Seven participants in Florida International University (FIU)’s LawBridge program which provides incubator space to lawyers willing to do low bono work recently got a rude dose of reality when FIU was bumped from its donated space by a large law firm that presumably could pay rent. Without free space, the FIU program leaders can’t figure
2014: The Year of New Law, No Hashtag
In May of 2014, Jordan Furlong published a comprehensive list of the universe of NewLaw business models – some that increase lawyers’ efficiencies, others that marginalize or eliminate the need for lawyers. But even though 2014 may have been a watershed for #newlaw, it was an even bigger year for new law, no hashtag.
What
Stand Up for Solos: Our Horton Moment
I know, I’m a glutton for punishment. But ensuring a future for solos and smalls is too important a task to let slide. And so, I intend to file comments to the ABA Commission on the Future of Legal Services .
And you should too. Because the Commission that declare wants to find ways for
Please Attend the Iron Lawyer Competition at Georgetown Law Dec. 3
I am so excited to be judging the upcoming round of the Iron Lawyer Competition, to be held at Georgetown Law School, 11 am – 1 pm December 3, 2014, details here . I blogged about the inaugural round of the event back in April 2013, and have returned to watch the subsequent rounds. Each
Flexible Legal Arrangements Can Work – At Least Some of the Time…
It’s all about the clients. And what’s great to hear is that many of today’s clients don’t just tolerate but increasingly, are coming to accept lawyers for whom work-life balance matters. At least that’s been the experience of Frances Wood and Jennifer Gold, the two women who founded Wood Gold, an Ontario-based, family friendly
Future Fridays: Hey, ABA – Why Do Solos and Smalls Bear the Burden of Access to Justice?
Four years on the heels of its Ethics 20/20 Initiative, the ABA is once again trying to make itself relevant. This time around, the ABA has established a Commission on the Future of Legal Services , with a goal of inspiring innovation and leveraging technology to expand access to justice. And guess who’s expected
Legal Advice on a Dime – Should Lawyers Play?
With last week’s announcement of Legal Zoom’s recent partnership with Sam’s Club to offer deals on legal services as well as Avvo’s launch of Avvo Advisor, the blogosphere’s abuzz with discussion of “should lawyers participate or shouldn’t they?” ( See Susan Cartier-Liebel, The Bridge Builders at Above the Law, Bob Ambrogi’s coverage of
Future Fridays: Hitch Your Niche To Another Law Firm
The niche practice as the future of law is also yesterday’s news. Meaning that the benefits of niche practice have been well documented forever, nowhere more extensively than at Chuck Newton’s Third Wave Blog, which is jam packed with dozens of niche practice ideas.
But I don’t like re-blogging old territory. So
Whose Client Is It Anyway?
Rob Jordan’s recent Above the Law column, The (Alleged) Uber-fication of Legal Services comprehensively compares the latest crop of lawyer match-making services and platforms designed to connect consumers and small business clients to lawyers. One of the characteristics that Jordan examines in distinguishing between services like Upcounsel, Priori, Law Kick or Law Dingo
Should Lawyers Look to Online Dispute Resolution To Resolve Disputes With Clients?
Online dispute resolution is rapidly gaining traction. Modria, a leading online dispute resolution (ODR) platform, boasts that its service is used to settle more than 60 million cases annually. Yet even though ABA task forces have studied, and appear to endorse ODR, I’ve not found much mention of the potential uses of ODR to