Optimists that we are, WAC? “likes” the late-2008 recession, and current down-economy, because it should accelerate needed changes in the profession: everything from legal education and associate salaries, to different fee arrangements and new business models in the in-house shop itself. Some, not all, of these ideas have been our (or my firm’s) pet themes for many years– like the rise of the “muscle boutique”, and non-mega firms with several practice areas competing on service using great lawyers and technology. Some are not our pet ideas–like flat fees, which we stubbornly resist despite scolding by our betters. For example, we think the billable hour can still be used to deliver value. We know people with happy clients who do.
But we love the discussion, and even its inherent anxiety. And in perhaps the most useful blog post you’ll see this week, Bob Ambrogi at Legal Blog Watch does a nice job of putting many of these ideas together his “Richard Susskind on the End of Lawyers“, and discussion of the new book by Susskind, a Scottish technology consultant, which came out in November 2008, and has people talking/thinking. Bob also gives us one about The Boss: “The Top GCs, Here and Abroad“.
