One of the enduring stereotypes of lawyers and people in the legal industry is that they are resistant to change.
Part of that comes down to nature. Lawyers are trained to value precedent and past results and to avoid unnecessary risks.
That’s especially the case when it comes to adopting technology, embracing new regulatory schemes and changing licensing requirements. After all, what has worked for decades and was good enough for previous generations of lawyers is surely good enough going forward, right?
In recent years, however, the once staid and traditional legal industry has undergone a rapid and unprecedented amount of change. Generative artificial intelligence has gained a foothold in a fraction of the time it took other transformative technologies, such as email or cloud computing, to do so.
New business structures and limited licensing programs are opening up opportunities for nonlawyers and legal professionals without JDs. Even the longtime gatekeeper of the profession, the bar exam, is undergoing major change—with some jurisdictions even asking a question that once seemed unthinkable: Do we even need this exam?
For this year’s class of Legal Rebels, the ABA Journal and the ABA Center for Innovation have chosen to honor eight individuals who are leading the way during these changing times. Whether it’s making the legal system more accessible to the people, rethinking how lawyers are educated and licensed, helping lawyers and legal professionals harness the transformative power of generative AI, or holding judges accountable, these eight rebels are showing the way forward.
