Another week, another legal tech conference. We just finished NetDocuments Inspire conference. Now comes a big one: ClioCon 2026. It starts October 26 and runs for two days. Of all the vendor conferences, this is known as one of the most extravagant. Its theme this year, Go Beyond Limits, is pretty descriptive of the ClioCon way. And the contrast with last week’s understated Inspire is palpable.
Clio is back in Boston this year at the Hynes Convention Center. While many don’t like conferences in convention centers as opposed to hotels, it’s a necessary evil these days. Especially for shows as big as ClioCon. And many of us will be encamped at a connected hotel, so it doesn’t seem so onerous, to me at least.
So here’s what I see coming this year.
The Keynotes
Let’s start with the keynotes. Clio features not one, not two, but three intriguing authors, thinkers, and celebrities. Well, four, if you count Jack Newton, who at this point probably qualifies.
Malcolm Gladwell. Ethan Mollick. Mechele Dickerson. Of the three, only Dickerson is a lawyer. But in the past, Clio’s nonlawyer (I know, I hate that term but can’t think of a better way to say it right now after four conferences in four weeks) speakers have usually found innovative ways to make us think and typically relate their talks to legal in some broad fashion.
Gladwell’s talk is entitled “Weak Links, Strong Links. How AI Will Reshape Justice.” Gladwell is an interesting speaker, and I’m sure he will give us some sort of 30,000-foot view of AI’s impact on justice. But we will see how directly relatable that will be to what we do every day or the A2J problems we face.
Mollick’s talk appears from the description to be less about legal and more about what AI will do to innovation and the future in general. The description promises that he will “demonstrate the transformative impact these technologies can have on day-to-day work.” That should be interesting.
Dickerson’s talk also looks promising. While not perhaps as well known as the first two keynotes, she is a lawyer, author, and law college professor. It looks like she is going to talk about A2J and how AI could impact it. Hope she has some good ideas cuz we ain’t yet seen the needle move much.
None of these three will offer the more practical kind of discussions as those offered at Inspire. But Clio’s approach to keynotes has always been more about grand themes that touch, in one way or another, legal. It leaves the practical stuff to the educational sessions. I can’t fault Clio for this approach, and I look forward to the presentations. It’s also noteworthy that Clio is offering presenters who are poised to make us reflect. Rather than entertain us with their acting and sporting exploits.
And Then There’s Jack Newton
As usual, Newton will give his talk on the state of Clio and the profession. Last year, Newton dropped a bombshell when he announced and described the transition of Clio from a practice management provider to a full-service law practice provider. A one-stop shop for AI needs in the practice and business of law. It’s all we talked about for weeks. Everyone thought that a new day was dawning.
How different things look a year later. Clio is still full service. But most everyone else has moved toward integrations and partnerships. They were all the talk at RelFest and Inspire, for example. Almost makes me think if some of the integration moves are competitive hedges to Newton’s vision last year of Clio as a monolithic provider. It will be interesting to see where Newton goes this year. Will Clio jump on the integration bandwagon? Or double down on its one-stop shop. We will see.
Newton also typically goes over some of the key findings of Clio’s always insightful Legal Trends Report. (This year, the report is styled as “Legal Trends for Solo and Small Law Firms.” The conference materials don’t mention that in Newton’s keynote blurb, probably and hopefully because it’s a given. There is, however, a session on the first day devoted to the Report, so I’m sure we will learn more about the findings one way or another.
The Educational Sessions
As with every ClioCon, there are a ton of educational sessions over the two-day run. Some of the more interesting ones that aren’t directed to the use of Clio tools are all about AI-driven firms, the challenges of a PI firm, career planning in the age of AI, how to build a future-ready tech strategy, and how to build a strategy for obtaining and retaining talent. There are also sessions on leadership. And that’s just on the first day.
Day two brings sessions on high-performance law firms and lawyers, culture, and privilege in the age of AI. That last one ought to draw some interest given that no one knows the answer right now. All of these sound pretty relevant these days.
Clio also has a number of breakout sessions where those interested in a particular topic can gather and exchange ideas. Topics include law school teaching, solo practice, family law, and litigation, among others. These sessions kill two birds with one stone: they are a great place to learn new ideas but also to network.
It’s a pretty good mix of practical Clio tool usage along with broader topics. I usually don’t attend the more practical sessions since I don’t practice and don’t use the tools. But I will try to hit the major other sessions.
The Parties
And speaking of things I will attend, there are the parties that Clio is known for. The first-night party, which Clio calls Clio After Dark, will be held at the MGM Music Hall at Fenway. It’s a good choice, particularly since Fenway Park itself won’t be occupied that night for baseball. (Sorry, Boston, but my Guardians didn’t make the World Series either. I feel your pain.)
The Wrap Up Party on the second night will be at Big Night Live, which is a well-known Boston music venue.
I’m not sure a Go Beyond Limits theme is the best one for partying, at least for an old fart like me. But the Clio parties are typically well done and don’t stretch things too far. (Depending on how you define too far.)
The Food
I know. The food has yet to be served. But I assure you that at our after-Clio weekly LegalTech Week journalists’ roundtable, we will, as always, provide the ever-popular and learned critique of the conference food. Don’t miss it.
The Preview Wrap-Up
So there you have it. ClioCon 2026 looks to be every bit the showstopper conference it has always been. Years ago, when I first started writing about legal tech, I asked a longtime thought leader in the business: if she could only go to one legal tech or vendor conference, which one would it be? Without hesitation, she said ClioCon. It was good advice then, and it looks like it’s still good advice today.
Get ready to go beyond limits. If you’re up for it.
Stephen Embry is a lawyer, speaker, blogger, and writer. He publishes TechLaw Crossroads, a blog devoted to the examination of the tension between technology, the law, and the practice of law.
