What will a lawyer's practice be like in five to 10 years?

• Author: Rotem, Alon
• Position: Special Issue: Technology & the Practice of Law

As the world begins to embrace a shifting mindset about the consumption of legal services, practices are likely to look very different in the next five to 10 years. Before we go there, let's recognize what won't change: Lawyers are smart and educated, and those attributes will always be in high demand; the relationships we build are based on trust; and clients will continue to value good judgment and attentive client service. There will never be an effective way for software or computers to replace human caring and wisdom. One thing that will never change is the purpose of your practice--to serve your client. What will change is how you serve your clients, what defines due diligence, what defines efficiencies, and what defines value.

Lawyers stand to benefit most from technological advancements in the services automation space as they reduce the amount of nonlegal work they must do to build and maintain their practices. The advancements will enable lawyers to focus on more substantive and interesting legal work for more clients. The actual building of a functional practice will be extremely costeffective as many traditionally expensive components of responsible practice will be easily accessible to solos when it once was just the province of larger firms with deep pockets.

Lawyers overall, and solos with greater enthusiasm, are accepting law practice management tools with less reluctance, but that doesn't mean they are using it to its maximum potential. They are plugging it into the traditional way of practicing law. In part, this is in response to a very real issue: They are building their practices still straddling between the 20th and 21st centuries. Not all clients are able to handle new communication and workflow technologies, nor do they want to. In some parts of the country, there isn't even reliable Internet service. Both lawyers and their clients are in transition, and it is a delicate balancing act.

According to Aaron George, co-founder of Lexicata, automation and the proliferation of technology will continue to change the practice of law. "Technology is no longer a convenience," George writes, "it is a necessity, and utilizing technology can bring huge benefits to your law practice. With the pressure building to accommodate clients' demands for lower prices, law firm efficiency is key. You have to streamline routine tasks, avoid wasted time, and reduce your overhead to ensure sustainable profitability." (1)

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