We're All Technology Geeks Now

Today I am in Chicago at the annual meeting of NABE: the National Association of Bar Executives. It's an association for the people who run bar associations. I always look forward to coming to these conferences because it is one of the few times a year I get to talk to other folks who do my job in other states and talk about how to do our jobs better.

Here's the gorgeous view from my hotel room, by the way:

Since I am a relatively new bar association employee (been on the job about a year and a half, which doesn't sound so new until you start talking to bar association people whose typical tenure on the job gets measured in geologic terms), I haven't been to very many of these conferences yet, but I have noticed some differences at this annual meeting from prior ones.

One of the main things I've noticed this time around is that there are a lot of educational sessions involving technology, including a plenary session on using Microsoft Outlook more efficiently. While there are several IT folks from bar associations that attend NABE meetings, this is not what I would generally consider to be a techie crowd. I would say bar executives roughly mirror the technology level of the lawyers who comprise their memberships, which is to say there are a few really tech forward people and a whole bunch of others who tolerate technology.

All in all, it feels like there is an increasing emphasis on technology education here and after thinking about it for a bit (and looking around the rooms of people eager to learn how to control their email in-boxes or unlock the secrets of Adobe Acrobat 9) it occurred to me that technology has wormed its way so deeply into our lives that there is no real division any more between technology geeks and non-geeks.

We're all technology geeks now.

I'm not saying we all need spend countless hours obsessing over iPhone apps or reading the nonstop stream of breaking tech news from across the blogosphere. We do, however, need to acknowledge how far technology has permeated our work and home lives and recognize that the days when one could choose to be totally unplugged and still have a vibrant professional life in the law (or in bar associations) are behind us for good.

Comments

[Callan Bryan]

Erik,
Great observation and well stated! Technology is reaching all industries around the world and the legal community. While bars and legal firms are steeped in tradition, they are certainly not immune from these technology advances. The technology is improving the way legal services are delivered and improving efficiencies in offices. The NABE group sounds like they are embracing these technologies and getting the execs on board.

Hope you are having a good time in Chicago!

Callan

[Grady Lonon]

Eric,

Terrific presentation in Asheville today!
Would you please post a list of all the items the two of you spoke about today. I captured most of the websites on my pc while you ran through them, but a few got away - like the app for working on a public pc for the pc rather than the mac.

Thanks again!