The New York State Bar Association will hold its first-ever Tech Summit from January 19 to 21, 2027, at the New York Hilton Midtown, as part of its Annual Conference. The event is a collaboration between the Standing Committee on Technology and the Legal Profession, chaired by Alexander Paykin, Esq., and the Committee on Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies, chaired by Vivian Wesson. TechForward Foundation, a nonprofit co-founded by Paykin that has now received its 501(c)(3) status, will run the summit’s startup competition.
The significance of the announcement lies in its practical orientation: the summit is designed to equip lawyers with tools they can apply immediately. Attendees can earn 16 MCLE credits through sessions covering AI ethics; practical AI use in drafting, writing, legal research, and evidence; the digital courtroom of tomorrow; and technology for solo and small-firm practitioners. An expo of legal technology vendors, a promptathon, and a startup competition round out the program. Paykin is coordinating speakers, subjects, schedules, and rooms, and will also speak at the event. “Lawyers should leave a technology conference with something they can use Monday morning,” Paykin said. “That’s our goal for the NYSBA Tech Summit: practical tools, informed judgment, and better ways to serve our clients.”
The startup competition, hosted by TechForward Foundation, is intended to showcase new ideas and emerging solutions for legal practice while connecting innovators with practicing lawyers. “The best legal technology starts with a problem worth solving,” Paykin said. “Through TechForward Foundation’s startup competition, we’re connecting innovators with practicing lawyers to help turn promising ideas into tools that strengthen legal practice and expand access to justice.” The foundation was created to encourage the legal profession to embrace new technology and to help startups break into the legal industry. Its competition, the TechForward Startup Competition, will be a central feature of the summit.
For the legal profession, the implications extend beyond continuing education. By pairing CLE programming with a vendor expo and a startup competition, the NYSBA is positioning technology adoption as a core competency rather than a niche interest. The involvement of two committees—one focused on technology and the profession and the other on artificial intelligence and emerging technologies—signals an institutional commitment to addressing both the opportunities and the ethical challenges that new tools present. Paykin, who regularly speaks and teaches on legal technology and artificial intelligence, previewed the summit in the Fall 2026 issue of the NYSBA Journal.
Registration for the Tech Summit is available through the NYSBA Annual Conference 2027 registration page. The event’s structure—combining education, demonstration, and startup incubation—suggests a model that could influence how bar associations approach technology training in the future, with an emphasis on outcomes that translate directly into practice.
