In a new Above the Law column, a self-described legal tech evangelist looks back at predictions made in 2017 and evaluates how they have aged by 2026. The piece is framed as a personal check-in rather than a systematic study, offering a decade-long view of an industry that has seen rapid change.
The author revisits each statement from the original prediction, measuring it against developments in legal technology over the intervening years. Because the column is a single reflective essay, it does not include external data or contrasting viewpoints, and readers should treat its conclusions as one participant's assessment rather than a definitive scorecard.
Still, the retrospective is useful for lawyers and policymakers tracking legal tech trends, as it highlights which early expectations were met, which fell short, and which remain open questions. Without additional sources, however, the column stands alone as an anecdotal data point in the broader conversation about technology's role in law.