the Future of Change

In Jordan Furlong’s latest piece on Lawyerist.com, he asks What Makes Uber Tick: And What Can Lawyers Learn from It?  He argues that we are unlikely to see an “Uber for Law” –what he describes as novice/non-lawyers offering legal services in their spare time, like many providers in the so-called sharing economy–any time soon.  At the same time, he asks whether lawyers can learn from what companies like Uber are trying to do: namely make services more accessible and convenient for consumers.  I agree with Jordan that the sharing economy offers some insights into how lawyers can reach more clients in a meaningful and effective way and I also agree that we do not want non-lawyers engaging in the unauthorized practice of law through a sharing economy model.  I explore some of these questions in a piece recently published by the Buffalo Law Review, named, coincidentally, “Uber for Lawyers: The Transformative Potential of a Sharing Economy Approach to the Delivery of Legal Services.”  Download it here.