If you’ve always imagined yourself on stage at a TED-style event, this could be your chance. The ABA Center for Innovation is seeking proposals for talks on legal innovation to be presented during a special Spotlight event at the ABA Annual Meeting in New York City on Aug. 12, 2017.

The center will select 10 speakers, each of whom will be expected to deliver a crisp, high-level, eight-minute TED-style talk about a legal innovation. Applicants may submit any legal innovation, including those that are civil or criminal, technological or process-driven, individual or systemic, implemented or in the planning stages, according to this call for proposals.

Proposals will be evaluated based on:

  • The problem’s severity and complexity.
  • The solution’s effectiveness and efficiency.
  • Creativity.
  • Replicability.
  • Speaker diversity

The innovation can relate to any part of the legal industry, including corporate legal departments, legal services organizations, legal education, bar associations, law firms and courts.

Proposals must be submitted by May 15, 2017. They should include a description, not to exceed 500 words, of the innovation, and:

  • Your name and your organization’s name.
  • The problem your innovation seeks to address.
  • How your innovation addresses the problem.
  • What your innovation’s impact will be.
  • Obstacles you’ve overcome.

Optionally, applications can include a link to a website or to a short (maximum 90 seconds) video about your legal innovation.

Applications should be sent to innovationcenter@americanbar.org.

Photo of Bob Ambrogi Bob Ambrogi

Bob is a lawyer, veteran legal journalist, and award-winning blogger and podcaster. In 2011, he was named to the inaugural Fastcase 50, honoring “the law’s smartest, most courageous innovators, techies, visionaries and leaders.” Earlier in his career, he was editor-in-chief of several legal publications, including The National Law Journal, and editorial director of ALM’s Litigation Services Division.