ARCTIC OBITER

discussion about their vision for the future of the
profession.
The legal profession isn’t the only sector feeling the
effects of struggling global and local economies, a chronic
lack of resources and the relentless demands of everchanging
technology; all parts of our society are having
to change the way they live and work. But the sea change
facing lawyers is making everyone queasy.
“There is a growing and widespread expectation that the
legal marketplace is set to undergo substantial change, if
not transformation,” says legal futurist Richard Susskind.
Lawyers must adapt – or go the way of the dinosaur.
Today, some of the work lawyers do can be done just as
well with computer programs and for much less money.
Clients are demanding greater transparency from their
legal counsel and more flexibility on where work is
performed: Must we start with a blank page and a large
desk, or could we meet in a store front or perhaps online?
Could we divide up the work to be done between us or
bring a other professionals? The regulatory and ethical
effects of change have ramifications for everyone from
law students to senior practitioners.
action.
The question is will the rest of the profession insist it
knows better and resist client demands and market forces
or will it get out in front and have a hand in shaping its
own destiny, adapting its role to the new realities?
The initiatives CBA has launched reflect our belief that
Canadians are better served if lawyers from across the
country meet the challenge- and deliver on the promise.
We want to lay the foundation for a new way to practice
law. The discussion starts in June. Join us.
■ Fred Headon is the incoming president of the Canadian
Bar Association and chair of the CBA Legal Futures Initiative.
This article was originally posted at Slaw, Canada’s online
legal magazine (slaw.ca, April 17, 2013).
It will not be an easy transition. But lawyers cannot fall
into the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” camp: It is broken,
and without a fix we risk becoming irrelevant in a world
of changing client expectations. Think of Kodak: the
camera giant patented the first digital camera but
concentrated on what it did best – film – until it went
bankrupt.
However, there has been movement; many are coming to
the realization that they can no longer ignore the fact that
the world is moving forward. The discussion about how
best to educate and train the next generation of lawyers is
already ongoing – started, in many cases, by law students
themselves. Thought leaders are talking about new
business structures and innovative ways of practising,
and early adopters are starting to put those ideas into
16 ■ MARCH/APRIL 2013 ARCTIC OBITER