Be a Nimble Lawyer
"Keeping your outlook nimble allows you to call the 'audibles' necessary for quick changes that will help you help your clients"

Jim Vickaryous
Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack jump over the candlestick. Lawyers must be nimble. Lawyers who are not nimble in these times of legal change may get burned. The nimblest of us will be of great benefit to our clients. It makes me think of the old English nursery rhyme, “Jack Be Nimble.” The rhyme describes a folk tradition auguring the future. The nimble jumper who did not extinguish the flame had a year of good fortune. The not-so-nimble jumper could look forward to a year of bad luck. Considering that dark overtone, we all should aspire to be the nimblest of lawyers.
Just like the nursery rhyme, the nimble lawyer is likely to have a lot of good fortune in the years ahead. The practice of law has changed more in the past several years than in the past 30 years. Nowadays, we often meet our clients virtually, make court appearances via video conferencing platforms, and more frequently work remotely.
Being a nimble lawyer is a way of being, rather than just responding to what’s going on around us. The nimble lawyer embraces these new changes. Nimble lawyers excel at these new skills and are more successful for their clients as a result. I don’t have a crystal ball, but I can predict that our law practices will not go back to the old ways of doing things prior to the 2020 pandemic. We all know the ubiquitous virtual court appearances are not going away. Most importantly, our clients now demand virtual interactions from us. There is no going back. Going forward, we must be nimble and keep changing with the times.
Three decades ago, I was a dumbfounded young lawyer listening to a legal futurist give a speech about the future of the law. He said that lawyers would eventually work virtually in teams, file pleadings electronically, appear virtually in court, and accept virtual payment for their work. What he said unsettled most of us in the room, as the world he painted was not at all like how we were practicing law. The lawyer sitting next to me said, “I feel like I’m fighting World War III with a pitchfork.” The good news is that with our modern technology, we are not fighting wars with pitchforks. We have a toolbox full of wonderful tools to fight in this digital world. The next evolution of the law will be forced by artificial intelligence. I’ve never claimed to be a legal futurist, but I know that this new technology will force us to be more nimble. We’ve all become virtual lawyers, get ready to become AI-enabled lawyers.
Being a nimble lawyer requires that you reach out to others for help. Things were changing quickly in the practice of law before the annus horribilis of 2020. The happenings of 2020 were just the tipping point, pushing the practice of law into a new phase. My practice has worked seamlessly throughout the challenges of 2020 and beyond. We had prepared the firm for an easily foreseeable catastrophic disaster, such as a hurricane shutting the state down for weeks. Our IT consultant weaned us off physical servers (which could blow away in a CAT5 hurricane) and migrated us onto cloud-based production systems. We even got rid of our old analog telephone system and migrated to a VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) system, enabling us to take calls from anywhere in the world while giving the impression to the caller that we’re in the office. We could not have known it, but we had prepared our firm for working remotely during a long-term viral shutdown. Weeks before the shutdown, my IT consultant called me with a warning that seemed at the time to be over vigilant. He warned me that China had been in lock-down since December 2019 and that we should prepare to have all staff work remotely for a long period of time, should it become necessary. I’m an optimist at heart and did not want to hear what my consultant told me. However, an old saying from my Army days helped me to take the dark advice: pray for peace, prepare for war. We prepared for the worst, and our clients were all the better for it.
Life has a way of making mincemeat of our goals. Keeping your outlook nimble allows you to call the “audibles” necessary for quick changes that will help you help your clients. Despite all of the technological changes that we nimble lawyers must master, we must always recognize that the purpose of our profession has not changed since the time of the great lawyer of the Roman Republic, Marcus Tillius Cicero. We exist as lawyers to provide sage counsel for our clients. Whatever technological platform we use in the future, it must help us be nimbler for our clients’ benefit.
Nimble lawyers recognize the importance of a client-centric approach. Understanding clients’ evolving needs and expectations is necessary for building lasting relationships. Offering flexible fee structures, transparent communication, and personalized legal strategies, the nimble lawyer creates a client experience that goes beyond traditional legal services. By placing the client at the center of their practice, lawyers not only enhance client satisfaction but also foster a positive reputation within the legal community.
The nimble lawyer recognizes the importance of efficient time management. Prioritizing tasks based on urgency and importance, and delegating responsibilities within the legal team are strategies that enable lawyers to optimize their time. Time management is not just about quantity but also about delivering quality legal services in a timely manner, enhancing both client satisfaction and overall practice efficiency.
While being nimble in the legal profession is essential, it is equally important to uphold ethical standards. The nimble lawyer prioritizes client confidentiality, privilege, and transparency in billing practices. Upholding the pillars of legal integrity ensures that nimble lawyers not only succeed in the short term but also build a foundation of trust and credibility for sustained success in the long run.
Being a nimble lawyer is not just a professional trait; it’s a commitment to excellence, adaptability, and ethical practice. By embracing technology, adapting to remote work, prioritizing client-centric approaches, efficient time management, and ethical considerations, lawyers can navigate the dynamic terrain of the legal profession with resilience and success. The nimble lawyer is not just reactive but proactive, shaping the future of legal practice with innovation and integrity. Let’s all resolve to be nimble lawyers.
Jim Vickaryous is the managing partner of the Vickaryous Law Firm in Lake Mary and represents the 18th Circuit on The Florida Bar Board of Governors.