Large without Sidebar

What’s A Lawyer Now? Law’s Shift From Practice To Skill

During a recent visit to the National University of Singapore Law School (NUS), I asked a first-year student what being a lawyer meant to him. His response was thoughtful and prescient: “I regard law as a skill. I plan to leverage my legal training and meld it with my passion... read more →

Upskilling: Why It Might Be The Most Important Word In The Legal Lexicon

Lawyers use words like masons lay stones. Words are tools of the legal trade. It’s odd, then, that one of the most important words in the legal lexicon, “upskilling,” is scarcely known to most legal professionals. That will change soon—here’s why. Upskilling is a term well-known to business. In the... read more →

Are Law Firms Sustainable? It’s The Model That Matters

Law firm sustainability—and more specifically, the future of the partnership model-- is a hotly debated topic. Some pundits suggest partnership firms are dinosaurs on the brink of extinction. They point to a Darwinian marketplace with peripatetic rainmakers; migration of work in-house and to other provider sources; competition from the Big Four and other formidable... read more →

What Does “More With Less” Mean For The Legal Industry?

Business is about doing more with less. This is its mantra since the global financial crisis. Tech-enabled, data and process-driven upstarts have unseated a pan-industry array of incumbents and ushered in the digital age. Optimization of customer access, satisfaction, and value are common denominators among the disruptors. Law is about... read more →

The Legal Industry is Starting to Collaborate—Why Now and Why It Matters

Collaboration is a fiber of the digital age business fabric. In a global marketplace climate where boundaries separating geographies and industries are melting like glaciers and technological advances are enabling new delivery models to transcend traditional divides, collaboration is essential for competitiveness. Organizations that collaborate internally, with others in the supply chain,... read more →

Law Schools’ Lost Opportunity

Law schools have ceded an opportunity to shore up their balance sheets and to do right by grads, the legal industry, and the broader society. How? They have failed to transition from three-year degree stopovers to learning centers for life that upskill grads and other professionals throughout their careers. This would have... read more →

A Legal Veteran’s Recent Take on His Profession: “Too Many Awards — Too Little Legal Customer Satisfaction”

This past Monday (July 2) Mark A. Cohen wrote the following in Forbes online: “Law is staging its own version of ‘every kid gets a trophy’ … Every week, all over the globe, the legal industry throws gala dinners to celebrate its ‘innovators,’ ‘visionaries,’ and ‘pioneers.’ These gatherings afford attendees a chance... read more →

Headline Speaker at Inaugural Legal Geek North America Conference

Mark A. Cohen kicked off the Legal Geek North America Conference to a sold out crowd in Brooklyn, New York. Mark shared insights, challenges, and opportunities confronting the legal profession to 450 attendees from around the globe. READ MORE

Why Is Law So Slow To Use Data?

“Data is the oil of the digital era,” proclaims a 2017 Economist article. Big business—especially tech giants like Alphabet (Google’s parent), Amazon, Facebook, and Apple among others—are mining data like Standard Oil processed petroleum a century before. Why is the legal industry still running on gut and instinct while the businesses it... read more →

What’s Up With Axiom?

Not long ago, Axiom was often touted as law’s next big thing. The on-demand corporate legal talent company that launched in 2000 has enjoyed nearly two decades of expanding revenue, client base, talent pool, and brand recognition. Still, the industry spotlight long cast on Axiom has shifted in recent years... read more →