Malcolm Gladwell to Headline ClioCon 2026

The bestselling author and renowned thinker will explore how AI can strengthen the weak points in legal systems to reshape justice

Clio, the global leader in legal AI, welcomes Malcolm Gladwell as a keynote speaker at ClioCon 2026, taking place October 26 and 27 in Boston.

Legal systems are not defined only by what works, but by where they break. The missed message, the stalled matter, the step that slows everything down. These moments are easy to overlook, yet they shape outcomes in ways that are both persistent and difficult to fix.

At ClioCon, Gladwell will explore how attention to these weak points can transform how systems perform. His keynote, Weak Links, Strong Links: How AI Will Reshape Justice, examines what happens when technology is applied not broadly, but precisely where it can have the greatest effect.

As AI enters the legal profession, much of the focus has been on speed and efficiency. Yet progress is often limited by the same underlying constraints. The opportunity now is to move beyond acceleration and address the parts of the system that determine whether work moves forward at all.

“We’re at a point where adding more technology isn’t the hard part, fixing what’s broken is,” said Reagan Attle, Chief Marketing Officer at Clio. “Malcolm Gladwell’s perspective challenges us to look at where legal systems fail in practice, and that’s exactly where AI can have its greatest impact.”

Gladwell is the author of eight New York Times bestsellers, including Revenge of the Tipping Point, and has been named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People.

ClioCon 2026 will bring together legal professionals from around the world to examine how their work is evolving and where meaningful improvement can occur. This year’s theme, Beyond Limits, reflects that focus.

Gladwell joins a growing lineup of speakers, including Ethan Mollick.

For more information on ClioCon 2026 and to secure your pass, visit cliocon.com.