If there’s one constant, it’s change. What once was will not always be. The internet and social media have dramatically changed our jobs and how we interact. Technology has forever altered future law by furthering human rights and access to justice, while big data and analytics play an increasingly larger role in society in general and the legal world in particular.
New breakthroughs in digital law are occurring on a daily basis as legal technology becomes the standard within law firms and in-house legal departments. Economic and technological forces are factoring into regulators’ responses and rulings as consumer law firms scramble to adapt — and adopt best practices.
We don’t need to wait for the future; it’s already here. Our job is to stay on top of technology and harness its power to formulate laws that strengthen our country, serve and protect the populace and preserve respect for and adherence to the constitution.
Lawyers used to be able to wrap themselves in cloaks of thought experiments. Their worth could be measured by the number of permutations of ancient principles of law they could apply to complex hypothetical situations. Their stock in trade was… Read More
There’s an interesting controversy that you may have missed on Sunday’s Oscars. It has to do with streaming v. theater releases. On one side is a very deep-pocketed Netflix that continues churning out streaming movie after streaming movie, spending billions… Read More
Our future law conference is back! Every year, interest in future law topics grows. The number of legal tech start-ups continues to increase. Developments in technology enable more efficient work. And we are not just talking about speeding up the… Read More
“The future may be unknowable, but it’s not unthinkable.” That line from the introduction to Bruce MacEwen’s book Tomorrowland: Scenarios for law firms beyond the horizon really stuck with me. As lawyers, we should think about what is coming around… Read More
“Time is a very poor proxy for learning.” That statement at our Futures Conference a couple months back by Darth Vaughn, a California lawyer and principal of technology assessment and learning company Procertas, really resonated with me. Darth was advocating… Read More
This is the second in a three-part blog series on last month’s conference The Future is Now: Legal Services 2.017 that took place in Chicago. A dominant theme that emerged from many of the speakers’ TED-like talks was the evolving… Read More
We are excited to share with you some of our favorite moments from this year’s The Future Is Now Conference. On a warm, sunny May 18, nine speakers from across the country and approximately 400 law students, legal educators, attorneys,… Read More
Have you ever ordered something online and had a problem with the purchase? A dispute about the quality, charge, etc. Did it get resolved online or did you file a complaint in a court? More than likely, you exchanged documentation… Read More
The billable hour undermines professionalism. It incentivizes lawyer inefficiencies and undermines client confidence. Alternative fee arrangements align the incentives of lawyers and clients and should become the norm. Despite Reports, the Billable Hour is Not Dead When I started practicing,… Read More
“Price is what you pay, value is what you get.” ~Warren Buffet quoting Benjamin Graham (2008 Annual Report of Berkshire Hathaway Inc.) If you were to ask seasoned lawyers to describe their job to a classroom of students, you… Read More
It used to be that any services provided by a lawyer were legal services and only a lawyer could provide those services. Not anymore. Alternative legal service providers are everywhere. And in some jurisdictions of the world, professionals in addition… Read More
You should plan to attend our second annual The Future is Now conference on May 18, 2017 in Chicago. Our first future law program last year was a great success. And based on feedback from those participants, this year’s program… Read More