Conclusion

• Author: Adam Newhouse
• Pages: 173-174

173

Conclusion

Prospective lawyers enroll in law schools for various reasons. Some

seek wealth, prestige, or special status in the society. Others enroll out

of pure love of law—for the law’s own sake. Still others pursue legal

education for altruistic reasons—to help the needy and the disadvan-

taged or to serve a variety of social causes. But upon joining the ranks

of practicing attorneys, many get caught up in the cold realities of earn-

ing money. Abandoning their initial ideals and aspirations, they calcify

into defenders of the old ways while resisting technological, societal, or

cultural changes.

In the digital age, however, there is no room for lawyers refusing to

stay on top of innovative technological developments or cultural trends.

The new era, conceived in the spirit of egalitarianism and globalization,

is rapidly making such lawyers irrelevant. Merely following what oth-

ers do no longer works. Technology consultants cannot solve all their

problems. Dressing up the old style of lawyering with fancy new gad-

getry is an ineffective stop gap. What matters is not the latest computer

or iPad but a new state of mind attuned to the global digital environ-

ment. Lawyers who acquire this Digital Mentality will thrive; others

will fade into irrelevance.

Digital Lawyers begin their legal journey by switching on a cyber-

space mentality and following the dictates of Digital Virtues. While

existing primarily in cyberspace, they move freely on the physical plane

as well. As leaders, they partner and team up with clients, empowering

them by offering forward-looking integrated legal and business solu-

tions designed to add value to their businesses. Their intimate famil-

iarity with clients’ businesses lets them anticipate clients’ needs and

minimize potential liabilities. They give clients a long-missing peace of

mind by being always connected and through their unwavering com-

mitment to ethics.

The crucible of the new cyberspace-oriented marketplace is sepa-

rating those who cannot adapt from those who, by taking a mental

leap into cyberspace, embark upon new ways of serving clients and

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