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 two NYSBA committees: 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. Paykin, founder of Paykin Law, is helping coordinate the program’s speakers, subjects, schedules, and rooms, and he will also speak at the event.
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 foundation was created to encourage the legal profession to embrace new technology while helping startups break into the legal industry. At the summit, it will host the TechForward Startup Competition, which will showcase new ideas and emerging solutions for legal practice.
“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 summit will bring together continuing legal education courses, an expo of legal technology vendors, the startup competition, and a promptathon. Attendees will have the opportunity to earn 16 MCLE credits, with sessions addressing AI ethics; practical AI use in drafting, writing, legal research, and evidence; tomorrow’s digital courtroom; and technology for solo and small-firm practitioners.
“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.”
Paykin regularly speaks and teaches on legal technology and artificial intelligence. He previewed what attendees can expect from 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 announcement matters because it signals a formal push by the nation’s largest voluntary state bar association to equip lawyers with practical technology skills, particularly in AI. As law firms and legal departments face growing pressure to adopt efficient tools, the summit’s CLE offerings and startup competition could accelerate the adoption of solutions designed for real legal workflows. For solo and small-firm practitioners, who often lack the resources of larger firms, the focus on accessible technology may help level the playing field. The involvement of TechForward Foundation also highlights a growing bridge between legal tech entrepreneurs and practicing lawyers, potentially expanding access to justice through innovation.
