Blockchain: Disrupting Industries And Transforming Legal Roles

Lawyers who embrace the opportunity to learn more about blockchain technology will be more effective advisors in the coming years.

Although blockchain technology hasn’t been adopted on a full scale yet, nearly all industries are considering its benefits, as outlined in my previous article. The legal industry is no exception. Legal roles may be transformed in many ways by blockchain technology. Lawyers who are prepared to embrace these changes will benefit from learning more about blockchain and even adopting blockchain in their practices, law firms, and companies.

Client Advisory

No matter the area of law you practice, clients will undoubtedly seek advice on issues related to blockchain technology. Professionals from different industries such as music, healthcare, transportation, and finance are slowly but surely adopting blockchain technology. This means they also need to know how blockchain will affect their businesses in terms of risk, policies, law, and regulations. When lawyers position themselves as experts on blockchain technology, businesses will rely on them for support and guidance.

Maintaining Public Records

One of the various roles of the government is to maintain population data and other information about citizens and businesses, such as building permits, title records, marital status, criminal activity, business licenses, birth/death records, and numerous others. However, it is often very difficult to access this information. The challenges the government faces in maintaining and protecting public records could be solved by blockchain. Becoming a blockchain expert, or at least blockchain proficient, will help lawyers to find needed information and be more effective as governments begin revamping their records.

Smart Contracts

Blockchain technology provides the ability to store any digital information. It makes it possible to create a self-executing contract, which automatically drafts itself without any intervention from a lawyer once some variables have been achieved. Once smart contracts are widely accepted and used, they may be defended in a court of law. The usual way of creating contracts may evolve at least to some extent and may look very different from the paper-based contracts we have today. Once self-generating contracts become more prevalent, there may be changes to the roles of lawyers in reviewing contracts and executing them when all requirements are filled. Wise lawyers will actively educate themselves and prepare for this change.

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Intellectual Property Rights

Blockchain technology can provide an incontestable record for the filing of intellectual property rights. This record could be immediately accessed worldwide. The fact that blockchain technology is secure, irreversible, and time-stamped makes it possible for businesses to provide evidence of first use. This may transform patent, trademark, and copyright filings and the way intellectual property disputes are addressed and intellectual property is monitored. So, it is not hard to imagine why intellectual property lawyers may consider becoming blockchain-proficient.

Although it may seem like a fleeting trend or mere hype, blockchain seems to be truly disrupting across industries. As trusted intermediaries between companies, governments, and even everyday citizens, lawyers are responsible for staying up-to-date with the way business and consumer relationships are structured. With blockchain technology rapidly developing and scaling, lawyers’ responsibilities now include learning about blockchain technology and preparing for how it will affect the legal industry. Lawyers who lean into this change and embrace the opportunity to learn more about these exciting developments will be more effective advisors in the coming years.


Olga V. Mack is an award-winning general counsel, operations professional, startup advisor, public speaker, adjunct professor at Berkeley Law, and entrepreneur. Olga founded the Women Serve on Boards movement that advocates for women to serve on corporate boards of Fortune 500 companies. Olga also co-founded SunLaw to prepare women in-house attorneys become general counsel and legal leaders and WISE to help women law firm partners become rainmakers. She embraces the current disruption to the legal profession. Olga loves this change and is dedicated to improving and shaping the future of law. She is convinced that the legal profession will emerge even stronger, more resilient, and inclusive than before. You can email Olga at olga@olgamack.com or follow her on Twitter @olgavmack.

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