Hey there Legal Rebels! 👋 I’m excited to share with you the 53rd episode of the 2026 season of the LawDroid Manifesto podcast, where I will be continuing to interview key legal innovators to learn how they do what they do. I think you’re going to enjoy this one!

If you want to understand why ABA Tech Show is the essential gathering for legal professionals seeking to stay ahead of the technological transformation of law, you need to listen to this episode. Ruby is co-vice chair of this year’s conference and brings insider knowledge about how to maximize your experience at the premier legal technology event.

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Connecting with the Future of Legal Technology

Join me as I interview Ruby Powers, owner of Powers Law Group and co-vice chair of ABA Tech Show 2026.

In this energizing podcast episode, Ruby shares her journey from first-time attendee in 2019 to conference leadership, revealing what makes ABA Tech Show the gathering place where legal professionals can hear the future before it happens. She provides insider insights on how to prepare for and maximize the conference experience, from strategic networking approaches to navigating the overwhelming array of vendors in Startup Alley. Ruby also discusses the diverse programming tracks with playful names like “Guardians of the Data” and “Masters of Attraction,” while highlighting serious themes including rule of law and access to justice.

Her passion and practical advice underscore how ABA Tech Show serves as the convergence point for practitioners, vendors, academics, judges, and consultants to compare notes and share ideas. This episode is a must-watch for anyone considering attending the conference, offering valuable perspectives on why this investment delivers returns for everyone from solo practitioners to Big Law firms.

The Skinny

Ruby Powers, owner of Powers Law Group and co-vice chair of ABA Tech Show 2026, shares her evolution from first-time attendee in 2019 to conference leadership, demonstrating the transformative power of this annual gathering. Taking place March 25-28 at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Center in Chicago, this year’s conference features a playful comic-con theme alongside serious programming on rule of law and access to justice. Ruby breaks down the conference into three main value pillars: networking and connections, CLE and educational content, and the exhibit hall experience. She emphasizes strategic preparation including posting on LinkedIn to find fellow attendees, creating WhatsApp groups for real-time coordination, and being purposeful about which sessions to attend. Ruby describes the community as a few hundred people who see each other multiple times per year at various conferences, with ABA Tech Show serving as the central gathering place where you can hear the future of legal technology before it happens. The conference benefits everyone from solo practitioners to Big Law, legal tech companies, consultants, nonprofits, judges, and academics teaching the next generation of lawyers.

Key Takeaways:

  • ABA Tech Show 2026 will be held March 25-28 at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Center in Chicago, with registration available at techshow.com

  • The conference offers three main value areas: networking and connections, CLE and educational content, and the exhibit hall experience with Startup Alley

  • Strategic preparation is essential—post on LinkedIn before attending to find fellow attendees, create communication groups, and plan which sessions to attend

  • The legal tech community consists of a few hundred people who gather multiple times per year, with ABA Tech Show serving as the central convergence point

  • Conference programming features playful track names like “Space, Time, and Leadership,” “Guardians of the Data,” and “Masters of Attraction” while addressing serious themes including rule of law

  • A new access to justice track will be located in the exhibit hall, making it free to attend with an exhibit hall pass

  • The conference benefits all types of legal professionals: solo practitioners, midsize firms, Big Law, legal tech companies, consultants, nonprofits, judges, and academics

  • Attendees often discover new business ideas and revenue streams they hadn’t anticipated before attending

  • The conference provides a concentrated way to understand what’s happening in legal technology from multiple perspectives in just a few days

  • Ruby and Tom will be co-paneling a session titled “Frontline Heroes: AI Receptionists, Smart Intake, and Seamless Scheduling”

Notable Quotes:

  1. “I first attended in 2019, but I’ve been watching from afar online. I really want to go, really want to go. But to incorporate it with my other conferences and my law firm practice and my small children at the time. And I finally took the leap and went with a super pass with some other immigration attorneys under the American Immigration Lawyers Association. And I don’t know, it was magical.” – Ruby Powers (01:52-02:14)

  2. “I feel like there’s a couple hundred of us who are in this ecosystem. Maybe there’s more, maybe there’s less. But it’s almost like it doesn’t matter where we really live because we all just see each other at these conferences every two to three times a year. And this is one of the ones that you’re like, this is where you’re going to see them at for the most part.” – Ruby Powers (02:24-02:46)

  3. “I’ve heard a lot of people say that when you go to a tech show, it’s like you can hear the future about what’s coming. And even a lot of vendors, legal tech CEOs, I think they’ve gotten a lot of their ideas of inspiration at ABA Tech Show to listening to practicing attorneys and other thought leaders in the space of what the trends are and where they should be headed.” – Ruby Powers (02:52-03:12)

  4. “Being purposeful about leaning into the connections. Don’t be shy. Being intentional about who you’re going to go connect with. If there’s a speaker that you would like to speak with, they are open to it.” – Ruby Powers (06:34-06:46)

  5. “I think if you’re on the fence, just take this as a sign to just do it because you won’t regret it. I’ve never found anybody who said that they regretted attending. In fact, I find people get more excited. They sort of jump light years in their progress with their operations and their tech and the connections have been life-altering.” – Ruby Powers (20:51-21:09)

  6. “In fact, you might come up with a business idea or a whole other stream of revenue that you hadn’t anticipated.” – Ruby Powers (21:12-21:16)

  7. “You don’t have to read, go listen to a whole bunch of podcasts, read a whole bunch of articles, and take a while to consume all this. You can come here and get a really good taste of what’s happening in this space from multiple perspectives in just a couple of days. And so in that respect, I feel like you do see the return on your investment.” – Ruby Powers (22:15-22:34)

  8. “If you’re a small solo, you’ll benefit. If you’re a small midsize, you’ll benefit. Big law can also benefit as well. And if you have a legal tech company and you’re considering starting something and you want to talk to practitioners and see how they’re using it, you can benefit as well.” – Ruby Powers (22:37-22:48)

  9. “Between a practicing immigration attorney and in the legal tax space, I feel like I’m surrounded by two tsunamis of constant change. And so I think the resilience is sort of like my mantra.” – Ruby Powers (19:27-19:42)

Clips

How to Network at TechShow

How to Sell The Conference ROI

Must-See Panels: AI Receptionists & More

Who Actually Benefits?

Ruby’s journey from hesitant first-timer to conference leadership mirrors the transformation many legal professionals experience when they finally take the leap to attend ABA Tech Show. Her description of that first 2019 experience as “magical” captures something essential about what happens when you gather with people who share your passion for improving legal practice through technology. The conference has become more than just an educational event—it’s the convergence point where the legal tech community comes together to share ideas, form connections, and glimpse the future.

What stands out most is Ruby’s practical guidance on how to maximize the conference experience. From creating WhatsApp groups for real-time coordination to being purposeful about networking to strategically choosing which sessions to attend, her advice shows that success at ABA Tech Show requires intentionality. The fact that even vendors and legal tech CEOs find inspiration by listening to practitioners at the conference demonstrates the bidirectional value exchange that happens when this community gathers.

Closing Thoughts

As someone who’s been attending and speaking at ABA Tech Show for years, I appreciate Ruby’s authentic enthusiasm and practical insights. She’s absolutely right that this conference serves as the central gathering place for our legal tech community. The few hundred people who make up this ecosystem may live scattered across the country, but we come together multiple times per year, and ABA Tech Show is where you’ll find the highest concentration of innovators, thought leaders, and practitioners working to transform legal practice.

What excites me most about this year’s conference is the expansion of access to justice programming and the recognition that legal technology benefits everyone, not just the largest firms. Ruby’s point about attendees often discovering unexpected business ideas and revenue streams resonates with my own experience. The conversations that happen in hallways, at dinners, and during exhibit hall demos often lead to collaborations and innovations that wouldn’t happen otherwise.

For our Legal Rebels community, I want to emphasize what Ruby said: if you’re on the fence, just do it. The return on investment—whether measured in CLE credits, vendor discoveries, networking connections, or simply the concentrated knowledge transfer that happens—is undeniable. You won’t regret it.

I’m particularly excited about the panel Ruby and I will be doing together on AI receptionists, smart intake, and seamless scheduling. This frontline technology is transforming how law firms connect with potential clients, and having the opportunity to discuss it with practitioners and vendors will provide real-world insights you can implement immediately.

See you in Chicago March 25-28. Head to techshow.com to register, book your hotel, and start connecting with other attendees on LinkedIn. Ruby and I will be waiting for you.