Access to Justice and Productivity Gains for All Lawyers

Access to Justice and Productivity Gains for All Lawyers is my latest column in the Oklahoma Bar Journal. Increasing productivity is important for lawyers in every practice setting, so don’t let this title mislead you. The column is as much for the corporate lawyer as the access to justice warrior. I noted the observations of Professor William Henderson, Stephen F. Burns Chair on the Legal Profession at Indiana University Maurer School of Law, that law practice has “divided into two segments, one serving individuals (people law) and the other serving businesses (organizational clients), with these two segments having very different economic drivers and evolving in very different ways.” I believe this is true.

But whether you practice people law or business law, I think you will find the eight areas for productivity improvement I note of interest. Most lawyers and law firms have addressed some, but not all, of these. Which one should be next on your list?

I previously blogged about the great content of the Access to Justice theme issue of the August 2019 Oklahoma Bar Journal, but this column, also in that issue, was not included in that list of feature stories.