Some moments matter more than others. This is one of those moments.
The traditional law firm model is rapidly changing.
Some might say it's breaking down. Others might say evolving for the better.
In the midst of all this change to the legal industry, Pneumatic can help. We know law firms and we know what makes lawyers tick. We are legal innovation experts with decades of world-class experience in product, people and organizational design.
TREND 1 -
The law firm apprenticeship model is breaking down.
WHAT:
Lawyers no longer have the same ability or access to learn on-the-job while working alongside more experienced and skilled experts.
WHY:
The rise of hybrid work has reduced the moments of in-person interaction, making simple requests for help feel like a cold call. Learning through proximity is very 2019.
Increased lateral movement at the partner and associate levels means less people actually know each other or are invested in the longterm success of the firm. Informal mentor relationships are created with much less frequency.
The pace of change often requires partners and senior lawyers to be learning new skills right alongside everyone else. It’s impossible to teach what you don’t know yourself.
HOW INNOVATION CAN HELP:
More intentional network design (Simpson Neighborhoods)
Better training (FRE Rotations)
Different incentives (Simpson Career Paths / Reward People & Project Management)
TREND 2 -
Legal tech is advancing much faster than lawyers are changing their ways of working
WHAT:
AI technology is and will continue to disrupt the legal profession. Yet most law firms continue to operate like it’s 1999. The tech isn’t the problem. It’s the lawyers.
WHY:
Risk aversion
Incentivized to maintain the status quo.
Fixed mindsets run rampant in a profession that prioritizes specialization
HOW INNOVATION CAN HELP:
New teaming structures (OMM Future of Work)
Empower the youth (FSG Automation)
Demonstrate the Power of Outside Expertise (Dechert Data Science Immersion)
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.