ROBO-LAWYERS! ROBO-LAWYERS! - National

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From the editor Du rédacteur en chef Rage against the machine Computers invading lawyers’ turf isn’t the problem. You’re surely familiar with those lists of famously bad technology predictions that make the rounds by e-mail every so often. One of the most commonly cited is Digital Equipment Chairman Ken Olsen’s 1977 observation: “There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.” Amusing, sure, but rarely quoted in the proper context. Olsen was talking about the undesirability of household super-computers that would control every aspect of our lives. He was fully aware of the desktop PC and its potential as a powerful business tool; his point was that there are certain aspects of our lives that no rational person would want to delegate to a machine. So when you hear someone say, “Computers will never be able to replace lawyers,” consider what that might mean. Could a computer someday stand and cross-examine witnesses in court? Could it deliver wise counsel to a CEO preparing for a takeover bid or a spouse preparing for a custody battle? Could it form a trusted advisor relationship with a family business over 20 years of service? Probably not. But how many lawyers are doing that now? Here’s what many lawyers are doing today: they’re guiding testators through wills, assisting on house purchases, and filing complicated forms for everyone from immigrants coming to Canada to NATIONAL OCTOBER · NOVEMBER 2006 OCTOBRE · NOVEMBRE VOL. 15, NO. 7 CANADIAN BAR ASSOCIATION L’ASSOCIATION DU BARREAU CANADIEN 865 Carling Avenue, Suite 500, Ottawa, ON, KIS 5S8 Tel.: (613) 237-2925 Fax: (613) 237-0185 National is published by the Communications Committee of the Canadian Bar Association, 865 Carling Avenue, Suite 500, Ottawa, ON, KIS 5S8 Tel.: (613) 237-2925 Fax: (613) 237-0185 e-mail: national@cba.org. Direct all editorial enquiries, By Jordan Furlong companies going public. They’re answering client questions by applying established legal rules to fact situations and predicting likely outcomes. They’re resolving disputes by finding appropriate financial settlement points between parties. In short, they’re facilitating transactions — and in the 21st century, transaction facilitation is machine work. Just ask your instant teller, or your e-mail server, or Amazon.ca — or the secretary you haven’t needed since Windows 95 came out. Raise your hand if you see something in that previous paragraph that a sophisticated software program simply can’t do — and be assured, software has become extraordinarily sophisticated. The threat to our profession isn’t from computers replicating what lawyers can do. The threat is from lawyers replicating what computers can do. Read “Attack of the Robo-Lawyers” in this issue and find out why. When we apply specialized knowledge from legal databases, use logical analysis skills to answer a question, or escort a client step-by-step through a complex process, we are on computers’ turf. When we display sincere empathy, use real wisdom and intuition, and connect with our clients as people, then computers can’t touch us. For the moment, anyway. N .................................................................. Send your comments to national@cba.org. correspondence and membership address changes to the above address. National est publié par le Comité des communications de l’Association du Barreau canadien, 865, av. Carling, bureau 500, Ottawa ON KIS 5S8. Tél. : (613) 237-2925. Télécopieur : (613) 237- 0185, courriel : national@cba.org. Veuillez expédier à l’adresse ci-haut mentionnée toute correspondance à la rédaction et tout changement d’adresse. SENIOR DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS / DIRECTEUR PRINCIPAL DES COMMUNICATIONS Stephen Hanson: stephenh@cba.org EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / RÉDACTEUR EN CHEF Jordan Furlong: jordanf@cba.org SENIOR EDITOR / RÉDACTRICE PRINCIPALE Mélanie Raymond: melanier@cba.org ASSISTANT EDITOR / ADJOINT À LA RÉDACTION Jared Adams: jareda@cba.org WEBSITE EDITOR / RÉDACTEUR DU SITE WEB Mark Kuiack: markk@cba.org ART DIRECTOR / CONCEPTION GRAPHIQUE Tony Delitala: tdelitala@cogeco.ca CIRCULATION / ABONNEMENTS Emily Porter: emilyp@cba.org TRANSLATION / TRADUCTION Valérie Leclercq /Denise Poulin valeriel@cba.org/denisep@cba.org Humain contre machine ? Le problème ne vient pas des ordinateurs. Un ordinateur pourra-t-il un jour contreinterroger un témoin ? Pourra-t-il conseiller un PDG dans une offre publique d’achat ou un conjoint désirant obtenir la garde de ses enfants ? Pourra-t-il forger des rapports de confiance avec une entreprise familiale au cours de 20 années de service ? Probablement pas. Les avocats ont ici un avantage indéniable sur la machine, mais en profitent-ils vraiment ? Voici ce que font aujourd’hui un grand nombre de juristes : ils aident des clients à rédiger des testaments, acheminent des formulaires complexes, appliquent des règles juridiques à des situations de fait et cherchent à résoudre des différends en négociant un compromis financier entre les parties. Bref, ils facilitent les transactions et au 21e siècle, cela relève de plus en plus du domaine des machines. Votre guichet automatique, votre serveur de courriel, Amazon.ca et même cette assistante dont vous n’avez plus besoin depuis l’arrivée de Windows 95 en sont la preuve. Toutes les activités mentionnées au paragraphe précédent sont à la portée d’un logiciel sophistiqué. Notre profession n’est pas menacée par des ordinateurs qui peuvent copier ce que font les avocats, elle est menacée par des avocats qui copient ce que peuvent faire les ordinateurs. Quand nous faisons preuve d’empathie, quand nous mettons à profit la sagesse et l’intuition, quand nous établissons une relation humaine avec nos clients, les ordinateurs ne peuvent rien contre nous. N .................................................................. Des commentaires? Écrivez-nous à national@cba.org. EDITORIAL BOARD / COMITÉ DE RÉDACTION CHAIR / PRÉSIDENTE Nola Crewe – Toronto MEMBERS / MEMBRES Hélène Beaulieu – Moncton Diana Dorey – Vancouver Sébastien Guénette – Montreal Jeffrey Schnoor – Winnipeg __________________________________________ ISSN No. 0315-2286 Publications Mail Agreement No. 40070230. Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: Circulation Dept., One Mount Pleasant Rd, 7th flr. Toronto, ON, M4Y 2Y5 4 NATIONAL OCTOBER · NOVEMBER 2006
From the President HEALTHCARE & FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP PUBLISHER • ÉDITEUR Jim Farley (416) 764-3910 JFarley@rci.rogers.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE • DÉLÉGUÉ COMMERCIAL Stefanie MacDonald (416) 764-3911 Stefanie.macdonald@rci.rogers.com Mot du président Small-center solutions Local bars are at risk of running out of lawyers. By J. Parker MacCarthy, Q.C. Aglance at the faces and hair of my colleagues around the room at my other “CBA” meeting (my local Cowichan Bar Association) confirms the situation: a substantial segment of lawyers serving smaller Canadian centres are getting older. Many will retire in the next decade, and young lawyers are not strongly attracted to fill their places in these communities. The Law Society of Upper Canada’s “Final Report of the Sole Practitioner and Small-Firm Task Force” (March 2005) and the Law Society of British Columbia’s “Interim Report of the Small-Firm Task Force” (June 2006) both confirm that solo and small-firm lawyers, the backbone of the bars in smaller centres, are significantly older than the profession as a whole. The absence of younger lawyers is more prevalent outside of urban areas. Small-center bars are not renewing themselves, and that has serious implications for the communities they serve. Canadians in these locations face a decline in their traditional levels of legal services, potential closure of courthouses and courthouse libraries, and lengthy journeys outside the community to access the justice system or obtain legal advice. Many of these factors also make the communities less attractive to replacement lawyers. A substantial part of my 30-year legal career has been marked by a concern about “too many lawyers.” In smaller centres, the refrain has changed: where are the new lawyers? How do we attract them, and how do we keep them? Lawyers in smaller centres face other challenges: requiring more proficiency in numerous general practice areas, serving a clientele often unable to pay what is required to sustain practices, grappling with technology and practice management issues, combatting isolation, and accessing legal information and CLE available only in major centres. These challenges, however, also provide a significant opportunity for the CBA. We can (and already do) provide solutions to help practices in smaller centres remain viable for their existing lawyers and more attractive for new ones. Our General Practice, Solo and Small-Firm Conference, our award-winning online resource CBA PracticeLink, and our online CLE offerings are already on the job, and many Branch Section meetings are now available through teleconferencing. Videostreaming, webcasting, and even podcasting can deliver the same timely and essential information to lawyers inside and outside major centres. At this critical juncture, CBA innovation can and will help ensure that access to justice and to legal services will not become a forgotten memory for Canadians with rural addresses. N ............................................................................................................................. Send your comments to cbapres@cba.org. PRODUCTION MANAGER • DIRECTRICE DE LA PRODUCTION Libby Masters (416) 764-3919 libby.masters@rci.rogers.com ROGERS MEDIA INC. PRESIDENT & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Anthony P. Viner ROGERS PUBLISHING LTD. PRESIDENT & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Brian Segal OCTOBRE · NOVEMBRE 2006 www.cba.org BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL PUBLISHING SENIOR VICE-PRESIDENT John Milne SENIOR VICE-PRESIDENTS Marc Blondeau, Mitch Dent, Michael J. Fox VICE-PRESIDENT, BUSINESS PLANNING Immee Chee Wah VICE-PRESIDENT, PRODUCTION John Hall Cheveux blancs Les jeunes juristes délaissent les régions. Un simple coup d’œil à la chevelure de mes confrères et de mes consoeurs du Barreau de Cowichan ne trompe pas : nous ne sommes plus jeunes. Plusieurs d’entre nous prévoyons prendre bientôt notre retraite et nous constatons que la relève n’est pas au rendez-vous. Ma région n’est pas la seule aux prises avec ce problème. Deux rapports, l’un du Barreau du Haut-Canada et l’autre de la Law Society of British Columbia, révèlent que les juristes exerçant seuls ou en petits cabinets sont en moyenne beaucoup plus âgés que le reste de la profession. On retrouve peu de jeunes juristes hors des grands centres. Au cours de mes trente ans de carrière, nous n’avons cessé de nous demander s’il y avait trop de juristes. Voilà maintenant que nous nous demandons comment nous pouvons les attirer cheznous. Les juristes oeuvrant en région doivent relever des défis bien particuliers : ils doivent maîtriser plusieurs domaines du droit, desservir une clientèle qui n’a pas toujours de quoi payer, se débrouiller avec la gestion de leur cabinet, combattre l’isolement et demeurer au fait des derniers développements. Ces nombreux défis sont cependant une occasion formidable pour l’ABC d’innover. Grâce à En pratique, à nos FJP en ligne et à nos nouvelles baladodiffusions, nous fournissons déjà aux juristes en région des services à la portée de leur clavier. En poursuivant nos efforts pour appuyer les juristes en région, plus de Canadiens auront accès à la justice. N ......................................................... Commentaires? cbapres@cba.org Executive Officers –––––––––– Administrateurs exécutifs BERNARD AMYOT 1 st Vice-President 1 er vice-président GUY JOUBERT 2 nd Vice-President 2 e vice-président JACK INNES Treasurer Trésorier BRIAN TABOR Past President Président sortant JOHN HOYLES Chief Executive Officer Chef de la direction Subscription enquiries should be addressed to Debbie Walsh, National, One Mount Pleasant Road, 12 th Floor, Toronto, ON, M4Y 2Y5. Pour les questions concernant l’abonnement, veuillez communiquer avec Debbie Walsh, National, One Mount Pleasant Road, 12 th Floor, Toronto ON M4Y 2Y5. This magazine is printed with vegetable inks and is 100% recyclable where facilities exist. Recyclable là où le service est offert. 5
Page 1 and 2: October/November 2006 Octobre/Novem
Page 3: COVER: ROBERT JOHANNSEN COVER · DE
Page 7 and 8: THOMAS DANNENBERG Perfect Practice
Page 9 and 10: JACKIE BESTEMAN Tech Talk Techno Tr
Page 11 and 12: KATY LEMAY/ANNA GOODSON MANAGEMENT
Page 13 and 14: JARED ADAMS Best in show How to get
Page 15 and 16: CK by JANICE MUCALOV illustration b
Page 17 and 18: A broker, for example, can use Blue
Page 19 and 20: Aside from keeping non-lawyer compe
Page 21 and 22: the online advice they receive.”
Page 23 and 24: MIKE PINDER STATEREALESTATEREAL NRE
Page 25 and 26: HARNESS THE POWER There’s power i
Page 27 and 28: NICE BACKYARD. Too bad their neighb
Page 29 and 30: MARVIN MOORE ERIN O’BRIEN EDMONDS
Page 31 and 32: TM The new Quicklaw, Power your res
Page 33 and 34: Les juristes curieux des tendances
Page 35 and 36: collègues blogueurs. Vous noterez
Page 37 and 38: PAUL EEKHOFF The telework revolutio
Page 39 and 40: JOHN MCDOUGALL currently on a six-m
Page 41 and 42: ROBERT JOHANNSEN WHAT’S NEW IN...
Page 43 and 44: QUOI DE NEUF.... Pour bien accompli
Page 45 and 46: Finding a virtual assistant By Edwa
Page 47 and 48: The CBA & You L’ABC et vous St. J
Page 49 and 50: JUSTICE MINISTER VIC TOEWS CLEs AND
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The CBAF employer-sponsored Group R
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ISTOCK Legal Transit ons Vol. 1, No
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