Way back in 2000, Professor Richard Susskind made a series of
predictions about how the market for legal services might evolve, driven by the
innovative use of IT. And, over the past few weeks, I’ve noticed that several
of his predictions are showing signs of coming true - at least in the UK. If I
ever get the chance to speak to Professor Susskind in person, I’ll ask him to pick my
EuroMillions lottery numbers for 2024. He might not help me pick the jackpot.
But I’ll happily settle for four matches and a lucky star.
In his 2000 book, Transforming the Law,
Professor Susskind said (on page 29): “By 2015, the main way in which legal
service is delivered across the world will be through access to online legal
service as opposed to consultation with human lawyers. I still stick to that
prediction.” At page 55, he added: “While the larger firms have the investment
capability to develop all manner of systems of their own, I anticipate all
manner of joint ventures, collaborations, and entrepreneurial exploits by the
hungrier, smaller, and sometimes less profitable firms.” And, finally, on page
67, he said: “My prediction is that the great legal businesses of the future
will…maintain a blend of online service and traditional service supported by
physical meetings with clients.”
Last night, I attended the launch of Rocket Lawyer UK. Rocket Lawyer is a
Google-backed combination of automated, online, self-service legal documents,
supported by a panel of small and mid-sized law firms. This arrangement pretty
much describes Susskind’s vision.
Weirdly, the launch of Rocket Lawyer was the second time in
a month that I’d come across a convergence of online legal service providers and
smallish, independent law firms. On 9 November, wearing my freelance copywriter’s hat, I
attended the LawNet
annual conference in Kenilworth, to produce a report of the event.
One of the advertisers at the event was Evident – Simplify the Law™.
Evident provides self-service document assembly software to law firms, for those
firms to use on a “white label” basis. In reality, the type of firms who
attended the LawNet conference probably wouldn’t have the resources to build
such software themselves. But Evident’s business model assumes such firms want
to offer online legal services to their own clients, and would be willing to partner
with Evident to make that happen.
And, of course, in September 2012, Quality Solicitors announced its partnership
with the soon-to be launched UK operation of LegalZoom. “The partnership”, the announcement stated, “will see a
wide range of legal products and services offered online, combining LegalZoom’s
technology with Quality Solicitors’ expert solicitors, who will offer local
support and advice from over 400 locations across the UK.”
I can only
imagine the look of quiet satisfaction on Richard Susskind’s face when he heard
that news.
In reality, it’s
unlikely that, by 2015, most clients will use online providers for their legal
needs – even in a dynamic legal market such as the UK. But one thing is for
sure: we certainly seem to be moving in that direction. What’s more, it seems
to be the smaller law firms who are be driving this trend, working in collaboration
with legal IT software providers.
In all honesty, this
is not a development I’d seen coming, even having read Professor Susskind’s book
when it was first published. Instead, I’d pinned my hope on Tesco or the RAC as
the main driver of legal service innovation. But I guess that’s because my name
is Richard Parnham – and not Richard Susskind.
So, anyway, Professor
Susskind, about that 2024 EuroMillions lottery draw….
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