Blog

Jul 07

Skills And Education For Legal Professionals In The 2020’s

What are the skills required of lawyers in the 2020’s? Is traditional legal education equipped to provide them and, if not, how, where, and from whom will lawyers acquire those skills? How will the profession’s insular culture adapt to full-throated collaboration with allied legal professionals essential to the delivery of customer-centric, data-driven,... read more →
Jun 23

Law On Trial—What The Legal Industry Can Do To Defend It

“Tough cases make great lawyers” is an old trial lawyer’s adage. Lawyers—and the legal industry—are in the midst of a very tough case: how to defend the rule of law and to restore public confidence in the legal system. This is a “bet the democracy” case, yet it receives little... read more →
Jun 01
May 20

After-Corona Legal Careers: More Choice And Less Practice

Legal practice—as lawyers have broadly construed it— has long been the touchstone of the profession. That’s why non-practicing attorneys often described themselves as “former” or “recovering” lawyers. The profession controlled the supply of legal talent and used self-regulation to blunt “non-lawyer” competition. The profession carved up practice territories with purposeful... read more →
Apr 21

COVID-19 And The Reformation Of Legal Culture

John F. Kennedy once remarked “The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word 'crisis.’ One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger—but recognize the opportunity.” What is the legal industry’s danger and opportunity? COVID-19 Is A Unique Crisis Whose... read more →
Apr 14
Apr 13
Mar 19

Post-Pandemic Legal Education

Higher education is confronting an existential crisis, and law schools are its poster child. Even before Covid-19, the law school business model, pedagogy, culture, faculty composition, marketplace detachment,  poor student outcomes, and ever-escalating cost/massive student debt have drawn withering criticism. The pandemic has elevated law schools’ challenges and accelerated their... read more →
Mar 10

The Legal Industry Needs A Standardized Vocabulary—Even If Legalese Remains

Linguistic precision is a must-have in the legal toolbox. Words matter—especially to lawyers. Lengthy “definitions” sections are standard fare in lawyer-crafted contracts. Who but lawyers parse definite and indefinite articles or contest the meaning of the word “is?” Semantic gymnastics are exercised regularly by the legal profession. With all the... read more →
Feb 18