Inside the Law
Firm of the Future
By Susan Saltonstall Duncan
RainMaking Oasis, Inc.
For the College of Law Practice Management
October 23, 2010
www.rainmakingoasis.com
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The Market is Changing How
Clients Will Obtain Legal Services
 Technology, automation
 Knowledge sharing
 Globalization, off-
shoring, outsourcing
 Pricing for value delivered
 Efficiency and process
engineering
 Law firms owned and run
by non-lawyers
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2
Traditional Law Firm Structure:
top down for maximum leverage/profit
Partners
Associates/
Counsel
Staff/Contract
Attorneys, Litigation
Support/eDiscovery
Legal Research/Paralegals/
Others: consultants, agents,
etc.
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3
Evolution of Legal Services
by Richard Susskind
Bespoke
Standardized
Systematized
Commoditized
Shrink-Wrapped Brand;
Trusted Advisor or
Thought Leader; Hourly
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Packaged
Fixed Fee
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1. Advocacy
2. Counseling
3. Process
4. Content
(Low)
Importance
(High)
FMC Technologies GC: Jeff Carr’s
4 Buckets : All Legal Services Fall in a Box
(Low)
Knowledge and Judgment
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5
(High)
The Law Firm of the Future
 What does the client need?



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Deliverables? Skills required?
What value can we deliver for
a given cost?
Am I the right person to do
this?
Am I adding value?
Can someone (or something)
else do this better, cheaper,
faster?
The Law Firm of the (Present?) Future
© RainMaking Oasis, Inc.
www.rainmakingoasis.com
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Who Will Provide Legal Services
Inside the Future Law Firm?
 Fewer partners, fewer




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 More high level business
associates (only
“partners-in-training”)
More staff attorneys , lit
support
More consultants,
specialists, paralegals
Process analysts,
managers, engineers and
decision analysts
Budgeting & finance
managers
Project managers
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professionals supporting
clients and law firm:
 Chief Value/Pricing Officer
 Client Services Officer
 Knowledge Management
Officers
 Department Operating
Officers
 Practice Group/ Department
Business Managers
 Competitive Intelligence
specialists
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