These are slides from Class 2 of my Legal Technology and Informatics Course at Notre Dame Law School. The content in these slides is based on a full article I wrote on this subject which is accessible here: http://radicalconcepts.com/156/big-law-legal-fiction/

1. Legal Technology & Informatics
Think Outside The Bar
Notre Dame Law School
Spring Semester, 2015
Please refer to the full article that these slides are based on
an article:
Big Law as Legal Fiction and the Lack of Innovation at
http://radicalconcepts.com/156/big-law-legal-fiction/
Class 2 - Innovator’s Dilemma and Big Law
January 21, 2015
Professor Ron Dolin

2. Barriers to Adoption
Threats and Opportunities
Impact of Law Firm Failures
Today's Legal Market
Law Firm Response
Organizational Decision-Making
Value, Values, and Metrics
Beyond Big Law
Overview: Big Law Innovation?

3. Barriers to Adoption
 Why do we care?
 Profit Structure: Who Gains, Who Loses?
 Producers are also Consumers
 Bureaucracy
 Lack of Standards
 Poor Design
Jan 21, 2015; Legal Tech
Course
Copyright © 2015, Ron Dolin 3

4. Threats and Opportunities
 The well-run company
 Overshooting needs
 MS Word vs. Google Docs
 Disruptive vs. Sustaining Innovation
 Unbundling (Componentization)
 Distribution Channels
 Low Margins and Non-consumption
 Let's all move upmarket!
 Values old and new
Jan 21, 2015; Legal Tech
Course
Copyright © 2015, Ron Dolin 4

5. Impact of Law Firm Failures
 Creditors
 Clients
 Staff and Associates
 Partners
Jan 21, 2015; Legal Tech
Course
Copyright © 2015, Ron Dolin 5

6. Today's Legal Market
 Flat Revenue for Most Big Law
 Alternates Available
 Client Expectations Changing
Fad or trend?
Jan 21, 2015; Legal Tech
Course
Copyright © 2015, Ron Dolin 6

7. Law Firm Response
 ABA and ABS
 10-15% Innovators
 Attempts to Move Upmarket?
 Lateral Hires
 Expansion through Mergers
 Less Leverage
Jan 21, 2015; Legal Tech
Course
Copyright © 2015, Ron Dolin 7
Why So Little Innovation?

8. Organizational Decision-Making
 Billable Hour
 Profit-Per-Partner
 Shareholders vs. Managers
 Dividends vs. R&D
Jan 21, 2015; Legal Tech
Course
Copyright © 2015, Ron Dolin 8

9. Value, Values, and Metrics
 Value is Quality over Cost
 Big Law Status Quo
Values: “Productivity”
 New Entrant Values:
“Productivity”
 Metrics: Comparing
Quality and ROI
 Innovation Killers: (New)
Market Share
 Low(er) Margins, IP, APIs
– Efficiency
Jan 21, 2015; Legal Tech
Course
Copyright © 2015, Ron Dolin 9

10. Barriers Beyond Big Law
 Mid-Size Law
 Small/Solo Practice
 Established Technology Providers
 Courts
 Access for All
Jan 21, 2015; Legal Tech
Course
Copyright © 2015, Ron Dolin 10

11. Conclusion
 What incentivizes legal technology?
 What blocks it?
 Who does it help/hurt?
 What might a 21st
century legal system look like?
Jan 21, 2015; Legal Tech
Course
Copyright © 2015, Ron Dolin 11