New Law in the Legal Industry

The legal industry is ripe for a paradigm shift that will put its focus on customer impact that produces high net promoter scores, not on maintaining legacy delivery models, outdated legal education, and self-congratulatory law firm awards. New law will be collaborative, fluid, and solution-based, and it will be powered by technology and data. It will be shaped by two principal sources: (1) large-scale legal buyer activism, and (2) corporate Goliaths that have the brand, capital, know-how, customer-centricity, data mastery, tech platforms, agile multidisciplinary workforces, footprint in/familiarity with the legal industry, and desire to leverage those capabilities to disrupt the status quo.

During this time of economic uncertainty, businesses are seeking ways to reduce costs while retaining the quality of their services. One area of concern is employee compensation and benefits. This article discusses recent legislation and court decisions that may have a significant impact on how companies provide their employees with benefits.

A growing number of law firms have embraced a practice model that involves hiring a mix of full-time and part-time legal staffers. This approach enables firms to better serve clients while offering flexibility and cost savings. This article describes the various benefits of this strategy, including a more streamlined and efficient billing process, as well as improved service and client outcomes.

This is an excerpt from a larger article that is being published in the September/October 2016 issue of The Recorder. To view the complete article, click here.

The New York Law Review publishes articles, essays, and book reviews relating to all areas of the law. Founded in 1915, the Review is widely cited and respected for its scholarship and scholarly merit. The Review is a member of the Association of American Law Schools, and its articles are cited in the leading treatises and casebooks on law. The Review is also a recognized authority on the law of libel and slander, the law of privacy, intellectual property, the law of contracts, torts, and property.

The New York Law Review is edited and published at the University of New York School of Law. It is the oldest continuously published law review in the United States. The Review is published both in print and on the Internet, and is distributed to all NYLS students through a subscription base, at law schools around the world, through world’s media organizations and industry events, and directly to consumers. The website includes current and past issues of the Review, as well as a searchable database of the New York State laws (known as bills) that have been passed by the Legislature and periodically codified in the New York Consolidated Laws, and decisions by courts that interpret the laws. The Law Review is financed primarily by contributions from private individuals. The Review is a nonprofit, independent organization. It is governed by a Board of Editors and an Executive Committee elected from its membership. The Review is not affiliated with any political party or lobby group and does not accept advertising or subscriptions from lawyers or law firms.