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I believe every lawyer has seen the gutting of the newly called associate class - we all know what automation is doing. While databaseing case facts, contracts, documents, laws, jurisprudence, etc. has escalated in recent years, fundamentally a law firm is not providing those as key services - they are ancillary profit centers. One hires a contract manager to manage contracts, not a top-flight firm. The value proposition of a law practice is dependable competence in a wide spectrum of related sub-fields. As those profit centers are commoditized and margins fall, firms will merely shift pricing, technology and talent sourcing strategy, not fall apart, because in many cases, the amount of people with competence in those fields is countably limited. Most top flight firms will be fairly straightforward with you if you ask: they don't compete on price. They compete for clients on quality of service and prestige. The fantasy that law will act autonomously with little intervention is charming and sensible to non-practitioners. The rules are the rules, after all, what could go possibly go wrong? In practice, the answer is often 'everything'. |
Also, saying that I haven't heard of Law 2.0 is like asserting a particular developer hasn't heard of Web 2.0. It's... a strange accusation, to say the least. And one that distinguishes you as an outsider.