ILTACON 2025 was the largest conference to date, and once again, Traveling Coaches were there in force, taking it all in. It was a fun and full week for all of us. The conference offered a rich blend of education, networking, and meaningful conversations. Attendees benefited from the conference in three ways:
- Education: Insightful sessions that tackled today’s legal tech challenges.
- Networking: Opportunities to connect with peers and business partners.
- Engagement: Direct conversations between members and business partners that addressed the real issues law firm leaders face.
Themes and Trends
Amidst a very busy and engaging week, here are some overarching themes and trends we noticed that emerged throughout the conference:
- Artificial Intelligence – unsurprisingly, a dominant topic …STILL.
- Leadership and Personal Growth – a refreshing and much-needed focus.
- Evolving IT Leadership Roles – long overdue changes.
- Generational Dynamics in the Workplace – increasingly critical.
- The Pace of Change – faster than ever … and painful.
- Back to Basics – revisiting foundational priorities like security and governance.
High-Level Thoughts on Each
1. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
A year ago at ILTACON 2024, AI was still being discussed as a “should we” topic, and a common sentiment was one of “profit disillusionment” as firms grappled with the need to implement it versus the clear path to profitability. AI is now rapidly becoming normalized in both firm technology and daily life. The key to firms integrating it effectively is to:
- Ensure information governance, compliance, and security are addressed FIRST.
- Start small and personal.
- Embrace experimentation: “Fail fast, fail first… fail spectacularly!” – Jim McKenna.
AI is no longer a standalone topic—it’s woven into everything. Firms must focus on the usefulness of AI in both the practice of law and the business of law. There’s no single solution, and AI adoption is inevitable. The challenge is how to embrace it safely and strategically. Traveling Coaches can help you navigate this strategy with AI Adoption Services.
An example of the rapid pace of the AI world was the release of ChatGPT 5.0 via a post on LinkedIn. This exemplifies how quickly firms must adapt. The days of quarterly planning are fading; agility is now essential. We’ve moved from seeking “one ring to rule them all” to managing multiple overlapping solutions—like Olympic rings—within a modern workflow (thanks again to Jim McKenna for the metaphor).
This isn’t just a tech revolution; it’s a cultural and change management revolution that needs to be embraced and thoughtfully planned out.
2. Focus on Leadership and Personal Growth
Professional development took center stage, with sessions on overcoming fear and embracing growth. The book launch of “Lessons in Leadership” and its signing event underscored the importance of leadership development in legal organizations.
As firms shift to SaaS and cloud-based services, IT departments must evolve:
- From core infrastructure to business-savvy partners.
- From technical experts to communication and adoption liaisons.
- From recognizing that “soft skills” are not “soft” but are essential “hard skills”—especially in cloud architecture and security.
Talent acquisition is changing, with a global talent war underway. IT professionals must now translate technology into business value.
3. Changes in Firm IT Leadership Roles
The CIO’s role is evolving—from the basement to the boardroom. For the first time, technical knowledge is directly linked to strategic business outcomes. Tech and operations are now symbiotic. This, in my opinion, is overdue.
4. Generational Differences in the Workplace
The modern law firm is not what it was in the past. The presence of multiple generations in the firm workforce requires an understanding of the generational views and their impact in today’s law firm. Different generations bring diverse perspectives on:
- Work ethics
- Loyalty
- Technology
- Work-life balance
- Motivation and engagement
Understanding these differences is essential if firms are going to leverage this modern workforce to achieve the strategic goals of the firm. A culture of learning that takes into consideration every generation in the firm with plans and strategies for each will be a differentiator for effective collaboration and professional development.
5. The Pace of Change
The new and burgeoning rapid pace of change is causing pain across firms. Legacy approaches to updates and training are no longer effective. Firms struggle to keep learning relevant and timely.
Change management got a lot of renewed attention and focus at the conference. It is no longer just a “nice to have” but has become a “must have” strategic initiative, driving transformation in IT organizations and in the firm as a whole. Erika Barber, Learning Strategist with Traveling Coaches, had an insightful session with 150+ attendees, where she generously shared her Change Management expertise.
Core IT skills are still needed, but the focus is shifting toward change agents. AI demands a new skill set, and change fatigue is real—for both users and IT teams. Will firms embrace this critical component of handling the pace of change? Time will tell.
Law firm culture is pushing forward, but expectation overload and generational variance must be managed.
6. What Was Old Is Now an Even More Important Focus
Security, information governance, and compliance are back in the spotlight. These are foundational to the responsible and effective use of technology – most notably AI. Security education is as critical as it has ever been. AI in the wrong hands poses serious risks—deepfakes, social engineering, and calendar visibility are just a few examples.
Everyone in the firm is now a data custodian. Moving from data landfills to data lakes requires mature data curation.
Cloud adoption continues to rise, driven by functionality rather than cost. Firms are becoming more realistic about what they can achieve, and security confidence is growing.
Information governance is having a moment. It’s no longer just a department—it’s a shared responsibility. Data mapping and understanding “where’s my data?” are essential.
Conslusion
Looking back on last year, we saw innovation theater and disillusionment around generative AI. This year, the tone has shifted to optimism. ILTACON 2025 showed that while the journey is complex, the legal tech community is moving forward with purpose, resilience, and a renewed focus on what truly matters.
Traveling Coaches can help your firm navigate these changes and leverage the latest trends to achieve your strategic goals. Contact us today to learn more about how we can elevate your firm.
About the Author
Kenny Leckie
Senior Consultant
In his role as Senior Consultant, Kenny provides thought leadership and consulting to the legal community in areas of information security/cybersecurity awareness, change management, user adoption, adult learning, employee engagement, professional development, and business strategy. He also works with clients to develop and deploy customized programs with an emphasis on user adoption and increased return on investment. Kenny is a Prosci Certified Change Practitioner, a Certified Technical Trainer and has earned the trust of firms across the US, Canada, The UK, Europe and Australia.
Kenny has more than thirty years of combined experience as a law firm Chief Information Officer, Manager of Support & Training, and now consultant providing him with a unique point of view and understanding of the challenges of introducing change in law firms. He combines his years of experience with a strategic approach to help clients implement programs that allows focus on the business while minimizing risk to confidential, protected, and sensitive information. Kenny is an author and speaker and a winner of ILTA’s 2018 Innovative Consultant of the Year.