Does The Legal Industry Need A Serious Makeover?

Problems in the profession will not be solved by , better technology, or lower prices, Jenny Odegard writes for Lawyerist. Real change will involve rebranding the profession and changing how lawyers are perceived by the public. Reforming the billable hour, addressing equal pay for women and minorities, and improving customer service (including lawyer-to-lawyer communication) will help, Odegard argues, but beware of using automated systems in place of actual, real-life lawyers. That’s like “trying to replace a primary care doctor with WebMD and Internet prescription drugs,” she says. We risk “dangerous unknown side effects and long-term complications if we devalue experts in favor of ease and speed.”