The robots are coming

The traditional way of lawyering as we know it will go 'to the wall' and lawyers must future-proof their careers against the machines, according to entrepreneurial lawyer Chrissie Lightfoot.

Lightfoot made the comment at the launch of Tomorrow's Naked Lawyer: NewTech, NewHuman, NewLaw - how to be successful 2015 to 2045, the sequel to Lightfoot's 2010 industry-revered The Naked Lawyer. The launch event took place at global law firm, Herbert Smith Freehills.

Since the 2010 report, Lightfoot says the pace of change in the profession is now exponential, especially in terms of technology, and that now is the time to research on how robotics and artificial intelligence will affect the industry.

"The change that everybody talked about and predicted five years ago has actually come to fruition," she said. "It's imperative, certainly in the next decade, that lawyers are armed with the research, the information, the knowledge, and the ideas, because, in a world of contrast and uncertainty, the more certainty that we have, the more we can skill up."

Lightfoot, however, wants to consider what this technology is going to mean in a positive way as it continues to redefine a lawyer's role. She says she wrote the book for those who have a desire to understand their future career, but adds that she concentrates on the solutions, not the problems.

"A lot of people fear change because they don't know what's going to happen, but if you share what's likely to happen and say, 'so these are the kinds of skill sets you're going to need to morph into your role', then that's okay because at least you've got a bit of a lead in time to be prepared for it," she added.

Lightfoot also said there was huge pressure to produce a successful sequel. "The first one is you dipping your toes in the water and seeing the ripples go out; you don't really know if you're going to get to the other side of the pond or not. I think I put a lot of pressure on myself because it's just like music or a film - you're only as good as the last job you did. And obviously people do expect the sequel to The Naked Lawyer to be as good, if not better."

If you'd like to learn more about Tomorrow's Naked Lawyer, please visit www.ark-group.com.

Laura Clenshaw is managing editor of Solicitors Journal

editorial@solicitorsjournal.co.uk | @L_Clenshaw