Clio Con Clips 2024

Clio Con 2024, held in Austin, Texas, was a landmark event, drawing 5,000 attendees both in-person and virtually. Jack Newton, CEO of Clio, delivered an inspiring keynote centered on the theme of “Harnessing Your Momentum.” His speech reflected Clio’s journey of growth, the pivotal role of technology in transforming the legal industry, and a call to action for law firms to build momentum through continuous innovation. Here’s a deep dive into the key takeaways from Newton’s address, showcasing the trends, data, and products that will drive law firms forward.

Clio Con’s Record-Breaking Reach

This year’s Clio Con marked a major milestone as the biggest and best to date. Celebrating 12 years of Clio Con, the conference welcomed participants from 42 countries, reflecting Clio’s expanding global reach. Attendees included representatives from as far afield as the Philippines, Brazil, and Norway. Newton emphasised Clio’s phenomenal growth: with customers in 130 countries, the platform has seen explosive expansion, particularly in regions like the UK, Ireland, EMEA, APAC, and Australia.

Key achievements for Clio include being named to the Forbes Cloud 100 list and receiving recognition as one of Deloitte’s Best Managed Companies. With a workforce of over 1,200 employees and 280+ integration partners, Clio has positioned itself as a leader in legal tech, underscored by a Series F funding round that brought its valuation to $3 billion.

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The Power of Momentum

This year’s theme, “Harness Your Momentum,” highlights the importance of building sustainable energy. Newton discussed momentum through the concept of a “flywheel,” inspired by Jim Collins. A flywheel needs consistent input to build speed, and once in motion, it can maintain momentum with less effort. Law firms, he suggested, can apply this concept by focusing on incremental improvements to reduce friction in their operations.

According to Clio’s latest Legal Trends Report, lawyers spend 2-5 hours weekly on non-billable tasks such as gathering information, with the average lawyer only billing three hours per day. Newton outlined a clear solution: adopting a Momentum Mindset by making daily improvements, compounding efficiency gains, and implementing technology that supports productivity.

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Transformative Clio Products

Newton highlighted Clio’s suite of products, emphasising their role in reducing friction and enabling momentum within law firms:

• Clio Manage: The foundation of Clio’s product suite, Clio Manage, has evolved to streamline law firm operations, connecting various parts of the firm for efficient workflow management.
• Clio Grow: This client intake and lead management tool has facilitated nearly 15 million client interactions. With its automation features, Clio Grow enhances client acquisition and smooths the intake process.
• Clio Payments: Launched in 2021, Clio Payments has processed over $10 billion, with 25% of bills paid on the same day issued. This tool accelerates cash flow for firms by making payments four times faster.
• Clio Accounting: Released in July 2024, Clio Accounting offers law firms real-time visibility into their finances and seamless transaction management, with over 1,000 firms already using it daily.

Leading with AI

AI was central to Newton’s vision for the future of legal services. Clio’s data shows that AI adoption in law firms has skyrocketed from 19% in 2023 to 79% in 2024. Newton stressed that AI’s ability to automate up to 75% of billable tasks could fundamentally reshape law firms, enabling lawyers to focus on higher-value work. He also outlined Clio’s AI-powered solutions, which assist with drafting, legal research, and administrative tasks.

Newton noted the Gartner Hype Cycle stages, emphasising that while the initial AI boom has led to inflated expectations, we are now entering the “Slope of Enlightenment,” where AI is evolving into more stable and reliable tools. He highlighted how Clio is leveraging this phase to create tools like Clio Duo, an AI assistant designed to enhance productivity through smart recommendations, context-aware client responses, and document analysis.

Industry-Wide Impact and Trends

The Legal Trends Report revealed that while law firms are spending heavily on marketing (an estimated $20 billion annually), client responsiveness remains low. Only 67% of firms respond to emails, and 52% answer phone calls—a significant drop from 2019’s 73%. Newton emphasised the need for law firms to improve client engagement and highlighted Clio’s role in creating a seamless client experience.

By integrating AI and automation, Newton envisions a future where law firms can reduce client acquisition costs and optimise their workflows. Coming soon Clio’s new Client Intake Questionnaires in Clio Draft will allow clients to complete forms at their own pace, which then automatically populate into draft documents, creating a frictionless client journey.

Clio’s AI Vision: Clio Duo

Newton unveiled Clio Duo, an AI-powered tool poised to transform how law firms manage their daily workflows. Clio Duo offers features like:

• Smart recommendations: Provides prioritised tasks based on client needs.
• Document analysis: Summarises large documents, extracts key information, and can even draft claims.
• Enhanced productivity: With Clio Duo, lawyers can receive real-time insights and manage their day with a virtual assistant that is proactive and responsive.

This tool aligns with Clio’s broader mission to build a connected and unified platform, fostering a momentum mindset within law firms.

Clio Duo unlocks a new era of legal platform intelligence

At ClioCon 2024, the keynote speakers shared insights into the evolving legal landscape, emphasising the impact of AI and the importance of adopting forward-thinking practices. Here’s a summary of the top takeaways from each speaker:

James Clear: The bestselling author of Atomic Habits, James, shared practical strategies for building good habits and optimising productivity. He explained how small, consistent actions can yield substantial improvements, both personally and professionally. His focus was on actionable steps to help lawyers integrate positive habits into their routines, thereby enhancing their practice and client satisfaction. His message resonated with attendees looking to drive continuous improvement and achieve excellence in their legal practices.

Judge Victoria Pratt: Drawing from her experiences as the former Chief Judge of Newark Municipal Court, Judge Pratt spoke on promoting justice with respect and dignity. She provided insights on transforming courtroom interactions by focusing on fairness and equality, challenging attendees to incorporate these values into their legal practices to create more compassionate legal environments .

Nita Farahany: A scholar in law and philosophy, Nita discussed the ethical implications of neurotechnology and the importance of mental privacy. She highlighted the challenges that emerging technologies pose for data protection and consent, calling for legal professionals to be vigilant as neurotechnology continues to advance and influence the legal landscape. 

These speakers collectively underscored the need for innovation, ethical considerations in technology, and the power of habits in navigating the future of legal practice.

Moving Towards a Frictionless Legal Experience

Newton wrapped up by discussing Clio’s future product developments, including an enhanced Clio Communications interface and advanced workflow automation tools in Clio Manage. He emphasised Clio’s vision of a frictionless legal experience that can support the increasing demands of clients and improve access to justice. The data paints a clear picture: 55 million Americans face over 260 million legal issues annually, with many going unresolved. By reducing friction and enhancing responsiveness, Clio aims to empower law firms to bridge the access to justice gap.

With Clio Con returning in October 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts, Newton’s keynote set a clear trajectory for the future of Clio and the legal industry. His vision of a momentum-driven, AI-enabled, client-centered law firm reflects the shifts shaping the legal landscape, and Clio stands at the forefront of this transformation.

Concluding Thoughts

Clio Con 2024 proved to be a testament to Clio’s leadership in legal tech, showcasing not only its products and achievements but also a roadmap for the future. As the legal industry evolves, Clio remains committed to empowering firms to harness their momentum, reduce friction, and deliver exceptional client experiences. The Legally Speaking Podcast will be following Clio’s journey closely as it continues to drive change in the legal world.

Legal Trends Report 2024

Read the latest Legal Trends Report here. 

With the advancement of technologies like generative AI, the legal profession has been put in the spotlight, illuminating some of the most critical inefficiencies—and opportunities—that will determine the future of legal practice for decades to come.