At RelFest Chicago 2026, the conversations that stayed with us went beyond the product demos. Peers were talking about where AI fits in real matters, how they’re checking the results, and what it takes to make a workflow better from start to finish.
Our team came home with plenty to discuss, from more connected tools for working with matter data to the decisions Relativity Server users face before 2028. We asked Dave, Caragh, Jessica, and Ned what stood out to them. Their answers reflect the value we find in RelFest each year after hearing what others are doing. Now is the time to compare it with our own experiences and bring useful ideas to the work we do with clients.
The AI Conversation Gets More Practical
RelFest is a chance to hear what peers are trying once a new tool meets an actual matter. This year, many conversations focused on results and the questions people still need to resolve. Those conversations are familiar to us through our work with AI in legal workflows.
Read more about the change in tone that Dave and Jessica each noticed this year:
The biggest difference this year was that the conversation around AI felt much more practical. In previous years, a lot of discussion was about what GenAI might eventually be able to do and whether legal teams would trust it. This year, the conversation was much more about where to use it, how to validate it, how to build it into existing workflows, and how to demonstrate the value. In addition, we appear to be moving beyond traditional eDiscovery and document review toward legal data intelligence, using the same data to support investigations, early case assessment, review, case strategy, regulatory matters, DSARs, data breach response, and other workflows.
For me, this year was more about networking and having meaningful, productive conversations. There was a lot of interest in tools teams are using alongside Relativity aiR to create efficiencies and reduce costs. I appreciated hearing what people are actually using, where they’re seeing results, and what they’re still trying to figure out.
A More Connected Way to Work with Matter Data
The product discussions gave our team a lot to consider about how people find information and use it throughout a matter. For clients who already work with TCDI in Relativity, the interesting part is how these developing capabilities could fit into the way their teams work today.
Read how Caragh and Ned were especially interested in that direction:
claiR and use cases for aiR Assist were the standouts for me. After years of helping teams find and work with information in Relativity, I’m interested in what a more conversational experience will mean for attorneys. Asking questions of your matter data feels like a natural next step. We have Assist now, and claiR is planned for general availability in early 2027, so I’m looking forward to seeing how the experience develops. For me, the value will come from helping clients explore the facts, ask follow-up questions, and use what they learn.
Relativity aiR is more connected than ever, with a clear goal of being able to provide a one-stop shop for every stage of a matter. The tools are evolving nicely to support that workflow. aiR Assist is also a great tool and is intuitive as teams work at various stages of their matters. With Relativity’s acquisition of Gavel, there is now document automation and drafting tool within the Relativity aiR platform too, pointing to further evidence that the platform is more full-service than in years past.
Start with the Problem, Then Check the Results
Back at work, the useful question is where to begin. Our team’s advice was to first choose a specific problem before deciding how to evaluate the results. Only then can they account for the people who will use them. That’s also the thinking behind TCDI’s Process-Driven AI approach.
Here’s what each attendee would put first:
The goal should be a repeatable process that delivers better results with less unnecessary effort. Adding technology without addressing the underlying process can simply create a faster version of the same problem.
Start with the challenge you’re trying to solve. Is it document volume, a short deadline, review costs, or a combination of those things? From there, evaluate the tools that could help, test the results, and build a process your team is comfortable with. I also think it’s important to bring your discovery partners into those conversations early and keep human oversight as part of the workflow.
Start with a workflow you know well and a problem you want to solve. Then work through where AI fits, how you’ll check the results, and what your team needs to do with the output. In review, I’d start with clear criteria, a control set, and a validation plan. I also want to measure the full effort, including corrections and rework. A faster first pass is useful, but I want to know whether we improved the process from start to finish.
Selecting the right tools, right people, and right processes is more important than ever. As technology changes and evolves, corporations, law firms, and vendors need to be well-versed at more than one tool or workflow. Identifying the problem and driving toward a solution is critical. Start there and build out logical workflows designed for efficiency.
The 2028 Server Policy: Time to Plan the Transition
The Server policy gave attendees a deadline with real operational implications. Teams need time to examine their data, integrations, workflows, and options for existing matters before deciding what to move. Our data migration guide offers a deeper look at that planning process.
Read how our team each approached the transition from a different angle:
My advice is to start planning now. Having used Relativity since 2007, I know how much organizations build around the platform, including workflows, integrations, and client expectations. All of those deserve attention during a transition. The January 2028 policy applies to new matters and workspaces on Server, subject to limited exceptions, with existing matters addressed separately. I’d use this time, like TCDI has been, to work through the operational details and get people comfortable with the changes.
Relativity made it clear at the conference that the timeline for moving from Relativity Server to RelativityOne remains in place. Most of the people I spoke with were either ready for the transition or already in the process of migrating their data. For teams still working through that process, this is an area where we’re ready to step in and help as a Relativity Gold Partner.
Knowing the deadline is not the same as being ready. Teams should be deciding now what needs to migrate, what can remain, and what can be defensibly disposed of, along with the impact on costs, workflows, and training. This is an opportunity to improve how data is managed, not simply change where it resides. For large environments, 2027 should be an execution year, not the beginning of planning.
As a Relativity Gold Provider Partner with a Relativity Data Migration Competency, TCDI is prepared to help clients confidently navigate a switch in environments. From assessing what data is present to planning what should move and carrying out the migration, our team has the experience to guide teams through the transition from Relativity Server to meet the deadline.
Ned summed it up nicely:
Migrating large volumes of data across platforms is something that we do all the time. Triaging your data and exploring what workflows are still valid are topics to explore soon to help minimize the stress of migration. Everyone will be going through the same thing, and there are resources to call on to help.
What We Took Home from RelFest
We left Chicago with ideas to test in our own workflows and better questions to ask alongside our clients. The conversations at RelFest will inform how we evaluate AI results and improve processes as we help Server users plan for 2028.
Thank you to the Relativity team and everyone who shared their thoughts with us. We’re looking forward to continuing the conversations and putting what we learned to work.
This blog was a compilation of thoughts from our team that attended Relativity Fest 2026.
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