While it has been a long year dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting disruptions in work and daily life, we’ve all learned a lot and witnessed a fair amount of changes. The legal industry in particular has been impacted like never before, and it has become increasingly clear that technology’s effect on both the practice and business of law cannot be understated. Innovative thinking isn’t going anyway.

That’s why we’ve taken The Recorder’s Leaders in Tech Law Awards and expanded them nationally—exploring not only what Silicon Valley has to offer, but all of the innovation occurring in legal departments and law firms across the country. The group of honorees in this first year of the Legalweek Leaders in Tech Awards have demonstrated knowledge, skill and compassion, recognized by the peers and clients who nominated them. From innovation in litigation to exploring new research opportunities to transforming the way access to justice is handled, the contenders for these awards have shown that true change is not only coming to the legal industry, it’s already here.