Examining the impact and effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on legal personnel, and the strategies law firm leaders need to consider and adopt to thrive in the new legal ecosystem that will follow.

This book is split into two parts - the first deals with the immediate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and the ways in which is immediately transformed - and is continuing to innovate - the delivery of legal services.

A one-of-a-kind prescriptive look at the benefits, importance, and the value that cost estimate strategies bring to individual matters, the overall client law firm relationship, and the legal service delivery model. 

Horizon Scanning: Modernizing Legal Service Delivery takes a look at the ways in which the delivery of legal services might change in the foreseeable future, bringing together the advice of leading industry practitioners and consultants who scan the legal horizon for indicators of change, offering their predictions, and sharing experience and practical guidance to help law firm leaders prepare for what is coming up next.

Consultants who prowl the corridors of Midsize law firms have been offering gloomy advice for years. “Merge, grow, or die,” they say, as though there are only three alternatives for any business in this market that wishes to prepare for the future. The gloom has sharpened since the Great Recession.  Some pundits are now predicting that by 2035—in roughly 15 years—more than half of the traditional law firms in the Midsize market will no longer exist. Despite such pronouncements, however, the Midsize segment had its best year in a decade in 2018. 

That one good year notwithstanding, many Midsize firms are feeling the pressure. While Big Law firms crow about their commitment to innovation, most Midsize firms are still trying to figure out where they fit in the new legal landscape that is taking shape. Some have embraced the “merge, grow, or die” dictum, and are busy trying to expand in some manner. Many others are still studying the problem and taking the first tentative steps—appointing committees, for example, or designating partners to lead their efforts. The key descriptor for much of this activity seems to be innovation—hence, we see the multiplication of innovation committees, innovation partners, innovation initiatives, etc.

Recent years have witnessed growing concern internationally in wellbeing and mental health across the legal community, a shift reflected in a host of initiatives, networks, reports and research studies. Changes to working patterns, generational shifts, and an increased interest in overall wellbeing have contributed to a growing movement towards better working practices - across all industries but particularly in high pressure professions such as law.

The Future of Legal Innovation 

There has never been a more exciting time to practice law. While artificial intelligence promises to minimize mundane tasks, clients’ legal issues are becoming more complex. But, to successfully navigate these changes, legal professionals must better develop and exercise their creative problem- solving skills. 

What works and what doesn’t, examining the issues behind each of these questions and how they form the drivers of almost all human decision-making and behaviour.

Expert opinion, guidance, and market knowledge on what today’s legal marketplace might look like tomorrow.