Peer to Peer Magazine

Susskind predicts the traditional law firm pyramid model, with a few experienced partners or principals at the top and a fleet of young associates at the bottom, will disappear. Law firms will still exist, but the ratio of developing attorneys to experienced attorneys will be closer to one-to-one. Much of the work currently done by associates will be de-lawyered or performed by specialized attorneys with titles like "the legal process analyst" or "the legal knowledge engineer." This is where Susskind's work misses the mark for me. The future world he builds seems to have more opportunities for young lawyers than we see currently. Currently, people who never studied or practiced law successfully perform many of the project and knowledge management tasks he would have lawyers take on. Given that many of these talented professionals earn less than a typical young attorney at a large law firm, how can we expect law school graduates saddled by debt to take on these positions? Susskind does touch on law school reform, but sidesteps the issues of cost. He explores reforming how law curricula are taught and what students learn. Susskind recommends law schools embrace e-learning and other technologies. This seems to be a moot point, as every student I know — from the youngest primary Awards 2013 celebrating innovation in the practice of law student to those about to finish graduate school — has e-learning and technology incorporated into their curriculum. Perhaps law schools are just a bit behind in adopting these tools. A RECOMMENDED READ As I said at the start of this review, all legal technologists should read Susskind's work. You may not agree with all of his assessments of the present and the future, but you should find exploring his ideas a benefit to your current and future work. Anne Costello, Technology Manager at Grippo & Elden LLC, has worked with attorneys and technology for over two decades. She has shepherded the firm from the days of non-networked PCs and dot matrix printers to virtualization and cloud-based services. Contact Anne at acostello@grippoelden.com. CALL FOR ENTRIES sponsored by: Platinum Sponsors greenfieldbelser MAKE YOUR FIRM UNIQUE TM Gold Sponsors ABA Law Practice Management Section International Legal Technology Association (ILTA) Silver Sponsors Altman Weil, Inc. Association of Legal Administrators Legal Marketing Association Additional information and entry forms are available online at www.innovactionaward.com. All entries must be received by Friday, June 30, 2013. Peer to Peer 87

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