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The End of Lawyers?: Rethinking the nature of legal services Revised Edition, Kindle Edition

4.1 out of 5 stars 91 ratings

In this much anticipated sequel to the legal bestseller, The Future of Law, Susskind lays down a challenge to all lawyers to ask themselves, with their hands on their hearts, what elements of their current workload could be undertaken differently - more quickly, cheaply, efficiently, or to a higher quality - using alternative methods of working. The challenge for legal readers is to identify their distinctive skills and talents, the capabilities that they possess that cannot, crudely, be replaced by advanced systems or by less costly workers supported by technology or standard processes, or by lay people armed with online self-help tools.

It is argued that the market is increasingly unlikely to tolerate expensive lawyers for tasks (guiding, advising, drafting, researching, problem-solving, and more) that can equally or better be discharged, directly or indirectly, by smart systems and processes. It follows, the book claims, that the jobs of many traditional lawyers will be substantially eroded and often eliminated. This is where the legal profession will be taken, it is argued, by two forces: by a market pull towards commoditisation and by pervasive development and uptake of information technology. At the same time, the book foresees new law jobs emerging which may be highly rewarding, even if very different from those of today.
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Review

'If you are ready to look into Susskind's question, this book makes fascinating reading. And if you are serious about embracing the changing environment, it is the primer for new ideas in bold action.' --Karen Bell, LawPro

'This is a strikingly thought-provoking book and a must-read for all law-firms.' -- Modus Operandi

'Susskind's engaging book urges a drastic reassessment of the legal profession and suggests a series of reforms for law firms of the future.' -- The In-House Lawyer

'Richard Susskind's predictions of 1996, in the Future of Law, can now be seen to be coming to pass. I am confident that those in this new work, where he looks even further into the future, will likewise come to pass, given the extraordinary depth of knowledge, analysis and reasoning he has brought to bear and which this book demonstrates on every page.'
--Lord Saville of Newdigate, President of the Society for Computers and Law

'His advice cannot be ignored by those lawyers who want to survive the economic turmoil.' --Joshua Rozenberg, The Law Society Gazette

'Richard Susskind speaks to the issues facing law firms big and small, in-house legal systems, legal publishers, training establishments and individual lawyers. He has a lucid style informed by personal experience and observation and deep connections within the legal profession. This book should be compulsory reading for all who care about the future of the law.' --Mark Harding, Group General Counsel, Barclays

'In light of the current economic climate, Susskind may find that his predictions come true sooner than even he thinks.' -- The In-House Lawyer

'In The End of Lawyers?, Richard Susskind brilliantly and passionately shows us how to think about practising law in the 21st century. The book's inspirational outlook and yet practical approach make it a must-read for any lawyer aspiring to achieve professional success and make a difference for his or her clients.' --Dov Seldman, Chairman and CEO, LRN, and author, HOW

'If you don't quickly absorb what Susskind has to say, you'll already be behind in adapting to the modern legal profession, in-house as well as private practice. You can't and won't agree with everything here, but you must read it all and think about it all. It would be irresponsible (and self-destructive) to avoid reflecting on the voluminous arguments and examples presented here.' --David Maister, consultant and author, The Trusted Advisor

'This is a fascinating book. It raises serious questions not only about the future of legal practice, but about how legal services are structured and delivered now. As is to be expected from Susskind, the arguments are pacey and challenging. The conclusions and predictions are likely to provoke strong reactions, but the book will not fail to engage.' --Professor Dame Hazel Genn, University College London Faculty of Laws

'Susskind remains the only writer today who can put the future of lawyers and the legal professions on the agenda at the highest levels of government, the judiciary, the legal institutions, major corporations, and law firms.' -- Charles Christian, Editor, Legal Technology Insider

'The End of Lawyers? is a road map to the archipelago of legal innovation already emerging all around us. Ignore it at your peril.' --Michael Stern, The AM Law Daily

'This book paints a scary future. But as a call to arms, to embrace the future, it lays down a challenge for lawyers everywhere for we have no birthright, no power to avoid development, to 'freeze the frame.' Susskind makes a most persuasive case that the 'incremental revolution' has already arrived; so join it or be left on the wrong side of the barricades.' -- Stuart Popham, Senior Partner, Clifford Chance

'I feel Susskind has made an excellent start by opening up the debate.' --Phillip Taylor, The Barrister

'A wide-ranging book that is of value not only to lawyers contemplating their future, but to anyone whose work touches upon the law. Blending the futures of law and technology, Susskind's vision is far-reaching and tightly-argued, showing the displacement that lies ahead and the ways in which society can gain from it.' --Jonathan Zittrain, Professor of Law, Harvard Law School and author, The Future of the Internet

'Richard Susskind's new book tells us that we should, contrary to the profession's engrained conservatism, turn our minds to the future to better understand the profession and the law. It is thought-provoking and entertaining at the same time. I strongly encourage law firms and in-house lawyers to read this book and embrace the new methods and technologies that Richard Susskind is recommending.' --Peter Kurer, Chairman, UBS

'The End Of Lawyers is a fascinating and timely book.' --Bruce MacEwen, Adam Smith, Esq.

'This book makes some clear predicitions about what lawyers will do and not do in the future, but is most valuable for raising the issues in the first place. It is a proactive peek into the possible future of legal work and the lawyers who perform it.' --Mark C Miller, Law and Politics Book Review

'The End of Lawyers? is a must-read for every managing partner in the country.' -- Mitch Kowlaski, Financial Post

'If you are a lawyer and haven't read Richard's book, you should. And, no, reading the reviews and the articles about the book won't suffice. Buy the book, sit in a quiet room and read deeply about his predictions of the future of the practice of Law.' -- Jason Mendelson, Mendelson's Musings

'This is an enourmously important book, and if you have an interest in how the legal marketplace will operate in future, you have to read it...We talk a lot about "visionaries" these days, but in the legal profession, nobody seriously competes with Richard Susskind for this title, and this book shows why.' --Jordan Furlong, www.law21.ca

'This Book is addictive! Susskind has done it again with an extremely engaging blend of advice...I believe anyone working in the professional service form could find useful examples of what can be accomplished in their own profession...' -- Patrick Mckenna

Review

A wide-ranging book that is of value not only to lawyers contemplating their future, but to anyone whose work touches upon the law. Blending the futures of law and technology, Susskind's vision is far-reaching and tightly-argued, showing the displacement that lies ahead -- and the ways in which society can gain from it ― Jonathan Zittrain, Professor of Law, Harvard Law School and author, The Future of the Internet

If you have not read the book then I commend it to you ―
Archie Miller, www.journalonline.co.uk

This book paints a scary future. But as a call to arms, to embrace the future, it lays down a challenge for lawyers everywhere for we have no birthright, no power to avoid development, to 'freeze the frame'. Susskind makes a most persuasive case that the 'incremental revolution' has already arrived; so join it or be left on the wrong side of the barricades. ―
Stuart Popham, Senior Partner, Clifford Chance

If you are ready to look into Susskind's question, this book makes a fascinating reading. And if you are serious about embracing the changing environment, it is a primer for new ideas in bold action ―
Karen Bell, LawPro

The End of Lawyers is a fascinating and timely book ―
Bruce MacEwen, Adam Smith Esq2009

This should be essential reading for anyone who does not believe that legal education at degree and postgraduate level will not be transformed by technology ―
Legal Studies, vol 29, no 4

Susskind's engaging book urges a drastic reassesment of the legal profession and suggests a series of reforms for law firms of the future ―
The In-House Lawyer d

In light of the current economic climate, Susskind may find that his predictions come true sooner than even he thinks ―
The In-House Lawyer

This is an outstanding publication. Buy it. Read it. Think about it. ―
Douglas Mill, Journal of the Law Society of Scotland

Susskind remains the only the writer today who can put the future of lawyers and the legal professions on the agenda at the highest levels of government, the judiciary, the legal institutions, major corporations - and law firms ―
Charles Christian, editor, Legal Technology Insider

Susskind's book will deservedly be the starting point for an understanding of the potentials and the failings of technology and legal services. It is a book stocked with ideas and examples in which I would defy any open-minded reader not to see the potential for significant change in the legal world ―
Richard Moorhead, Cardiff Law School, Legal Studies 29.4

The End of Lawyers is a fascinating and challenging book. Susskind gently and persuasively chips away at the assumptions and preferences that we carry with us about what law is and how it is provided. His book is essential reading not just for law students and their methodology professors but for acadmics and practitioners more generally ―
Emilie Hunter, Human Rights Law Review

This book makes some clear predictions about what lawyers will do and not do in the future, but is most valuable for raising the issues in the first place. It is a proactive peek into the possible future of legal work and the lawyers who perform it ―
Mark C, Miller, Law and Politics Book Review

I believe anyone working in a professional service form could find useful examples of what can be accomplished in their own profession, throughout this book ―
Patrick McKenna

This is a strikingly thought-provoking book and a must-read for all law firms ―
Modus OperandiSpring 2009

Review from hardback edition His advice cannot be ignored by those lawyers who want to survive the economic turmoil ―
Joshua Rozenberg, The Law Society Gazette

Richard Susskind speaks to the issues facing law firms big and small, in-house legal teams, legal publishers, training establishments and individual lawyers. He has a lucid style informed by personal experience and observation and deep connections within the legal profession. This book should be compulsory reading for all who care about the future of the law. ―
Mark Harding, Group General Counsel, Barclays

This book is addictive! Susskind has done it again with an extremely engaging blend of advice. ―
Patrick McKenna

The End of Lawyers? is a road map to the archipelago of legal innovation already emerging all around us. Ignore it at your peril ―
Michael Stern, The AM Law Daily

Richard Susskind's new book tells us that we should, contrary to the profession's engrained conservatism, turn our mind to the future to better understand the profession and the law. It is thought-provoking and entertaining at the same time. I strongly encourage law firms and in-house lawyers to read this book and to embrace the new methods and technologies that Richard Susskind is recommending ―
Peter Kurer, Chairman, UBS

The End of Lawyers is a must read for every managing partner in the country ―
Mitch Kowalski, Financial Post

If you don't quickly absorb what Susskind has to say, you'll already be behind in adapting to the modern legal profession, in-house as well as private practice. You can't and won't agree with everything here, but you must read it all and think about it all. It would be irresponsible (and self-destructive) to avoid reflecting on the voluminous arguments and examples presented here. ―
David Maister, consultant and author, The Trusted Advisor

If you are a lawyer and haven't read Richard's book, you should. And no, reading the reviews and the articles about the book won't suffice. Buy the book, sit in a quiet room and read deeply about his predictions of the future of the practice of law ―
Jason Mendelson, Mendelson's Musings d

This is a fascinating book. It raises serious questions not only about the future of legal practice, but about how legal services are structured and delivered now. As is to be expected from Susskind, the arguments are pacey and challenging. The conclusions and predictions are likely to provoke strong reactions, but the book will not fail to engage. ―
Professor Dame hazel Genn,Dean, University College London Faculty of Laws

In The End of Lawyers?, Richard Susskind brilliantly and passionately shows us how to think about practising law in the 21st century. The book's inspirational outlook and yet practical approach make it a must-read for any lawyer aspiring to achieve professional success and make a difference for his or her clients. ―
Dov Seidman, Chairman and CEO, LRN, and author, HOW

Anyone who wishes to understand where the profession has been and where it is going shoudl read the book ―
Jonathon Groner, www.freedman-chicago.com

I feel Susskind has made an excellent start by opening up the debate' ―
Phillip Taylor, The Barrister

Richard Susskind's predictions of 1996, in The Future of Law, can now be seen to be coming to pass. I am confident that those in this new work, where he looks even further into the future, will likewise come to pass, given the extraordinary depth of knowledge, analysis and reasoning he has brought to bear and which this book demonstrates on every page ―
Lord Saville of Newdigate, President of the Society for Computers and Law

We talk a lot about "visionaries" these days, but in the legal profession, nobody seriously competes with Richard Susskind for this title, and this book shows why ―
Jordan Furlong, www.law21.ca

This is an enormously important book, and if you have any interest in how the legal marketplace will operate in future, you have to read it ―
Jordan Furlong, www.law21.ca

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00AF6MZ4I
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ OUP Oxford
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 20 Nov. 2008
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ Revised
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.6 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 356 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0191501111
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Best Sellers Rank: 788 in E-Commerce (Books)
  • Customer reviews:
    4.1 out of 5 stars 91 ratings

About the author

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Richard E. Susskind
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Professor Richard Susskind CBE KC (Hon) is Special Envoy for Justice and AI to the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth. He is President of the Society for Computers and Law, and for 25 years, from 1998 to 2023, was Technology Adviser to the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales. The author of 11 books, his work has been translated into 16 languages and he has been invited to speak in over 50 countries. He wrote his doctorate on AI and law at Balliol College Oxford in the mid-1980s. He is a Fellow of the British Computer Society and of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
91 global ratings

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Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 March 2013
    The legal world is changing very rapidly, and the central argument of this brilliant and imaginative book is that the future for lawyers is bleak unless they are prepared rethink the ways they work. Susskind notes that the methods adopted by legal businesses are now so outdated that teenagers `would be horrified by the antiquity of it all'. The same applies to the courts and Susskind sees reforming outmoded court procedures as one way in which the public's `access to justice' might be considerably enhanced. The rapid growth of online dispute resolution procedures provides a striking example of what he has in mind.

    Susskind argues that market forces have meant that using lawyers has now become so expensive as to be unsustainable and that there is a pressing need for a `genuine transformation in the way in which legal services are delivered'. He provides a long list of ways that law firms might adapt (e.g. by embracing developments in IT, standardising and `commoditizing' legal work, off-shoring, outsourcing, multi-sourcing and subcontracting) if they are to survive. He also regards it as crucial that lawyers charge for the work they do by fixed fees, not on an hourly basis. For obvious reasons, efficiency is, as Susskind puts it, `the enemy of the law firm that charges on an hourly billing basis.'

    Lawyers tend by nature to be highly conservative and many will doubtless see the message in this scholarly yet highly readable book as unpalatable. But lawyers who resist calls to adopt new (and very unfamiliar) working practices will do so at their peril. Susskind is right: the law does not exist to provide a livelihood for lawyers.
    5 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 December 2008
    The timing of this vital read for every lawyer could not have been better. Economic downturn is accelerating the rate at which the candle of traditional legal practice is incinerating at both ends. Clients' increasing intolerance of legal uncertainty, risk and cost, and their growing need for transparency, combine to emphasize what Susskind identifies as ten technologies with the collective potential of overturning the commonly-accepted role of the practicing lawyer. The balance of power has shifted to clients, such as in-house counsel. Here, in under 300 pages, is a stream of ideas from someone long regarded as a futurologist for how lawyers can re-focus and re-apply their added value, and grow their practices - despite economic challenges - partly by leveraging emerging technology. It is persuasive, pithy, honest, illustrated with examples and browseable. Having been an in-house lawyer for 37 years, observing how traditional law practice has been deployed by leading firms, I would urge everyone in the field to read this one carefully and take its foresight seriously.
    20 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 August 2011
    Iconoclastic British lawyer Richard Susskind looks squarely at his profession and reports on its gross inefficiencies, outrageous fees and absurd structures. For Susskind's honesty, senior members of the prestigious Law Society of England and Wales have suggested that he not be permitted to speak in public. This would be a notable loss. Susskind's voice is witty and engaging, and his message is important. As an author, he does not offer a grand unified theory on what lawyering will look like in the years to come. Instead, writing with panache, he presents a "buffet of likely options for the future," including trends in the US as well as the UK. Susskind's drollness makes his book a delight to read. For example, he claims that most lawyers now accept his views on future trends for legal practice, having moved through these four stages: 1) "This is worthless nonsense"; 2) "This is an interesting, but perverse, point of view"; 3) "This is true, but quite unimportant"; and 4) "I always said so" - in accord with biologist J.B.S. Haldane's "four stages of acceptance." getAbstract suggests that law students, attorneys and the executives who pay them will benefit from reading Susskind's entertaining, thought-provoking book.
    3 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 March 2010
    Ok, this is supposed to be the bible of what is going to happen
    to law firms. There are some good things in it. But the writing
    makes it difficult to get through it. So keep going.

    You might like things such as []
    which are more to the point.
    One person found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • Ein Kunde
    5.0 out of 5 stars Schon nicht mehr ganz aktuell
    Reviewed in Germany on 16 February 2013
    Das Buch legt den Grundstein dafür, wie der Anwaltsberuf in der modernen Welt aussieht und aussehen wird. Das Buch wendet sich zwar an englische Anwälte. Fragen der (elektronischen) Aktenführung und die Möglichkeit des Outsourcens standardisierbarer Aufgaben stellen sich aber genauso für den deutschen Anwalt.

    Kürzlich ist ein neues (etwas dünneres) Buch von Richard Susskind erschienen: "Tomorrow's Lawyers". Für den deutschen Anwalt ist dieses neuere Buch ausreichend.
    Report
  • Chad Zenisek
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good historical summary; Mild and miscellaneous predictions
    Reviewed in the United States on 7 August 2010
    Richard Susskind is an established author of books about technology and the legal profession. This book is very well-written by someone who has reduced the complexities of technology down to management principles and concepts. However, rather than making bold predictions about where the nature of legal services is heading, the bulk of this book revisits the historical impact of internet, e-mail, client relationship management ("CRM") on the legal profession and then, half-heartedly, provides a few examples of current trends, while hedging that these trends may or may not fizzle-out. Nevertheless, this approach makes perfect sense when you reflect on his historical analysis. Thus far, the investment in the nexus between technology and legal services has been trial and error; some concepts have worked and others were expensive misallocations of resources.

    Take-away points:

    * The paperless office is coming, but enthusiasts similar to Susskind have been saying that for years. How much printing did you do last week?
    * Client relationship management ("CRM") software is essential for nearly everyone practicing law, whether local or cloud-based.
    * Similar to the way many of us now use TurboTax Online, increasingly, motivated individuals will be able to exercise legal self-help using internet resources (e.g. [...], [...], and even [...]). However, don't expect all potential clients to be so motivated. People will still need lawyers.

    In conclusion, if you are a young associate or law-student techie that is trying to figure out what to expect from the next ten years of practice, this is a must-read. It will quickly bring you up to speed as to what the decision-makers in many firms have been dealing with over the last few decades and why they will not be so eager as this generation to hand over their lives and their firms to Clio, RocketMatter, Google, and Facebook.

    More information at: [...]
  • Ronaldo Agra
    5.0 out of 5 stars Ebook
    Reviewed in Brazil on 24 August 2020
    Ótimo livro
  • Jenn
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in Canada on 8 December 2015
    Great theoretical book for any professional practice.
  • 忠海弘一
    4.0 out of 5 stars 法曹、法曹志望者に必読書
    Reviewed in Japan on 21 August 2012
    私は50年近く法曹界に席を置いています。この本をネットで知りました。アマゾンで取り寄せたところ数日できました。ペパー版ですので大変安いとお思います。原書ですが法曹関係者なら、関心のある問題ですから、辞書なくても読めます。お薦めします。

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