Law 2023: A Look Ahead

Most views of the legal industry, particularly those posed by insiders, naturally adopt an inside-out approach, or, in other words, an approach that assumes the industry will have a say in how the future develops because we see it coming. However, reality often presents obstacles or opportunities that are unforeseen by those deep inside. New entrants to evolving markets often have very different perspectives, unaffiliated with the status quo, allowing them to create disruptions and carve out new opportunities. But even this approach assumes there's a clear view of the future, with different parties simply having different vantage points. What if we ignore the current state and look at the future under a different lens, envisioning how global economic, technological, and cultural change will be manifest a decade from now, and then envision a law firm built to address this world?

The group, led by the experienced provocateurs at Insight Labs, interviewed numerous experts in a variety of fields, including technology, design, economics, culture, and, of course, legal innovation. Their collective insights described a future that builds on today's trends, with a recognition that each trend influences, and is influenced by, the others. Here are their findings.