The American Bar Association will co-sponsor with Stanford Law School a national summit May 2-4 to spur fresh thinking on expanding the delivery of legal services for poor and moderate-income individuals. At the summit, 200 legal leaders will join innovators in the law and other industries to develop action plans for increasing access to justice.
The National Summit on Innovation in Legal Services in Stanford, Calif., is a key event of the ABA Commission on the Future of Legal Services, created by ABA President William Hubbard. "As the national voice of the legal profession, the American Bar Association is well-positioned to lead the effort to improve the delivery of and access to legal services in the United States," Hubbard said. "The ABA can inspire innovation, leverage technology, improve the regulation of legal services and education of legal professionals, and foster financially viable models to deliver legal services that meet the public's needs. We can do this while staying rooted in our essential values of protecting the public, enhancing diversity and inclusion, and pursuing justice for all."
Speakers will include Richard Susskind, author of the renowned 2013 book "Tomorrow's Lawyers," in which he predicts legal institutions and lawyers will change more radically over the next two decades than they have over the last two centuries. Susskind sees a world of virtual courts, Internet-based global legal businesses, online document production, commoditized service, legal process outsourcing, and web-based simulated practice.
Participants will also hear from legal innovators such as Mark Britton, founder and CEO of legal services website Avvo; Colin Rule, founder of online dispute resolution company Modria; and John Suh, CEO of LegalZoom. Other industries will be represented by speakers including Richard Barton, founder of travel services website Expedia, online real estate sales company Zillow and employment website Glassdoor.
The summit is being co-chaired by Jeremy Fogel, director of the Federal Judicial Center, and Deborah Rhode, director of Stanford University's Center on the Legal Profession.
Published: Fri, Apr 17, 2015
