The Indiana State Bar Association Future’s Committee
The advertising campaigns of AVVO and LegalZoom have attracted consumers who want to use a DIY approach on legal matters or to confer with a lawyer for a nominal charge. Lawyers believe that these legal document and service providers are not serving the interests of clients because of concerns about the “core values” of the legal profession — competence, independence of professional judgment, attorney-client privileged communications, protection of confidential client information, loyalty to clients through the avoidance of conflicts of interest, and pro bono publico commitments. Bar associations, including the Indiana State Bar Association, have acted to address the situation. ISBA President Carol Adinamis appointed the Future of the Provision of Legal Services Committee (“Future’s Committee”) to examine challenges to the profession from legal document and service providers and advances in technology.
Many Indiana lawyers struggle today to find jobs in the legal profession and many who are practicing law struggle to find clients to represent. Meanwhile, many Hoosiers with legal problems view hiring a lawyer as impractical. This mismatch hurts both lawyers and unrepresented clients. Some of these clients simply cannot afford to pay a lawyer. Others opt not to hire one. Lawyers must make the case for the value of having a lawyer and find ways to deliver legal services clients can afford and are willing to pay for. Lawyers must also adapt by continuing to use developing technologies to serve their clients by working better, faster, and cheaper.
After careful investigation and study, the Future’s Committee therefore made four recommendations for immediate action:
1. Coordination of a public education campaign. The ISBA should adopt and promote new ABA campaign materials that will be provided to inform the public of the important core values of the legal profession and the advantages of hiring a lawyer to handle legal problems rather than going it alone or working with unlicensed and unqualified non-lawyers. Special consideration in this effort must be given to using social media that is proving to be incredibly effective as a means of promoting ideas.
2. ISBA law practice management staff position. The ISBA should create a law practice management consultant staff position to support Indiana lawyers in their use of technology and other tools effectively to provide client services in a more efficient, competent and ethical manner, and at a reasonable cost. The ISBA Technology and Law Practice Management committees can support this effort.
3. Non-lawyer equity interests in law firms. The Rules of Professional Conduct should be amended to permit non-lawyers to own not more than 49 percent of the equity of a law firm. In addition, minority, non-lawyer ownership should be non-voting to ensure that the lawyer’s independence is not compromised. Lawyers in such firms would continue to be subject to all of the rules requiring absolute loyalty to clients. An equity investment in a law firm need not impinge on a lawyer’s independence any more than a law firm’s indebtedness, which is permitted. This would provide lawyers with access to resources to acquire the technology that can improve their practices and client services.
4. Pro se coordinators in courthouses. The state should provide and pay for a coordinator for unrepresented civil litigants in each Indiana county. After a civil case is filed in a court by a pro se plaintiff or a pro se defendant makes an appearance, the coordinator will contact and encourage the pro se party to have a consultation. During the consultation, the coordinator will inform the party of the practices, procedures and applicable rules of the court. The coordinator will not provide legal advice to the party, but will inform the party of the risks of proceeding without an attorney. The coordinator also will maintain a list of lawyers or referral programs available to assist or coordinate assistance to these parties on either a pro bono or full or reduced fee-for-service basis, should a party request counsel or obviously need counsel’s assistance. This effort is not to encourage pro se litigants, but rather to manage the crisis confronting our courts.
Conclusion The Board of Governors has approved the Report and Recommendations of the Future’s Committee that is available on the ISBA website www.inbar.org/resource/resmgr/… and is contained in the July/August 2016 issue of Res Gestae. The Report and Recommendations will be presented to the House of Delegates for action at the ISBA Annual Meeting on Sept. 30. This will follow the very timely Annual Meeting Plenary Luncheon on the Future of the Legal Profession Sept. 29, which will feature a panel of speakers including officers of AVVO and LegalZoom. That is sure to be an event that many Indiana lawyers will want to attend. Tickets are available through Sherry Allan, sallan@inbar.org.
Author James W. Riley, Jr.
ince 1972, Jim Riley has concentrated his practice on litigation. As lead or local counsel, he represents manufacturers, insurers, financial institutions, and other businesses in litigation in state and federal trial and appellate courts. Cases handled include contract and insurance coverage disputes, products liability cases, trademark and patent infringement actions, and professional liability claims. He has tried more than 20 cases to jury verdicts. He has served on the Local Rules Advisory Committee of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana since 2000.
Jim is also an experienced neutral. As a member of the American Arbitration Association panel of commercial arbitrators since 2006, he is now on the AAA large and complex commercial case panel. He has handled a variety of cases including disputes involving: contracts for supply of goods and services, employment, indemnity; insurance coverage; crop insurance claims; automobile dealer franchises; credit card accounts; and first party insurance claims. He also served as a mediator in the Indianapolis Bar Association’s innovative Settlement Week Program and continues to serve as a mediator in commercial and business cases. He was the Medical Review Panel Chair in more than 150 medical malpractice cases.
© Riley Bennett Egloff LLP
Disclaimer: Article is made available for educational purposes only and is not intended as legal advice. If you have questions about any matters in this article, please contact the author directly.
Permissions: You are permitted to reproduce this material in any format, provided that you do not alter the content in any way and do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: “By James W. Riley Jr. © Riley Bennett Egloff LLP – Indianapolis, Indiana. www.rbelaw.com”
Posted on Oct. 03, 2016, by James W. Riley Jr.