Sneak Preview: LawDroid AI Conference (April 28-29, 2026)
Where I share behind-the-scenes scoop on a transformative event you don't want to miss!
LawDroid AI Conference 2026
April 28–29, 2026 • Virtual • Free
The Year to Build
Sponsored by Practising Law Institute and ARAG Legal Insurance
Let a friend know about this event before all the spots are taken!
Hey everyone! Tom Martin here, CEO of LawDroid and host of the upcoming LawDroid AI Conference 2026.
I’m thrilled to share an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at what we have planned for you on April 28–29, 2026.
As a loyal subscriber to LawDroid Manifesto, you get the first peek at the speaker lineup, workshop details, and emerging AI tools on display, before anyone else!
This year’s theme is The Year to Build, a rallying cry for a legal profession that has spent years talking about AI and is now ready to act. We’re not just exploring what’s possible. We’re building it!
Our goal? To give you real, immediately applicable insights to harness the power of AI in your own practice, whether you’re just getting curious, actively experimenting, or already deploying agentic workflows in your organization.
And the best part? The LawDroid AI Conference 2026 is completely free and entirely virtual, so you can join from anywhere in the world.
Day 1 — April 28, 2026: Keynotes and Panels
All times Pacific • Add 3 hours for Eastern
8:00 AM — Welcome
Tom Martin, CEO of LawDroid; Adjunct Professor, Suffolk University Law School
I’ll kick off Day 1 with opening remarks, laying out our vision for how AI can transform the legal profession and address access to justice challenges.
8:15 AM — Keynote: Bridget McCormack
President and CEO, American Arbitration Association
Bridget is one of the most respected voices at the intersection of justice and innovation. Her keynote will set the tone for the entire conference, expect a bold, grounded perspective on where AI is taking the legal profession and what it means for how justice is delivered.
9:00–9:50 AM — AI and Ethics
Moderator: Joey Gartner | Panelists: Mark Palmer, Catherine Reach, Sateesh Nori
AI is powerful—but with great power comes great responsibility. This panel will tackle bias, transparency, and accountability in legal AI tools. Expect a frank, nuanced conversation about using AI responsibly while upholding the highest ethical standards.
10:00–10:50 AM — AI and Journalism
Panelists: Victor Li, Niki Black, Stephanie Wilkins
How is AI reshaping legal journalism—and how are journalists covering the AI story itself? This panel dives into the stories that matter, where AI has helped, and the concerns about accuracy and trust in an era of generative content.
11:00–11:50 AM — AI and A2J: Legal Aid
Moderator: Angela Tripp | Panelists: Scheree Gilchrist, Zach Zarnow, Lisa Colpoys
AI isn’t just for big firms. This panel spotlights how legal aid organizations are using AI to close the justice gap and make legal services more accessible to everyone. Real deployments. Real results. Real impact.
11:50 AM — Keynote: Ron Flagg
President, Legal Services Corporation
Ron leads the nation’s largest funder of civil legal aid. His perspective on AI’s role in expanding access to justice is essential listening for anyone working at the intersection of technology and the law.
12:30–1:20 PM — AI and A2J: Courts
Moderator: Shellie Reid | Panelists: Sonja Ebron, Jeannie Sato, Jason Tashea
Courts are on the front lines of the access to justice crisis and some are using AI to help. This session explores what court innovation looks like in practice, from self-represented litigant tools to case management.
1:30–2:20 PM — AI and the Legal Profession
Moderator: Nick Rishwain | Panelists: Carolyn Elefant, Brittany Hernandez, Mitch Jackson
From document automation to agentic coworkers, this panel explores how solos, small firms, and large practices are putting AI to work right now. Expect practical, real-world strategies you can implement immediately.
2:30–3:20 PM — AI and Education
Moderator: Kenton Brice | Panelists: Mark Williams, Colin Lachance, Nicole Morris
How do we prepare the next generation of lawyers for a world where AI is standard practice? These panelists are already updating law school curricula and CLE programs to include generative AI, data literacy, and practical AI skills.
3:45–4:35 PM — Women in AI
Moderator: Cat Moon | Panelists: Sharon Crane, Anastasia Boyko, Heidi Brown
A vital conversation about representation, leadership, and the unique perspectives women bring to the development and deployment of AI in law. Moderated by the remarkable Cat Moon—not a panel to miss.
4:45 PM — Wrap Up
I’ll close Day 1 with a recap of the key insights and a preview of what’s coming next.
Day 2 — April 29, 2026: Keynote, Workshops and Tech Talks
All times Pacific • Add 3 hours for Eastern
8:00 AM — Welcome
Sateesh Nori, Chief Legal Futurist, LawDroid
8:15 AM — Keynote: Nikki Shaver
CEO and Co-founder, Legal Technology Hub
Nikki brings a global perspective on legal technology adoption and what it actually takes to make AI work in legal organizations. Her keynote kicks off a day of hands-on learning with real vision and context.
9:00–9:50 AM — State of AI
Moderator: Tom Martin | Panelists: Dr. Megan Ma, Damien Riehl, Joanne Sprague
Where is legal AI right now—and where is it headed? This panel takes stock of the state of the art, from frontier models and agentic workflows to the practical realities of deployment in legal organizations.
10:00–10:50 AM — Workshop: Skills Engineering
Instructor: Hannes Westermann
Learn how to design and build reusable AI skills, structured workflows that help AI models perform legal tasks consistently and accurately. This is next-level prompt engineering for professionals who want to build, not just use.
11:00–11:50 AM — Workshop: Vibe Coding
Instructor: Conor Malloy
You don’t need to be a developer to build with AI. Conor will show you how to use natural language to generate and iterate on functional tools, a practical, accessible introduction to coding in the age of AI.
12:30–1:20 PM — Workshop: Document Automation
Instructor: Quinten Steenhuis
Quinten is one of the foremost experts in legal document automation. He’ll walk you through building automated workflows that standardize document generation, reducing errors, saving time, and delivering better client work.
1:30–2:20 PM — Workshop: Context Engineering
Instructor: Kezia Hill
Context is everything when working with AI. Kezia will show you how to structure information, memory, and instructions to get dramatically better results from AI systems, an essential skill for building reliable legal AI tools.
2:30–3:20 PM — Ten-Minute Tech Talks
Patrick Palace, Maya Markovich, Claire Robinson, Marc Lauritsen, Taylor Sartor
Five innovators. Ten minutes each. Maximum impact. This rapid-fire session showcases some of the most exciting ideas and tools in legal AI right now.
3:45–4:35 PM — Workshop: AI Agents
Instructors: Tom Martin & Sateesh Nori
Agentic AI is the frontier—and this workshop will show you how to harness it. Sateesh and I will walk you through how AI agents work, how to design them for legal tasks, and how to start deploying them in your own practice or organization.
4:45 PM — Wrap Up and Thank You!
I’ll close the conference with key takeaways, a look ahead at where legal AI is going and a heartfelt thank you to everyone who made this event possible.
Why You Can’t Miss This
The Year to Build: From AI agents to document automation, walk away with tools and strategies you can deploy immediately.
World-Class Speakers: Hear from Bridget McCormack, Ron Flagg, Nikki Shaver, and dozens of leading practitioners and innovators.
Access to Justice Focus: Dedicated sessions on legal aid and court innovation—because AI should work for everyone.
Hands-On Workshops: Five workshops covering Skills Engineering, Vibe Coding, Document Automation, Context Engineering, and AI Agents.
Global Community: Connect with thousands of legal professionals from around the world—no travel required.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
A huge thank you to PLI (Practising Law Institute) and ARAG Legal Insurance for making this event possible and free for everyone.
Secure Your Spot Now
Ready to join us? Registration is free and open to all. As a LawDroid Manifesto subscriber, you have exclusive early access, so don’t wait!
Thanks for reading, and I can’t wait to see you (virtually) on April 28–29. Let’s build the future of law together!
Tom Martin CEO & Founder, LawDroid Adjunct Professor, Suffolk University Law School Host, LawDroid AI Conference 2026 Creator, LawDroid Manifesto
Will this be recorded for those of us on the other side of the world?