Re-Imagining the Practice of Law

Lawyer jokes might be funny if there weren’t so much at stake. Since the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, lawyers have been intimately involved in virtually every important civic innovation, and nothing important in business happens without a lawyer. As such, the practice of law has attracted many of our best and our brightest for more than 200 years, and yet many widely affirm that the current law firm model is broken, for both lawyers and clients.

Today, Generation Generosity partnered with the Insight Labs to explore charting a possible new course for the industry. This “Re-Imagining the Practice of Law” think tank brought together leaders from throughout the legal profession, including in-house counsel, law firm leaders, practicing attorneys, leaders of professional associations, members of academic institutions and attorneys working in business and no longer practicing law.

In an interview with the Insight Labs prior to today’s session, Akina Partner Deb Knupp described her vision of a legal profession that operates from a place of abundance rather than scarcity. And as preparation for the session, each participant identified people and aspects of the current profession of law at its best, the existing foundation, or precedents, upon which we might build the future of the profession.

What is your vision for the future of the legal profession? What, if anything, that currently exists in the profession is worth keeping as we chart a new course for the future?