Technology

Are Some Law Offices Just Like The Mall?

Mall retailers are discounting and going out of business because they refuse to innovate. Your law firm could be next.

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Recently, I drove to a mall in Arizona. For the past several years, I only had visited that mall when I needed to tend to my Apple products. About four months ago, that Apple store moved. The reason for my trek was that I was trying to see what color a certain purse was in real life because I had only viewed it online.  I had no intention of buying anything at all.

When I strolled into Macy’s and asked about the particular purse, I was told that they no longer carried the entire brand. After realizing that it was futile to be annoyed, I looked around to see that everything was on sale. Deeply discounted. I asked the sales person why the designer’s line was discontinued and she said that online purchases were soaring and they were reducing brands on the shelves. Next, she mentioned that their situation was similar to the Ann Taylor store that was actually closing the next day. That store was beside the old Apple store and the manager told me that they were consolidating stores (of course I went in, after all, everything was 60 to 75 percent off!).

I toured around the entire mall and counted the empty store fronts and noted that every single store was advertising a sale — anywhere from 25 to 75 percent off. I know that retail margins are high but those are big discounts and the whole place smelled of desperation. And let’s be clear, this was an upscale mall. I drove down the road and noticed the many law firms clustered in some of the office buildings and it struck me that the midsize law firms are like the malls.

Solos and small law firms are nimble and either share offices or do work virtually, some from outside of the country. The large law firms live off of the big corporations and can fund their posh palatial work spaces. I believe that the midsize firm will be just like that mall if they do not reinvent themselves through technology or innovation and become open to change.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not suggesting the midsize law firms need to discount their services like the stores at my local dying mall.  But, for example, who wants to get in their car and drive to their lawyer to meet and fill in forms? Particularly if they are missing work or school for that meeting. Want to see the lawyer before you hire them? Use Zoom, Skype, or any of the other numerous video conferencing platforms. Professionals can provide service without face-to-face meetings. I have an accountant who I have never met in the five years that she has done my company’s books.

All lawyers need to be creative with limited scope representation and fixed fees. Clients are demanding the same arrangements as other professionals. Use paralegals, legal technicians, and document preparers plus automation to help reduce the costs and create affordable fees. Plus, buy technology that is actually implemented as opposed to shelf-ware as I talked about before here. At the root cause of the lack of innovation in the legal position is the reluctance to change. Just go visit your local mall and see what happens to those who rest on the way it’s always been done. #onwards.

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Mary E. Juetten lives on the West Coast, runs Juetten Law, and is both an American and Canadian professional accountant.Mary is passionate about metrics that matter and access to justice, her new book is here on Amazon. She founded Traklight and Evolve Law; is Of Counsel for Nimbus Legal; and consults as an Access Advocate for LegalShield. You can reach her by email at info@traklight.com or on Twitter: @maryjuetten.

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