The relevant lawyer : reimagining the future of the legal profession

This groundbreaking new book collects the insights of more than 20 top authorities on the forces that are shaping a far different future for the legal profession in this nation and across the world. For lawyers, law firms, and bar and court leaders, The Relevant Lawyer is a clarion call to adapt to disruptive change sweeping the law practice landscape or be left behind. Beyond considering what the profession of law must do to remain strong, viable, and in position to define its own destiny, this book makes the case that for the legal profession to endure, lawyer professionalism must endure as well. The lawyer s commitment to public service and access to justice will be paramount in an era when many citizens are legally underserved. And preserving professional identity will be more essential than ever if new lawyers are to exercise independent judgment while dedicating themselves to the rule of law and the cause of justice, in keeping with the profession s core values. From the Foreword: The Relevant Lawyer] gathers in one volume the many and distinct voices, perspectives, and trends the legal profession must consider in order to envision its future in a coherent way. Only an unfiltered vision that confronts, rather than avoids, the profound change ahead can enable our profession to continue to define its own destiny in the face of structural upheaval while standing firmly for principles of justice. .William C. Hubbard, President, American Bar Association This book offers an extraordinary set of reflections on the legal profession and where it is heading, both in the United States and globally. With trenchant insights by leading authorities on how legal services are likely to be delivered in the years ahead, and why lawyers face a deeply transformed practice environment, this volume is a must read for everyone interested in the legal profession s future. .Andrew Perlman, Vice Chair, ABA Commission on the Future of Legal Services The Relevant Lawyer: Reimagining the Future of the Legal Profession is an ABA book developed by the Standing Committee on Professionalism, ABA Center for Professional Responsibility. Chapter topics, all with a future focus, include: The legal services revolution; lawyers response to change; alternative legal service providers; the age of legal consumer self-navigation; indie lawyering; women lawyers; diversity and inclusion; virtual law practice; large law firms; the soldier-lawyer; the shift to institutional law practice; globalization and regulation; lawyer regulatory change in the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada; legal education (learning what lawyers need); mentoring no app for that; social media; professionalism as survival strategy; and bar associations."

• Foreword p. xvii William C. Hubbard
• Introduction p. xxiii
• Background and Purpose p. xxiii
• Overview of Content p. xxv
• Acknowledgments p. xxxv
• The Authors p. xxxvii
• Transformation
• Chapter 1 Saving Atticus Finch: The Lawyer and the Legal Services Revolution Frederic S. Ury
• I Technology p. 6
• II Nonlawyer Ownership of Firms: Nothing New p. 7
• III Adapting to the Realities of an Internet-Centered Economy p. 8
• IV The Profession Is at Risk of Losing the Right to Self-Regt date p. 9
• V Starting the Discussion p. 10
• VI Conclusion p. 11
• Chapter 2 The Legal Industry of Tomorrow Arrived Yesterday: How Lawyers Must Respond p. 13 Stephen Gillers
• I The Way It's Been p. 14
• II How the World Is Changing p. 16
• III What the Bar Should Do p. 21
• Chapter 3 Alternative Legal Service Providers: Filling the Justice Gap p. 25 Paula Littlewood and Stephen Crossland
• I Introduction p. 25
• II Not Everyone Needs a Lawyer p. 27
• III The Mechanics of the LLLT Program p. 29
• IV Conclusion p. 34
• Chapter 4 Client Change: The Age of Consumer Self-Navigation p. 37 Jordan Furlong
• I Self-Navigation p. 37
• II Normalizing p. 40
• III The Impact on the Legal System p. 42
• IV The Impact on Lawyers p. 44
• V The Age of Self-Navigation p. 47
• Equity
• Chapter 5 Women Lawyers: Big Finn Attrition-Small Firm Gains p. 53 Roberta D. Liebenberg
• I Work-Life Balance Remains Elusive p. 54
• II The Effect of Implicit Biases p. 57
• III The Structure and Culture of Large Firms Lead to Attrition of Women Lawyers p. 58
• IV The Gender Pay Gap Persists p. 59
• V Alternatives to Big Law p. 61
• VI Conclusion p. 63
• Chapter 6 Diversity and Inclusion as Filters for Envisioning the Future p. 67 Arin N. Reeves
• I Introduction p. 67
• II Envisioning Who We Are/How We Work p. 68
• III The Who p. 69
• IV The How p. 74
• V Guidance p. 76
• Practice Settings
• Chapter 7 The Future of Virtual Law Practice p. 83 Richard S. Granat and Stephanie Kimbro
• I Introduction p. 83
• II What Is a "Virtual Law Practice"? p. 84
• III Types of Virtual Law Practice p. 87
• IV The Market for Consumer Legal Services p. 88
• V Capturing the "Connected Generation" p. 92
• VI The Access to Justice Problem p. 96
• VII The Future of Virtual Law Practice: A Prediction p. 98
• VIII Conclusion p. 101
• Chapter 8 Large Law Firms: A Business Model, a Service Ethic p. 103 Carolyn B. Lamm and Hugh Verrler
• I Forces Reshaping the Legal Sector p. 104
• II Characteristics of Leading Firms of the Future p. 108
• III Conclusion p. 112
• Chapter 9 Indie Lawyering p. 113 Lucille A. Jewel
• I Introduction p. 113
• II Contemporary Cultural Trends That Are Fueling Indie Lawyering p. 116
• III The Indie Lawyer's Practice p. 118
• IV Remodeling the Ethics Rules to Promote Indie Lawyering p. 122
• V The Positives of Indie Lawyering p. 127
• Chapter 10 The Soldier-Lawyer and the Challenge of Perceiving Right Action p. 129 Benjamin K. Grimes, LTC, USA JAGC
• I Introduction p. 129
• II Evolution of the Dual Professional p. 131
• III The Future of Judge Advocate Practice p. 134
• IV Exporting a Values-Based Model of Development p. 138
• V Conclusion p. 140
• Regulation
• Chapter 11 The Shift to Institutional Law Practice p. 143 Thomas D. Morgan
• I Our Common Voyage p. 143
• II Three Changes That Have Remade a Lawyer's World p. 144
• III The Transition to the Institutional Practice of Law p. 148
• IV Regulatory Changes Needed to Facilitate and Govern Institutional Practice p. 150
• V Conclusion p. 155
• Chapter 12 Globalization and Regulation p. 157 Laurel S. Terry
• I Forces of Change p. 157
• II Regulatory Changes Elsewhere in the World p. 161
• III Regulatory Changes in the United States p. 163
• IV Predictions about U.S. Regulatory Changes p. 165
• V Conclusion p. 167
• Chapter 13 A Sea Change in England p. 171 Mark S. Smith
• I Behind the Headlines p. 171
• II Economic Backdrop p. 173
• III Legislative Change p. 173
• IV Shifting Sands of Power p. 176
• V Preparing for Battle? p. 178
• VI Where Next? p. 182
• Chapter 14 The Australian Experiment: Out with the Old, in with the Bold p. 185 Tahlia Gordon and Steve Mark
• I Shift of Regulatory Focus from Individual to Organization p. 186
• II History-Progressive Change p. 187
• III Rethinking Legal Profession Regulation p. 189
• IV Regulating for Professionalism p. 191
• V The Essentials of Legal Profession Regulation p. 193
• VI The Ultimate Effect of the Incorporations Legislation p. 193
• VII Conclusion p. 195
• Chapter 15 Canada: The Road to Reform p. 197 Simon Chester
• I Why Cross the Border? p. 198
• II Lawyers Like Us p. 198
• III Do Borders Mean Much? p. 200
• IV Regulate the Work, Not Just Who Does It p. 202
• V The Top Court Speaks p. 204
• VI A New National Body p. 206
• VII A Super-Regulator p. 207
• VIII Off the Cliff p. 209
• IX A Future for the Profession p. 210
• X Law Firms Open for Investment? p. 212
• XI The Conduit Law Vision p. 214
• XII An Unlikely Revolutionary p. 216
• XIII Back to the Border p. 217
• Development
• Chapter 16 Legal Education: Learning What Lawyers Need p. 221 Thomas W. Lyons
• I Legal Education-Past and Present p. 222
• II The Law School Predicament: Change or Go Away p. 224
• III Profiling the Future of Law Schools p. 225
• IV Learning after Law School p. 228
• V Conclusion p. 228
• Chapter 17 Mentoring: No App for That p. 231 Lori L. Keating and Amy Timmer
• I Introduction p. 231
• II The Essential Role of Mentoring p. 232
• III Meet the Future Protégés-Generation Z p. 234
• IV New Ways to Mentor p. 236
• V New Reasons to Mentor p. 239
• VI Conclusion p. 243
• Chapter 18 Social Media: Here Today, Here Tomorrow p. 245 Daniel A. Schwartz
• I Expecting the Unexpected p. 247
• II Social Media in Law Practice p. 248
• III Conclusion p. 254
• Chapter 19 Professionalism as Survival Strategy p. 255 Jayne R. Reardon
• I Introduction p. 255
• II Professionalism Defined p. 257
• III Professionalism Applied to a Profession in Transition p. 257
• IV A New Mindset p. 264
• V Civil Comportment p. 266
• VI Conclusion p. 268
• Chapter 20 Bar Associations: Tapping the Wisdom of the Young p. 269 Paul A. Haskins
• I Introduction 269
• II Bar Associations Are Foundational p. 270
• III The Challenge of Shifting Demographics p. 272
• IV The Universe Expands p. 273
• V For Young Lawyers, a Reason to Join p. 274
• VI Structures to Suit the Times: Start with Trust p. 281
• VII Conclusion p. 284
• Index p. 287