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“I designed the firm based on clients who I want to serve,” says
Boudreau. “I decided to use a co-working space because I get to hang
out with small business owners as opposed to other lawyers. It’s part
of being in a different mindset. There’s a mastermind group that gets
together to chat about what’s going on in the business world. I know
what’s going in that world and I’m part of the community.”
On the precipice
Law societies across Canada are examining how the
regulatory framework can support and foster innovation in
the delivery of legal practice.
Photo by Eliza Manuel
Corinne Boudreau, 2 Certainties Law
Part of her business design was doing away with the billable hour and
creating new pricing tools. Clients receive engagement letters that
clearly explain what legal services will be provided, and interim bills
are sent with fixed fees for legal services.
“I like the principle-based approach to running a law firm,” says
Boudreau. “For example, I don’t have a trust account. I use fixed fees
for all my services. It came out of my experience of sending out bills
and the feedback I received from clients. With fixed fees, I take on
more risk but I should strive to be more efficient in my work.”
With all the uncertainty, there are safer shores for lawyers in the future,
Furlong suggested in his keynote, and also in an in-depth workshop
the day before at the Society’s offices. Rethinking the practice of law
will lead to new processes and better services for people with lower
incomes. For firms looking to innovate, remember to think about the
business.
“There is a lot more flexibility than you think,” agrees Boudreau.
“Law and design is a good example of what we can do to make the
law accessible to others. What I like about people who are doing
innovative things is they look at different professions and apply it to
law.”
“As legal regulators, we are standing on the edge of a cliff,”
Executive Director Darrel Pink said in a June 5 presentation
to the Law Society of Alberta.
“Our choices are to turn around and walk away from the
edge .... Or we can jump from the cliff and plan for a safe
landing. There is much more risk in this option but as will
be clear to you, my perspective is that we have no choice.”
Here in Nova Scotia, Council’s Strategic Framework has
been the driver behind the priority to transform regulation
and governance in the public interest.
“Our goal is to examine all aspects of our regulation,
to revise it and to modernize it,” Pink told his western
colleagues, outlining the Society’s ongoing consultations
with lawyers and firms in the province, as well as its
research and collaborations with experts, legal academics
and other regulators.
“We have said that everything is open for consideration and
we have set ourselves up to build a proactive, principled
and proportionate risk-based regulatory model. We now
refer to this as ‘Triple P Regulation’.
On June 15, the Society’s Annual Meeting featured a twohour
professional development session, “Opportunities
for innovation in your practice: An action plan,” led by Mr.
Pink and Jacqueline Mullenger, Director of Education &
Credentials.
The presentation in Alberta, titled “On the Precipice – the
Future of Legal Regulation,” is available for reading on the
Society’s website, at nsbs.org/transform-regulation.
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The Society Record