A recent New York Times Opinion piece, “Everyone Needs Legal Help. That Doesn’t Mean Everyone Needs a Lawyer” spotlights Rebecca Sandefur, a sociologist whose career has focused on studying lawyers. The “genius” MacArthur fellowship she received for her work is evidence that one need not have a law license to opine meaningfully about the legal... read more →
Feb
25
Feb
11
Paul Weiss issued a press release on December 7, 2018 announcing the promotion of a dozen associates to partnership, effective January 1, 2019. Such announcements rarely receive attention beyond the new partners and their family, friends, and professional colleagues. This was different. When Paul Weiss posted a photo on LinkedIn of its all-white crop... read more →
Jan
31
Baker McKenzie, progenitor of the global law firm, created a buzz recently with a spate of “new law” hires. First, it tabbed David Cambria as its inaugural Global Head of Legal Operations, overseeing strategies for pricing, legal project management, and other “business of law” functions. Cambria, a corporate legal ops veteran, will, in the... read more →
Jan
28
How will the legal industry be affected by the next recession? The thought came to mind several times recently as the stock market recorded its worst December since the Great Depression. Stocks have rebounded during the early weeks of 2019, but political turmoil at home; Brexit and its chaotic implications... read more →
Jan
17
“Blockchain For Lawyers,” a recently-released eBook by Australian legal tech company Legaler, drew 1.7M views in two weeks. What does that staggering number say about blockchain, legal technology, and the legal industry? Clearly, blockchain is a hot legal topic, along with artificial intelligence (AI), and legal tech generally. It’s also... read more →
Jan
10
The 2019 Citi Hildebrandt Client Advisory, (Citi Report) an annual survey of law firm fiscal performance, drew considerable industry attention following its December release. The opening sentence of the Executive Summary is the likely reason: “The US law firm industry is enjoying its strongest growth in almost a decade.” The... read more →
Dec
27
An email conversation between Mark A. Cohen, Thought Leader | CEO Legal Mosaic and Joek Peters CEO LegalBusinessWorld around Marks’ article ‘What Are Law Schools Training Students For?’ (Forbes) The legal profession and the trillion-dollar global industry are undergoing a transformation. The seminal elements of legal practice–differentiated expertise, experience, skills,... read more →
Dec
24
A recent survey by KPMG confirms digital transformation is a key strategic priority for CEO’s. It is also time sensitive—85% of enterprise decision makers think they have a two-year timeframe to make significant inroads on their digital transformation before sustaining adverse financial impact and/or lagging the competition. A McKinsey report reveals the upside of digital transformation--... read more →
Dec
13
There is plenty of data confirming the migration of work from law firms to corporate legal departments. Once regarded as law’s junior varsity, the in-house role has become a coveted alternative to the grind and uncertainty of Big Law. As Huey Lewis said, “It’s hip to be square.” What is less... read more →
Dec
06
Thomson Reuters will soon release its second biennial “Alternative Legal Service Study.” The inaugural study popularized the “alternative legal service provider” (ALSP) moniker to describe a new breed of “legal” providers with different economic models, structures, expertise, and DNA than traditional law firm partnerships. The study separates ALSP’s into different categories:... read more →