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The End of Lawyers?: Rethinking the Nature of Legal Services
by
The End of Lawyers? is the much-anticipated sequel to Richard Susskind's legal best-seller of 1996, The Future of Law. Ten years on, and half-way towards the twenty-year vision he set out, Susskind takes stock of progress, introduces vital new emerging technologies, and envisages even more radical change to the legal world than before.
This is a world in which, at least i ...more
This is a world in which, at least i ...more
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Hardcover, 303 pages
Published
January 15th 2009
by Oxford University Press, USA
(first published November 20th 2008)
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Start your review of The End of Lawyers?: Rethinking the Nature of Legal Services
WARNING! WARNING! THE END IS NIGH!
I’m reminded of Blair’s treacherous mission for Frank Field – “think the unthinkable”. He did and got sacked! Susskind is made of different stuff (I hope) with this rethink on the nature of our legal services.
Academic Susskind has been thinking the unthinkable here, too. It’s worth it after inconclusive attempts by Labour to introduce new packages on legal services, a commission, far too much regulation, and a “push me, pull you” policy on conditional fee agreem ...more
I’m reminded of Blair’s treacherous mission for Frank Field – “think the unthinkable”. He did and got sacked! Susskind is made of different stuff (I hope) with this rethink on the nature of our legal services.
Academic Susskind has been thinking the unthinkable here, too. It’s worth it after inconclusive attempts by Labour to introduce new packages on legal services, a commission, far too much regulation, and a “push me, pull you” policy on conditional fee agreem ...more
Reading a 2010 publication at the end of 2020, I'm a little disturbed by how much Richard Susskind's predictions materialized and how much legal practices evolved in just a decade (they didn't have law blogs, law podcasts, automated form contracts...?!). Some of the other predictions do seem to be what you'd find from a non-tech person's wishlist, although the lack of progress there (I suspect) could be due more to a lack of industry attention than technical limitations.
I wish the author took a ...more
I wish the author took a ...more
This book was interesting and thought provoking. Although not for everyone (even not for people in the law), the ideas and concepts discussed will affect both lawyers and those who use lawyers. While I did not agree with everything the author concluded and proposed, the arguments were persuasively put and were as a result of well measured, considered responses.
Particular mention must be made of the fact that the author posted chapters and ideas of the text online as he was writing it, to receiv ...more
Particular mention must be made of the fact that the author posted chapters and ideas of the text online as he was writing it, to receiv ...more
This book just felt very dated to me, a sort of "prediction" mired in obvious observations. I assume that the book was groundbreaking ten years ago, but it felt very flat. I also felt that many of the author's assumptions about technological innovation lacked deeper reflection. What about professionalism? What about maintaining client confidentiality? What about the challenges of maintaining IT staff to support your twelve new platforms? And, the most obvious question to me, how much TIME does a
...more
I agree that this book was a difficult scholarly read, with more reference to application in UK than the US, however, the issues presented are of major importance, and Susskind poses some very interesting queries that all lawyers need to seriously and carefully consider. My view after reading the book - We must not allow dinosaurs to continue to hold us back!
On the lighter side I did note that being from Scotland he had to reference single malt scotch at least once, notably toward the end of th ...more
On the lighter side I did note that being from Scotland he had to reference single malt scotch at least once, notably toward the end of th ...more
A controversial and thought-provoking read from the UK. The author condenses his 20 years experience into a critique and vision of the modern legal system. For the entrenched, old-school lawyers the future is bleak. For the modern entrepreneurial practitioner, the future holds a bewildering set of challenges and opportunities. Not every section will apply to folks with different experience and backgrounds. Five stars if the book had provided more up to date, American examples. Of course the exam
...more
The book was issued in 2008. I would recommend more actual book from the same author, issued in 2013: Tomorrow's Lawyers: An Introduction to Your Future.
However even the second book is becomming dated with the spread of Qualified Electronic Signatures (look for EIDAS regulation in EU) and (decentralised) smart-contracts.
But the books deal with much more, so it is not straight outdated reading, and the reading is straight-forward. ...more
However even the second book is becomming dated with the spread of Qualified Electronic Signatures (look for EIDAS regulation in EU) and (decentralised) smart-contracts.
But the books deal with much more, so it is not straight outdated reading, and the reading is straight-forward. ...more
I strongly agree with the thesis Susskind puts forth in this book; namely, that technology will significantly disrupt the legal industry and that most lawyers are not prepared for this change. However, the book itself is a tough read. It's both unnecessarily abstract and verbose. To be really helpful to its intended audience, I believe the book should be more direct, more anecdotal, and more prescriptive.
Again, love the ideas, but the presentation was lacking. ...more
Again, love the ideas, but the presentation was lacking. ...more
This book will sell my business... assuming we're both right.
...more
Mr Susskind helped my dissertation no end, he actually makes the theory of legal practice easily digesible.
Old ideas. Nothing new to add. This guy is behind the curve when he thinks he is predicting the future.
Disappointing. A fairly simple set of ideas blown out into far too much detail for me.
Interesting predictions about the changing model of legal services as technology evolves
Though this book was written in 2008, I would say that it is a must read for all practicing lawyers, and anyone interested in the legal profession. Susskind has been one of the foremost thought leaders on the way the legal profession is changing in terms of technology, delivery, service and access to justice. For someone who went to law school over 20 years ago, maintained their license, but pursued entrepreneurship such as myself , it helped open my mind and see the opportunities that exist for
...more
Pretty good picture on the legal market position in respect of technology application
A great book about the future of legal business. Richard Susskind in 1990s predicted that in the future lawyers will mostly communicate with their clients via e-mail. He was correct. With this book he is going a step forward and some of his predictions are slowly coming true. Although this book is about eight years old it is worth a read for every lawyer or law student.
Sorting through old books. I read this one a few years back, when I was considering law school. Interesting read about technology & opportunities for innovation in the legal services industry. And despite the technical nature, an entertaining read.
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“The first is for in-house departments not only to be vastly more efficient in their deployment of the traditional combination of internal labour and external law firms, but also to ensure that work is undertaken, where appropriate, by less costly suppliers of legal services, such as legal process outsourcers and paralegals.”
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