http://www.abajournal.com/news/ en Copyright 2013 2013-05-22T02:55:35-06:00 http://www.abajournal.com/legalrebels/article/how_this_duo_is_trying_to_reinvent_law_school/ Editor's note: Last week Paul Lippe noted several programs shaking up the traditional legal ed model. Here, two professors share details about one of those programs. Greetings from ReInvent Law, our law laboratory devoted to technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship at Michigan State University… Business of Law, Careers, Law Schools, Law Students, Legal Rebels, The New Normal Thu, 09 May 2013 08:30:03 -0500 43988.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/legalrebels/article/d-day_for_law_school_deans/ By now, it's old news that law is in a pickle. But if you look at that dust cloud on the horizon, you’ll see the Deans' Cavalry riding to the rescue. For some time we’ve been saying that the recent “disengagement” strategy of law schools, aspiring to be uber-departments of… Legal Rebels, The New Normal Wed, 01 May 2013 08:40:21 -0500 43983.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/legalrebels/article/business_as_a_source_of_answers_to_law_firm_problems/ Not long ago, I was speaking before a group of law firm managing partners who were curious about how we ran a firm without keeping track of hours. One manager asked how we handled associate reviews considering we don't track billable hours. Before answering, I asked how many used hours… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Law Firms, Legal Rebels, The New Normal Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:11:52 -0500 43903.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/legalrebels/article/blamed_for_properly_managing_a_process_to_the_wrong_outcome/ If you follow college basketball, you haven’t been able to avoid the Rutgers University athletic department’s meltdown over the last week in which (i) a disgruntled former assistant coach provided a videotape of abusive behavior in practice by the head basketball coach, (ii) the athletic director first chose to discipline,… Legal Rebels, The New Normal Thu, 11 Apr 2013 08:40:54 -0500 43656.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/legalrebels/article/what_clients_are_saying_about_the_futureand_what_it_means/ Twice a year, I serve as a faculty member for a two-day program designed to help inside and outside lawyers use Value Fees. Each of these programs begins with a “present state/future state” exercise. The inside counsel and outside counsel adjourn to separate rooms, and each group identifies what is… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, In-house Counsel, Legal Rebels, The New Normal Wed, 03 Apr 2013 08:30:06 -0500 43521.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/legalrebels/article/running_susskind_in_reverse/ Far and away the best analyst and predictor of the evolution of the legal marketplace is Richard Susskind, the U.K.-based academic and futurist. Richard has a new book out called Tomorrow’s Lawyers: An Introduction to Your Future. It is a slim and… Legal Rebels, The New Normal Wed, 27 Mar 2013 08:45:28 -0500 43447.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/legalrebels/article/law_schools_should_consider_med-school_model_--_a_deans_view/ Recent news reports suggest broad-based support for a major free trade agreement between the United States and the European Union. Many are confident that a pact will be concluded within the next two years—one more giant step in the ongoing elimination of barriers to an integrated global economy. Until very… Business of Law, Law Schools, Legal Rebels, The New Normal Wed, 13 Mar 2013 08:54:43 -0500 43230.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/legalrebels/article/lawschool.next/ As previewed in a previous post, I had the chance last month to speak to the ABA’s meeting of law school deans. The meeting was off the record, so I can’t disclose any of the group discussions. But I can share my own observations… Law Schools, Legal Rebels, The New Normal Thu, 07 Mar 2013 09:30:49 -0600 43127.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/legalrebels/article/why_do_general_counsel_fear_alternative_fee_arrangements/ I was catching up on a pile of reading when I was confronted with a piece about the “fear” among general counsel of alternative fee arrangements. Just a few days before, I had highlighted a piece in Richard Susskind’s new book, Tomorrow’s Lawyers, where he observed that “in truth, hourly… In-house Counsel, Legal Rebels, The New Normal, Trials & Litigation, Attorney Fees Wed, 27 Feb 2013 09:30:42 -0600 43019.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/legalrebels/article/only_law_schools_that_tackle_cost_graduate_client-centered_lawyers/ As calls for reform of legal education continue to suggest a variety of directions, one thing is certain. Law schools will be expected to do more with less. We often hear legal educators highlight tensions within the loud criticisms aimed at today’s law schools. Critics tell us that costs are… Law Schools, Legal Rebels, The New Normal Thu, 21 Feb 2013 12:53:00 -0600 42945.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/legalrebels/article/adding_value_managing_costs_and_participating_in_the_conversation/ A key part of my job as dean of the University of Denver Sturm College of Law is to improve value for our students. That means both improving the educational experience and making law school more affordable. At Denver Law, we are addressing affordability by, among other things, increasing the… Law Schools, Legal Rebels, The New Normal Thu, 14 Feb 2013 09:30:56 -0600 42853.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/legalrebels/article/if_you_could_shape_the_law_school_experience_for_the_next_generation/ Thanks to reader support of this discussion at the New Normal, I was asked to speak to the “Deans Workshop for ABA Approved Law Schools” on Feb. 15 in Arizona. I've been asked specifically to discuss how changes in the clients’ world… Law Students, Legal Rebels, The New Normal Thu, 31 Jan 2013 10:42:29 -0600 42627.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/legalrebels/article/pump_up_the_value/ As we move into 2013, firms face a basic choice between doubling down on Dewey or pumping up the value. Reading the various things written of late (PDF) , it would seem that many firms are "doubling down" by: • Aggressively seeking… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Law Firms, Large Firm, Legal Rebels, The New Normal Tue, 22 Jan 2013 17:30:26 -0600 42474.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/legalrebels/article/do_you_deduct_time_from_your_billing_sheet_for_bathroom_breaks/ Some random questions about the billable hour: 1) When people record their time days or weeks after the work was done, do you ever wonder about the accuracy of the entries? They should be accurate. They are made to appear accurate—measured in tenths of an hour. But do people remember… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Legal Rebels, The New Normal, Trials & Litigation, Attorney Fees Thu, 17 Jan 2013 09:30:19 -0600 42405.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/legalrebels/article/13_new_years_resolutions_for_improving_client_service/ It’s that time of the year. So here is a list of 13 resolutions for ‘13. Feel free to adopt any of these you want. 1) I will spend more time in 2013 looking at the relationships I have with my clients from their perspective. 2) I will make a… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Legal Rebels, The New Normal Wed, 09 Jan 2013 09:45:57 -0600 42269.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/legalrebels/article/reshaping_legal_education_to_match_the_new_normal/ In 1938, Karl Llewellyn lamented (PDF) the age of industrialization. "Specialized work, mass-production, cheapened production, advertising and selling—finding the customer who does not know he wants it, and making him want it: these are the characteristics of the age. Not, yet, of the Bar." Despite Llewellyn's grave misgivings,… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Law Schools, Law Students, Legal Ethics, Legal Rebels, The New Normal Wed, 02 Jan 2013 10:59:12 -0600 42116.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/legalrebels/article/the_aftermath_of_urging_law_firms_not_to_send_out_price-increase_letters/ I recently wrote a piece for Corporate Counsel magazine that suggested that law firms might want to think twice about sending out their annual rate increase letter. The response has been incredible. And vehement. From every side. No surprise, eh? I’ll assume that you’ve either read the… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, In-house Counsel, Legal Rebels, The New Normal, Trials & Litigation, Attorney Fees Thu, 13 Dec 2012 13:06:44 -0600 42021.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/legalrebels/article/time_to_blow_up_the_formula/ It’s time we face a fundamental problem that’s existed for the past 35 years after we moved away from fixed prices, retainers and other approaches that had previously been used and instead went to fees based solely on hours. Hours are performing two diametrically opposed functions. First, they are being… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Law Firms, Legal Rebels, The New Normal Wed, 28 Nov 2012 10:10:43 -0600 41622.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/legalrebels/article/value_fee_engagement_letters_require_more/ I routinely am asked for copies of our engagement letters by people who want to utilize an alternative fee arrangement with their client. To address these queries, I have boiled down the points to be covered. As I have said many times, Valorem is a litigation firm, so this list… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Law Firms, Legal Rebels, The New Normal, Trials & Litigation, Attorney Fees Wed, 07 Nov 2012 10:02:17 -0600 41502.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/legalrebels/article/the_rise_of_two-tier_law/ The New Normal thesis is: 1) That law is in the process of becoming more "normal", i.e., more like other complex activities that go on in sophisticated organizations. 2) That this will be enabled by technology and process improvements. 3) That this will be led by general counsel. Much of… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Outsourcing, Legal Rebels, The New Normal Wed, 24 Oct 2012 08:30:04 -0500 41258.abajournal.com