Javits, here we come! Legalweek 2026 starts today with a full day of sessions! Here are the Monday Legalweek 2026 sessions to check out!

Legalweek 2026 will be conducted today through Thursday. For the first time ever, it will not be held at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York City (as illustrated by the image above); instead, it will be held at the Javits Center. Here’s a guide for the Javits Center and surrounding restaurants, courtesy of Level Legal. I also published a word cloud based on the agenda yesterday to give you a sense of the topics in this year’s conference.

You can still register for Legalweek 2026 here and the pricing is here. Each day, I’ll cover what’s going on at the conference in terms of sessions related to eDiscovery, information governance, cybersecurity, data privacy and (of course) artificial intelligence – so much so, I’d have to clone myself to catch them all!

Sessions

With that in mind, here’s a list of the Monday Legalweek 2026 sessions of note you may want to check out, along with the location (all times ET):

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM

AI Workshop – Shaping Tomorrow: Visionaries Discuss the State of AI Across the Legal Market

This opening session will convene senior AI leaders from across the legal and AI markets to discuss the current landscape, rapid advancements, and outlook for artificial intelligence across industries. Panelists will share insights on transformative trends, sector-specific impacts (technology, finance, healthcare, and more), and what organizations need to anticipate as AI reshapes the competitive environment. Attendees will gain a strategic overview of the ecosystem and learn from first-hand perspectives about opportunities and challenges at the cutting edge of AI.

Discussion topics include:

• Strategic overview of major AI developments and industry trends
• Opportunities and risks that AI brings to multiple business sectors, particularly legal, finance, and healthcare
• Varying leadership perspectives on technology’s future trajectory and its impact on innovation

Speakers: Jeff Reihl, Technology Chairperson, LexisNexis Legal and Professional, Oliver Roberts, Managing Attorney | Adjunct Professor and Co-Director of WashU AI Collaborative | Adjunct Professor of Law | CEO and Founder | Editor-in-Chief, AI and Law, The Roberts Legal Firm | WashU Law | Case Western | Wickard.ai | The National Law Review, Danielle Benecke, Global Head, Applied AI, Baker McKenzie, Ilona Logvinova, Chief AI Officer, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, Zeynep Ersin, Chief Innovation and Strategic Design Officer, Seyfarth Shaw LLP.

Location Name: Rooms 406.1 – 406.3

10:15 AM – 11:15 AM

AI Workshop – Beyond the Balance Sheet: Rethinking ROI for AI in the Legal World

As artificial intelligence becomes core to business operations and legal practice, how should organizations define and evaluate its return on investment? This session brings together thought leaders from law firms, corporate legal departments, and AI solution providers to examine evolving metrics for success. Panelists will address the limitations of traditional ROI measures, strategies for demonstrating business value from AI, changes in adoption models, and how success is reframed in a world where AI permeates workflows. Real-life case studies and pragmatic frameworks will help attendees make informed decisions about investing in and scaling AI solutions.

Discussion topics include:

• Understanding how to adapt measures of ROI for AI initiatives, beyond traditional metrics.
• Best practices and real-world strategies for quantifying success as AI becomes embedded in core processes
• Discussion about investment justification, adoption strategies, and aligning AI deployment with business and legal goals

Speakers: Jeff Reihl, Technology Chairperson, LexisNexis Legal and Professional, Madhav Srinivasan, Chief Financial Officer, Frost Brown Todd, Stuart Bedford, Global Head of Legal Services, KPMG International, Afua Dabanka, Head of Legal PMO, AI Transformation, Meta, Stephanie Curcio, CEO and Co-Founder, NLPatent.

Location Name: Rooms 406.1 – 406.3

Strategic Legal Leadership in the Age of Agentic AI  

As AI agents increasingly replace traditional software applications, organizations are realizing greater cost efficiency, improved decision-making, enhanced competitiveness, and more streamlined legal workflows. With their ability to automate complex tasks, reason, and adapt to evolving legal requirements, AI agents represent the future of high-performing legal operations. 

In a fireside chat interview, experts will share their experiences and perspectives on agentic AI. Through this session, attendees will learn how to effectively: 

• Build a strategy to integrate agentic AI into your organization’s legal operations. 
• Identify the most impactful use cases for agentic AI to drive efficiency and innovation. 
• Understand how agentic systems differ from standalone LLMs 
• Manage organizational change and foster a culture of adaptability as agentic AI transforms workflows and roles. 

Speakers: John Zhu, Sr. Director, Legal and Compliance Tech, GSK, Jon Kessler, Vice President and General Manager, Information Governance, Epiq, Jessica Escalera, Head of Legal Operations – Americas, HSBC, Nicole Langston, Vice President, Senior eDiscovery Counsel, Barclays, Lydia Petrakis, Assistant General Counsel, Microsoft.

Location Name: Room 405.2

Part One + Lunch – From Blank Screen to a Legal Copilot Agent in Two Hours

In this hands-on sprint taking place over two hours, attendees will discover that building a working Copilot agent is more achievable than it may seem—even for those who have never considered themselves equipped to create an AI agent. Through this workshop, attendees will gain practical experience that can be applied to legal use cases within their organization.  Attendees of this workshop will:  

• Follow practical steps to create and deploy a functioning Copilot agent for contract review. 
• Identify and leverage a curated list of high-impact legal use cases to inspire future Copilot agent builds.  
• Develop the confidence and foundational skills necessary to build additional Copilot agents tailored to organizational needs.  

Speakers: Jon Kessler, Vice President and General Manager, Information Governance, Epiq, Simon Bayangos, Senior Director, Information Governance, Epiq Global, David Robbins, Senior Product Manager, Microsoft.

Location Name: Room 405.2

12:30 PM – 1:30 PM

Part Two + Lunch – From Blank Screen to a Legal Copilot Agent in Two Hours

This session includes lunch and builds on part one, allowing participants to deepen their understanding of Copilot agent development while exploring real-world applications and expansion opportunities. Attendees will continue hands-on learning while discussing implementation strategies, lessons learned, and pathways for scaling Copilot agents across legal teams.

Speakers: Jon Kessler, Vice President and General Manager, Information Governance, Epiq, Simon Bayangos, Senior Director, Information Governance, Epiq Global, David Robbins, Senior Product Manager, Microsoft.

Location Name: Room 405.2

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Case Law Workshop Panel – The Most Significant Discovery Rulings and Their Impact

Join an expert panel of judges, litigators, and in-house counsel for a fast-paced review of the most important eDiscovery and information-governance decisions of the past year. This session breaks down emerging trends in sanctions, preservation, Rule 502, hyperlinks, AI-generated content, and other pivotal issues shaping modern discovery practice. Panelists will analyze the reasoning behind key rulings, highlight practical implications, and offer guidance on how to adapt your own discovery strategies. All questions will be held for the interactive roundtable discussions immediately following this session.

Speakers: Sherry Levin Wallach, Special Counsel & Consultant, Sherry Levin Wallach, Esq., Ruth Hauswirth, Special Counsel, Head of Litigation & eDiscovery and Information Retention Counseling, Cooley LLP, Jeremy Wikler, Partner, Shook Hardy & Bacon L.L.P., Dawson Horn, President, NExT, Judge Andrew Peck, Senior counsel, DLA Piper, Ksenia Takhistova, CLO and IP Counsel, LCM Biosensor Technologies Inc., Andrew Goodman, Associate Vice President, Legal Solutions, QuisLex, Dan Regard, CEO, iDiscovery Solutions.

Location Name: Room 413

AI Acceptable Use 2.0: Enforcing Policies and Closing Compliance Gaps

As AI tools become integral to daily operations, ensuring their responsible use is critical. This session will dive into AI Acceptable Use 2.0, focusing on practical strategies for enforcing organizational AI policies, identifying violations, and closing compliance gaps. Participants will learn to monitor AI use effectively, recognize red flags, and implement enforcement measures that protect both data integrity and ethical standards. Join us to strengthen your governance framework and maintain trust in AI-driven processes. 

Learning Objectives:   

• Explain the key components of AI Acceptable Use 2.0 and why enforcement matters. 
• Apply methods for monitoring and enforcing AI policy compliance within their organization. 
• Identify common violations and gaps, develop strategies to address them, and strengthen governance while mitigating AI-related risks. 

Speakers: Allen Darrah, Chief Information Officer, Spencer Fane LLP, Kenny Leckie, Senior Consultant, Traveling Coaches, Inc.

Location Name: Room 409

2:15 PM – 3:15 PM

The New Research Literacy: Evaluation Techniques for AI‑Powered Legal Tools

This presentation begins by examining how information professionals evaluate legal research tools in an AI‑driven environment, where accuracy, transparency, and workflow fit matter as much as content. It highlights how their role has expanded from managing databases to assessing complex AI systems, scrutinizing vendor claims, and identifying risk. The presentation then shifts from firm‑wide resource evaluation to the needs of attorneys, focusing on the skills they must develop to determine which AI‑powered tools will best support their clients and their practice.

• Understand how information professionals evaluate today’s AI‑enabled legal research and workflow tools, including accuracy, reasoning quality, transparency, and vendor stability.
• Recognize why attorneys must build parallel evaluation skills, ensuring they can select the right tool for each task and avoid accuracy, ethics, and client‑risk pitfalls. 
• Learn practical frameworks for jointly assessing legal tech, enabling attorneys and information professionals to collaborate on tool selection, testing, and responsible adoption.

Speakers: Tania Danielson, Director of Research & Intelligence, Sheppard Mullin, Jocelyn Sagherian, Knowledge & Research Consultant, LexisNexis.

Location Name: Room 411

Case Law Workshop Deep Dive Roundtables

Continue the conversation from our case law panel in this interactive breakout session designed to bring case law to life. Bring your questions, observations, and real-world challenges. Facilitators will guide discussion, surface insights from the earlier panel, and help translate recent rulings into practical strategies. This dynamic format ensures every participant has direct access to multiple experts and multiple perspectives.

Speakers: Sherry Levin Wallach, Special Counsel & Consultant, Sherry Levin Wallach, Esq., Ruth Hauswirth, Special Counsel, Head of Litigation & eDiscovery and Information Retention Counseling, Cooley LLP, Jeremy Wikler, Partner, Shook Hardy & Bacon L.L.P., Dawson Horn, President, NExT, Judge Andrew Peck, Senior counsel, DLA Piper, John A. Bonello, Esq., Partner, Reston Law Group, LLP, Jennifer Contegiacomo, Vice President and Chief of Staff, QuisLex, Brian Corbin, Global Head of Strategic Services, QuisLex, Dan Regard, CEO, iDiscovery Solutions, Andrew Goodman, Associate Vice President, Legal Solutions, QuisLex.

Location Name: Room 413

Unlocking the Power of Information Governance: Essentials for Legal Professionals

In today’s data-driven world, understanding the fundamentals of Information Governance (IG) is no longer optional—it’s essential. This 1-hour session is tailored for Legal professionals seeking to enhance their work with data and information by incorporating IG best practices. Attendees will gain a clear understanding of what IG is, why it matters, and how it drives operational excellence while ensuring regulatory compliance. 

Drawing from ARMA International’s new IG Fundamentals training course, developed in partnership with Robinson + Cole, this session will provide attendees with a solid foundation to recognize the value of IG and its relevance to their work. You’ll leave with a better understanding of how IG principles can enhance your approach to managing data and information, along with resources to deepen your knowledge, including details about ARMA International’s latest educational offerings. Empower your role with the knowledge to navigate the complexities of information governance confidently! 

Speakers: Jim Merrifield, Chief Data Officer, Robinson & Cole, LLP, Kathryn Rattigan, Partner, Robinson & Cole LLP, Jennifer Millett, VP Event Strategy and Partnerships, ARMA International.

Location Name: Room 409

3:30 PM – 4:15 PM

A Conversation with Eli Manning — Leadership, Tenacity & the Power of Teamwork Featuring Eli Manning, Two-Time Super Bowl-Winning Quarterback and Two-Time Super Bowl MVP

Join Legalweek for a special interview with Eli Manning, two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback and two-time Super Bowl MVP, whose career is defined not only by championship success but by the discipline, grit, and collaborative mindset that enabled him to lead under pressure and elevate the performance of those around him.

In this candid conversation, Manning will reflect on the defining moments of his journey, from setbacks to championship victories, and share the leadership principles that guided him through each stage of his career. He will discuss the importance of tenacity in the face of uncertainty, the role of trust and communication in building high-performing teams, and the lasting impact of mentorship both received and given. Manning will also explore how leaders can adapt, thrive, and continue to mentor others – even in an organization with varying leadership styles — turning those differences into opportunities for growth and stronger team dynamics.

Attendees will gain insights applicable far beyond sports: how to lead with steadiness, inspire confidence in others, and foster environments where teams can flourish. This is a rare opportunity to learn from a leader who has navigated intense scrutiny, delivered in critical moments, and remained grounded throughout a celebrated career.

Speakers: Eli Manning, Two-Time Super Bowl-Winning Quarterback & Two-Time Super Bowl MVP, Ryan Anderson, Co-Founder & CEO – Filevine, David Gialanella, Editor-in-Chief, The American Lawyer and Business of Law – ALM/LBR.

Location Name: Rooms 501 – 502

In addition to these Monday Legalweek 2026 sessions, there’s the Exhibit Hall Opening & Welcome Reception from 4:15 to 6:15. And, of course, the happy hours and events are gearing up as well. It’s a Legalweek tradition! Here’s the full agenda.

So, what do you think of the Monday Legalweek 2026 sessions?  Are you attending Legalweek 2026 this week? If so and if you see me, say hi!  And please share any comments you might have or if you’d like to know more about a particular topic.

Disclaimer: The views represented herein are exclusively the views of the authors and speakers themselves, and do not necessarily represent the views held by my employer, my partners or my clients. eDiscovery Today is made available solely for educational purposes to provide general information about general eDiscovery principles and not to provide specific legal advice applicable to any particular circumstance. eDiscovery Today should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a lawyer you have retained and who has agreed to represent you.