Why Thinking About The Future Really Matters For Lawyers In An AI-Driven World
The Future Waits For No-One Not Even Lawyers
I am here to espouse why future planning is so important for lawyers.
What is next for lawyers and legal professionals you ask?
Well we are living in some of the most complex, uncertain and challenging of times.
This screams “I need my lawyer” more than ever to clients.
It also screams “ I need my lawyer to be more switched on” more than ever to clients.
The importance of lawyer future readiness, as impossible as it is to predict, matters now more than ever.
Our clients are expecting and need us to be on our toes.
As I have said many times, this means setting some regular time aside to reflect, scan the environment, looking for signals and assessing how these may impact us, our careers and our businesses.
Not just the legal industry trends environment but the greater societal environment around us.
The Legal World Is Being Reinvented
How can lawyers prepare for industry change for themselves and clients?
The answer lies in what I often describe as knowing a bit of “the future of everything."
I know it sounds a lot, but as I said to someone just today, the modern lawyer and legal professional needs to get what is going on not just in their profession anymore - they also need to know more about what is happening in the world, from geopolitical, cultural, business, legal, technological and many other perspectives.
My own approach as a legal futurist stems from a deep-seated curiosity to unravel the macro-level signals and trends shaping our society and to understand the litany of their potential implications. Sooner than later.
I believe the pandemic has fast-tracked technology (legal technology advancement as well for that matter) at a scale never before seen or experienced.
It has brought us firmly into an age of endless digital transformation and brought to light the intricate interconnectedness of various sectors, including technology, business, societal norms, ethics and cultural values.
To concentrate solely on a single domain or just focusing on our own legal profession without considering the wider spectrum of change could potentially be a mistake in these times.
Paul Ippolito - Legal Futurist
You Don’t Need To Be A Futurist To Think About Your Future
I often get asked - how do you prepare for the future?
This is why strategic foresight is essential as a tool and for planning ahead.
Recognising and understanding emerging, sustaining and declining signals, trends and emerging patterns is now more crucial than ever, enabling lawyers to stay ahead and remaining relevant in an ever-evolving world.
This broader perspective beyond the law is not just about keeping pace with change, but about deeply comprehending the complex dynamics of our ever evolving global environment.
That is what clients ultimately expect from their lawyer, that they get what is going on and are ahead enough of it to be well placed to advise on it.
This future focussed thinking involves examining everything from macro-economic indicators, leadership dynamics to the impact of technological innovations such as Generative AI, the future of work, and the principles of environmental, social responsibility and governance (ESG) frameworks.
Why is such a holistic understanding important?
As I said above yes, our law firm practices are deeply intertwined with wider business, technological, cultural, and societal dynamics.
However our legal clients are encountering more complex and unprecedented practices in their lives everyday and invariably these will be the focus for problem solving by us.
I call it professional anticipation as well as professional adaptability.
It is predictive lawyering for our clients, with and without the AI!
Future planning for lawyers matters.
It matters for you personally as a lawyer.
It matters for your professional development as a lawyer.
It matters for your law firm.
It matters for your clients.
And it matters for society!
Embracing The Future As A Lawyer
By embracing this expansive view, lawyers and legal professionals can position themselves as innovative, forward-thinking leaders who are adept at addressing the challenges of our dynamic world.
As we continue to navigate these uncertain times, the need for a comprehensive understanding of "the future of everything" becomes increasingly apparent.
It's about empowering ourselves to be the architects of a future of law that is not only resilient but also thriving and inclusive.
It is grounded in utility as much as it is in ensuring the survival of our profession.
Simple Foresight Strategies For Lawyers
Really know your clients - go and see them - talk to them, really get to know their business and industry better - p.s. don’t charge them for this!
Use Google Trends for 10 minutes a day. Try and see what trends and signals and emerging patterns may affect you as a lawyer and your practice areas
Spend 5 minutes a day developing a skill you will need in the future.
Ready To Future Proof Your Legal Career?
Reading about the future is one thing - planning for it, is another.
If you're thinking about how to make your legal work more future-proof for yourself or your firm, get in touch and let’s have a chat today
Paul Ippolito is Principal of Ippolito Advisory. He is a legal futurist, lawyer coach and consultant to the legal profession. Paul is available for media enquiries, speaking and consulting. You can contact him here.
