Author: lily

The law industry has been dabbling in Artificial Intelligence – the use of software to replace human processes such as learning and reasoning – for a while now. And it’s an area of progress that’s gaining steam. But what does AI really mean for the world of law? Can years of training and expertise in litigation be matched by a laptop with a detached sense of logic? If we let an application do our arbitration, where does that leave…the lawyers?

Hit me with your algorithm

The possibilities for what AI can do for us at work are, indeed, endless. Contract automation service Evisort was developed by a group of Harvard Law students to “enhance efficiency, improve accuracy, and save millions of dollars a year”. Similarly, platforms like Clio and LEAP are concerned with optimising productivity through automated processes. Software that can scan a huge amount of data in seconds relieves lawyers of the grunt work of the role, gifting them time and energy to apply to rational, informed thinking. It also means lawyers might have the bandwidth to take on a broader, more stimulating and exciting caseload – gaining a wealth of experience to inform them. Saving on costs is another huge benefit to adopting AI in legal processes. This is great news for smaller firms and practising individuals looking to take control of their time and workload – as well as for public services, non-profits and pro bono teams. The reduced margin for human error, meanwhile, has been a key draw for the medical industry’s embracing of AI – and it is highly relevant to the legal field.

Apprehensive about Artificial Intelligence

There are, meanwhile, valid concerns about deepening our reliance on the digital world. The sensitive nature of the documents in our hands makes them vulnerable to cyberattacks. Along with glitches, bugs, and viruses, it makes uploading our entire industry to the cloud is a risky business. Technological development in this field is still quite young, so can we trust that it is ready to handle our clients’ delicate legal matters?

And then there’s the people. Using AI to eliminate much of our process threatens the role of paralegals and junior lawyers – people whose valuable knowledge and input would be lost when analysing complex cases. The role of the lawyer could become rather lonely and even itself redundant. A piece from the Law Society worries that automated processes could be used ‘by those outside the profession to provide the same services, with all the combined learning of law libraries, precedent and risk analysis, reliably and instantaneously, but without the training, rigour and regulation of the legal profession.’

Changing the law game

Artificial intelligence is already disrupting the legal sector and changing the way we work – for good or bad. But as unsettled and threatened as we might feel by AI, there’s a lot to be excited about. If automation replaces certain frameworks, it could lead to a more affordable and accessible justice system. It’s also in the best interest of law firms, their clients and lawyers themselves to have the most tedious, time-consuming parts of the job taken away. Time is money after all, and clients need a service that’s efficient and cost-effective. Firms need to stay competitive and agile.

And lawyers need a healthy work-life balance. With more energy and enthusiasm to bring to a case, we’re sharper, more able to absorb and analyse the bigger picture. We’re more compassionate and able to focus on what we do best – thinking, advising, advocating and problem solving. Being human. A lawyer’s true value isn’t in the data, but in emotional intelligence, ethical integrity and empathy – and it’s these skills that are more important than ever. The law exists to guide our humanity and, with the help of careful and considered integration of AI, lawyers might just be able to keep it that way.

Lawyers for Good is dedicated to providing access to justice for those who need it, and supports the personal and professional development of lawyers through meaningful work. Find out more about our projects and join our growing community.

What a difference a century makes. 100 years ago, women lawyers were banned from practising law in the UK. Today, they outnumber their male counterparts. And while there may be a way to go to achieving true equality in and out of the courtroom, the boardroom, and any other room for that matter, the future is looking decidedly female. So hold on to your (lady) briefs as we celebrate some ceiling smashing women that make us proud to call ourselves lawyers.

Gwyneth Bebb

Caught in the wrong half of the 20^th century, Gwyneth was never able to practice the law that she studied. One of the first women to read law at Oxford University, she achieved first-class results but wasn’t allowed to formally graduate. In 1911, Bebb vs. the Law Society petitioned for the right to qualify as an attorney in a case that rested on whether a woman was, laughably, considered a ‘person’ as per the wording of the Solicitors Act 1843. It took a decade, alongside the gathering momentum of the suffrage movement and the redefinition of women’s roles during the First World War, but the first doors were broken down by the 1919 Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act. In 1922, Gwyneth’s classmates were among the UK’s first female barristers. Gwyneth herself had sadly died the year before due to complications following childbirth, but her legacy lives on.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

The Notorious RBG, as she’s affectionately known in the US, was the second woman ever to be appointed to the United States Supreme Court. She’s the subject of not one, but two recent films that explore the justice’s ground-breaking work around gender and race discrimination throughout her law career. In the documentary RBG, we’re given first-hand insight into the octogenarian’s graceful, no-nonsense fight for equality and how her personal life has intertwined with her professional career. Biopic movie On The Basis Of Sex sees a young Ruth navigating Harvard Law School as one of very few female students in the 1950s. At the time, she felt openly resented for taking up a place that could have gone to a man, but never gave up on her conviction that societal change must begin with the law. Now in her 80s, RBG continues to serve and stands as a symbol in the fight for women’s rights.

Michelle Obama

Michelle Robinson was a young associate in the late 1980s, having had a smoother ride than RBG before her – but still pitted against the challenges that women of colour face in many realms of life and work. After graduating from Harvard Law, Michelle was safely ensconced in the sleek, high-rise world of a Chicago firm before making some quietly radical changes to her own life. In her brilliant memoir Becoming, Michelle opens up about the moment she begins to question her career path, going on to step away from corporate law in order to find purpose. It took sacrifice, hustle and the support of those around her, but she shifted the valuable skills she’d developed as a lawyer into public service and never needed to look back. As First Lady of the United States, she would go on to build pioneering initiatives and influence policy to benefit millions of Americans. As an advocate for girls’ education, she’s an inspiration to women around the world, demonstrating what a girl from a humble background can, indeed, become.

Lawyers for Good is here for any lawyer looking for purpose in their work. Sign up to our mailing list to find out more. 

Big law is a seductive world. Expensed dinners, plush offices. A satisfying climb up a respectable career ladder. And of course, the real clincher: a nice, fat, steady paycheque. We’ve worked incredibly hard to get to this point, and it feels utterly insane to question it all. But perhaps there are some questions we really should be asking.

Toxic law

The law industry is waking up to some damning statistics that illustrate things aren’t exactly ok. Suicide rates are higher in the law profession than in others, and the problems start early: 40% of law students graduate with depression, a much higher rate than in other fields of study. Lawyers are literally being trained to accept that emotional overkill is just part of the job. And we are often subjected to the mental strain of feeling trapped and undervalued, even when we are giving more than one human can reasonably give.

Does wealth trump health?

So we must ask ourselves – how much wealth is worth sacrificing our health? What is it we are working towards – the sweet release of retirement, when we could be too fatigued and too diseased to even enjoy the fruits of our labour? Are we really motivated by the accumulation of money and status alone? Statistics from the Harvard Business Review would suggest not – 9 out of 10 people, they found, would accept a pay cut for more meaning at work.

This incredibly high figure would suggest that professionals across all industries need to take a look at what isn’t right about the way we work. With toxic masculinity a hot topic right now, it’s not a stretch to see where the culture of bravado and ‘keeping up with the boys’ has come from, and the legal industry is certainly no exception. As lawyers, we’re expected to simply cope, because that’s the precedent that’s been set.

Show me the meaning

We know the answer. As rational, intelligent lawyers that can spot a hole in an argument at ten paces, we know it. No amount of money is worth trading in our physical and mental health. So really, we need to break down the structures we’re working with and reframe our goals and ambitions, because 90% of the workforce can’t be wrong. It’s not all about money, it’s about the value we feel we’re bringing to society. If big law can adapt with a more holistic and sustainable approach to the profession, we can change the entire legal landscape.

Lawyers for Good connects lawyers looking for more meaning with causes and communities in need. We believe that meaningful work is vital in empowering legal professionals to lead happy, fulfilling lives. Sign up to our mailing list to find out how you can get involved.

Corporate Social Responsibility, or CSR, refers to a company’s accountability for the consequences of its activities on social, economic and environmental fronts. There are many components to a company’s CSR approach, including ethical governance and sustainability in the supply chain. An important part of it is involving employees in programmes that ‘do good’ in a way that, ultimately, isn’t related to making money or their day-to-day role. But hustling for ‘a bit of charity work’ doesn’t cut it any more, and a fully integrated CSR strategy must be at the core of any law organisation’s business model. If the keepers of the purse strings need a little convincing to relinquish budget on this, here’s some rather persuasive arguments for the case.

Employee satisfaction

Any good company values the health and happiness of its employees. A big factor in job dissatisfaction is feeling that the work doesn’t matter and has no meaning. Offering employees the opportunity to contribute to a worthy cause using their unique skillset can transform their attitude to the work as a whole and lead to a happy, satisfied workforce.

Staff retention

A surprising statistic discovered by a Harvard Business Review survey found that up to 9 out of 10 people would take a pay cut for more meaning at work. So a company that puts salary at the core of its HR strategy may find that throwing money at the situation won’t fix a high turnover of staff (and the detrimental effects that has on their bottom line).

Boosting productivity

A happy, more satisfied workforce will take fewer sick days, be more engaged, more focussed, and up to 20% more productive. Giving up potentially billable hours to pro bono projects that offer no financial return may feel galling to any business team, but it’s a strategy that has bona fide business rewards.

Attracting talent

Good people thinking about the next step in their career are looking for the whole package. A law firm that’s got a solid CSR programme shows that, along with offering opportunities to give back, this is a company that cares about people. 50% of millennials, who will make up half the workforce in 2020, consider a company’s CSR policy as an important factor in whether they want to work there.

Good PR

A company’s reputation goes far beyond its employees and potential associates – clients, suppliers and the industry as a whole are assessing ethical viability when it comes to spending money on or partnering with a law firm. A healthy CSR policy contributes just as much to competitivity in the market as anything else.

Knowledge exchange

There’s always something to be learned. Broadening an employees’ horizons through community outreach can have a positive impact on the skills they bring to the table. It can be as simple as developing interpersonal skills to going as far as cultivating an ability to adapt and apply legal or managerial skills in entirely new contexts.

Contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Every organisation in the world needs a strategy for stepping up to the 2030 vision of the UN SDGs. Good CSR policies incorporate the goals into their framework and therefore ensure that the sustainable management and growth of the company supports the sustainable development of the planet.

Lawyers for Good works with law firms to develop strategic, integrated CSR programmes. Get in touch to find out how we can help your business.

In 2015, 193 heads of state signed off on an unprecedented agreement: the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The 17 goals are a road-map to a just and healthy world, providing clear targets and indicators to measure and direct global progress. They are all interconnected, and together provide building blocks towards a vision for the year 2030.

The goals also offer a framework for those of us motivated to ‘do good’. If you, as a lawyer, are contributing to any one of these goals, you already are a lawyer for good. Thank you! But all of us can always do better, so here’s a quick overview of all 17 goals. We can treat them as pillars from which to gain clarity and focus on the meaningful work that we do.

Goal #1: End poverty in all its forms, everywhere

Poverty is defined as living on less than US$1.25 a day. It’s an unimaginably stark amount for many of us, but it’s the reality for 11% of the world’s population. The good news is that global poverty rates have more than halved in the past two decades.

Actions: fighting for fair trade, social security measures, equal rights to basic services and economic resources.

Goal #2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

Malnourishment rates are actually on the rise. Agricultural security around the world is susceptible to climate change, market distortion, conflict and natural disasters.

Actions: protecting the rights of small-scale farmers, implementing sustainable production methods, correcting trade restrictions and monopolies.

Goal #3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

Global mortality rates are falling, including infant deaths and childbirth-related maternal mortality. Figures are still high for many preventable deaths, however, and access to healthcare is imperative for a satisfactory quality of life.

Actions: reduce pollution, improve access to sanitation and policy around universal healthcare, support research into vaccinations and medicines.

Goal #4: Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning

Education is the undeniable driving force for development, especially when it comes to addressing gender imbalance in this area. Over half of children worldwide are not meeting minimum literacy and numeracy standards.

Actions: improve relevance and affordability of education at all levels including technical and vocational, promote education in sustainable lifestyles, culture and diversity.

Goal #5: Achieve gender equality and empower women and girls

Many countries’ legal frameworks do not grant equal rights to women. This is on top of unfair, global and cultural attitudes and customs surrounding the treatment and expectations of women.

Actions: eliminate violence against women and girls, stop trafficking and exploitation, recognise unpaid domestic work, ensure full participation of women in political and economic decision-making, access to sexual and reproductive health and education, reforms on rights surrounding ownership, property, land and resources, sound legislation for equality.

Goal #6: Ensure access to clean water and sanitation for all

Almost a third of the world’s population lack access to safely managed drinking water, while 22 countries are facing water scarcity in the coming years.

Actions: protect water-related ecosystems, eliminate pollution and dumping of hazardous waste, effective transboundary water supply management, promote sanitation programmes and education.

Goal #7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

Almost 1 billion people currently live without access to electricity. Improving access, however, must run in line with developing renewable energy sources.

Actions: research into clean energy, promote investment in renewable energy, improve international cooperation on infrastructure.

Goal #8: Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all

Unemployment rates are slowly decreasing globally, and GDP is on the rise. However, youth unemployment is high, and the gender pay gap is universal. Informal employment leaves millions of people in an economically vulnerable position.

Actions: protect employment rights, fair pay, support policy around job creation, innovation and entrepreneurship, increase access to financial services, promote sustainable production and consumption, eliminate modern slavery and child labour.

Goal #9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation

Continued industrialisation and the growth of emerging markets threatens to further the environmental decline of the planet, although carbon intensity has been decreasing. Continued technological growth and innovation must get smart.

Actions: adopt environmentally-sound technologies, promote industrial diversification, support scientific research and access to the internet.

Goal #10: Reduce inequality within and among countries

The 80 wealthiest people in the world have the same combined value as the 3.5 billion least wealthy people. This disparity is utterly unfair and unnecessary. Financial regulations play a key part of redressing the balance.

Actions: eliminate discriminatory laws, promote social security, tighten global trade and financial regulations, lobby for safe, responsible migration policies, encourage investment in less developed countries.

Goal #11: Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

The global urban population continues to grow, putting a strain on infrastructure, ecology and even cultural legacy. The number of people living in slums has increased in the past two decades, and the majority of urban dwellers are exposed to unsafe levels of air pollution.

Actions: build affordable housing, accessible public transport, protect vulnerable people, promote sustainable planning, safeguard cultural and natural heritage.

Goal #12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

Dramatic changes are needed to current trends in mass consumption, but this requires a profound shift in attitudes, processes and policies.

Actions: reduce food waste and food losses on the supply chain, responsible waste management, promote sustainable lifestyles, build responsible tourism frameworks.

Goal #13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

Rising sea levels and extreme weather patterns due to global warming put billions of people at risk, and it is a matter of urgency to slow or halt the situation.

Actions: implement policy on climate strategy and planning, raise awareness and education.

Goal #14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources

Do we want to live in a world where there’s more plastic in the ocean than fish? Marine life is under threat from the pollution of our consumption habits.

Actions: protect coastal ecosystems, tighten regulations on fishing, eliminate marine pollution.

Goal #15: Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, halt biodiversity loss

The loss of natural habitats threatens our entire ecosystem. Many species are under threat from shrinking forest areas and illegal trade.

Actions: promote conservation and restoration, halt deforestation, protect threatened species, integrate biodiversity values in town planning.

Goal #16: Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies

Peace is the word. It’s the backbone of a society that’s fair, happy and healthy – and the key to this is respecting and upholding each individual’s human rights.

Actions: eradicate violence, abuse, exploitation, protect vulnerable adults and children, reduce and regulate arms trade, combat organised crime, hold institutions accountable, eliminate corruption, ensure representative decision-making at all levels, provide legal identity for all, protect fundamental freedoms.

Goal #17: Revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development

The final UN Sustainable Development Goal is about ensuring each country has the means to work towards these goals. The responsibility to achieve these goals falls across governments and corporations, public and private sectors, society and the individual.

Actions: capacity building, sustainable financial assistance, promote knowledge sharing in science and tech, regulate fair trade, enhance policy coherence, promote effective public-private partnerships.

Stay tuned… Lawyers for Good will be profiling each of the UN Sustainable Development Goals in-depth on our blog over the coming months. We will explore what the measures and targets mean, how these are relevant to our profession, and how practising lawyers are making an impact.  

Lawyer wellness has been getting more attention of late, which is great news for everyone. So much so, in fact, that 2019 has been declared by some as the industry’s ‘year of wellbeing’. In one of the most stressful professions that exists, it’s vital for lawyers to tune in to these discussions and fully understand how to manage our wellbeing.

Overworked and overwhelmed

The daily grind of being a lawyer goes without saying. Those late nights hunched over a mountain of case files. Skipped meals and greasy, shoved-in takeaways that we barely noticed swallowing. Evenings missed with family, every single day we compromise on much-needed sleep to get to the office and bill those hours. The casual damage we do to our physical and mental wellbeing takes its toll. So it is incredibly important that we develop strategies to care for ourselves.

Mindfulness in practice

In a great blog for the platform Clio, which empowers lawyers running small practices with legal management software, Sam Rosenthal looks at what legal wellness looks like. Mindfulness may be the buzzword of the decade, but it’s not without reason. Being mindful of every aspect of our lives is the key to feeling – and being – in control.

In another timely piece for our industry, Emily and Amelia Nagoski’s book Burnout explores the causes and consequences of burnout, and how to reject the system that keeps us locked in a cycle of self-care and stress. Both point out the importance of listening to our bodies and what it is screaming at us it needs. More sleep, better nutrition, more movement, deeper relaxation… and more meaning.

Meaning and mental health

One of the core manifestations of the exhaustion and overwhelm of burnout is the feeling of futility – that nothing you do matters. Feeling disengaged and unable to make a difference is a real tragedy of the toxicity of the profession – because we are highly skilled people. Like an indisputable pantheon of lawyers before us, from Mahatma Ghandi to Barack Obama, we really DO have the power to make a difference. The law matters. Policy matters. And finding meaning in the work we do, within whatever micro parameters we work, is the ultimate way to be mindful of who we are and stay true to it.

Lawyers for Good connects lawyers looking for meaningful work with causes and communities in need. Sign up to our mailing list to find out how you can get involved.