Reforming the Profession: Opportunities and Challenges Facing Tomorrow's Lawyers

Today's law students are tomorrow's lawyers, and tomorrow's lawyers face a set of fundamental challenges that are likely to reshape the profession in the years ahead. Clients are increasingly dissatisfied with large law firms, and many other people in need of services--like individuals of modest means and small businesses--are unable to access legal assistance altogether. At the same time, government and public interest lawyers continue to be asked to do more with less. These challenges existed in 2019, but the last few years have sharpened them. In particular, the Covid-19 crisis has forced a change in the way lawyers work, with greater use of technology, and the resurgence of the #BlackLivesMatter movement following the death of George Floyd highlights the lack of diversity in the profession. These developments add to existing pressures facing lawyers. Leaders in law are just beginning to grapple with these challenges, and they're looking for help from the next generation. This course is designed for students who want to start their legal careers with a leg up on what success as a lawyer will look like in 5-10 years and beyond, and students who want to make positive change in the profession. The specific topics covered will include: challenges to the law-firm model; the growth of in-house counsel; professional development and well-being as a lawyer; how technology is changing the practice of law; new models for delivering legal services; and the challenges of diversity and inclusion in the profession. The course is a mix of full-class discussion with the instructors and guest speakers from practice, small-group discussion of case studies, and work on projects. A significant part of most classes will involve case studies where students will put themselves in the role of lawyers, and talk through options for dealing with the issues presented. The instructors and guest speakers will introduce context about the challenges, and then engage students in thinking about possible paths forward. Elements used in grading: The requirements will include attendance and participation, and either a final memo and presentation (section 01) or a research paper (section 02). Memo writers will have to write a few short responses to the case studies as well. There is no exam. A maximum of 10 students will be permitted to write the research paper for R credit. All students interested in R credit should pre-register by lottery for Law 6016-0-02. Students who do not receive a spot in section 02 may enroll in section 01.