Legalweek 2026 continues today with another full day of sessions! Here are the Wednesday Legalweek 2026 sessions to check out!

Legalweek 2026 will be conducted this week through tomorrow. For the first time ever, it is not being held at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York City; 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 last week 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 Wednesday Legalweek 2026 sessions of note you may want to check out, along with the location (all times ET):

9:00 AM – 10:30 AM

Judges Panel – Safeguarding Justice: Judicial Safety, Independence, and the Rule of Law

U.S. District Judge Esther Salas experienced a profound act of violence on July 19, 2020, when a gunman posing as a delivery driver attacked her family at their New Jersey home. Her 20-year-old son, Daniel Anderl, was killed, and her husband was critically wounded. Because she was in another part of the house, Judge Salas was unharmed by the assailant who was later identified as an attorney with a history of grievances against judges.

In the years since, Judge Salas has become a leading advocate for judicial safety. She has publicly described a rise in threats and harassment targeting judges, including coordinated pizza deliveries sent to judges’ homes — often ordered in her son’s name — as a form of intimidation signaling that their private addresses are known. She has warned that such tactics endanger judges and their families and undermine judicial independence, calling for stronger protections and more responsible public rhetoric about the courts. 

Legalweek is pleased to host a candid, non-partisan conversation on the realities of modern judicial service and the challenges facing the judiciary today. Moderated by Judge Salas, who will be joined by U.S. District Judges Kenly Kiya Kato, Karoline Mehalchick and Mia Roberts Perez, this dynamic panel will address increasing concerns around judicial safety, heightened public visibility, and the personal and professional pressures inherent in presiding over complex and consequential matters.

Drawing on their personal experiences from the bench, the panelists will discuss the importance of maintaining judicial independence, public confidence in the courts, and respect for the rule of law in a rapidly changing environment. The conversation will also touch on the importance of judicial security and personal safety, and how these concerns are managed while preserving openness, impartiality, and the effective administration of justice.

Designed to inform and foster understanding, this conversation offers a rare opportunity to hear directly from members of the judiciary about the human dimensions of judicial service, including the safeguards that support judicial safety, independence, and the continued strength of the rule of law.

Speakers: The Honorable Esther Salas, United States District Judge – District of New Jersey, The Honorable Kenly Kiya Kato, United States District Judge – Central District of California, The Honorable Karoline Mehalchick, United States District Judge – Middle District of Pennsylvania, The Honorable Mia Roberts Perez, United States District Judge – Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Location Name: Rooms 501 – 502

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Agentic and Generative AI for Complex Litigation

As mass tort and class action litigation continue to generate unprecedented volumes of claims, legal teams are turning to agentic and generative AI to transform how intake and triage are handled at scale. This session explores how AI-driven intake systems can autonomously organize, evaluate, and prioritize claims, reducing manual review while improving consistency and accuracy. Attendees will examine how agentic AI supports faster decision-making, better resource allocation, and more defensible workflows in high-volume matters—while also considering the governance, transparency, and risk considerations that accompany automation in complex litigation environments. Discussion topics include:

• How agentic AI automates and scales mass-tort and class action intake, from claim ingestion to triage and prioritization
• The role of generative AI in improving accuracy, consistency, and speed in qualifying and organizing high-volume claims
• Governance, oversight, and defensibility considerations when deploying AI-driven intake tools in large-scale litigation

Speakers: Keao Caindec, Co-Founder & CEO, Clarra, Todd Schneider, Partner, Schneider Wallace Cottrell Kim LLP, Angela Ni, Managing Director, Parabellum Capital LLC, David Perla, Vice Chair, Burford Capital.

Location Name: Room 408

AI in the Courtroom: A Mock Argument on Generative AI for Document Review 

No court has yet issued an opinion on the use of generative AI for document review and production – what does that mean for its use now? Join us for a mock argument before the court where plaintiff and defense counsel will go head-to-head arguing for and against the use of Relativity aiR for Review in their case.  The judge will issue a ruling and then the audience will get a chance to weigh in.  

Speakers: Cristin Traylor, Senior Director, Relativity, Elizabeth “Liz” Marie Gary, Of Counsel, Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP, Judge Andrew Peck, Senior counsel, DLA Piper, Michelle Newcomer, eDiscovery Counsel, Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP.

Location Name: Room 406.2

Integrating Artificial Intelligence Into Legal Practice

AI is no longer a future concept—it is actively reshaping how lawyers research, analyze, and manage cases. This session equips attorneys with a practical, ethical framework for understanding AI’s role in modern legal workflows, helping them stay competitive, compliant, and prepared for the next evolution of legal practice.

Speakers: Jon Lomurro, Partner, Lomurro Law, Jonah Paransky, CEO, Assembly Software, Matt Schad, Attorney, Schad Law.

Location Name: Room 413

The New Data Reality: What Agentic AI Can Infer & What KM Must Still Control

As AI overwhelms traditional knowledge systems, lawyers and knowledge management professionals are rethinking what “good data” even means. This session will explore how agentic AI is redefining long-held assumptions about data quality, structure, and lawyer workflows—challenging the idea that data optimization is obsolete while revealing why it matters now more than ever.

Discussion highlights will include:

• Recent transformations in data optimization and reforming KM strategies.
• Where AI reduces the need for heavily structured data—and where governance still matters.
• How lawyers’ roles are shifting from doers to validators, and the increasing value of understanding the tools that echo past their biggest challenges.

Speakers: Melissa Morrison, Director of Segment Management, LexisNexis, Martin Tully, Partner, Redgrave LLP, Rebecca Holdredge, Director of Knowledge & Data Strategy, MINTZ LEVIN.

Location Name: Room 411

From Collection to Control: Mastering Modern Data and Future Complexity

Modern data now spans a sprawling ecosystem of email, chat, collaboration platforms, cloud storage, mobile apps, and AI-generated content, with each source adding unique complexity. In turn, data collection is becoming more challenging and costs are expected to rise exponentially as enterprises generate more data in more formats, accompanied by AI artifacts, linked files, and dynamic content that defy traditional eDiscovery workflows. Legal teams need new frameworks to manage this complexity and stay ahead in litigation. 

This session brings together eDiscovery and litigation experts to examine the characteristics of modern data and how updated collection strategies can help reduce costs, increase efficiency, and strengthen litigation readiness. Discussion topics include:  

• Decoding modern data diversity—from AI-created artifacts and Copilot outputs to hyperlinks, chat logs, and cloud collaboration data. 
• Navigating data collection challenges—managing scale, speed, rising costs, and the unique risks of emerging data formats. 
• Improving identification of critical custodians and data sources across sprawling enterprise ecosystems. 
• Building defensible collection and preservation strategies that account for dynamic, shifting, and nontraditional data formats. 
• Looking ahead to what comes next—preparing for emerging data modalities like generative AI content, AI-enhanced attachments, and hyperconnected document ecosystems. 

Attendees will leave with a forward-looking playbook for managing the data explosion, helping teams control costs, mitigate risks, and maintain strategic advantage in the evolving world of litigation. 

Speakers: Laura Ewing-Pearle, Senior Manager, eDiscovery & Practice Support Technology, Baker Botts LLP, Cynthia Chan, Senior E-Discovery Advisory Manager, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, Susan Stone, Director – Discovery Technology, AT&T, Pooja Lalwani, Senior Director, Onboarding & Implementation, Lighthouse.

Location Name: Room 405.2

Tech-Driven Legal Innovation

2026 promises to deliver new technology and workflows that deliver faster insights and greater efficiency to litigation and investigations. Learn from this panel of experts – representing the law firm, corporate and service provider perspectives – as they discuss critical focus areas for 2026, the innovations they have adopted for their high-stakes matters, including internal and antitrust investigations, and the cutting-edge strategies they intend to adopt within the next year.

This session will cover:

• Benchmarking current AI innovations and KPIs
• The intersection of emerging data and AI use
• Three AI tools and workflows that you aren’t using today but will by the end of 2026

Speakers: Kelly Clay, Assistant General Counsel, Legal and Compliance Global Operations, gsk, Scott Reents, Of Counsel, Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP – New York, NY, Sophie Ross, Global Chief Executive Officer, Technology, FTI Consulting Technology, Stephen Dooley, DIrector of EDLS, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP.

Location Name: Room 410

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Developing the Future Lawyer: Understanding How AI Is Reshaping Litigation Training, Preparation, and Evidentiary Insight

This program examines how generative and agentic AI tools are being incorporated into litigation training and preparation workflows, including transcription, evidentiary analysis, simulation-based training, preparation and deposition readiness. The session focuses on legal and ethical considerations, risk management, skills development, and the exercise of professional judgment associated with AI-assisted litigation tools, rather than product promotion. Attendees will gain insight into how these technologies affect evidentiary integrity, discovery strategy, and attorney obligations in modern litigation practice.

Discussion topics include: 

• AI tools that are shaping how evidence is created, analyzed, and used in litigation, as well as how lawyers are trained and better prepared to represent their clients.   
• How AI-generated insights affect evidentiary reliability and admissibility
• How ethical duties of competence, supervision, confidentiality, and candor are directly implicated
• How courts and adversaries are increasingly scrutinizing AI-assisted litigation practices

Speakers: JP Son, Chief Legal Officer, Verbit AI, Abdi Shayesteh, Founder & CEO, AltaClaro, Todd Heffner, Partner, Smith, Gambrell & Russell LLP, Kate Orr, Managing Director of Practice Innovation, Orrick.

Location Name: Room 409

Making Change Stick: Ensuring Success Before, During, and After Legal Tech Procurement

Buying legal tech is easy—turning it into lasting impact is the challenge. This session breaks down the critical steps firms must take before procurement, during vendor selection, and throughout implementation to ensure that technology investments are fully adopted and deliver long-term operational value. 

Discussion topics include: 

• Aligning tech purchases with strategic business goals 
• Building cross-functional buy-in during procurement 
• Managing rollout and measuring adoption success over time 

Speakers: Toby Franklin, Practice & Client Solutions Director, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, William Garcia, Chief Practice Innovation Officer, Thompson Hine LLP, Carl Morrison, Senior Manager, Legal Operations, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Companies (U.S.), Sarah Lovequist, AVP, Legal Operations, AmTrust Financial Services, Inc., Ruben Miessen, CEO, LegalFly.

Location Name: Room 406.1

High-Pressure Coordination: Strategies for Managing Complex Investigations

As investigations often have increasing complexity and shortened timelines due to business urgency or regulatory compliance, legal teams must respond in parallel—often while navigating internal silos and fragmented data environments. This session explores how organizations are moving from reactive, department-by-department responses toward a unified data strategy that supports consistent, auditable, and defensible outcomes across simultaneous investigations.

Panelists will discuss real-world coordination challenges between forensics, legal, GRC, and security teams; strategies for preventing accidental spoliation during incident response; and how to balance retention, risk reduction, and cost in an era of global regulatory oversight.

Attendees will leave with practical insights into structuring investigations, aligning internal stakeholders, and maintaining consistency across agencies with competing timelines and expectations.

Speakers: Mike Stacy, Global Vice President of Solutions Engineering, Exterro.

Location Name: Room 405.1

Cross‑Border ESI Transfers: Minimizing Friction and Compliance Risk

Global matters increasingly require legal teams to move data across jurisdictions—yet privacy rules, localization laws, and conflicting regulatory regimes make even routine transfers complex. This session cuts through the noise, offering a clear look at how leading organizations reduce friction, maintain speed, and stay compliant when ESI crosses borders. Learn what works in practice, where risks hide, and how to build workflows that keep global investigations and litigation moving. 

Discussion topics include: 

• Defensible approaches to transferring or reviewing data under competing privacy and localization laws 
• Practical decision frameworks for managing matters when ESI cannot leave its home jurisdiction 
• Strategies for collecting, processing, and reviewing sensitive data without violating regional requirements 
• Tools and operational models that accelerate multinational discovery while reducing compliance exposure 

Speakers: Miguel Villalobos, Senior Director of Integrated AI & eDiscovery, Integreon, David Cohen, CEO, Access to Justice, Denise Backhouse, Shareholder, eDiscovery Counsel, Littler Mendelson PC, Matthew Gasaway, Associate General Counsel, eDiscovery & Information Governance, Meta.

Location Name: Room 410

From Deflategate to Deepfakes: Data Discovery with Celebrities and Revised Rules

What do Scarlett Johansson, Taylor Swift, Tom Brady, and Elon Musk all have in common? They’ve ended up in court in matters with legal data issues. Join us as we examine the e-discovery and legal data challenges of these celebrities and others and whether data law is equipped to handle them. Have the 2015 e-discovery amendments survived the test of time? In an era of AI and deepfakes, do the Federal Rules of Evidence need to be revised? Join us for a lively discussion with perspectives from the judiciary, the media, academia, and legal practitioners.

• What special challenges do celebrities encounter when complying with legal data and e-discovery requirements?  
• Have the 2015 e-discovery amendments made a significant change to e-discovery and legal data compliance? 
• What challenges to deepfakes and other forms of AI create for legal data compliance? 

Speakers: David Horrigan, Discovery Counsel & Legal Education Director, Relativity, Chad Fitzgerald, Partner, Kinsella Holley Iser Kump Steinsapir LLP, Maura Grossman, Research Professor, University of Waterloo and Maura Grossman Law, Jerry Bui, SVP of Digital Forensics, Purpose Legal, Julie Angell, Business Affairs Executive, The Harry Walker Agency, Hon. Victoria Willis, Chief Judge, Virginia 15th Judicial Circuit.

Location Name: Room 406.2

The Human Edge: Mastering Skills that Machines Can’t Replace

Is AI the end of the legal profession as we know it, or a new beginning? In this session, we’ll turn a laser focus to exactly what AI can and can’t do – and which of your skills make you indispensable as a result. From strategies for upskilling (and reskilling) to what you should unlearn in the AI era, this session will give you the tools for future-proofing your career.

Discussion topics include: 

• Essential skills: The top skills lawyers need to thrive alongside AI, beyond technical know-how
• Career adaptation: Explore strategies to upskill, reskill, and remain relevant in a rapidly evolving legal market
• What to unlearn: Identify habits and approaches that may hold you back in the AI era, and how to let them go
• Human and machine: Gain practical tips for integrating AI tools into your work without losing the personal touch 

Speakers: Brittany Casey, Vice President, Customer Success, DISCO, Farrah Pepper, Chief Legal Innovation Counsel & Chief Global Discovery Counsel, Marsh McLennan, Emily Collins, Senior Information Governance Attorney, Southwest Airlines, Christina Wojcik, Chief Innovation Officer, Pierson Ferdinand, LLP.

Location Name: Room 408

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM

Automated Logs, Defensible Tags: AI-Driven Privilege Review without the Panic

Privilege review remains one of the most stressful, labor-intensive phases of discovery—but it doesn’t have to be. As legal teams adopt AI to streamline tagging, automate logging, and reduce human error, new questions emerge: What makes an AI-supported privilege process defensible? How do you maintain transparency, accuracy, and attorney oversight without slowing things down? This session explores practical, real-world approaches to building a reliable, audit-ready privilege workflow that blends human judgment with automation. Attendees will learn how modern tools can reduce the frenzy, strengthen decision-making, and create a repeatable privilege process that stands up in court.

Discussion topics include:

• Designing an AI-supported privilege workflow that balances speed with defensibility
• Implementing quality controls, validation protocols, and attorney oversight for automated tagging
• Reducing risk exposure through automated, structured privilege logs that are consistent across matters

Speakers: Esther Birnbaum, Executive Vice President of Data Intelligence, HaystackID, Elizabeth “Liz” Marie Gary, Of Counsel, Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP, Sam Sessler, Director, Global eDiscovery Services • Litigation Technology/E-Discovery, Norton Rose Fulbright, Nirav Shah, Corporate Counsel – eDiscovery, The Home Depot.

Location Name: Room 410

Creative AI Prompt Showdown: Unlock the Power of Creativity in Our Prompting Challenge!

Embark on an exciting journey into the world of creativity at our prompting contest! Learn from industry experts as you uncover the secrets of powerful prompts that drive innovation, imagination, and insights hidden within your data. 

In this interactive session, you’ll discover practical techniques for crafting prompts that lead to exceptional AI-generated content. Through hands-on challenges and real-world examples, our experts will guide you in transforming your ideas into effective, high-impact prompts. Whether you’re just starting out or already a pro, this session will sharpen your skills and inspire your creative edge. 

Bring your best ideas, get ready to experiment, and prepare to compete for the ultimate recognition: the title of Prompting Champion! 

Don’t miss this chance to learn, create, and celebrate the art of great prompting. Are you ready to rise to the challenge and claim the top spot? Join us and unleash your imagination! 

Speakers: Aurora Bryant, Senior Legal Data Intelligence Lead, Relativity, Andy Kim, eDiscovery Attorney, Munger, Tolles & Olson, LLP, Sean Harrington, Director of AI and Legal Tech Studio, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Arizona State University, Matthew Bohn, Senior Counsel, Amgen.

Location Name: Room 406.2

Next-Gen Client Intake: Tech Tools for Vetting New Clients and Attorneys Fast and Safely — and Defensibly

The pressures on law firms checks continue to intensify: matters move faster, client expectations are rising, and firms face heightened regulatory and reputational risks.

This session examines how new technologies—including AI-driven automation, dynamic data mapping, and integrated intake systems—are transforming client intake from a reactive control into a proactive and insight-led process.

Experts will explore how firms are modernizing the future of client intake at scale, where human judgment governance guardrails that still remains essential, and how to introduce new technology in a high-stakes environment without compromising speed, accuracy, or defensibility..

Discussion topics include:

• How AI, structured data, and workflow automation are reshaping client intake in practice
• Where human oversight is critical—and how to embed it without slowing matters down
• Building a scalable, defensible, and future-proof client intake process

Speakers: David Stanton, Partner, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, Jessica Denny, Global Head of Comms and Marketing, Xapien.

Location Name: Room 408

Data That Speaks: Turning Metrics into Meaningful Stories That Drive Legal Impact

Despite having more dashboards, analytics tools, and AI-generated insights than ever before, many legal teams still struggle to turn data into influence. This session explores how corporate legal departments and law firms can move beyond reporting and begin communicating data in ways that shape decisions, secure resources, and demonstrate value. Drawing from real workflows, AI-enabled analysis, and proven storytelling frameworks, panelists will share how they translate metrics into narratives leadership understands—aligning with corporate AI mandates, managing up, and strengthening partnerships across the business. 

Discussion topics include: 

• Identifying the metrics that matter—and how to package them for executive-level consumption 
• Transforming dashboards and analytics into clear, persuasive “data stories” that inspire action 
• Using AI-enabled workflows to surface insights and elevate the legal team’s strategic role 
• Bridging gaps between corporate mandates, legal constraints, and practical implementation 

Speakers: David Bernstein, Analytics Senior Manager, Wells Fargo, Julia Hasenzahl, CEO & Co-Founder, ProSearch, Jeremiah Weasenforth, AI Innovation Attorney, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, Joan Washburn, Director of Legal Support Services, Holland & Knight LLP, Addison Larrow, Director of Innovation Analytics, Crowell and Moring LLP.

Location Name: Room 406.1

Build and Scale Fast: AI Agents Transforming Legal Operations

Agentic AI is opening a new frontier for legal innovation—but delivering real value requires solutions that can integrate smoothly into complex legal environments. This session invites leaders building agentic AI tools to share how they design, deploy, and scale systems that meet the operational demands of law firms and in-house legal teams. The conversation focuses on what it takes to build technology that is secure, adaptable, and capable of driving immediate impact.

Speakers: Anna Cao, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Microsoft, Angel Zhu, Senior Product Manager, Microsoft Copilot Ecosystem, Microsoft.

Location Name: Room 413

In addition to these Wednesday Legalweek 2026 sessions, there are still a few more happy hours and events. It’s a Legalweek tradition! Here’s the full agenda.

So, what do you think of the Wednesday 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.