In
Season
9,
Episode
1
of
“Notes
to
My
(Legal)
Self,”
I
sat
down
with
Jordan
Furlong,
legal
sector
analyst,
forecaster,
and
consultant,
to
unpack
the
evolving
state
of
the
legal
profession.
With
a
focus
on
innovation,
regulation,
and
the
impact
of
generative
AI,
Jordan’s
insights
are
both
a
wake-up
call
and
a
rallying
cry
for
the
legal
industry.
The
Legal
Industry:
Crumbling
Infrastructure
And
A
Call
To
Action
Jordan
and
I
began
by
acknowledging
a
shared
observation:
the
legal
system,
as
it
stands,
is
not
working.
While
it
remains
massive
and
entrenched,
cracks
in
the
infrastructure
are
undeniable.
From
inaccessible
legal
services
to
widespread
dissatisfaction
among
lawyers,
clients,
and
judges,
the
entire
ecosystem
is
overdue
for
transformation.
“We’ve
reached
a
point
where
business
as
usual
isn’t
just
insufficient
—
it’s
harmful,”
Jordan
explained.
“Whether
it’s
clients
who
can’t
afford
legal
help
or
lawyers
facing
burnout,
the
system
doesn’t
serve
anyone
well.”
But
it’s
not
all
doom
and
gloom.
Jordan
sees
this
moment
as
an
opportunity
to
rebuild
from
the
ground
up,
driven
by
new
tools,
fresh
perspectives,
and
a
willingness
to
challenge
the
status
quo.
Generative
AI:
Catalyst,
Not
Savior
Generative
AI
(GenAI)
has
captured
the
imagination
of
many
industries,
law
included.
But
as
Jordan
pointed
out,
it’s
not
the
solution
to
all
of
the
profession’s
problems.
Instead,
it
acts
as
a
mirror,
exposing
inefficiencies
and
systemic
flaws
that
have
long
gone
unaddressed.
“GenAI
won’t
solve
all
our
problems,
but
it
makes
the
existing
flaws
impossible
to
ignore,”
he
said.
“It’s
like
taking
a
black
box
and
turning
it
into
a
fish
tank.
Suddenly,
everyone
can
see
what’s
inside
—
and
it’s
not
pretty.”
Jordan
emphasized
that
AI
is
a
tool,
not
an
end
in
itself.
The
real
challenge
lies
in
how
the
legal
profession
chooses
to
adapt
and
use
this
technology
to
reimagine
its
business
models,
improve
client
outcomes,
and
address
access
to
justice.
The
Real
Problem:
The
Business
Model
Of
Law
At
the
heart
of
the
legal
industry’s
struggles
is
its
outdated
business
model.
The
reliance
on
billable
hours
incentivizes
inefficiency
and
discourages
meaningful
client
relationships.
“If
law
firms
were
focused
on
outcomes
and
value
instead
of
time
spent,
AI
would
be
a
facilitator,
not
a
threat,”
Jordan
argued.
He
proposed
a
shift
toward
“relationship
pricing,”
where
the
value
of
the
lawyer-client
relationship
is
measured
over
time,
rather
than
in
six-minute
increments.
This
model
prioritizes
trust,
collaboration,
and
long-term
impact
over
the
transactional
nature
of
hourly
billing.
“Imagine
a
framework
where
lawyers
and
clients
co-create
a
clear
set
of
expectations
from
the
outset
—
what’s
included,
what’s
not,
and
what
the
relationship
is
worth.
That’s
where
we
need
to
go,”
he
said.
Regulation
And
The
‘Nonlawyer’
Problem
The
legal
profession’s
self-regulation
also
came
under
scrutiny.
Jordan
was
candid:
“Self-regulation
is
a
privilege,
not
a
right.
If
we
don’t
act
in
the
public’s
interest,
someone
else
will.”
He
criticized
the
use
of
terms
like
“nonlawyer,”
calling
it
a
relic
of
guild-like
thinking
that
excludes
and
alienates
other
professionals.
“We
don’t
hear
nurses
talk
about
‘nonnurses,’”
he
quipped.
“It’s
a
mindset
we
need
to
move
beyond
if
we’re
going
to
truly
innovate.”
By
shifting
focus
from
lawyers
to
the
broader
public
good,
regulators
can
ensure
the
legal
system
serves
everyone
—
not
just
those
who
can
afford
it.
Education
And
Collaboration:
A
New
Frontier
The
advent
of
AI
has
also
underscored
the
need
for
change
in
how
lawyers
are
trained.
Jordan
was
blunt:
“Law
schools
aren’t
preparing
students
for
the
realities
of
practice,
let
alone
the
AI-driven
future
of
law.”
To
stay
relevant,
law
schools
must
incorporate
AI
into
their
curricula,
encourage
interdisciplinary
collaboration,
and
foster
a
culture
of
innovation.
Beyond
law
school,
practicing
lawyers
must
embrace
partnerships
with
other
professionals,
including
technologists,
data
analysts,
and
designers,
to
drive
meaningful
change.
A
Sense
Of
Agency:
The
Key
Takeaway
As
our
conversation
drew
to
a
close,
Jordan
left
us
with
a
powerful
message:
“The
biggest
problem
in
the
legal
profession
isn’t
AI
or
regulation
or
the
billable
hour
—
it’s
learned
helplessness.
Too
many
lawyers
shrug
and
say,
‘What
can
I
do?’
But
we
can
do
something.
We
must.
If
we
don’t
stand
up
and
take
action
now,
there
won’t
be
anyone
else
to
fix
it
for
us.”
Final
Thoughts
Jordan’s
insights
highlight
both
the
challenges
and
the
opportunities
facing
the
legal
profession.
From
rethinking
pricing
models
to
embracing
AI
and
fostering
collaboration,
the
path
forward
requires
courage,
creativity,
and
a
willingness
to
let
go
of
outdated
practices.
The
call
to
action
is
clear:
say
no
to
helplessness.
Embrace
change.
And
start
building
a
legal
system
that
truly
works
—
for
everyone.
Olga
V.
Mack
is
a
Fellow
at
CodeX,
The
Stanford
Center
for
Legal
Informatics,
and
a
Generative
AI
Editor
at
law.MIT.
Olga
embraces
legal
innovation
and
had
dedicated
her
career
to
improving
and
shaping
the
future
of
law.
She
is
convinced
that
the
legal
profession
will
emerge
even
stronger,
more
resilient,
and
more
inclusive
than
before
by
embracing
technology.
Olga
is
also
an
award-winning
general
counsel,
operations
professional,
startup
advisor,
public
speaker,
adjunct
professor,
and
entrepreneur.
She
authored Get
on
Board:
Earning
Your
Ticket
to
a
Corporate
Board
Seat, Fundamentals
of
Smart
Contract
Security,
and Blockchain
Value:
Transforming
Business
Models,
Society,
and
Communities. She
is
working
on
three
books:
Visual
IQ
for
Lawyers
(ABA
2024), The
Rise
of
Product
Lawyers:
An
Analytical
Framework
to
Systematically
Advise
Your
Clients
Throughout
the
Product
Lifecycle
(Globe
Law
and
Business
2024),
and
Legal
Operations
in
the
Age
of
AI
and
Data
(Globe
Law
and
Business
2024).
You
can
follow
Olga
on
LinkedIn
and
Twitter
@olgavmack.