“I do not see much of a future (beyond 2020) for most small firms ….”
— Richard Susskind, Tomorrow’s Lawyers

Will the next 5–10 years really see the end of solos and small law firms? I’ve heard Susskind talk before, but today, I sat down with him at the William Mitchell College of Law to find out more about his predictions as they pertain to small law firms.

The future according to Susskind

Susskind’s most-recent book, Tomorrow’s Lawyers, is short and worth a read, but I will try to do it justice in brief. Basically, the future according to Susskind will come about due to three drivers of change:

1. Clients, who are demanding more work for less money;
2. Liberalization, or the spread of non-lawyer ownership; and
3. Technology.

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