This past week I was in Los Angeles attending LegalTech West Coast. It was a great success--good crowds, an engaging and well-attended conference program, and happy exhibitors. As always, Henry Dicker and his team did a fantastic job organizing the show, and their attention to detail really paid off for our customers.

The exhibitors with whom I spoke were an optimistic group. There was a sense on the show floor that law firms--particularly middle market law firms--are investing in technology for the future. While Amlaw 100 firms hunker down, lay off attorneys and wait for the financial markets to improve so that deal flow can return to prior levels, mid-market firms see an opportunity for growth. Those mid-market and regional firms offer lower prices, more responsive partners, and increasingly sophisticated technology to meet the requirements of large corporate clients. Potentially a winning combination.

We're no different. We're investing in technology and looking to exploit whatever opportunities come our way, even as the economic downturn continues. One example could be seen in our booth at LegalTech. There our friend Scott Pierce, CEO of Virtual Events Media, was demonstrating virtual tradeshow technology to our exhibitors and anyone else who was interested. Scott has been working with us for the past several months to help hone our business plan for expanding our webinar offerings. But he's also helping us to launch our very first virtual tradeshow--Virtual LegalTech--in November. It will feature a program of webinars plus electronic "booths" where exhibitors can demonstrate their wares electronically, provide their own videos and white papers, chat with customers and gather electronic business cards. The technology allows us to offer the best of LegalTech during the months between the live events, plus a chance for the LegalTech community to come together for discussions and networking.

Like a lot of new products, we don't know if this one will work. But we see an opportunity to enhance the LegalTech brand, take advantage of our community's interest in technology, and help our exhibitors reach new customers and generate valuable sales leads. And the response to Scott's presentations was extremely positive, with several companies already indicating that they will sign up for booth space.

Thanks to all who made LegalTech West Coast a great success. And good luck to the team as we get ready to enter the virtual tradeshow world!