New decade. Focused direction. Decisions. 

Dear contributors, subscribers and other readers of Dialogue on Remaking Law Firms 

Over the holiday break, I have decided that it’s time to make a number of changes in the direction and balance of my work. 

These decisions will enable me to focus more intensely on my business interests. These include the accelerated digital transformation of beaton, our 15-year-old Voice of Your Clients services to larger professional services firms and FirmChecker, our ratings and reviews startup serving medium-small accounting and law firms.   

As a result, I am closing Dialogue on Remaking Law Firms. The blog will remain available to those who choose to use it as a resource, but will no longer solicit or accept new posts.

Dialogue on Remaking Law Firms has completed four years of service since December 2015. It was founded to promote my book, co-authored with Dr Imme Kaschner, Remaking Law Firms: Why and How (American Bar Association, March 2016). 

Dialogue took on a life of its own beyond our book. From 11 countries, 61 contributors enriched its pages with just short of 400 posts. Subscribers responded, reaching just over 4,000.  

It’s a good feeling to go out on a high. Thank you all.

George 

Remaking News of the Week: Millennials vs. the billable hour

In their excellent Building NewLaw podcast series, my CounterTax friends in Toronto recently released Partnering with Millennials to build better law firms.

This interview is with Aly Haji who is researching what it means to be a millennial at a law firm, why they’re leaving en masse, why they find their jobs soul-crushing, and why all of this is a real problem for law firms. 

Law firm business models and workplace culture

Law firm business models and workplace culture contributed by Michael Milnes is an especially welcome contribution to Dialogue on Remaking Law Firms; the piece is based on a Masters thesis and examines the nexus between business models and workplace culture.  

Michael sets out what he learned about making BigLaw firms a great place to work. 

Seeing legal services as a kaleidoscope

As my colleagues and I were researching Remaking Law Firms: Why & How we realized we were seeing the legal services landscape as a kaleidoscope. This vision became one of the pillars of our 2016 book in which Chapter 5 is titled The 2025 Kaleidoscope Scenario.

Less than three years on from the publication of Remaking Law Firms, the kaleidoscope is no longer a futurist’s scenario; it’s already here.  

Brian Inkster comprehensively reviews Remaking Law Firms

Scottish NewLaw pioneer, Brian Inkster comprehensively reviews Remaking Law Firms – Why & How in his first post on Dialogue. I am always delighted when a thorough review throws up challenges to our book, providing cause for fresh thinking – and perhaps pointing to a second edition.

It would have been possible for a law firm to crumble into non-existence, never knowing why