Random thoughts on the future of law and technology

I have the good fortune of meeting and collaborating with some pretty influential players in this cozy little global profession of law practice. Monica Bay is one of those with whom, and from whom, I've learned a great deal. While it's shocking to comprehend the passage of time, I first worked alongside Monica over 20 years ago when we were colleagues at a spunky little technology startup called Counsel Connect, a division of American Lawyer. You can probably google the history somewhere, but essentially Monica and I were part of an effort to bring social media and technology to the mainstream legal profession long before it was cool to do so. I played a minor role in comparison to the other staff members and volunteer contributors, many of whom continue today as thought leaders in this field. But over time I've gained a few insights of my own, and I've had the luxury of sharing my learnings and wisdom, such as it is, as a leader, manager, mentor, and now consultant, where I regularly offer insights at law firm and law department retreats, at conferences, and, of course, on this blog. I was delighted when Monica, in her role as roving reporter at the recent ILTACON15, asked me to spend a few moments reminiscing on what we've seen transpire in this profession, and what we see coming in the near and long-term. We touch on the role of technology, the demise (?) of the billable hour, project management, process improvement, change management and how incentives influence the pace of change, and what's next. I hope you enjoy watching and listening to our conversation as much as I enjoyed having it.

ILTACON 2015 - ILTA TV - Monica Bay interviews Timothy Corcoran from ILTA on Vimeo.

Upcoming Legal Lean Sigma Certification Course in Project Management and Process Improvement

What is it? The Legal Lean Sigma Institute is hosting another of its popular "open enrollment" white belt certification courses in project management and process improvement. Join us in Chicago on November 11 for an in-depth dive into PM and PI. We combine lecture and interactive exercises to help attendees understand and then apply PM and PI concepts adapted for implementation in the law firm and law department settings. We cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time, but participants will leave with a solid understanding of both the fundamentals and how they can be applied.

Who should attend?

The white belt certification course is ideal for those who are ready, or getting ready, to embark upon a continuous improvement initiative within their organizations. It's also a great refresher for those who have had some exposure but haven't had much opportunity to engage. We held a standing-room only session earlier this year exclusively for in-house counsel, so those who were unable to join us are welcome. We've also held a number of private white belt and yellow belt certification courses for clients in the US and Canada, so this session is ideal for team members who have joined your continuous improvement initiatives but weren't at the initial training. This is also an ideal session for law firm and law department leaders who don't expect to personally dive into the details, but need to know enough about these concepts to establish a vision for continuous improvement and then supervise the effort. Of particular interest to senior leaders are the modules on understanding the economics of continuous improvement. Think PM and PI are bad for law firms, because efficiency doesn't pay as well as inefficiency (even though it's not cool to say that out loud)? We'll show how law firms can generate greater profits from PM and PI while improving client satisfaction. Think your law department is too complex to "routinize" all of your legal matters? We'll show you how to better link upstream your business management's needs with your law department resources and mission.

How do I enroll?

The event is produced by our friends at the Ark Group, so visit their site here to register. As of this writing, there are individual seats available and a few slots for teams.

Working Smarter, Not Harder

As they say, a picture paints a thousand words. Today's Dilbert comic poignantly illustrates the disconnect between lawyers who bill by the hour -- and who believe the quantity of hours is both a measure of quality and a measure of financial success -- and the rest of the business community, in which making money while you sleep is the true measure of success.

Lest this come across as some sort of new age anti-work philosophy, the concept is really quite simple: Successful businesses embrace the learning curve business model, in which efficiency gained from prior experience provides a competitive cost advantage. Business leaders with a continuous improvement mindset don't value workaholics who toil furiously and endlessly at a task and generate high volume as much as they value those who can do more with less, exploiting experience to find more effective ways to generate similar or better results in less time. This excess capacity is then deployed against new projects, in turn generating new financial returns. So the true measure of success is making more profit in less time.

As the legal profession evolves, a necessary outcome is moving away from the silly notion that hours are a measure of anything other than cost. When we decouple hours from compensation, or more accurately when we begin to pay more to those lawyers who can generate comparable revenue and profits in less time, and when clients shift to paying for outcomes rather than for production, then innovation in the legal profession will accelerate.

Think about all of this after you've finished billing your time today. We'll be at the pool with a cold daiquiri waiting for you.

Timothy B. Corcoran is the immediate past President of the Legal Marketing Association and an elected Fellow of the College of Law Practice Management. He delivers keynote presentations, conducts workshops, and advises leaders of law firms, in-house legal departments, and legal service providers on how to profit in a time of great change.  To inquire about his services, contact him at +1.609.557.7311 or at tim@corcoranconsultinggroup.com.

Leaders in Legal Business

The legal profession is changing. Perhaps you've noticed? What was once a profession is now most assuredly a business. Of course, it's always been a business, but when things are going so well that both buyers and sellers are content, we can convince ourselves that we're above the challenges faced by lesser mortals. Things like economics, and consumer behavior, and profits in alignment to client satisfaction rather than in opposition. Luckily, the disruptive forces impacting the legal profession are pretty routine for anyone who studies business cycles. Those who are most challenged when facing a changed future are not those who have never faced these changes previously, for they will turn to expert guides. Those who will struggle mightily are those who refuse to believe lessons from other business segments apply, and they will blindly lurch from strategy to strategy in a vain attempt to maintain profits and market position while clinging to outdated business practices. Given my career history as a corporate executive and former CEO who now shares my business training with law firm and law department leaders, I was invited to contribute to a new publication, "Leaders in Legal Business," compiled by industry veteran Stephen McGarry. In his words:

"Is law a profession, a business, or both? For decades, every law school, bar association, and law society has posed this proverbial question. The fact is that today, the profession of law annually generates more than $700 billion dollars in revenue. There are several million people employed in the legal profession, and hundreds of thousands support it through products and services. Some would even argue that the profession of law has morphed into the business of law.

Twenty-eight distinguished leaders in legal business discuss the history, development and the future of the services and products they, their firms, companies and associations provide the profession of law. This is must reading for the legal profession."

I am pleased to be in the company of some of the fantastic minds helping to guide the profession today, many of whom are good friends as well as colleagues and thought leaders I turn to for inspiration. Take a look at this roster. It's like a live concert with the remaining Beatles joining the Rolling Stones on stage to play the entire Taylor Swift catalog, or something like that!

Here's the lineup:

Chapter 1 – Introduction to Leaders in Legal Business
	Stephen McGarry – Founder Lex Mundi, WSG and HG.org
	Overview – Legal Business Services	Jordan Furlong – Principal, Edge International
Chapter 2 – Legal Business Publishers and Publications
	Publishers on the Business of Law	Bill Carter – President and CEO, ALM
	Legal Business News	John Malpas – Publisher, Legal Week, Incisive Media
	Law Firm Directories and Rankings	Derek Benton – Principal, Warwick Vine Consulting Ltd.
Chapter 3 – Legal Business Consultants and Advisors
	Hiring a Consultant or Advisor	Michael Roch – Founder and Partner, Kerma Partners
	Law Firm Business Strategies	Timothy B. Corcoran – Principal, Corcoran Consulting Group
	Business Development, Coaching, and Sales	Silvia Coulter – Founder and Partner, LawVision
	Online Content Marketing	Kevin O’Keefe – CEO, LexBlog
	Social Media Marketing	Nancy Myrland – Myrland Marketing and Social Media
	Corporate Legal Management	Susan Hackett – Principal, Legal Executive Leadership
	Public and Media Relations	Richard Levick – CEO, LEVICK
	Recruiting and Staffing	Jon Lindsey – New York Founding Partner, Major, Lindsey & Africa
	Discovery and E-Discovery	Carolyn Southerland – Former Director, Huron Consulting
	Knowledge Management	Ronald Friedmann – Senior Consultant, Fireman & Co.
	Technology Assessment	Robin Snasdell – Managing Director Huron Consulting
Chapter 4 – Law Firm and Multidisciplinary Networks
	Stephen McGarry – Founder Lex Mundi, WSG and HG.org
Chapter 5 – The 100 Largest Law Firms – Management
	Tony Williams – Founder and Principal, Jomati
Chapter 6 – The Bar, Corporate Counsel, and Administrative Associations
	American Bar Association	James Silkenat – Immediate Past President, ABA
	International Associations	Fernando Pelaez – Past President, IBA
	Corporate Counsel Associations	Veta Richardson – President, ACC
	Legal Administration Associations	Oliver Yandle – Executive Director, ALA
Chapter 7 – New Law – Alternative Business Models
	Mark Ross – Global Head - LPO, Integreon
Chapter 8 - The Future of Legal Business
	Legal Business Publishing	Tony Harriss – Group Managing Director, Globe Business Media Group
	Overview – Legal Business Services	Jordan Furlong – Principal, Edge International
	Legal Business Consulting	Gerry Riskin – Founder and Principal, Edge International
	Law Firm Networks	Stephen McGarry – Founder Lex Mundi, WSG and HG.org
	International Law Firms	Markus Hartung – Director, Bucerius Center on the Legal Profession
	Bar and Legal Associations	Bob Young – Chair, ABA Law Practice Management Division
	New Law – Alternative Models	Joseph Borstein and Edward Sohn – Global Directors, Pangea3
Chapter 9 – Epilogue
	Stephen McGarry – Founder Lex Mundi, WSG and HG.org

And perhaps the best part is the book is free! Click here to download the PDF, and here to download the eBook. Enjoy!

Timothy B. Corcoran is the immediate past President of the Legal Marketing Association and an elected Fellow of the College of Law Practice Management. He delivers keynote presentations, conducts workshops, and advises leaders of law firms, in-house legal departments, and legal service providers on how to profit in a time of great change.  To inquire about his services, contact him at +1.609.557.7311 or at tim@corcoranconsultinggroup.com.