AI ERA 2.0 is the Best Era AI event for law firms ready to put AI to work. This Charleston legal AI conference runs November 5–6, 2026, at Case Status headquarters in Charleston, South Carolina, and it is built around real law firm AI workflows that firms run day to day. This guide covers what the event includes, who is speaking, what tickets cost, and how to get there.
What Is AI ERA 2.0?
AI ERA 2.0 is a two-day live event for forward-thinking law firms, co-hosted by Best Era, the law firm consulting group founded by personal injury attorney Ryan McKeen, and Case Status, the legal client-communication platform. This Case Status AI event, AI ERA 2026, focuses on practical AI implementation: how AI works inside modern law firms rather than theoretical “what AI can do” overviews.
The event is the next chapter of the original AI Era experience, which Best Era ran in November 2025. Best Era’s roots are at Connecticut Trial Firm, where McKeen and his team built the practice behind a $100 million verdict. McKeen worked as a personal injury lawyer for nearly two decades before co-founding Best Era.
Best Era describes AI ERA 2.0 as operations-focused, client-experience-driven, and implementation-first. In its own words, this is “not a trend tour. It’s a working session” for firms that want AI to support their people, not replace them. Between Best Era’s consulting work and Case Status’s software, both hosts work inside firm operations every day.
Where and When Is AI ERA 2.0 Happening?
AI ERA 2.0 takes place November 5–6, 2026, at Case Status headquarters, located at 65 Fairchild St., Charleston, SC 29492, on Daniel Island, about 20 minutes from downtown Charleston and a short drive from Charleston International Airport.
What are the exact dates of AI ERA 2.0?
AI ERA 2.0 runs Thursday, November 5 through Friday, November 6, 2026, a two-day program. Day 1 is a main-stage format with keynote sessions and a happy hour. Day 2 shifts into breakout classrooms with hands-on working sessions.
Where is AI ERA 2.0 being held?
The event is hosted at Case Status headquarters at 65 Fairchild St., Charleston, SC 29492. The venue sits on Daniel Island, about 20 minutes from historic downtown Charleston, and is a short drive from Charleston International Airport.
What Does AI ERA 2.0 Cost?
Registration is handled through Best Era’s official event portal on Zoho Backstage. There are three ticket tiers, and sales end on November 4, 2026.
How much does an AI ERA 2.0 ticket cost?
The official portal lists three options:
- General Admission, In Person + Virtual: US$1,497.00. Attend in person on November 5–6 and get access to all virtual recordings after the event.
- General Admission, Virtual Only: US$997.00. Watch the live stream of both days and get full access to the recordings after the event wraps.
- Base Camp, Virtual: US$497.00. A virtual primer held Friday, October 16, for firms that are newer to AI, built to set attendees up before the two-day event.
What’s included in the ticket price?
The in-person ticket covers both days at Case Status HQ plus the post-event recordings. The virtual-only ticket covers the live stream and recordings. Base Camp is a separate introductory session held on October 16, and both General Admission tiers note that they do not include it, so firms that want the primer need to add it. Confirm the current details on the registration page before you buy.
Who’s Speaking at AI ERA 2.0?
AI ERA 2.0 brings together law firm owners, legal operations leaders, and legal tech builders. The confirmed lineup on the official event page includes Best Era co-founder Ryan McKeen, Case Status CEO Andy Seavers, criminal defense tech builder Jay Ruane, and startup counsel Owen McGrann, alongside more than a dozen other practitioners and operators.
Here is the full roster listed on the event page:
| Speaker | Company |
| Andy Seavers | Case Status |
| Billie Tarascio | Modern Law |
| Conrad Saam | Mockingbird Marketing |
| Dan Schnurbusch | Schnurbusch Law LLC |
| Diana Scott | BlueCastle IT Solutions |
| Gyi Tsakalakis | AttorneySync |
| Jay Ruane | The Criminal Mastermind |
| Joey Vitale | Indie Law |
| Julio Oyhanarte | Next Level Lawyer |
| Martin Kravchenko | Swans |
| Mary Ellen Murrah | Vista Consulting |
| Max Stulz | Swans |
| Michelle Dellino | Dellino Family Law Group |
| Owen McGrann | Seed Counsel |
| Rachel Huff | Cloud925 |
| Rich Rochlin | Rich Rochlin Law Group |
| Ryan McKeen | Best Era |
| Tim McKey | Vista Consulting |
| Tyler Roberts | Nomos Marketing |
| Carolyn Elefant | LOCE |
| Gianfranco De Girolamo | Next Level Lawyer |
Who is Ryan McKeen?
Ryan McKeen is the co-founder of Best Era and a personal injury lawyer of nearly two decades. He built his reputation at Connecticut Trial Firm, the practice behind a $100 million verdict, and now helps law firms run with less chaos and more AI. AI ERA 2.0 is in large part a Ryan McKeen AI event, built on how he ran his own firm.
Who is Jay Ruane, and what does he teach?
Jay Ruane is CEO of The Criminal Mastermind. He builds AI tools for criminal defense work, with a focus on intake, reports, and the practical side of making AI useful in a working practice.
Who is Carolyn Elefant?
Carolyn Elefant is an energy litigator and solo practice pioneer who uses AI for litigation, marketing, and deep research, and is a national CLE speaker on GenAI.
Will there be additional speakers announced closer to the event?
The event page is the source of truth for the lineup, and Best Era has been expanding it as the dates approach. Check the official speakers page for the current list before you register.
What’s the 2-Day Agenda?
AI ERA 2.0 runs as two distinct days: a main-stage keynote format on Thursday, November 5, followed by hands-on breakout classrooms on Friday, November 6, both at Case Status HQ on Daniel Island.
Thursday, November 05: Main Stage at Case Status HQ
The first day takes place on the main stage and centers on keynote content. Doors open at 8:30 AM for breakfast and check-in, giving attendees 30 minutes to settle in before the program begins. Morning keynote sessions run from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, followed by a catered break from 1:00 to 2:00 PM. The afternoon continues with main stage sessions from 2:00 to 5:00 PM, and the day closes with a happy hour held on site at Case Status from 5:00 to 6:00 PM.
Friday, November 06: Breakout Classrooms at Case Status HQ
The second day shifts into breakout classrooms for a more hands-on format. Breakfast is served from 8:30 to 9:00 AM, after which morning breakout groups run from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. A catered lunch follows from 1:00 to 2:00 PM, and afternoon breakout groups fill out the final stretch from 2:00 to 5:00 PM.
| Time | Thursday, Nov 05 (Main Stage) | Friday, Nov 06 (Breakout Classrooms) |
| 8:30 – 9:00 AM | Breakfast & check-in | Breakfast |
| 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM | Morning keynote sessions | Morning breakout groups |
| 1:00 – 2:00 PM | Catered | Catered lunch |
| 2:00 – 5:00 PM | Afternoon main stage sessions | Afternoon breakout groups |
| 5:00 – 6:00 PM | Happy hour (on-site at Case Status) | — |
Will Hennessey Digital be at the AI ERA 2.0?
Yes. The Hennessey Digital team plans to be on-site at AI ERA 2.0, available to meet with law firm leaders who want to grow their visibility across SEO, PPC, and AI Search.
Hennessey Digital is a digital marketing agency built for the era of AI search, and it has focused exclusively on legal SEO since 2015. The firm has generated over $1 billion in revenue and verdicts for more than 1,000 law firms, is a 6-time Inc. 5000 company, and has been named the Financial Times’ fastest-growing company in America. Its law firm SEO work has one goal: helping firms show up on the first page of Google, and now in AI-generated search results, for the keywords that bring in cases.
If you leave AI ERA 2.0 with a plan to run AI inside your firm, the next question is how clients actually find you. That is the conversation the Hennessey team is there to have.
Who Should Attend AI ERA 2.0?
AI ERA 2.0 is a legal AI conference 2026 built for law firm owners, operations leaders, administrative teams, and paralegals who are ready to put AI into practice, specifically firms set to operationalize AI across intake, case management, and client communication.
Is AI ERA 2.0 right for me?
AI ERA 2.0 is a fit if you are a law firm owner, managing partner, legal operations lead, administrator, paralegal, or case manager at a firm that is ready to deploy AI tools in production. The content assumes you are moving toward implementation, so it is less useful for attorneys still deciding whether AI matters to their practice at all.
Can my paralegal or operations team attend?
Yes. Best Era names paralegals, case managers, and operations teams as a core audience alongside owners and partners. The Day 2 breakout classrooms are where that hands-on group tends to get the most value. If you are sending several people from one firm, the operations and paralegal perspective is welcome.
What You’ll Learn at AI ERA 2.0
The official event page lists five things attendees take away. Each one maps to a working part of a law firm rather than a general AI overview: real-world AI deployment case studies, practical systems for reducing manual work, a framework for evaluating and governing AI tools, updated case studies from firms that implemented post-2025, and a refined AI roadmap specific to their firm.
- How firms are deploying AI across intake, case management, and operations, with real deployment examples rather than demos.
- Practical systems that reduce manual work while improving client communication.
- How to evaluate, implement, and govern AI tools with confidence, using decision frameworks aimed at firm leadership.
- Updated case studies from firms that took action after the first AI Era, including what happened once they implemented.
- Live workshops to shape your firm’s AI roadmap, run as hands-on sessions on Day 2.
As Best Era puts it, you will leave with clarity, direction, and a strategy that fits your firm today and scales for what’s next.
How to Get to Case Status HQ in Charleston
Case Status HQ sits on Daniel Island at 65 Fairchild St., Charleston, SC 29492, about 20 minutes from downtown Charleston and a short drive from Charleston International Airport (CHS).
What airport should I fly into?
Charleston International Airport (CHS) is the closest and most convenient option, a short drive to Case Status HQ on Daniel Island. CHS is served by all major U.S. carriers, with direct flights from most East Coast and Midwest hubs. Travelers from the West Coast usually connect through a hub such as Atlanta, Charlotte, or Washington Dulles.
How do I get from the airport to the venue?
A few options work well:
- Rideshare such as Uber or Lyft, the simplest door-to-door choice from CHS.
- A rental car, available at the airport, which is handy if you plan to explore Charleston during your trip.
- A hotel shuttle, which some Daniel Island hotels offer; check with your hotel when you book.
- A taxi from the CHS taxi stand.
Do I need a rental car during the event?
A rental car is optional. The recommended hotels are a five-minute walk from Case Status HQ, and Daniel Island has restaurants and amenities within easy reach. If you want to spend time in historic downtown Charleston, about 20 minutes away, a rental car or a rideshare budget makes that easier.
Where to Stay Near the Venue
Best Era recommends two Daniel Island hotels within a five-minute walk of Case Status HQ: the Hilton Garden Inn on Daniel Island and the Home2 Suites by Hilton Charleston Daniel Island. No room block or special code is needed, so book whichever suits your stay.
Things to Do in Charleston
Charleston rewards an extra day. Attendees who extend the trip can pair AI ERA 2.0 with the city’s Southern food, historic downtown, and waterfront walks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who hosts AI ERA 2.0?
AI ERA 2.0 is co-hosted by Best Era, the law firm consulting group founded by Ryan McKeen, and Case Status, the legal client-communication platform. The event is held at Case Status headquarters in Charleston.
Is this the same as the 2025 AI Era event?
No. This is the follow-up. Best Era ran the first AI Era event in November 2025 and describes AI ERA 2.0 as the next chapter, with the same location and a new playbook that leans harder into implementation.
Can my paralegal or team members attend?
Yes. Paralegals, case managers, and operations teams are a core audience, and the Day 2 breakout sessions are built for the people who run day-to-day workflows.
Will there be a virtual attendance option?
Yes. Alongside the in-person ticket, Best Era offers a Virtual Only ticket that includes the live stream of both days and access to the recordings afterward. There is also a separate virtual Base Camp session on October 16 for firms newer to AI.
What AI tools will the speakers cover?
The published agenda does not yet name specific tools. Based on the event’s stated focus, expect sessions on AI applied to intake, case management, operations, and client communication, with real deployment examples from the firms on stage. Check the agenda page closer to the event for specifics.
Does AI ERA 2.0 count for CLE credit?
CLE (Continuing Legal Education) credit is not listed on the event’s public pages, and the full agenda has not been released yet. If earning CLE hours matters to you, confirm directly with Best Era before you register.
Meet Hennessey Digital at AI ERA 2.0
If you are attending AI ERA 2.0 at Case Status HQ on November 5–6, 2026, the Hennessey Digital team will be on site and available to meet with law firm leaders who want to compound their SEO, PPC, and AI Search visibility.
Want to talk strategy in Charleston? Book a 20-minute meeting with the Hennessey Digital team at Case Status HQ. Not going to Charleston? Book a virtual strategy call with the Hennessey Digital team instead.
How to Register for AI ERA 2.0
Registration for AI ERA 2.0 is open at Best Era’s official ticketing portal on Zoho Backstage, at bestera.zohobackstage.com/AIEra2o. Pick the tier that fits: General Admission In Person + Virtual at US$1,497, General Admission Virtual Only at US$997, or the virtual Base Camp primer at US$497. Ticket sales end on November 4, 2026.
A few reminders. Hotel booking is separate; the Hilton Garden Inn and Home2 Suites on Daniel Island are both a five-minute walk from the venue. No room block code is needed. Charleston is a popular November travel destination, so book your hotel early to keep yourself close to Case Status HQ.