The Advanced Guide to ABA TECHSHOW 2026
ABA TECHSHOW 2026 is riding momentum. Last year's edition broke the attendance record at 2,118, the keynote lineup is generating real buzz, and the AI-heavy session slate reflects where legal tech is right now.
Whether you're a first-timer deciding if it's worth the trip or a veteran planning your schedule, here's everything you need to know - dates, venue, keynotes, session tracks, pricing, and practical tips for getting the most out of Chicago in late March.
What ABA TECHSHOW Is (and Who It's For)
ABA TECHSHOW is the American Bar Association's annual legal technology conference, now in its 41st year. Sponsored by the ABA Law Practice Division, it's one of the longest-running legal tech events in the world - but it serves a very specific slice of the profession.
If you're coming from the Legalweek world, recalibrate your expectations:
The audience is different. Legalweek draws 6,000+ attendees skewed toward Big Law, AmLaw 200 firms, and corporate legal departments. TECHSHOW is built for solos, small firms, mid-size practices, legal administrators, paralegals, and the vendors who serve them.
The vibe is different. Warmer, more practical, significantly less transactional. Expect less "digital transformation strategy for your 2,000-attorney platform" and more "here's how to use this tool on Monday morning."
This year's theme is superhero-inspired - celebrating lawyers who use technology to work smarter and protect the rule of law. You'll see the motif across the branding, session tracks, and marketing materials.
Dates, Venue, and Registration at a Glance
The conference runs March 25–28, 2026 (Wednesday through Saturday), at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place Chicago, 2233 S. Martin Luther King Dr., Chicago, IL 60616.
Here's how the week breaks down:
Wednesday 3/25 - Arrival day. Registration opens at 2:00 PM, the Startup Alley pitch competition kicks off at 4:00 PM, and the Welcome Reception follows.
Thursday 3/26 - The biggest day. Jordan Furlong's keynote at 8:00 AM, a full session slate, the EXPO Hall open 9:30 AM–7:00 PM, and the Taste of TECHSHOW dinners in the evening.
Friday 3/27 - Another full day capped by the Friday Night Bash, with the EXPO closing at 3:15 PM.
Saturday 3/28 - Half-day of marquee sessions from 9:00 AM–12:00 PM. No EXPO.
What to Know About McCormick Place
This is TECHSHOW's second year at McCormick Place after outgrowing the Hyatt Regency Chicago downtown. A few things worth knowing:
It's not downtown. The venue sits in the South Loop, south of Soldier Field, along the lakefront. You'll need a rideshare, the CTA, or the conference shuttle to reach Michigan Avenue restaurants and nightlife.
It's enormous. One attendee at last year's show clocked the walk from hotel elevators to the sessions at over half a mile. Wear comfortable shoes and budget extra time between locations.
The venue makes up for it. Purpose-built conference space with natural light, lakeside views (a major upgrade from the windowless basement halls at the old venue), and ample room in the EXPO Hall.
Free shuttles (sponsored by 8am) run between the Hyatt Regency, the Marriott Marquis, and the conference area. Check the conference app for schedules.
Registration and How to Save Money
Registration is available at events.americanbar.org or on-site. Pricing ranges from roughly $800 to $1,500 depending on your membership status and timing.
How to pay less:
Join the ABA Law Practice Division first. It's free for existing ABA members, and LP members get a significant discount on TECHSHOW registration.
Look for Event Promoter codes. Many state and local bar associations partner with TECHSHOW and offer discount codes worth up to $100 off. LSBA members, for example, can use code EP2603.
Book the group hotel rate. The ABA has secured a rate at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place for $224/night. You must register for the conference before booking - and book early, because these rooms historically sell out.
Weather
Late March in Chicago is unpredictable. Average highs hover around 45–50°F, with lows in the low 30s. Rain, wind, and late-season snow are all on the table. The lakefront location amplifies everything. Pack layers, a warm coat, and waterproof shoes.
Keynote Speakers and Marquee Sessions
Jordan Furlong - Thursday, March 26, 8:00–9:30 AM
Jordan Furlong is a legal sector analyst and strategic consultant based in Ottawa who has spent 25+ years studying how the legal market evolves. His TECHSHOW keynote focuses on what he calls the "AI Dividend" - the time and capacity freed up as AI takes over routine legal tasks - and the question every lawyer should be asking: what will you do with that freed-up time?
He'll outline three shifts redefining the legal landscape:
New competencies emerging for lawyers
Reinvesting the AI dividend into higher-value work
An evolving mandate to serve as proactive guardians of justice
Even if you're skeptical of futurist keynotes, Furlong is substantive and specific. Worth attending.
Nilay Patel - Also Confirmed as a Keynote Speaker
Patel is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Verge, and he practiced law before his journalism career. For lawyers trying to understand where AI and consumer technology are headed (rather than where vendors say they're headed), Patel's talk is essential.
Saturday Standouts
Saturday is a half-day, but don't skip it:
9:00 AM - A historic conversation with three ABA presidents (current president Michelle A. Behnke, immediate past president William R. "Bill" Bay, and president-elect Barbara J. Howard) on pressures facing the legal system and technology's role. This is a TECHSHOW first.
11:00 AM - "60 Tech Tips in 60 Minutes" returns as the perennial crowd favorite - fast-paced, practical, and consistently one of the most entertaining sessions of the conference.
Session Tracks, CLE Credits, and the EXPO Hall
TECHSHOW 2026 features nearly 60 panels and presentations organized into themed tracks. The ones generating the most buzz:
Taming the Machines - Hands-on AI workshops. The hottest track - expect crowds.
Guardians of the Data - Cybersecurity and privacy.
Litigation Superpowers - Technology for litigation practice.
The remaining tracks - The Tech Core, Limitless Lawyering, Conquering Change, Masters of Attraction, Agents of Access, Space Time and Leadership, and Special Ops - cover everything from practice management to marketing technology to access-to-justice initiatives.
We covered many of the AI trends dominating legal tech conversations recently, and the TECHSHOW programming reflects the same themes: practical AI implementation, cybersecurity, and workflow automation. These sessions tend to fill up. Have backup choices ready.
CLE Credits
TECHSHOW is seeking approval for 10.75 hours of CLE credit in 60-minute states (12.90 hours in 50-minute states), including ethics, elimination of bias, and wellness credits. To claim credit, check in at the Conference Concierge each day you attend. New York attorneys must also check out at the end of each day.
The EXPO Hall
Over 100 legal tech vendors exhibit at TECHSHOW - practice management platforms, billing systems, document automation tools, cybersecurity vendors, and a growing crop of AI-powered products for research, drafting, and timekeeping.
The AI timekeeping category in particular has exploded over the past two years, with tools that range from metadata-based integrations to screen-reading approaches that capture work across every application without requiring individual setup. If you're evaluating AI timekeeping options, the EXPO hall is one of the few places you can compare products side by side and ask pointed questions.
Come with your actual pain points - "we're a 12-attorney litigation firm struggling with lost billable hours" gets a much more useful conversation than "tell me about your product."
Thursday is the big EXPO day (9:30 AM–7:00 PM, with a reception starting at 5:45 PM). Friday's hall closes at 3:15 PM. Review the exhibitor list and floor plan at abatechshow26.mapyourshow.com in advance.
Startup Alley
On Wednesday at 4:00 PM, 15 legal tech startups pitch to attendees in the 10th annual Startup Alley competition, organized by Bob Ambrogi (of LawSites/LawNext). Past competitions have launched several now-prominent companies. The finalists also exhibit throughout the conference in a dedicated section of the EXPO Hall. If you want a preview of where legal tech innovation is heading, Startup Alley is essential.
TECHSHOW Vs. Legalweek and ILTACON
If you attend one legal tech conference a year as a solo or small/mid-firm lawyer, TECHSHOW is the one. But these conferences serve different audiences, not different quality tiers.
ABA TECHSHOW - $800–$1,500. 2,100+ attendees (solos, small firms, mid-size practices). 10.75 hours of CLE. Practical implementation focus. Chicago, every March.
Legalweek - $1,500–$3,000. 6,000+ attendees (Big Law, corporate legal departments). Enterprise technology and digital transformation. New York, every March - just two weeks before TECHSHOW this year. We wrote a full guide to Legalweek 2026 if you're considering both.
ILTACON - $2,000+. ~1,500 attendees (legal ops and IT leadership at large firms). Peer-to-peer format. Rotating city, every August.
A managing partner at a 15-attorney firm will get more actionable value from TECHSHOW than from Legalweek. A CIO at a 500-lawyer firm is the opposite. But for practitioners who want to walk out with tools they can use next week, TECHSHOW is the right fit.
The First-Timer's Playbook
The difference between a productive TECHSHOW and a wasted trip comes down to preparation. Here's what I'd recommend.
Before You Go
Download the conference app. It's your portal for the schedule, speaker bios, and CLE tracking. For every time slot, pick a first choice and a backup - some sessions fill up.
Review the EXPO floor plan at abatechshow26.mapyourshow.com and identify your 10–15 must-visit vendors.
Bring business cards. TECHSHOW attendees still exchange them freely.
Check the official conference brochure for the full rundown.
While You're There
Arrive Wednesday if at all possible. The Startup Alley competition and Welcome Reception are the tone-setting events. If you arrive Thursday morning, you've missed the icebreakers where the most natural connections happen.
Sign up for the Taste of TECHSHOW dinners as early as possible on Thursday morning. These are dutch-treat dinners at Chicago restaurants - Lou Malnati's, Pequod's, Joe's, The Berghoff, Petterino's - each hosted by a TECHSHOW faculty or board member around a specific topic. Groups are intimate (6 to 13 seats), and this is where the best networking at the entire conference happens. Popular spots fill fast.
Pick up a "First Time Attendee" ribbon at registration. Veterans actively seek out first-timers to help.
Don't skip the receptions. Wednesday Welcome Reception, Thursday EXPO Hall Reception (5:45 PM), and the Friday Night Bash are prime networking time.
Budget real time for the EXPO. Veterans consistently say they learn as much from vendor conversations as from sessions.
After You Leave
Follow up within a week. Email the people you met, connect on LinkedIn, and schedule demos with vendors you're serious about.
Don't implement everything at once. Rank the tools and ideas you picked up and integrate them one at a time.
Watch for session recordings in the conference app after the event.
Final Thoughts
TECHSHOW remains one of the strongest values in legal tech conferences for practitioners who want practical, implementable takeaways rather than enterprise strategy decks. The programming is strong, the EXPO is dense with relevant vendors, and the community is genuinely welcoming.
AI will dominate the conversation this year - as it does at every legal tech event right now. But TECHSHOW's enduring strength is its focus on practical application over hype. The lawyers who get the most from it are the ones who arrive with specific problems to solve and leave with specific tools to try.
Register atevents.americanbar.org. If you're evaluating AI timekeeping tools while you're there, we'd love to show you what we've built - book a demo before or after the conference. And bring comfortable shoes - McCormick Place will make you earn your steps.