The pace of emerging technology in law practice can make the Gartner hype cycle feel like a roller coasters ride. From e-discovery to e-signatures to legal analytics to blockchain to generative AI, the expectations of law practice have changed in some major and minor ways, and our job, directly and indirectly, are to prepare students to be aware and ready for current and future innovations in the practice of law. But how to balance hype and FOMO (fear of missing out) with skepticism or even outright cynicism?

This will be a semi-brief presentation with the hopes of launching a discussion about technology adoption and teaching, owning our feelings about technology without projecting them onto our students, communicating effectively that law practice skills are continually evolving, and critical thinking about new technology is a necessary component of law practice now.