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Where Will Innovations in the Law Come From?
Right now, most innovations in the law are happening on a grass-roots level. A handful of lawyers are becoming the thought leaders driving some of the most visible changes. Even these thought leaders, however, acknowledge that the future of lawyering is really in the hands of individual lawyers.
Many of our colleagues are taking this to heart, and actively participating in large-scale discussions and events that center around innovating the law.
The event that appears to gather the most significant thought leaders in legal innovation in one place seems to be ReInvent Law, hosted by the ReInvent Law Laboratory, which is part of the Michigan State University School of Law. Past events have been held in Silicon Valley, London, and Dubai. The next one will be held on February 7th in New York City.
Professor Dan Katz, co-founder of the Reinvent Law Laboratory describes the event as “very high-energy - 30 speakers in one day, on one stage.” He reflects: “A lot of what is discussed is not now mainstream—but some of it will be. And it’s not that the person speaking on stage will have THE solution, but somebody there will.”
Incidentally, the event is being sponsored in part by the ABA Journal, and tickets are free while they last.
Whether you get directly involved in the conversation about the future path of the law, if you are interested in being innovative, I suggest:
- Recognize that change is coming, and begin to notice how clients are demanding it.
- Open your mind for opportunities to see and do things differently.
As a start, in this issue of Law Practice Today, we consider how innovation and innovative thinking can be meaningful in the law - both to us within the profession and the people we serve. In particular:
We take a look at tools for innovation, such as design thinking, and enhancing creativity in our work environments.
We take a look at how innovation is impacting the education of lawyers, the training and mentoring of new lawyers, and even is affecting how some lawyers balance parenthood and their career.
We take a look at new business models being developed for law firms, new ways of finding out what our clients actually want and need, and even potential pitfalls when we attempt to use technology in new ways.
We also take a look of lawyers literally taking the law into their own hands, as they get together to ‘hack the law’ and create the future they envision.
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