Richard Susskind has successfully positioned himself as the legal profession’s Nostradamus. He predicted widespread use of e-mail by lawyers back when the technology was new and most attorneys were dismissing its relevance due to privilege and confidentiality concerns. His latest book discusses how artificial intelligence, knowledge management systems and removal of regulatory restrictions will revolutionize how we practice law. It is provocatively titled, “The End of Lawyers?”
The London-based professor is on a speaking tour of sorts in the United States. Generously sponsored by DataCert and co-hosted by InsideCounsel, an event series titled, “Generals of the Revolution” features Susskind as the main attraction. The series includes general counsel panels and luncheon roundtables. I attended this event in Houston last month, and I wish to comment on what the professor’s vision could mean for your in-house career path. But first a brief summary of his general thesis is necessary.
