8/15/2023 0 Comments Zoom legal servicesThey wouldn’t have done it if services like ours did not exist,” said Moore. “The reality is that a lot of the folks who use our services would have gone without representation…. While the companies have been very successful – Legal Zoom is celebrating 16 years in the business, while Avvo nears 10 and Rocket Lawyer reaches eight – their CEOs say that there is a lot of room to grow and there is ample opportunity for others to gain a foothold in the market. “There’s been a real decline in the last 40 years in solo practitioner income – I’m talking about 1971 going forward, where the bulk of that decline happened in the 80’s and 90’s,” he said, noting that providers like Legal Zoom and Rocket Lawyer represent less than 1 percent of the market, and are not the “boogey men” that some attorneys make them out to be.Īll three companies-Avvo, Legal Zoom and Rocket Lawyer-have focused their attention on serving the middle class and small businesses, which the CEOs say have experienced the biggest drop in access to justice in the last several decades. “The that many people are facing happened well before the advent of the internet,” Britton said. This creates this big shadow that billows out and keeps some of the most entrepreneurial lawyers from pushing the practice forward.”įor those lawyers who are concerned about the new technology-based outfits like the ones run by the panelists taking over the legal profession, Britton said their worries are unfounded. “We have a lot of lawyers out there who are frozen in their action because they don’t know whether what they are doing is appropriate.”Ĭiting Suh’s Facebook example, Britton said: “You have many lawyers who won’t use Facebook because they’re not quite sure whether it comports with their bar association rules…. “Some ways that lawyers are regulating themselves are really hampering their ability to be creative and hampering their ability to create solutions.”īritton said that the impediment to progress isn’t regulations, but the “shadow” of regulation. “What is the state bar doing looking at Facebook changes and approving them? It didn’t make sense,” Suh said. The participants had a long discussion about whether lawyers should have their posts approved by the bar. Suh also recalled a bar association annual meeting where there was a big debate about Facebook advertising. “Without the ability to fund innovation, without the ability to attract multiple people of diverse skills, it is very difficult to create innovative solutions.” prohibitions against investments in law firms, a successful way of raising capital in the U.K. Moore said that current regulations are not an impediment to change, noting the success of his company and those of his fellow speakers, as well as other “alternative” service providers.īut Suh disagreed, pointing out U.S. The panelists debated whether lawyer regulations are also stifling progress. If you listen, that should drive innovation.” “One thing that you should draw on that blank slate is: Listen to the customer at all times. Suh suggested that lawyers approach new ideas with an open mind, a “blank slate,” emphasizing Moore’s advice. “So much of the law is based on precedent, but so much of innovation is about thinking creatively, outside of it.” Legal Zoom CEO John Suh agreed, noting that the way lawyers operate is often at odds with innovation and creative thinking, the kind of qualities that can drive the legal profession forward. “If all we do is focus on the issues…we miss the opportunities.” But as a result, lawyers get mired in dissecting potential problems, leading to inaction. “But the majority of don’t offer that, and that’s not asking for much.”īritton said that many attorneys aren’t on the bandwagon because of the way lawyers are trained to think. “If you listen to your customers, they’ll say they want a flat fee, paid for by credit card, from a solution provider they trust,” said Avvo CEO Mark Britton. More than just demanding technology-based service delivery, today’s clients are rejecting the billable hour and seeking more transparency. Increasingly “clients want to consume legal services the same way they consume banking or Snapchat,” said Rocket Lawyer CEO Charley Moore, pointing out that it’s always customers that drive change – not service providers. Three pioneers of Internet-based legal services came together at ABA TECHSHOW in March to discuss the changing landscape of law practice and how lawyers can navigate the environment to enhance their bottom line.Īccording to the CEOs of Avvo, LegalZoom and Rocket Lawyer, success today means finding out what clients want and delivering on those needs. Trade, Sports & Professional Associations
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