In part two of our Reimagining Law series on attorney re-regulation, we resume our conversation with the Hon. Mary Anne Mason (Ret.), Co-Chair of the CBA/CBF Task Force on the Sustainable Practice of Law & Innovation, and Zack DeMeola, Director of Legal Education and the Legal Profession at IAALS. Justice Mason and Zack discuss how re-regulating the delivery of legal services may impact the access to justice gap, as well as what it means for solo and small firms and the character of the profession.
Check out part one of this conversation here and subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on new episodes of Reimagining Law!
Timestamps
- 1:40 – What can you tell us about comments received on the recommendations from the CBA/CBF Task Force on the Sustainable Practice of Law & Innovation?
- 3:13 – Is there evidence that changing the regulation of the delivery of legal services will improve the access to justice gap?
- 6:17 – There’s an argument that if we allow lawyers to share fees with nonlawyers it will undermine professionalism and the integrity of the profession. What’s your response to that?
- 9:25 – One of the recommendations of the CBA/CBF Task Force is that tech companies be allowed to deliver legal services. Are there consumer protections and what are they?
- 11:46 – Investment in legal tech has gone through the roof. Will allowing legal tech providers to deliver legal services crowd out our solo and small firm practitioners?
- 15:08 – Are regulatory reform recommendations aimed at the type of cases we may see as a result of COVID-19 (e.g., consumer debt, housing, eviction)?
- 15:45 – What do you say to lawyers who are concerned that changing the regulation of the delivery of legal services will undermine the character of our profession?
Related Reading
- Reimagining Law: Hon. Mary Anne Mason (Ret.), CBA/CBF Task Force, and Zack DeMeola, IAALS (Part 1)
- A Sharpened Call for Attorney Regulatory Reform
- Attorney Regulatory Reform: Where Do We Stand?
Hon. Mary Anne Mason (Ret.)
Hon. Mary Anne Mason (Ret.) has had a career spanning more than 40 years, including nearly 19 years on the bench in Cook County, Illinois. From July 2013 to her retirement, the Illinois Supreme Court assigned Justice Mason to serve on the Illinois Appellate Court, First District, where she twice served as presiding Justice. She also served on the First District Settlement Committee and mediated cases on appeal by agreement of the litigants.
Justice Mason’s 13-year tenure on the circuit court included nine years in the Chancery Division. Prior to taking the bench, Justice Mason spent 21 years in public and private practice. She currently serves as a Mediator, Arbitrator and Special Master at JAMS.
Zack DeMeola
Zack DeMeola is the Director of Legal Education and the Legal Profession at the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System (IAALS), a national, independent research center at the University of Denver dedicated to facilitating continuous improvement and advancing excellence in the American legal system.
At IAALS, Zack works to improve the delivery of legal services through a variety of projects that focus on education, licensing and admission into the profession, the intersection of law and technology, and the regulation of the legal profession. He is currently leading the IAALS Unlocking Legal Regulation Project, which supports and facilitates efforts to improve the regulation of legal services in the U.S. Zack joined IAALS in 2017 after having litigated in private practice for six years.
Connect with Zack:
- Twitter: @z_demeola
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/zachariahdemeola-75498a9
- Website: https://iaals.du.edu/
About Reimagining Law
The Reimagining Law video series explores how legal and judicial professionals are adapting the delivery of services to meet the unique needs of today’s consumers. Reimagining Law is produced by the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism. This episode was recorded on August 5, 2020.