LVNx Lessons Learned

Article By: Jessica Goldberg

I recently had the privilege of attending the Legal Value Network’s annual conference, LVNx, in Chicago. While the event attracted a strong presence of pricing analysts and legal project managers, I was struck by the significant overlap with legal marketing and business development. The unifying thread across every operational facet of law firms? Innovation.

During the opening session, keynote speaker Jennifer Leonard, founder of Creative Lawyers, introduced a thought-provoking concept: the "plastic hour." Drawing on philosopher Gershom Scholem and George Packer’s October 2020 article in The Atlantic, she quoted, “There are in history what you could call ‘plastic hours,’... crucial moments when it is possible to act... In such moments, an ossified social order suddenly turns pliable, prolonged stasis gives way to motion, and people dare to hope. Plastic hours are rare... They come and go unnoticed or wasted. Nothing happens unless you move.”

Right now, law firms are standing on the edge of such a "plastic hour." An innovation revolution is taking shape, fueled by new technologies like automation and artificial intelligence. These advancements offer firms the opportunity to become more efficient, better informed, and capable of adapting swiftly to changing circumstances. But this transformation will only succeed under the direction of visionary minds.

Law firms are actively seeking internal leaders to spearhead this technological shift. For marketing and business development professionals, this is a call to action. You are often the heartbeat of your firm, interacting with nearly every department. Don’t wait for others to define how these tools can benefit you. Instead, be the voice of innovation and collaboration. Champion the tools and resources that will allow your firm to accomplish its goals in a more strategic and forward-thinking way.

Be the leaders who help revolutionize long-standing practices and drive meaningful change.

Stay tuned for our upcoming series on how AI and emerging technologies are reshaping the landscape of legal marketing and business development. Ready or not, the time for innovation is now!