Several times in the last few years we’ve heard someone say “the billable hour is dead.” While this certainly isn’t true in today’s law firm – yet – firms continue to feel pressure from clients to change their ways. The billable hour might not completely go away, but it is no longer the pristine measure of valuable lawyer work it once was.
In an ILTA session Tuesday echoing the “Law Firm 2020” theme, Monica Bay, editor-in-chief of Law Technology News, moderated a discussion on “Supporting an Alternative Staffing Model.” Joining her were Maureen Atta, managing director at Huron Consulting Group; Barbara Schane Jackson, founder of Schane Jackson & Associates; and Gareth Evans, partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.
Bay opened the discussion by pointing out that law firms are facing tremendous economic, regulatory and client pressures to transition from operating like a private club to being more transparent and treating associates like valued contributors.
The panelists discussed the staffing challenges firms face, particularly with roles blurring between the business side and the practice side of the firm. Today’s lawyers have to be smart business people and technologists, and new positions are being created to account for greater needs in project management and e-discovery.
In this video clip, Bay recaps the key points of the session and expands on her thoughts about the growing roles for attorneys in the law firm of the future:
Posted by Angie Butterbrodt in:
In Business | Law firm business |
