Skip to main content

Digital Technologies, Legal Design and the Future of the Legal Profession

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

Part of the book series: Perspectives in Law, Business and Innovation ((PLBI))

Abstract

Legal Technology —or “Legal Tech ”—is disrupting the traditional operations and self-understanding of the legal profession . This chapter introduces the central claim of this book, namely that these developments are having and will continue to have a disruptive effect on the work of lawyers and that adapting to this new operating environment is crucial for legal professionals remaining relevant in an increasingly technology -driven world. The chapter outlines some of the main features of this on-going transformation process, describes some of the pressures it is creating for lawyers , and provides short summaries of the chapters that comprise this collection.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD   169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    Other synonyms which are used interchangeably are “law tech,” “LegalIT,” “legal informatics.”

  2. 2.

    Bues and Matthaei (2017), p. 90.

  3. 3.

    Bues and Matthaei (2017), p. 90.

  4. 4.

    Bues and Matthaei (2017), p. 90.

  5. 5.

    Bues and Matthaei (2017), p. 90.

  6. 6.

    Bues and Matthaei (2017), p. 90.

  7. 7.

    The Economist (2015a).

  8. 8.

    Wattenhofer (2016), p. 85.

  9. 9.

    Swan (2015), p. 16.

  10. 10.

    Walch (2018), p. 245.

  11. 11.

    Tomas (2017), Introduction.

  12. 12.

    Asharaf and Adarsh (2017), p. 33.

  13. 13.

    Kost de Sevres (2016).

  14. 14.

    Mougayar (2015).

  15. 15.

    Mougayar (2015).

  16. 16.

    Stark (2016).

  17. 17.

    Kosba et al. (2015), p. 1.

  18. 18.

    Linthicum (2016).

  19. 19.

    Wattenhofer (2016), p. 88.

  20. 20.

    Morabito (2017), p. 167; Drescher (2017), p. 5.

  21. 21.

    Huang (2015), p. 3.

  22. 22.

    The Economist (2015b).

  23. 23.

    Bues and Matthaei (2017), p. 90.

  24. 24.

    Prusty (2017), p. 14; Williams (2017), p. 44.

  25. 25.

    Weber et al. (2016), p. 330.

  26. 26.

    Kost de Sevres (2016).

  27. 27.

    Wattenhofer (2016), p. 88.

  28. 28.

    Szabo (1997a).

  29. 29.

    Szabo (1997b).

  30. 30.

    Stark (2016).

  31. 31.

    For Proactive Law and Proactive Contracting, see Siedel and Haapio (2011) and Haapio (2006). For Legal Design , see Hagan (n.d.) and “What is Legal Design ?” at LeDA/Legal Design Alliance (n.d.).

  32. 32.

    For “dumb” contracts, see Lipshaw (2018).

  33. 33.

    Cummins (2016).

  34. 34.

    LeDA/Legal Design Alliance (n.d.).

  35. 35.

    Haapio and Passera (in press).

  36. 36.

    Haapio (2013), p. 79.

  37. 37.

    See “Three “Layers” of Licenses” at Creative Commons (n.d.).

  38. 38.

    Howarth (2013), p. 67.

  39. 39.

    Haapio and Passera (in press).

  40. 40.

    Waller et al. (2017).

  41. 41.

    Hazard and Haapio (2017).

  42. 42.

    https://thinkgrowth.org/why-lawyers-dont-run-startups-25c5e0c877ed.

References

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marcelo Corrales .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Corrales, M., Fenwick, M., Haapio, H. (2019). Digital Technologies, Legal Design and the Future of the Legal Profession. In: Corrales, M., Fenwick, M., Haapio, H. (eds) Legal Tech, Smart Contracts and Blockchain. Perspectives in Law, Business and Innovation. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-6086-2_1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-6086-2_1

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-13-6085-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-13-6086-2

  • eBook Packages: Law and CriminologyLaw and Criminology (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics