About Lawyers and Humans

The rule of law helped to humanize societies. Over ages statutes were written in plain language and meant to be read (or heard) and understood by the people. Over time, our societies, our economies, and our interactions have become increasingly complex, and so have the rules and regulations that govern them. Modern companies’ legal and compliance departments play an increasingly significant role in mitigating risks associated with new projects and products. They, in turn, rely on external legal advice when specialized expertise is required. This is the playing field of international law firms. For many years the total turnover has increased well above the market. Profit per partner has increased even more. However, over time both the lawyer-client relationship as well as the working conditions of lawyers and staff have suffered from increasing economic pressures. Lawyering mutated from a profession into a profit driven business. This comes with a cost: a dehumanized working environment, huge pressure on law firm partners, regarding both qualities of work and economics. Partners push it down to associates and staff which leads to high numbers of psychological diseases, drug abuse, and suicide, or people trying to escape, which then again results in high fluctuation and a ‘war for talent’ (euphemism). Do we want to continue down this path? Imagine a future where law firms focused on being more “human” for both, individuals working within and for our clients. Can we imagine a law firm where the primary focus is on helping our clients understand rules and regulations to guide the way, translating the secret legal code into business language, thus granting them access to law? Can we imagine a competitive environment where client satisfaction counts more than profit per partner? Can we create an operating model providing funds for investments in the future, thus unlocking new sources of revenue that are built on value add rather than the billable hour? Can we create a less hierarchical working environment nourishing the expectations of young lawyers, valuing the contribution of professional staff and overall making law firms a place where people love to work?