Available to Executive Edge participants only
Executive Edge | Legal Education, Talent & Career Trajectories
Online
17 February 2026
8:00 am - 9:00 am AEDT
Online
1 hrs
Mark A. Cohen
Ian Nelson
| Type | Workshop | |
| CPD | 1 - Practice Management and Business Skills | |
| 1 - Professional Skills | ||
Available to Executive Edge participants only
Proudly Supported By
Presented by
Mark A. Cohen, Legal Mosaic
Ian Nelson, HotShot Legal
Part of the invitation-only ALPMA Executive Edge Program
Legal Education, Talent & Career Trajectories
Mark A. Cohen has long distinguished the practice of law from the business of delivering legal services at scale—the “business of law.” He emphasizes that legal education and talent development must evolve to keep pace with the rapidly changing marketplace, where lawyers are expected to bring more than just legal expertise to the table. Cohen advocates for a shift toward practical, business-focused learning that prepares legal professionals for the real-world challenges of today’s legal industry.
Joining Mark will be Ian Nelson, Co-Founder of Hotshot Legal. Ian is a recognized innovator in legal education and training, having helped launch and lead the US operations of Practical Law Company (PLC) before co-founding Hotshot—a leading video-based learning platform for lawyers. Ian is known for his practical, business-oriented approach and his commitment to helping lawyers develop the skills they need to succeed in a dynamic and competitive environment.
Together, Mark and Ian will examine the urgent need for legal education to close the widening skills gap, the importance of business acumen and technology literacy for modern legal professionals, and the evolving career trajectories that now require continuous learning and adaptability. They will discuss how law firms and legal departments can support the development of legal professionals—lawyers with deep legal expertise and broad business and tech skills—and how innovative learning platforms like Hotshot are transforming professional development for the legal workforce.
Why This Discussion Matters
The conversation will provide actionable insights for law firm leaders on:
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How to identify and address skill gaps in their teams.
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Ways to integrate practical, business-focused learning into professional development.
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How to foster a culture of continuous improvement and adaptability.
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The benefits of leveraging innovative learning tools to build a future-ready legal workforce.
This session is designed to help participants understand the changing expectations for legal talent and gain practical strategies for developing and retaining high-performing teams.
Workshop Outline
1. Evolving Legal Education and Professional Development
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Addressing the skills gap
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Interdisciplinary and practical learning
2. Business Acumen, Technology Literacy, and Collaboration
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Thinking like a businessperson
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Mastering digital tools and platforms
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Excelling at multidisciplinary work
3. Career Trajectories and Lifelong Learning
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Fluid career paths
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Continuous upskilling and agility
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Supporting all professionals
Key Takeaways
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Legal education must evolve to address the skills gap and prepare lawyers for a rapidly changing marketplace.
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Lawyers need business acumen, technology literacy, and collaboration skills—not just legal expertise.
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Career trajectories are becoming more fluid, requiring continuous upskilling and lifelong learning.
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Firms must support new types of legal professionals—deep legal expertise plus broad business and tech skills.
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Innovative learning platforms like Hotshot provide scalable, practical training that fits the needs of modern lawyers.
Pre-Reading
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“Legal Education and the Future of Legal Services” (Mark A. Cohen, Legal Mosaic)
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“The Future of Legal Talent” (Hotshot Legal Insights)
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“How Law Firms Can Build a Learning Culture” (Law.com)
Presented by
Mark A. Cohen
Founder at Legal Mosaic
Mark A. Cohen, is a globally recognized lawyer, thought leader, innovator, and visionary at the intersection of law, business, and technology. Mark’s views are shaped by his remarkable range of high-level experiences forged over a 50-year professional career. The first 30 years of that career were as a practicing lawyer. His distinctions include: a decorated stint as an Assistant US Attorney, youngest partner at the then second largest US law firm, Founder and Managing Partner of a national boutique civil trial firm with offices across the US and clients that included 7 foreign sovereign nations and 67 of the then Fortune 500, an appointment by a federal judge to serve as Permanent Receiver of an international aviation company conducting business on 4 continents, and serving as outside General Counsel to 3 insurance company clients. Mark was an early adopter of technology applied to legal practice. In 1991, he commissioned AT&T, a client, to install a virtual law library, videoconference capability, centralized phone access among the firm’s multiple offices, as well as other bleeding-edge advances.
Mark has focused on modernizing the global legal industry for the past twenty years. He co-founded Clearspire, a ground-breaking “two-company model” comprised of a law firm and bundled managed services corporation that featured an integrated tech stack. The Clearspire model has been studied globally and has been adopted by several legal providers over the years. Mark has published approximately 350 articles on the global legal industry for Forbes over the past decade, has been a keynote speaker at major business, law, and technology conferences around the world, has taught and lectured at leading global business and law schools, and serves as a Distinguished Scholar at the Singapore Academy of Law.
Mark is insightful, creative, pragmatic, and authentic. He will offer actionable insights, not buzzwords, and provide data-backed support for his opinions and recommendations. As lead facilitator and keynote, Mark will deliver unmatched insight, connecting international best practice with local ambition, and ensure every session is informative, engaging, and designed to provoke and encourage a more holistic, humanistic, and value-driven approach to meeting client needs and societal obligations.
Ian Nelson
Co-Founder at HotShot Legal
Ian Nelson is the co-founder of Hotshot, a leading video-based learning platform for lawyers. Based in Miami, Florida, Ian brings a unique blend of legal, business, and educational expertise to his work. Before founding Hotshot, he helped launch and lead the US operations of Practical Law Company (PLC), where he served as head of marketing and played a key role in introducing “know-how” training to the US legal market. Prior to his work at PLC, Ian practiced as a corporate lawyer in New York and London.
Ian is passionate about helping lawyers and law firms develop practical skills efficiently and effectively. He is recognized for his innovative approach to legal education, building short, interactive videos and training materials that address real-world needs. His contributions have earned him recognition, including being named to the “FastCase 50” class of 2019. Ian holds a JD with honors from Hofstra Law School, where he served as an editor of the Hofstra Law Review.
