Pondering the Future of the Legal Profession.

• Date: 01 May 2023
• Author: Lesser, Gary S.

What is the future of the legal profession? There have been many opinions offered, but some answers are emerging. Generally speaking, tectonic shifts take a while before significant changes are realized, but technology is speeding up those processes. The bottom line: the legal profession will be different and, in many ways, better going forward.

To a great extent, the legal profession looks the same as it has for decades: billable hours at big firms, stress and challenges of running a small firm, trying to bring in business, and sometimes that feeling of satisfaction after helping a particular client. But the signs of change are all around us, and a good collective effort by law schools, bar leaders, and firm leaders can help blaze the best path forward.

The biggest and perhaps most important shift to watch is the growing use and importance of "law clinics" and other experiential learning at law schools. Requiring experiential education before graduation and...