First, I would like to start by congratulating the class on the successful completion of the Law Hacks presentations. I thoroughly enjoyed all the presentations which exposed me to some great ideas regarding legal innovation. I am excited to know that at least one of those ideas, Summons, is already on its way to becoming reality; I hope that more follow. As we look towards our future and the innovation of legal practice, there is a caveat to be considered.
In his article “The failure of legal innovation“, Jordan Furlong introduces the readers to the nature of the start-up market. Furlong points out that we live in the age of start-ups, a phenomenon that brings about significant social and economic benefits, but one which is characterized by the risk of failure. For every successful start-up, there are far more failed ones. As Furlong points out, the reason for failure is not always a bad idea, sometimes its bad execution, or worse still, pure bad luck. The point that he is trying to drive home is that there are immense challenges in the way of start-ups, which we got a taste of by getting grilled by the ‘dragons’.
As we learned during the semester, the legal profession is going through a transitional period as we play catch-up with the technological advancements. As much as it scary, it is a good sign that we have chosen the route of innovation rather than extinction. It is no doubt that the need of the hour is investment in bold and fresh new ideas. However, I would like to add one caveat to this process: know when to stop. As mentioned earlier, a start-up’s failure isn’t always due to a bad idea; there are numerous other variables that account for success. Therefore, it is important to know when to give up on an idea, lest we end up chasing down a rabbit hole.
As part of the first graduating class of L21C at TRU Law, we are well on our way to start contributing meaningfully to the transition. The challenges ahead of us, as lawyers, are greater in way because lawyers don’t like to be told that they have been doing something wrong, especially when they hold considerable power in terms of regulating the practice of law. However, incremental changes by way of resilience will make sure that we come out stronger at the end of every battle. As Furlong said “[o]ne LinkedIn or Uber is worth many pets.com”; let’s keep trying for our LinkedIns and Ubers.
Finally, I would like to thank Professor Sykes for putting this innovative course together and introducing us to the future of our legal careers.
Ravneet, I’d like to join you in applauding all of the Law Hacks groups after their successful presentations. Watching everyone put their heads together to come to a unique attempt at addressing very real challenges to the industry was a pleasure.
Your comments about legal entrepreneurialism have got me thinking. I think that, generally speaking of course, the people who make up the legal industry tend to be conservative in their professional endeavors, and are perhaps less likely than people in other industries to embrace start up culture. If our time at L21C has shown us anything, it’s that other avenues for professional growth should not be shied away from.
During this course I had often considered whether we are in a more privileged position to effect change in the industry or whether, because of our relative lack of experience of what the problems and inefficiencies are, we are less privileged. Is there a risk that once we start articling and working in firms we close our minds to the possibilities of change because we are “in too deep”? I think we should be vigilant against this happening, and always keep our minds open and fluid.
Great post Ravneet. I agree with you that innovation is for sure a better path than extinction for the legal profession. It was also interesting to me that you mentioned, we have to also know when to stop. I feel that this is a very important point that isn’t really considered that often. However, I believe that this won’t be a problem, considering the legal profession’s hesitance to change in the past. With now being forced to change to adapt to the times, I think this will come to a natural conclusion when ideas fail on their own. Innovation and creativity are great for the law, but I agree that it can be taken too far and should have a limit.
Great post Ravneet!
It’s a thought-provoking piece. I completely agree with your point on knowing when to stop. However, it’s probably difficult to give up on an idea that one has passionately pursued and invested heavily in. Part of the problem is that most people are afraid of failing. In Jordan Furlong’s article, he talks about how failure and innovation are intrinsically linked. He further elaborates on how lawyers are embarrassment-averse and how the humiliation of falling short halts any possibilities of innovation. Although Furlong uses this argument to demonstrate why the law is lagging in terms of legal innovation, I believe it also applies to your point of understanding when to stop. In order to avoid failure, people continue to overwork themselves often to no avail. I also agree with Furlong on how socially acceptable it has become to take solace in the failure of others and using them as anecdotes. There is a negative connotation that is attached to the idea of giving up. Failure is an integral part of life and being comfortable with the idea of it allows one to walk away from a situation that is causing that failure.
Great post Ravneet,
I’d like to also extend a congratulations to the rest of my L21C colleagues on all of your presentations. It was really inspiring and I am really amazed at what we all managed to accomplish in one term.
Ravneet, you make some great points. The seemingly common denominator among those who are successful is their tenacity and passion for what they do. However, often passion (and emotions) cloud our judgement and force us to do irrational things. The balance is fine and often it is easier said than done. When you pour your entire heart and soul into a project that fails, people often take it as a personal failure. Its important to remember however that its not personal, it’s just business.