This reflection pays homage to members of the legal technology and innovation community whose lives concluded during a difficult year. Their collective impact on the legal profession, through technological advancement, commitment to access to justice, and leadership in practice management, continues to resonate.
The Foundation of Support
The passing of Jill Marie Arneson O’Keefe, wife of LexBlog founder and CEO Kevin O’Keefe, was a profound loss that began a year marked by mourning for many. For 39 years, Jill was the loving matriarch of their family of seven and a devoted nurse for four decades. Her support was instrumental, particularly during the early startup days of LexBlog. Her children honored her by noting: “It is said that the measure of a life is in its impact on others — and by that, Jill Marie Arneson O’Keefe lived a magnificent one, a loving matriarch of a family of seven and a selfless supporter of all she encountered.” Her death from ovarian cancer came prematurely.
Honoring Community Leaders
The legal tech community also bid farewell to several key figures and innovators who significantly shaped the profession:
- Steven R. Adams: An Ohio criminal defense lawyer, Steve Adams passed away tragically at the age of 55 after being killed by a hit and run driver while bicycling in Cincinnati. His infectious energy and entrepreneurial spirit drove him to organize a highly regarded conference dedicated to teaching solo and small firm lawyers the essential skills for starting and growing their practices. His selflessness and commitment to helping others left a lasting impression on those who worked with him.
- Charles R. Coulter: Chuck Coulter, who passed away on March 24 at age 79, spent his entire career as a lawyer in Muscatine, Iowa. He was a pioneer in the fields of law practice management and legal technology. His leadership included serving as a founder and chair of the American Bar Association Section on Law Practice Management, and being named by the ABA Board of Governors to chair the first Coordinating Commission on Legal Technology. He was also a founding fellow of the College of Law Practice Management in 1994, later serving as its president. In recognition of his outstanding lifetime achievement, the ABA Law Practice Division presented him with the Samuel S. Smith Award in 2017.
- James Dimos: Early in August, James Dimos, the deputy executive director and general counsel for the American Bar Association, passed away following a heart attack. Having joined the ABA in 2015, he was second in charge of staff and took on the additional general counsel role in 2019. He was directly responsible for pivotal ABA functional areas, including membership, the Professional Services Division, and strategy development.
- Ralph D. Gants: Chief justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, Ralph D. Gants passed away in September while recuperating from a heart attack. He is included in this remembrance because of his tireless advocacy for access to justice, as noted by the Harvard Law Bulletin. Chief Justice Gants co chaired the Massachusetts Access to Justice Commission, and served on the board of directors for the Conference of Chief Justices. In his final hours, he worked on the looming eviction crisis brought on by the COVID 19 pandemic, which he deemed “the greatest access to justice challenge of our lifetime.”
- Paula Littlewood: In her capacity as executive director of the Washington State Bar Association for over a decade, Paula Littlewood achieved international recognition as a visionary leader and innovator. She was a driving force behind Washington State’s 2012 adoption of the Limited License Legal Technician program, a groundbreaking initiative to license nonlawyers to deliver direct legal assistance. She further served on the ABA’s Commission on the Future of Legal Services from 2014 to 2016 and on the ABA’s Task Force on the Future of Legal Education. Following her passing from cancer in December, Washington Supreme Court Justice Barbara A. Madsen lauded her as a visionary “fully dedicated to her profession and the people we help, the public.”
- Gayle McCormick O’Connor: Gayle McCormick O’Connor, who died in October, was a stalwart of the legal technology industry and a marketing strategist for legal technology companies for much of her career. A vibrant, thoughtful, and unique presence, she was a dear friend to many within the legal world and beyond. Her indelible sense of style and spirited personality stood out in the often staid environment of legal technology.
- Joel A. Rose: Joel Rose passed away on February 13 after a brief illness. Based in Cherry Hill, N.J., he was president of Joel A. Rose & Associates, offering management consulting to the legal profession for 34 years. He was a frequent speaker and writer on law office management, including as a regular contributor to The Legal Intelligencer. A fellow of the College of Law Practice Management since 1995, he also served as chair of the Finance and Management Subcommittee of the New York State Bar Association for many years.
- Anita Carr Shapiro: Anita Carr Shapiro was a creative and energetic leader and the first woman president in the 87 year history of the Practicing Law Institute. She was devoted to developing exceptional programs, publications, and pro bono resources for the legal community. Before her passing in September, she had served the organization for many years in various roles, including program attorney, director, and executive vice president of its program division. The College of Law Practice Management elected her a fellow in 2018.
