Oddly enough, I was just talking about some of this stuff with a colleague who works in the knowledge management field for lawyers. I find it interesting that the one thing that threatens the future of the legal profession more than anything else, the fact most people cannot afford to hire a lawyer, is not […]
Brave New World: The Future of Legal Services?
A longstanding battle: The lawyer vs. the law firm.
The fight for control between the law firm vs. the lawyer is ongoing. Lawyers have had a sense of autonomy for some time and, more often than not, have a sway in the firm’s strategic decisions, regardless of whether they are good or bad. In the coming years, a growing share of law firms’ revenue […]
Are Law Firm Mergers Cost-Efficient? One Article, Two Views
The BC legal market has mergers on its mind this month following Bull, Housser & Tupper LLP’s announced hookup with Norton Rose Fulbright. Business in Vancouver has a timely article on the topic (fortified with a duly alarmist headline – “Could mergers sound death knell for regional law firms?”). You can find the link to […]
Deep pockets and swanky offices. Are you curious to how lawyers spend their money?
I’ve always wanted to know how lawyers spend their money. Given private-practice firms are known for paying their team well, this article actually provides a little more insight. Does sensible spending make way for spend thriftiness later? It’s okay to admit it: most private-practice lawyers are well paid. But it can be hard to know […]
“Non-Lawyers”
Law firms have historically been extremely hierarchical places. I do think that hierarchy is flattening out, but Matt Homann has correctly seized on one of the unfortunate anachronisms that still persists in many firms – the binary classification of people in the organization into a) “lawyers” and b) “everyone else”. Other degrees and other skill-sets […]
What Kind Of Restaurant Would Your Law Firm Be?
An interesting article from the ABA Law Practice division asks you to consider the restaurant business as a metaphor for law firms and to identify what type of business you would be running in that context. In my experience, most law firms would consider themselves the high-end type. That leaves gaps – and opportunities – […]
Do Political Contributions Still Make Sense For Law Firms?
(Authors note: This article was first published on SLAW in May 2010. ) Earlier this month, British Columbia residents witnessed political awkwardness at a level unusual even by West Coast standards when a special prosecutor cleared B.C. Solicitor General Kash Heed of wrongdoing in a criminal investigation. Mr. Heed was re-appointed to cabinet later that day, […]