Abstract
This article argues that there are three narratives to technology’s role in augmenting, disrupting or ending the current legal services environment—each of which gives life to particular legal professional archetypes in how lawyers react to LawTech. In tracing these influential narratives and associated archetypes, we map the evolving role of LawTech, the legal profession and legal services delivery. The article concludes by proffering a further narrative of technology’s role in law known as ‘adaptive professionalism’, which emphasises the complex, contextual nature of the legal professional field. Through this normative rather than descriptive account it is suggested that the profession may access the benefits of technological developments while holding on to essential notions of ethical conduct, access to justice and the rule of law.
Highlights
ContextThe legal profession, law firms and other legal services providers are under pressure from a number of policy, societal and market variables
This article examines three analytic narratives of technology’s role in augmenting, disrupting or ending the current legal services environment. We identify that these narratives give life to particular legal professional archetypes[12] in how lawyers react to LawTech, and further draw from the established story of status professionalism, the works of Clayton Christensen on disruption and Richard Susskind on radical change
We suggest that in the face of LawTech, adaptive professionalism recognises that professional knowledge is essentially problematic.[118]
Summary
‘LawTech’—the adaptation and adaption of digital technologies to legal practice2—has been heralded as a disruptive force within the legal profession and legal services delivery. This article examines three analytic narratives of technology’s role in augmenting, disrupting or ending the current legal services environment We identify that these narratives give life to particular legal professional archetypes (or ideal types)[12] in how lawyers react to LawTech, and further draw from the established story of status professionalism, the works of Clayton Christensen on disruption and Richard Susskind on radical change. In tracing these influential ideas about the future of law, we hope to explore the way in which they underpin how we think about the evolving role of LawTech, as well as the legal profession and legal services delivery. This will help practitioners to reap many benefits from technological development, while holding on to essential notions at the heart of the profession’s role about ethical conduct, access to justice and the rule of law
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