Annually since 2011, legal research company Fastcase has named the Fastcase 50, an award that honors “the law’s smartest, most courageous innovators, techies, visionaries, and leaders.” Today, Fastcase named its 2019 honorees, a list that includes practicing lawyers, legal academics, law librarians, corporate counsel, journalists, company executives, bar leaders, and government officials.

[Full disclosure: I was included on the inaugural 2011 list.]

“The Fastcase 50 is one of our team’s favorite events every year, and our ninth class is one of our strongest,” said Fastcase CEO Ed Walters in a statement announcing this year’s 50 honorees. “These honorees are journalists, lawyers, information professionals, pioneers, and entrepreneurs who inspire us. We’re happy to share the light of their work as a beacon for all of us.”

Full information on this year’s winners can be found at www.fastcase.com/fastcase50. They are:

  • Anette Aav, Director, IT Law Programme, University of Tartu.
  • Charlotte Alexander, Director, Legal Analytics Lab; Associate Professor, Georgia State University.
  • Jason Barnwell, Assistant General Counsel, Microsoft.
  • Raymond Bayley, CEO and Co-Founder, Novus Law LLC.
  • Kim Bennett, Founder, K Bennett Law.
  • Jess Birken, Founder, Birken Law Office.
  • Michael Bommarito, CEO and Co-Founder, LexPredict; Adjunct Professor of Law, Michigan State University; Head of Research, ReInventLaw Laboratory.
  • Brenda Castello, Executive Director and CFO, New Mexico Compilation Commission.
  • Jack Cushman, Fellow, Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society; Lecturer on Law, Harvard Law School.
  • Michael Dreeben, Deputy Solicitor General, U.S. Department of Justice (retired).
  • Marlene Gebauer, Global Director of Strategic Legal Insights, Greenberg Traurig LLP.
  • Anusia Gillespie, U.S. Director of Innovation, Eversheds Sutherland.
  • Gillian Hadfield, Professor of Law, University of Toronto Faculty of Law; Author, Rules For a Flat World.
  • Brad Heath, D.C. Justice and Investigations Editor, USA Today.
  • Seamus Hughes, Program on Extremism Deputy Director, George Washington University.
  • Darla Jackson, Research and Electronic Resources Librarian, The University of Oklahoma College of Law.
  • Sukesh Kamra, National Director, Knowledge Management, Norton Rose Fulbright Canada.
  • Catherine Krow, Founder and CEO, Digitory Legal.
  • Marie Kulbeth, COO and General Counsel, SixFifty.
  • Christian Lang, Head of Strategy, Reynen Court; Founder, NY Legal Tech Meetup.
  • Marc Lauritsen, Founder and President, Capstone Practice Systems.
  • James Lee, Co-Founder and CEO, LegalMation; Founding Partner, LTL Attorneys LLP.
  • Erin Levine, Founder and CEO, Hello Divorce.
  • Tiffany Li, Resident Fellow, Information Society Project, Yale Law School.
  • Jason Lockhart, Partner, McAngus Goudelock & Courie (MGC).
  • Mike Maschke, CEO, Sensi Enterprises, Inc..
  • Tony Mauro, Supreme Court Correspondent, ALM’s Supreme Court Brief.
  • Dorna Moini, Founder and CEO, Documate.
  • Cat Moon, Director of Innovation Design and Adjunct Professor, Vanderbilt Law School.
  • Ian Nelson, Co-Founder, Hotshot Legal.
  • Craig Newton, Co-Director, Cornell Legal Information Institute.
  • Jonah Paransky, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Wolters Kluwer’s ELM Solutions.
  • Keith Porcaro, Co-Founder, Digital Public; Adjunct Professor, Georgetown University Law Center.
  • Seth Price, Founder, BluShark Digital; Founding Partner, Price Benowitz LLP.
  • Jayne Reardon, Executive Director, Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism.
  • Erika Rickard, Senior Officer, Civil Legal System Modernization, The Pew Charitable Trusts.
  • Heather Rosing, President, California Lawyers Association; CFO and Shareholder, Klinedinst PC.
  • Jim Shelar, Former Chief Law Librarian, Arnold & Porter (In Memoriam).
  • Janine Sickmeyer, CEO and Founder, NextChapter.
  • George Simons, Co-Founder, Lawble; Founder, SoloSuit; Co-Organizer, Global Legal Hackathon.
  • Scott Sipe, Associate Publisher, Carolina Academic Press.
  • Ed Sohn, Managing Director, EY.
  • Alyza Tarmohamed, Senior Director, LegalVIEW Bill Analyzer, Wolters Kluwer.
  • Jason Tashea, Legal Affairs Journalist, ABA Journal; Founder and Director, Justice Codes; Adjunct Professor of Law, Georgetown Law.
  • Roberta Tepper, Lawyer Assistance Programs Director, State Bar of Arizona.
  • Renee Thompson, Mediator, Upchurch Watson White & Max; Executive Committee Member and Incoming Chair of the Board Technology Committee, The Florida Bar.
  • Shawn Tuma, Partner, Spencer Fane.
  • Anand Upadhye, Attorney and Vice President of Business Development, Casetext.
  • Susan Williams, Reporter of Decisions, Arkansas Supreme Court.
  • Miguel Willis, Founder, Access To Justice Fellows; Presidential Innovation Fellow, Law School Admission Council.

Fastcase says it will be celebrating the recipients during the American Association of Law Libraries annual meeting this week in Washington, D.C.

Congratulations to all.

Photo of Bob Ambrogi Bob Ambrogi

Bob is a lawyer, veteran legal journalist, and award-winning blogger and podcaster. In 2011, he was named to the inaugural Fastcase 50, honoring “the law’s smartest, most courageous innovators, techies, visionaries and leaders.” Earlier in his career, he was editor-in-chief of several legal publications, including The National Law Journal, and editorial director of ALM’s Litigation Services Division.