Aderant Innovate: AI Hackathon
Small Hacks, Big Impact
Welcome, innovators! Thank you for dedicating your day to building the future of Aderant. This one-day sprint is all about creativity, speed, and practical impact. Here is everything you need to know.
By the Numbers
Meet Your Judges
The Judging Process
Round 1
5 Judges
Each assigned ~10 teams
5 Min Demo
At the assigned judge station
Top 2 Per Judge
10-15 Finalists Advance
(~1 Honorable Mention)
Round 2: The Finals
10-15 Finalists
Pitch to all 6 judges
Deliberation
Judges review finalists
Top 3 Winners
Announced!
The Path to Victory: Judging Rubric
Projects are scored from 1 (Low) to 5 (High) in four key areas. A great project combines technical skill with real business value and a clear presentation.
1. Project Velocity & Completeness
How functional and shippable is the solution? This shows effective use of AI tools.
- 1Low: Project is a concept or slideshow. Very little functional code. Not feasible to use.
- 3Medium: A working prototype, but incomplete or buggy. Needs significant work.
- 5High: A surprisingly complete, functional, and polished solution for a 1-day build. Could be shipped or used almost immediately.
2. Business Impact
Does this solve a real problem for Aderant or its clients? Does it create new value, improve efficiency, or generate a new opportunity?
- 1Low: Solves a trivial problem or has no clear link to business value.
- 3Medium: A clear "nice-to-have." Solves a known minor issue or provides a small internal efficiency gain.
- 5High: A clear "must-have." Has obvious, significant value for internal operations or as a new client-facing feature.
3. Effective AI Implementation
How thoughtfully was AI used? Is it a core part of the value, or a gimmick? Does it create a fast, efficient, and smart user experience?
- 1Low: AI is not used, used poorly, or feels "tacked on" (e.g., "...and we added a chatbot").
- 3Medium: AI is functional and appropriate, but the implementation is basic.
- 5High: AI is deeply integrated and essential to the solution. It's used creatively to make the project faster, smarter, and delivers a "wow" user experience.
4. Innovation & Presentation
How creative and impressive is the solution? Was the problem, solution, and business impact clearly and concisely articulated?
- 1Low: Standard solution, or a confusing/disorganized presentation. Lacks originality or clarity.
- 3Medium: A clever twist on an existing idea with a decent presentation. The "why" was clear.
- 5High: A genuinely novel idea. The project is "wow"-worthy and was presented clearly and professionally, perfectly explaining its value.
Rules of the Game
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Team Size: 1-3 Members
Collaborate to build something great.
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Project Scope: 1-Day Build
All code and assets must be created during the hackathon. Pre-existing libraries and APIs are allowed.
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AI Tool Use Required
Leverage AI dev tools (Copilot, etc.) to maximize your velocity. It's part of the challenge!
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Submission: Meet the Deadline
Submit your project to the designated platform before time runs out.
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Code of Conduct: Be Respectful
This is a supportive, collaborative event. Be professional and have fun.