Linked – ‘Half-Assed Innovation’: Do Law Firms Need to Change Incentives to Innovate?
Yes, next question?
Of course law firms are going to have to change their incentives in order to do real, serious, innovation. The all-mighty billable hour can’t be the measurement for success while you are also implementing tools and technology designed to make things more efficient. It’s actually a disincentive to using those resources, even as clients are demanding it. Zev is absolutely right when he talks about how the structure of law firms is going to have to change, you can’t have zero appreciation for non-lawyers in the firm who bring more value to your clients than some of your lawyers do, you can’t reward lawyers for being less efficient, and you can’t ignore the business side of the law.
That’s not how any of this works any longer.
