According to Prof Richard Susskind OBE there are 3 drivers of legal change which give rise to new roles within the legal profession.
1. Increased cost pressures placed upon law firms
2. Liberalisation and the emergence of Non-law firms providing legal services
3. The management of the effective use of technology in Law
These three weather conditions ( if you like the analogy of the legal profession encountering a storm of great magnitude) give rise to a new breed of legal professionals with deep and profound legal skills that bring a great value to their firm .
Susskind explains on US TV Bloomberg that the emerging roles of Legal Knowledge (Process) engineer, Legal Project manager and Legal Risk Manager will become keys roles in Law firms of the future. Perhaps these job titles will be tailored and tweaked to fit the individual firms my role is Legal Process Engineer at @Inksters. The fact remains that the stereo typical Rumpole of the Bailey lawyer is a thing of the past. A new identity of what makes a lawyer is being forged.
You can watch Susskind’s interview here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XL2YKBYIEQM#t=370
Michelle Hynes LL.B (Hons) DipLP
Lawyer & Legal Process Engineer
Pioneer and Legaleagle
Legaleaglemhm's Blawg 