Young lawyers and access to services
Young lawyers and access to services
YLD President
We all know the legal profession is facing many challenges, with three of the biggest being access to legal services, the lack of jobs for young lawyers, and the impact of technology.
With some effort and creativity, we can turn those three challenges into solutions and opportunities.
The issue of access to legal services has been well-documented, thanks to Florida’s Commission on Access to Civil Justice, which was established a year ago by Chief Justice Jorge Labarga. The commission is looking at unmet civil legal needs while also examining our legal assistance delivery system as a whole.
That’s important because the issue of access goes beyond low-income and disadvantaged Floridians. Many moderate and middle-income people feel they can’t afford a lawyer (and I bet many lawyers cannot afford their own high hourly rates). In fact, fewer than 17 percent of people retain a lawyer when they have a legal problem.
This is a huge unserved market. How huge? Richard S. Granat, an innovator inlegal services delivery, has estimated the worth of this unserved market at $45 billion nationally.
Yet, while this potential market sits untapped, brilliant young people are graduating from Florida’s law schools, only to find themselves saddled with debt and unable to find work.
The average debt for a law school graduate is $140,000. Additionally, 15 percent of new lawyers can’t find employment, and for those who do in Florida, the average starting salary is $45,000. Those numbers don’t add up to success.
We need to connect these young Florida lawyers who need legal work with the people who need legal services.
That’s where technology can help.
Today, a young lawyer does not have to charge high hourly rates in order to succeed. A young lawyer can create a virtual office without stacks of legal books or rented office space, and utilize web-based practice management software for less than $40 per month. Low overhead means lower costs for legal representation.
A young lawyer charging only $100 per hour and billing 1,000 hours a year (significantly less than a lawyer in a big firm) can make a decent living. More importantly, those lower costs can open a new market, putting that lawyer within reach of people who have felt they can’t afford legal advice.
Online legal platforms such as LegalZoom, Rocket Lawyer, Avvo, and Legal Hero also offer opportunities. Whether it’s buying shoes or airline tickets, or searching for health information or legal advice, people go to the Internet to find what they need. Online legal platforms can increase access to legal services while opening new job possibilities for young lawyers. It’s a win-win.
The Commission on Access to Civil Justice, in its Interim Report, recommended the continued development of a statewide gateway portal to legal services. This online connector would lead people to information, resources, self-help, advice, and representation. In response to a push by The Florida Bar’s Young Lawyers Division, the commission is also examining whether the Bar’s current Lawyer Referral Service could be improved and tied in with the portal. These initiatives offer great promise as a way to connect young lawyers with an unserved market.
Of course, we can’t just leave it to young lawyers and their smartphones to solve the enormous problem of access to justice.
We need to train lawyers on how to “practice law” and utilize technology. To meet that need, law schools must offer more legal technology courses and encourage participation in clinics, internships, and externships.
The Bar also has a duty to help young lawyers get the training and experience they need, and to help them understand the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar. Let’s look carefully at the rules on advertising, referral networks, and unbundling of legal services and, if needed, amend them so that they will not hinder a young lawyer’s ability to make a practice thrive.
Experienced lawyers also need to view young lawyers as teammates, not future competitors, and be willing to mentor them.
Right now, some of Florida’s more than 26,000 young lawyers may have trouble seeing a bright future. No doubt the same is true for the many Floridians who feel they have no access to legal services.
The Commission on Access to Civil Justice is providing a foundation to solve those problems. If we all join the effort, we can identify and seize the opportunities that advancements in technology offer to both our young lawyers and their future clients.
Gordon Glover is president of The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division and founder of the Glover Law Firm in Ocala. Contact him at [email protected].
