your hotel if you want the special rate. Don’t despair if you can’t book a room at the venue because there are lots of other options like the Chicago Hilton, Chicago Athletic Association Hotel, Radisson Blue Aqua and too many more to mention. I would have suggested the Hard Rock but they are in the midst of a makeover and won’t re-open until August as the St. Jane so stay tuned. None of the options I suggested are inexpensive and the Radisson Blue is the closest but I just thought I would mention a few to get you started in your search.

OK, so you are in the legal business so do some research of your own before you go. There are a million things to do in your downtime (if you can find any,) and a lot of it is related to food and drink. See the Bean, see the Art Institute of Chicago, see the Field Museum, Adler Planetarium and Shedd Aquarium. I still haven’t made it to the Museum of Science and Industry but hope to this year. They don’t have much of a write-up but they got me at “take a run in a human-sized hamster wheel.” If that doesn’t describe the practice of law I don’t know what does! All this to say, plan your trip and decide what you want to see. I think it’s too early for an official architectural boat tour but Chicago is great to walk around along the Magnificent Mile so don’t forget to look up. Remember it is March so dress in layers. It comes naturally for Canadians and Americans in East and Central locations but I feel sorry for the Texans and Floridians who wander into Chicago in March. It can be. . .cool.

People. You have to talk to everyone. Introduce yourself to strangers. Corner speakers and ask questions you didn’t think of during their session. Talk to speakers if you missed their session and there’s something you wanted to know. The speakers are very approachable and knowledgeable and I can’t say this enough, talk to them!

I can’t say enough about the folks at the Legal Talk Network! Talk to Laurence Colletti @LaurenceEsq and Adam Camras @AdamCamras because these guys will have their finger on the pulse of Techshow. You can watch them interview speakers, they can give you tips on things you don’t want to miss, and they have a grasp of what’s going on in the world of technology. Drop in an say hi to them!

There are lots of craft beer opportunities in Chicago so don’t be afraid to explore. There is a map here from Guys Drinking Beer as a starter but explore on your own. Monk’s Pub is reasonably close to the Hyatt and seems to have a pretty good selection. Might not be a bad place to start. There is usually a Beer for Bloggers event and I don’t have information yet but keep your eyes open for this. It is a great place to meet Tweeters, Bloggers, Media from the ABA, and if you’re lucky you will find Victor Li @victorli2000 the Asst Managing Editor of @abajournal – I should mention all tags I’m using are Twitter handles if you’re looking for someone in particular.

Au Cheval always seems packed and their burgers are worth the wait if you want to slow your heart down a little from all of the conference excitement. Feel free to add your own links of “must eat” places.

There are other must attend gatherings. @goclio and @mycaseinc usually have big parties at ABATechshow but you have to register with them at the show to attend. These are fun events run by vendors and although I don’t endorse any particular vendor it is a great way to relax and hang out with some of the decision makers of the practice management software you use.

I can’t stress this enough. Get out of the hotel once in awhile. ABATechshow is a vortex and there are usually too many interesting tracks that you want to attend simultaneously. Pick the ones you really want to go to and get out once in awhile. Don’t be afraid to leave a session if you decide it is too entry level for you. It happens. I have switched sessions two or three times in one time slot until I found the right fit. If you think that might happen sit near the back so your disturb anyone else when you leave.

If you’re going to tweet keep an eye on the #hashtags. If you aren’t fast enough there’s a good chance you will be the 4th person tweeting exactly the same quote as someone else. It is not a big deal and lots of people take notes for themselves on Twitter but someone may have made the point for you already. Its a great way to find out what’s going on in other sessions you can’t attend.

Find the Canadians! Look for Jack Newton @jack_newton & Rian Gauvreau @RianGauvreau from Clio! Look for Andrew Arruda @AndrewArruda from Ross Intelligence. Talk to Dan Pinnington @DanPinnington & Ian Hu @IanHuLawpro from LAWPRO/PracticePro. I’m not sure who else will be there but look out for Julia Cornish @archjules1, Dave Bilinsky @david_bilinsky , and Rick Ferguson because they have all attended many times, (and they’ll even say “sorry” for you if you like.)

OK pay attention. You also have to meet some of the Americans if you don’t know them already. I sprinkled a few throughout but find Bob Ambroji @bobambrogi , Ed Walters @EJWalters and Kevin O’Keefe @kevinokeefe for a chat.

As always Social Media should be hopping. Use the official hashtags if you want to be seen/heard, and not sure what will be in use this year. Twitter always, maybe Snap, I guess LinkedIn, and maybe Periscope will break out in the law crowd this year. I’m curious to see what will happen.

Vendors. They are worth stopping in to chat with at Techshow. Its a different vibe than almost any other conference and there is a lot to see and hear. Find out what’s going on with them and what their plan is, how long have they been around and what are they offering besides swag. Some will be stalwarts that you’ve seen before but if ABAtechshow is like other years there will be some exciting new players and even the ones you’re familiar with often make big announcements during ABATechshow. This is your big chance to find out what’s really in the cloud!

TASTE OF TECHSHOW – This is really worth going to and its a chance to have dinner with some of the speakers to continue your discussion after the sessions. The spots are going fast so I would suggest you sign up today! I think half of the sessions are already full and Techshow is still 23 days out! I remember when I first started going to techshow there were binders with lists that you signed up for and they were all tabulated at the end. These dinners (you pay your own way,) will be full soon but if you have never done one please signup!

Music – there is a tonne (metric) of music in Chicago. I can’t stress this enough. There is something for everyone so explore and find your jam. Whether its something at Buddy Guys Legends, the House of Blues (which is very close to the venue,) or someplace grittier like Bub City at 435 N Clark Street, or Kingston Mines farther out.

The Lake or more accurately, the third largest Great Lake. Don’t forget there’s a lake close to the hotel. Sure you can go down to Navy Pier and be touristy but take a walk along the waterfront and freeze yourself to the core. It really is worth it. Hey, you can feel like a Canadian for a few minutes, (and yes, I know there are cold spots in America as well.)

Some random thoughts about food and booze. Not sure if you’re a foodie or a drinker but there are too many options to mention. Try Eataly, Shake Shack (there are a few locations,) Shaws Crab House for Seafood (its expensive,) The Purple Pig, and of course The Billy Goat Tavern. I mention that because you have to try it once, just once possibly, best if you’ve had something to drink…you’ll know what I mean if you go.

One place I’m curious about this year is Band of Bohemia…OK OK, I admit, its the sous-vide coffee that I find interesting but…well, I guess I’ll see if I get there. There are some distilleries in Chicago including CH Distillery, Koval Distillery, and others. One of my favourite stops is Warehouse Liquors. Sure you can buy alcohol almost anywhere in the USA but this place knows their stuff and if the person you talk to doesn’t know about mezcal they will go get the mezcal guy to come and talk to you! They’re at 634 S Wabash if you want to drop in.

The key to enjoying ABATechshow is plan your tracks in advance, talk to everyone you can (especially Canadians,) see every vendor you can possibly find, and get out of your comfort zone. This year should be spectacular and anyone who bumps into me say hello and I hope this small summary is helpful in some way.

My last years Guide is here, feel free to check that out too!

I forgot to mention the App. It might be worth a download this year, certainly worth checking out to see if it is useful. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone!

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#whisky #weekends A sip in time

It’s another weekend and the news is always bleak from the South. The USA seems to struggle with its former greatness. Once mighty and a world power never questioned is mostly a daily news item of scandals and conspiracy, a political grasp so tenuous its as gossamer thin as a reality show’s plot line. I digress.

It’s cold here, though Fall officially I will declare Winter is at the door and it’s open mor than a crack. It’s Remembrance Day. A day we pause to recognize and give thanks for our freedoms, our laws, our governments or at least the right to our democratic process.

Another week gone by and pictures were taken, hands were shaken, coffees were drunk and bonds were forged. Some relationships in place out of necessity while others made stronger just by mere acknowledgements. I spoke, some listened but preparation it’s own reward. Routines maintained and broken but the five days of the modern work week far behind in the rear view mirror and many more on the roads ahead.

Whisky. A complexity whether cask strength or not, bourbon or rye, aged or barely kissed by the oak. These bottles freshly filled with an elixir of warmth. Their beauty in the eye of a beholder, their value set by markets but priceless in the right hands. It thrives locally and beyond nations borders, served in crystal cut glass and paper cups or straight from the bottles depths.

Enjoy the weekend, and raise a glass to those lost, those who are lost, and the hope of the newly found.

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Spring Days of Summer #seasons #photos

The rolls of fresh sod lay stacked in towering pallets of organic life. The flora about to be unravelled, to bond with the ground beneath our feet, unnoticed as we stroll to our daily toils…

Apple iPhone 6 with Hipstamatic & Prisma filters

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Be the Game #photos #games #thoughts #Nikon

Sometimes you have to go inside the game. 

So where are we? One hundred days in and there’s a lunatic at the wheel of the free world. You know I’ll feel really bad if it turns out Trump is suffering dementia “bigly” and he isn’t just an idiot. What if he really is a person of diminished capacity? Then where will we be? We have one person posing and thumping his chest in North Korea and quite likely ordering hits on his half-brother in another country, and we have the runaway Cheeto just south of the frozen wall posturing on Twitter of all places and that’s become the new “nuclear button.” 

So why now? Let’s look inside. If you look at various past leaders there have been lots of bad ones in the past, some hung on too long (Stephen Harper, Richard Nixon, Papa Doc,) and others left too quickly, (sure Kennedy, Obama even after two terms, and lots of others,) and how much damage did they leave us with? Well bad political decisions are kind of the gifts that keep on giving. We still have bad legislation brought in by Harper, and the USA eventually had to dismantle mandatory Federal sentencing guidelines on drugs because their jails filled up, and they killed 3 strikes before it killed them. Not a lot of downside for a guy with two strikes in a non-death penalty State to shoot it out with the cops trying to get away if he’s only getting life anyway. 

So now we are inside the machine, bouncing around, hoping we don’t “tilt” or lose our balls without a free play. Is Trump going to blow us up? Is he all posture? I have ideas…

The photo: Nikon D4 with Nikkor 50f1.4 @ 1/50th and f 2.8 in a friends basement playing unlimited video games surrounded by industrial soap dispensers. 

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The Value of a Good Shoeshine #portraits #photos

This is Mr. Carter. He runs a shoeshine empire in Chicago. I can’t remember the number of chairs he has around Chicago but it’s significant. He does a great job from his double-chair setup in the Hilton on South Michigan Ave and if you get a chance to stop in you should. As with most places you can leave your shoes with him for later pickup but you would miss out on some great conversation and wisdom! 

I’m sure he has his moods offsite but on the job you will never find a nicer or more engaging individual. He can talk politics, federal or local, families, technology, or anything else you’re in the mood for. On occasion we touched on the fringes of theology (he is a God fearing man,) but he can go with the flow and you never feel as if he has a strong opinion he wants to impose on anyone else. 

His shoeshine, which I’m sure includes lots of environmental threats, is never rushed (which almost made me late to speak at a conference last year,) and seems to last just the right amount of time. A stop there borders on meditation, and I can’t imagine being in Chicago without a stop to see Curtis and to get a shine. I have had his shoeshine last six months! 

The snap was taken on March 18th with my Nikon D4 using the Nikkor 50f1.4 @ f4.5 and 1/250. 

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What if that’s all there was? #abatechshow #photos #tech

Another year of ABA TECHSHOW is behind us and where are we? Well hopefully we are a little wiser, a little more road weary, and energized to take on some of the challenges of technology in law as change ambassadors to China phrase from about 10 years ago. I have to admit I managed to get through this show without hearing “synergy” or “disruption” although I heard “lean” and “agile” too many times people!? Have a little decorum! And please leave the puppies at home where they belong and NOT at TECHSHOW. 

As I look into the future what do I see? For one thing lawyers (attorneys) need to wake up and smell the VPNs! Seriously people! I was in a session this morning and one person (besides me) was running a VPN on public wifi!? I had to rush back to my room and shower! People stop exposing your clients confidential information to the world! If I can be the proud owner of a Pineapple Mk5 penetration tool (I know that sounds wrong,) then anyone can have one. 

OK and it’s not just VPNs (while I’m on a rant,) get yourself some encryption too! You know, you’re soaking in it! OK well not literally but sort of. When you turn on your Mac or your Surface, or your PC, it’s there for you with a right-click you can activate encryption. What are you waiting for? Use encryption now. Protect your USBs when you take data out of the office, use whole disk encryption (look it up!)

One of the things about TECHSHOW that always surprises me is the same things keep coming up. We have talked about mobile offices and paperless offices for years (although paperless got a break this year,) and yet, we seem no farther ahead. I heard one of the speakers mention an app this morning and said, “Well, for it to work you have give them access to all of your contacts and load them into the cloud” NO NO NO! Seriously people, this is NOT an app you want to use! Do not give up your data for the convenience of screening your calls (or anything else!)

What else? Well, collaboration is big again this year, and we did hear from the collective CEOs of Rocket Lawyer, LegalZoom and Avvo. Just for fun I’m going to add my snapshot of John Suh here:

There was no doom and gloom, they weren’t talking “The Sky is falling” like Siskind(s) or Furlong (the Canadian Chicken Little,) but the message was clear about our clients really being consumers, wanting more control, more transparency, and a better customer experience. It’s not rocket surgery, the legal service or whatever it is we think we deliver is a specialized service for sure, but if we want people coming back, recommending us, paying us, and making their representation easier, we have to make them part of the experience. I had dinner with a lawyer last night and she gets it! She does customer service surveys throughout the duration of her family law retainer. OK, well that part she got, she did some other things that caused me to go, “Huh??” like a minimum general retainer that got you exactly…nothing. I’d like to think those days are coming to an end. If I’m giving a lawyer an $8,000 retainer they are giving me an itemized bill and I’m going to want a partial refund unless they’re also bearing one of my children. 

Where were the Canadians this year? A lot of people noticed there was a paucity of Canucks this year. I’m not sure why but it was great to see the Canadians I did see! The show had a bit of an unusual vibe this year but maybe it’s just because for the first time in a million years, TECHSHOW is moving! For those of use how enjoy stable wifi (adequately protected with TunnelBear or Cloak2 of course,) this might bode well for the future. Getting out of the Faraday Hilton might mean you ban actually get a signal but who knows?

I shot a bunch of photos this year, some of which I shared on my Twitter feed (@psuba98) and more I will post when I get home! It was great to see Jack Newton, George Psiharis, and Josh Lenon from Clio, Andrew Arruda from Ross Intellignece, and Aron Solomon and Jason Moyse of Legal X (and more.) The Canadians were definitely out, just not in quantity this year. A shoutout to my Nova Scotia peeps Julia and Robin! You guys make me proud to be a Maritimer!

The information about the photos above in sequence…well the first one was obviously shot on the shores of the Sea of Tranquility and yes, the small boy in the photo is Armstrong! The second I shot with a Nikon 14-24 f2.8 and is the inside of the clock tower at Old City Hall in Toronto. Special thanks to Justice Wong for facilitating that trip! Shot at 1/100, ISO 100, f8 and set at 16mm. 

OK so nothing to do with TECHSHOW but another shot inside the tower and the stairs! That one same lens but handheld 1/15 second. 

The John Suh shot (of LegalZoom fame,) taken at ClioCloudCon in 2015, magic natural light f4.5 with my trusty Nikon 85 f2.8 at 1/125 and ISO 800. John is a gracious guy and has time for lots of questions from people interested in tech and entrepreneurship. He and Chas Rampenthal (General Counsel,) are great guys and they were part of a great keynote this year (and at Clio in 2015.)

Last shoutouts to Adriana Linares, Jason Marsh, Ivan Hemmans, Lincoln Mead, Adam Camras, Laurence Colletti and anyone else who has been one of my photographic victims!

Since I’m on a roll, my interpretation of “American Gothic”…peace out! If I get more energy after going through my Polaroids® I’ll add more photos (yes, I’m joking.)

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The Event Begins #ABATechshow

The flight out of Toronto today was delayed but as always, the hospitality extended by Porter Air out of Toronto Island makes it all a little less painful. They have complimentary espresso, bottled water, snacks, iMacs, and generally less frantic than a traditional airline. 

Flight out was bumpy, and into Chicago was extremely windy. It was a beautiful flight over the clouds but a little rough on either end. 

Lots of friendly faces in Chicago. I’ve seen Ashley, Chad, Bob, Ed, Derek, Laurence, Joshua, Adam, Niki, Cesia, and some new Twitter friends. That was just a wander through. 

And now it all comes down to this, session one, meet the techshow board…stay tuned

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