This year‘s session was definitely a game-changer, despite concerns about the current epidemic. Although some speakers were forced to participate via video conferencing, the room was still packed with 200 people, sitting at round tables making connections, and facilitating meetings.

In particular, we were pleased to observe the emphasis on digital transformation across the legal professions.

Indeed, after a morning devoted to marketing and management, the second half of the day was completely dedicated to the evolution and future of legal practice.

The heads of law firm IT departments, IT specialists, and innovative lawyers who bring new ideas to their respective practices all presented interesting studies. Thus contributing to a diverse panel of speakers who made it possible to cover the many different aspects of using new technologies.

We did, however, sense an almost palpable concern related to perceived threats of the emergence of new technologies in legal practice. These mainly centered around the reliability of technological solutions and cybersecurity.

Lawyers, however, no longer seem as worried about being replaced by machines, which historically has been the prevailing attitude towards new legal technologies.

The highlight of the show was definitely, the keynote presentation by Richard Susskind, a legal pioneer so well-known and respected that he no longer requires introduction. It was a rare opportunity to ask questions on the future of online courts in the context of his new book.

This year‘s Market Day was a great success overall and confirms the willingness of Polish lawyers to transform and commit to the digitization of their day-to-day tasks.

Main Marketing Trends

• Internet presence is crucial for law firms
• Consulting firms specializing in external marketing are gaining in popularity among law firms

Main Management Trends

• Millennials expectations regarding work-life balance differ than older members of the workforce, and they will require more flexibility
• A home office is gaining in popularity with lawyers

Main Innovation Trends
With respect to the two above-mentioned categories: 

• Lawyers need tools that will improve their efficiency and also make the job more attractive for millennials
• Collaborative tools which allow people to work anyplace anytime 
• Modern ways of communicating with clients (for example client portals) that will save their internal or external clients’ time, as well as prove that lawyers are performing effectively and are worth the cost 
• The Polish market still lacks many quality legaltech tool options 

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