Why are we Afraid of the Future of Law? Technology is Changing the Legal Profession, so Why Don’t Law Students Want to Hear That?

Richard Susskind is a famous British lawyer and technology consultant who travels the world giving speeches on how the legal industry is on the brink of a fundamental transformation. Because his topic is change, Susskind's ideas are quite controversial among lawyers. But as a futurist, he has a pretty good track record.

Back in 1996, in his book "The Future of Law," Susskind predicted that email would someday become the dominant method for lawyers and clients to communicate with each other. Because the Web was still a novelty limited to universities and computer aficionados, Susskind's comments were viewed as reckless and unprofessional - lawyers would never rely on such an insecure method to communicate with clients. Yet, 16 years later, lawyers' daily lives are comprised of an endless stream of emails coming over their desktops, laptops and smart phones.

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