The law firm of the future: Techno-Law or an E-Marketplace?

• Author: Scalzi, Jeff
• Position: Editorial

She Said

Once upon a time, many legal marketers felt like Lucy from the Peanuts gang: For the bargain price of 5 cents, the doctor was in, offering help, advice and support. Now, many legal marketers feel more like Johnny Carson's Carnac the Magnificent, donning their swami hats and divining the information hidden inside sealed envelopes.

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But predicting the future is a tricky business, particularly in this economic environment. More law firms and industry thought leaders are moving away from strategic planning and exploring scenario planning as a technique to cope with uncertainty.

At the 23rd Annual LMA Conference, Tom Clay of Altman Weil presented a session on the Legal Transformation Study. Decision Strategies International, Inc. and Legal Research Center, Inc. have teamed up to craft four potential futuristic scenarios of what law firm business will look like by the year 2020 (see sidebar for a brief description of each scenario).

In my mind, Techno-Law is the most likely model to emerge as the platform for law firm management and business in the future. Maybe it's the realist in me, but envisioning the world using technology to provide and deliver to a global marketplace doesn't seem that far-fetched.

Given the present uncertainty, we cannot afford to not embrace technology. Social networks and open source software applications encourage all of us to jump in at a personal comfort level. Whether it's a baby-step of connecting with referrals or aiming towards a lofty goal such as globalization, there's so much available at your finger tips.

--Jennifer Smuts, 302/888-6214, jsmuts@cblh.com

He Said

"When is this going to be over? I'm bored." So proclaimed my six-year-old, five minutes into "The Country Bear Jamboree" on his first trip to Disney World last month. The horror! This was one of my favorite attractions when I was his age, some 30-odd years ago. Back then, these talented bears seemed larger than life. But in the age of Wii, our children are growing up in a completely different world.

What will our lawyers and clients, similarly, think about the legal profession in 2020? When we look back at 2009, will the practices so common today look ancient and decrepit like the Country Bears? The pages of this publication, and most others these days, are filled with speculation about the future. Altman Weil's findings presented a thoughtful perspective on the future of our industry.

I think the...