SXSW
kicked
off
Thursday
morning
with
a
keynote
discussion
by
Kasley
Killiam,
a
social
health
expert,
and
Amy
Galo,
a
workplace
expert,
about
the
need
for
better
human
connection.
While
the
usual
welcome
remarks
by
Hugh
Forrest,
SXSW’s
Chief
Programming
Officer,
tend
to
be
standard
fare,
this
time,
he
introduced
two
elephants
in
the
room—both
of
which
have
implications
beyond
just
the
conference
itself.
First,
the
Austin
Convention
Center,
home
to
most
SXSW
events,
is
being
torn
down
after
this
year’s
conference
and
won’t
be
available
for
the
next
three
years.
Talk
about
a
logistical
nightmare.
But
as
Forrest
pointed
out,
change
is
inevitable,
and
adaptation
is
key.
The
second
elephant?
“We
live
in
interesting
times,”
he
noted.
And
that,
too,
is
an
understatement.
I’ve
noticed
that
many
of
the
themes
this
year
involve
concepts
that
are
under
attack.
A
cleaner
environment
to
meet
climate
change
threats.
The
attack
on
DEI.
Where
these
attacks
lead
to
and
how
they
impact
SXSW
and
other
conferences
remains
to
be
seen.
But
it’s
something
all
conferences
and
organizations
need
to
think
about.
Forrest
emphasized
though
that
the
fact
we
live
in
interesting
times
does
not
change
not
change
what
SXSW
does
or
what
it’s
about.
That,
in
fact,
the
times
make
this
event
more
important
than
ever.
That’s
why
Killiam’s
keynote
on
social
health
and
the
need
for
deeper
human
connection
couldn’t
have
been
more
timely.
Killiam,
a
leading
expert
in
social
health
and
author
of The
Art
and
Science
of
Connection,
argues
that
meaningful
connection
isn’t
just
a
nice-to-have—it’s
critical
to
our
physical
and
mental
health.
She
also
made
a
bold
prediction:
in
the
future,
social
health
will
become
a
core
pillar
of
both
culture
and
business.
And
like
any
business,
law
firms
should
pay
attention.
The
Missing
Piece
in
the
Return-to-Office
Debate
Killiam
made
a
compelling
case:
workplaces
that
actively
foster
social
health
will
be
more
innovative,
more
productive,
and
ultimately
more
profitable.
She
predicts
that
in
the
future,
companies
will
create
roles
like
Chief
Social
Health
Officers
to
ensure
employees
are
building
meaningful
connections.
There’s
already
movement
in
this
direction,
with
industries
recognizing
that
combating
loneliness
and
fostering
connection
leads
to
better
health
outcomes,
including
reduced
risk
of
depression
and
heart
disease,
and
even
increased
longevity.
This
idea
and
need
is
particularly
relevant
to
law
firms,
where
the
push
for
a
return
to
the
office
is
intensifying.
As
has
been
reported
by
Above
the
Law,
more
and
more
firms
are
requiring
lawyers
and
legal
professionals
to
be
in
the
office
four
days
a
week.
I
suspect
a
five-day
requirement
is
likely
not
far
behind.
The
stated
reasons?
Increased
collaboration,
better
training,
and
stronger
firm
culture.
But
as
I
have
written
before,
let’s
be
honest—most
of
these
policies
aren’t
about
social
health
or
connection.
They’re
about
control
and
convenience
for
partners
and
leadership.
Indeed,
if
firms
were
genuinely
concerned
with
connection
and
collaboration,
they’d
be
designing
work
environments
that
encourage
it—not
just
demanding
physical
presence.
After
all,
how
much
social
bonding
happens
when
you’re
locked
in
an
office
grinding
out
2,400
billable
hours
a
year?
How
much
bonding
can
you
do
if
you
have
to
go
to
the
office,
sit
alone
all
day
working
to
meet
your
billable
quota,
and
are
interrupted
every
now
and
then
for
a
Zoom
call
with
a
partner
at
their
beach
house
or
sail
boat?
Forcing
people
back
into
the
office
without
a
plan
for
meaningful
interaction
isn’t
fostering
connection—it’s
just
adding
commute
time.
And
let’s
not
forget,
requiring
people
in
the
office
without
more
really
just
means
depriving
them
of
human
connection
time
with
friends,
family,
and
even
business
connections.
If
social
health
matters
(and
the
data
suggests
it
does),
then
firms
need
to
be
intentional
about
creating
opportunities
for
genuine
human
connection,
not
just
seat-warming.
The
Future:
Connection
as
a
Competitive
Edge
Killiam’s
argument
also
hints
at
where
the
legal
industry
should
be
heading.
Killiam
believes
socially
connected
individuals
and
teams
innovate
better
and
communicate
more
effectively.
They
are
happier.
They
are
more
productive
and
are
ultimately
more
successful.
Firms
need
to
get
over
the
idea
that
providing
social
connection
programs
and
incentives
does
not
mean
fewer
billable
hours.
In
addition,
if
firms
move
toward
more
value-based
billing
instead
of
rigid
billable-hour
models,
fostering
deeper
team
collaboration
becomes
even
more
important
and
could
provide
a
competitive
advantage.
Given
the
rise
of
discussions
around
social
health,
law
firms
that
ignore
this
trend
risk
falling
behind.
That’s
the
part
of
the
conversation
missing
from
the
return-to-office
debate.
If
law
firms
truly
want
to
enhance
collaboration,
they
need
to
provide
a
reason
to
be
in
the
office
beyond
just
“because
we
said
so.”
That
means
creating
space
for
real
human
interaction—mentorship,
brainstorming,
learning
from
colleagues—not
just
more
time
behind
a
desk.
This
is
what
SXSW
does
so
well—challenging
conventional
thinking
and
pushing
industries
forward.
Killiam’s
keynote
was
a
reminder
that
the
world
is
shifting.
The
firms
that
embrace
change
and
rethink
the
way
they
operate
will
be
the
ones
that
thrive.
Stephen
Embry
is
a
lawyer,
speaker,
blogger
and
writer.
He
publishes TechLaw
Crossroads,
a
blog
devoted
to
the
examination
of
the
tension
between
technology,
the
law,
and
the
practice
of
law.