THE CHANGING FACE OF LAW (Part 2)
By: Charles Ajiboye, FICMC
Charles Ajiboye, Executive Partner, The Penthouse law
Last week we considered the way law has always been practiced and how it gradually began to change, we looked at how the expectations of clients and society of lawyers have changed as well as how this has affected the way a lawyer must be a lawyer.
Let us begin by demystifying the law degree and the certificate. Till date, parents world over will still go a long way to convince and if possible compel their wards to study to become lawyers. Back here in Nigeria, parents go a distance out of their way to ensure that their wards study law. The reason is not far fetched, they want their child to profit from the nobility and prestige that comes with being a lawyer. Sadly, this is also changing.
A lawyer is no longer going to be honored simply because he studied law. His skill and ability to resolve the issues of our time will be the differentiating factor. It is settled, that we are not celebrated for our similarities; we are rather celebrated for our differences. In this age, the lawyer that will be celebrated will choose to be different and constantly improving his art and skill to remain relevant.
Law is not a different specie immune from the experience of other businesses. We all saw how Kodak and Agfa remained in their place of pride; how Blackberry and Nokia thought they where invincible and how certain commercial banks chose to wake up just before they were bought over.
The lawyers that refuse to change will be bought over. Their law firms will go under and those that remain will be irrelevant. The need for lawyers to adopt new ways of achieving better and faster results cannot be over emphasized.
A few years ago when the thought of Digital Legal Services was just smoking, we designed a solution for a client whom we diagnosed as in need real time, on spot, and near accurate legal opinion for their business to thrive and scale. They initially turned it down and attempted doing same in-house, eventually they realized lawyers where still required and engaged us. We started rendering what we termed ‘Legal Audit’ a kind of Digital Legal Solution. You will be amazed that over the last 3years, we have given over 40,000 Legal opinion digitally with 99% accuracy effectively deploying technology.
We have had to change and continue to grow the process, thereby designing a bespoke legal service to the clients we serve.
It is unthinkable that there is any law firm without fast and relatively stable internet, sufficient computers, adequate supply of power and particularly lawyers who can use these facilities among others.
Lawyers must now pack the box and begin to think outside the box. Clients want to be serviced in the way they have needs, not a one size fit all service. Clients now have more options, and indeed they can do a lot for themselves, except of course, the experience only you can provide.
Clients are generally looking for lawyers who pride themselves more in dispute prevention than dispute resolution. Lawyers who can do more in less time with a high degree of precision.
Lawyers must open their minds to the different technologies and softwares and applications that make worker faster and better (Law Tech). They must become aware of the different legal regimes that will govern Legal Technology. New laws will have to be drafted. Their mode of enforcement will have to be determined and this is what lawyers will now be required to do.
Law has transcended borders, and not only is the world flat like Thomas Friedman said in his book, I dare to say that The World is One. And so lawyers must wake up. The recently signed African Continental Free Trade Area agreement(AFCFTA) is a pointer to the walls of the world collapsing. This means lawyers now have to pass the test of global acceptance. A lawyer must be fit and relevant across global jurisdictions and the local challenges a Nigerian Lawyer faces will no longer be tenable. Truth is that the stakes are higher.
We are gradually moving into a world where Smart contracts will be used for a lot of transactions. It will nearly eliminate disputes arising from breach of contracts. However, lawyers will be required to develop the contracts that will be fed in as codes. The story continues.
What kind of challenges will lawyers face in the future?
What skills must a lawyer have to be positioned for the future?
What kind of lawyer will take the future over?
Charles Ajiboye, FICMC is a Partner at The Penthouse law, a 21st Century law firm operating from Lagos, Nigeria. charlesoajiboye@gmail.com
