The Future of Law: Reinventing Legal Services May 7, 2012

In the conclusion of his book The End of Lawyers? (2008), Richard Susskind asks: “Will the changes I identify bring about the end of lawyers? Or will a new and reinvigorated legal profession emerge? Susskind makes a very compelling case for why the legal profession is changing, but does not answer his own question. If the legal profession is changing, then what specifically is it changing into?

For our next Night with a Futurist, we will be presenting different perspectives on how the legal system is evolving and what legal services may look like in the future. Brad Bernthal, a professor at CU Law, will address the future of legal education. Dan Benvidez, former City Councilman and former Mayor Pro Tem of Longmont, will describe the restorative justice system. And Roger Glovsky, a business lawyer, will describe the emerging new models for law firms and innovations in the delivery of legal services.

Technology, online applications, outsourcing, and a challenging economy are breaking the 200 year-old legal system. Change is in the works. What are the drivers for change? How will the legal profession respond?

Legal education is rooted in a system based on challenging the mind. New technology is challenging the legal educational institutions to adapt their centuries old casebook-style of lecturing to a 21st century environment. Practical or experiential learning is becoming more highly valued, but will increase costs. The higher cost of education has already put more law school graduates in the position of making a cost-benefit analysis before matriculating. One study from Northwestern puts the “break-even” decision for the starting salary of a law school graduate at $65,000. A salary below that may not provide a reasonable return on investment.

The purpose of Restorative Justice is to enable offenders to meet with and compensate victims for their wrongdoing. In 2010, 99% of the 244 cases were referred by the Longmont Police Department. The success rate of the restorative Justice referrals in that year was 93%. In 2011 over 300 referrals were processed by the restorative justice process in Longmont, Colorado with a 92% success rate.

Law firms are battling competitive pressures from online services that are eroding the market for traditional legal services providing routine advice, drafting documents, and researching legal issues. Lawyers are challenged to look to increasingly complex areas of law that require greater sophistication and knowledge to maintain profitability and market share.

Join us as Brad Bernthal, Dan Benavidez, and Roger Glovsky highlight dramatic trends in the legal profession and envision the future of law.

EVENT: Night with a Futurist
DATE: May 7, 2012 - Monday
TIME: 6:30pm-9:00pm
WEBSITE: http://www.davinciinstitute.com/events/598/night-with-a-futurist-monday-may--7-2012

LOCATION: DaVinci Institute, 511 E. South Boulder Road Louisville, CO 80027

COST: $20, Members: Free, SuperMembers: Free

PHONE: 303-666-4133

TOPIC: The Future of Law: Reinventing Legal Services

Official Website: http://www.davinciinstitute.com/events/598/night-with-a-futurist-monday-may--7-2012