preface

And so it began, exactly four years since the naked lawyer hip hopped and jazzed onto law law land’s stage, after much soul searching, deliberation, and dogged determination, I sat down to bring the sequel to you. Here it is – tomorrow’s naked lawyer – my second book in the cheeky naked lawyer series. WooHoo! Prrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

It’s not the book I intended to write, for writing a sequel is darn difficult, you see. The pressure and expectation I put on myself to produce a book to follow on from my (well-received) first effort was exacerbated and amplified by our world continually moving along at an accelerating speed, in so many fields, that I found it difficult to bring together a coherent manuscript that wouldn’t be out of date by the time you came to read it! And, no doubt, it may already be so!!! Harrumph! Hey-ho, onward we go…

There’s just so much really good stuff I wanted to try this time around, so much I wanted to talk about and share with you that, inevitably, I had to be rather ruthless with the final material to make sure that it met the quality standard of the naked lawyer series. I came to the realisation during the research stage that I had way too much material, too many topics I was bursting to explore, and an abundance of ideas to pursue so that, to remain focused on producing a manuscript about the innovation of the ROAR model to benefit the lawyer of today, tomorrow, I had to remind myself that ‘if it doesn’t fit in, then it doesn’t fit in’. Focus pussycat, focus. Prrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

The positive way to look at this, of course, is to realise that there is definite scope for a third book in the naked lawyer series! But let’s chat about tomorrow’s naked lawyer, shall we?

I hope you will agree that once you’ve turned the final page that this book met (or exceeded) your expectation. It’s rather different to what’s out there already. Similar in mischievous theme and naughty style to the naked lawyer, naturally, but that’s where the similarity ends. This book picks up where the previous one ended with a quick recap and reflection on the themes and lessons of the first book, and then moves swiftly on to cover the evolution of the ROAR model (in theory and practice) in this digital, technological, and robotic age.

tomorrow’s naked lawyer is VERY futuristic (future focused), as well as being practical today (present focused) proffering insights, ideas, and examples which can be put into practice today to help you, the individual lawyer, and your business to grow toward, and be prepared for, the future.

I’m going to share with you some of the stuff I’ve shared with clients, delegates at conferences and private gatherings I’ve spoken at since the naked lawyer was published back in November 2010 to present day (i.e. over the past 4 years, 2010–2014). I’m also going to share with you case studies, interviews with and comments from leading people in the law, and (to some degree, more importantly) those outside of the profession, some of whom have practised the ROAR model these past four years and achieved outstanding results. And, I’m going to be sharing with you my experience (positive and negative) during this period along with my insights into our likely future.

As you may suspect and expect, I build on the current thinking of a variety of subjects and explore, debate, and challenge conventional thinking and wisdom, particularly with regard to marketing, branding, technology, artificial intelligence, robotics and the future of law for the period 2015–2045.

No, I don’t have a crystal ball! No, I don’t profess to be a soothsayer and don cape and pointy hat!! No, I don’t have the talent, audacity or balls (I’m a naked lady lawyer) to predict what our exact future is going to be!!! But YES, I do have the courage to attempt to predict what our future is likely to be, based on compelling research and thought leadership from a wide spectrum of resources and fields, and through speaking with a variety of authoritative, respected, admired, and credible people.

As ever, I don’t anticipate that all (or presume that any) of you will simply accept and/or agree with all (or any) of what I say. In fact, I positively encourage you to question, reflect on, and debate the content with your colleagues, your friends, and most of all, yourself. For it may well be that while reading tomorrow’s naked lawyer you experience a ‘eureka moment’ and need to prance off and give yourself a good talking to in search of the answers to questions you may be asking yourself as a direct outcome of what you read.

Please note: I don’t have all the answers. I believe my job is to comfort those of you who have questions. In true NAKED LAWYER style I reckon my role is also to provoke those of you who are meandering along, and to entice you at the very least to begin to be curious, and at best to be stimulated to enquire about the possibilities for your future. Period. And, by the end of the read, if I have achieved this for you, then my job is done. If you are dissatisfied, then go ROAR in the mirror!

why write tomorrow’s naked lawyer?

I’ve written tomorrow’s naked lawyer because of readers’ demands, publisher’s expectations, my personal desire to help, and love of the law and justice. Bottom line: I was egged on to do it from numerous quarters, and no persuasion was necessary. tomorrow’s naked lawyer exists now because those who read the first book want more goodies, more dancing, more ROARing, and updated prrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrring.

the naked lawyer has been a best-seller, read feverishly around the globe and in every corner. It’s enjoyed a ‘long-run’. It has helped countless lawyers, law firms, and businesses of law – and I wish to continue helping wherever possible! Accordingly, questions, answers, and insights in relation to the legal world need to be explored and shared further. It’s timely.

Since the dawn of mankind, we have evolved to survive many challenges, radical changes, disruptions, and ‘ages’. In the legal world and beyond, we are now experiencing a new ‘Artificially Intelligent’ and ‘Robotic Age’, and those who want to survive it and be a part of it will need to evolve too. Today’s lawyers, legal leaders, entrepreneurs, you and I, face an uncertain future. With changes already underway to everything from training culture, the competitive environment, to different modes of service delivery, we need to equip ourselves for the road ahead.

To quote the futurist Dr Peter Bishop: ‘There will be significant change within our tenure within any position within our lifetime for sure, that we will have to learn to live in a new world… It will be new enough that we will be uncomfortable, we will be unprepared, and that we will have to learn new skills and new techniques in order to be successful in that future compared to how we are being successful today, or indeed how we were prepared to be successful when we were in school or training.’

We all know about all the change that’s already affecting us within the profession and industry, including changing regulation, legal aid cuts, increased competition, and ever more pressure on the bottom line. But the pace of change will only pick up, and in ways we may not expect.

The problem – or blessing, depending how you wish to view and/or feel about the Robotic Age – is that tomorrow, everything will be connected. Today, there’s actually a load of stuff that is already connected. Anybody who has recently uploaded IOS8 no doubt shared my frustration in the darn thing connecting all of my digital devices and deciding to automatically share everything, everywhere! (My usual sassy prrrrrrrrrrrr became a gruff grrrrrrrrrrrrr and bellowing roaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrr!!! This dancing, prancing naked lawyer was not amused!)

Stating the obvious, technology is rapidly transforming how we communicate, shop, play, live, love, and work. Having witnessed cupcakes served by a machine ‘hole-in-the-wall’ recently, I reckon the writing (err, robot) is on the wall…

 

the robots have taken all the jobs

The transition is already underway. Cities will be run by robots and machines could potentially wipe out a significant proportion of the workforce, globally. And that means (potentially) you and me too. So, we can either deal with this potential evolution in a positive way and adapt for the good of the (global) legal and justice systems, the consumer/customer/client, the business, and ultimately for ourselves, or we can fight the machines. Pah! The latter, I reckon, may not even be an option…

The global internet, artificial intelligence/machine intelligence, and robotic engineering has already bolted from the R&D labs and been embraced in a multitude of fields, industries, and services, commercially. The money-go-round is already spinning. Fight the machines? Pah! The luddites didn’t succeed and nor will the ‘robodites’ (imho). And so to my thoughts about the implications and opportunities with regard to artificial intelligence and robotics in the legal world. Let’s look at dealing with all this stuff positively…

The problem with the legal and justice system and legal service delivery, not just in the UK but across the globe, is that it is usually expensive, slow, inefficient, outcomes are uncertain, and increasingly legal issues cross geographic and language boundaries.

The lawyers/law firms are, in truth, not always TRULY client-focused, TRULY customer-centric – i.e. are not TRULY interested in challenging some of the problems I highlight because of pure self- interest. So, consider this, if a) we lawyers (or, maybe, it is our company leaders/power-monger/equity-fat lawyers/shareholders at the top of the tree) were not so egotistical, arrogant, ignorant, complacent, self-interested, self-absorbed, greedy, risk-averse, unadventurous, unimaginative, and lacking in innovative oomph; and b) technology was not a constraint… what are the kind of things we could see improved and automated with regard to lawyering, for the client/customer good, the public good, the business good (to build a viable/sustainable/feasible legal business) and the good of the legal justice system? I suggest the following:

1. THINKING – The quality and level of advocacy/reasoning and judgment could be improved, and arguably automated, in due course.

We could, for example, introduce/discern truth telling and lie detecting into the legal process – that is, we could be able to deal with uncertainty better, which would assist lawyering whether by the human or the machine. Is this not the crux of the legal matter for many clients: a positive, quick outcome without having to pay exorbitant legal fees? (Aka a focus on prevention, rather than cure?) Surely, it is in the client’s interest for a business of law to offer a legal service (even if machine-aided/enhanced) with the best mix of human and machine and technical support to achieve a win?

2. COLLABORATION – The enabling of multiple parties to come together 24/7/365 across multiple geographic boundaries.

Improvement and automation may only be a stone’s throw away where all parties could collaborate on the same document at the same time, virtually, and be aided by machine/artificial intelligence. For example, we could have multiple lawyers and their respective clients from all around the world gathered around the virtual table. We wouldn’t need to meet face to face. Imagine the HUGE amount of time and expense that could be saved, and how the speed of the legal matter could be accelerated, if we could eliminate the requirement to travel and come together anytime, anyplace, anywhere ‘on the line’ or ‘in the cloud’?

3. LANGUAGE TRANSLATION – The improvement and automation of language translation in legal documents.

For example, the IBM Watson machine technology (artificial intelligence) understands English language and metaphors. It is inevitable, therefore, that machines/robots can/will speak, in due course, no doubt supporting/assisting both contentious and non-contentious lawyering.

Currently, the computerised (AI) document systems ‘out there’ deal with the grunt-work, ‘doing’ aspect usually attributed and associated with junior lawyering. As the DOING aspect become more prevalent and acceptable in law law land, the real value, going forward, for the client, the lawyer, and the business of law will be in the THINKING element, I believe. Accordingly, if a machine/robot can think and do better than a human lawyer, then this may be the holy grail/USP/POD/competitive edge for the savvy lawyer, the business of law, and ultimately the client? Can robots think now? Sort of. (I will share this with you in Chapters 3 and 6.)

Without sounding defeatist or pessimistic, for you know I am forever the pragmatist and optimist, I envisage that the usual problems in law law land will remain, for we seem to see the recurring issues and problems perpetuating year after year, decade after decade, with marginal progress. No doubt we will continue to stick plasters on the same issues whether they land on skin or silicone. So, if you want to make sure you, the company, the legal system, we/mankind, evolve and change for the better, we’d all better sit up, get AIG, and do something. NOW!

I propose we begin by:

• Embracing the new breed of consumer/customer/client;
• Embracing our humanness;
• Embrace additional/new lawyerly skills such as relationship building, rainmaking, commercial savvy, intrapreneurial and entrepreneurial skills;
• Embrace the role technology plays for the lawyer, the business, and the client, for example CRM – it’s an aid/tool to assist humanness/relationship-building, maintenance and growth;
• Embrace the full spectrum of choice and opportunity to provide low-cost commoditised services juxtaposed with high-cost, high-end, IC, EI, intelligent provision;
• Being smarter about relationships, marketing, business development, communication;
• Being smarter about being social; and
• Being smarter about pricing and profit’, ergo:

o   Ensuring the work we do is valued as well as of value;

o   Respecting the lean start-ups and behemoth international players – every lawyer, and business of law, has its place and value;

o   Watching and learning from the new sexy players in law law land that have a blank sheet, that can start from scratch with a new sexy business model, new sexy investors, and with the latest sexy technology – usually cloud-based vfm tech rather than expensive legacy systems.

And so, if you hadn’t already figured it out, this book follows on from the content in the naked lawyer and covers the practice, evolution, and future use of the ROAR model in this Robotic Age. Unlike the naked lawyer in which each volume/chapter knits together as a step-by-step sales model, this book is different; it attempts to deal with a variety of problems which still plague law law land and proffers solutions based on theory and practice from both the legal world and business world of the present and (likely) future.

As the title suggests, tomorrow’s naked lawyer: NewTech, NewHuman, NewLaw – How to be successful, 2015 to 2045, is VERY futuristic as well as practical for today proffering insights, ideas, and examples which can be put into practice now to help you and your business grow toward, and be prepared for, the future.

I look at what’s happened since I wrote the naked lawyer back in 2010 (the past four years), where we are now (questioning, have we truly progressed?), and crystal ball gaze at where ‘law law land’ is likely headed in the context of helping to prepare you, the individual lawyer and business person, for our likely future.

I particularly look at the burgeoning tension between the liberalization and exploitation of artificial intelligence and robotics and the requirement to balance the human and technological aspect of lawyering for the benefit of the lawyer, the business, and the client, keeping ROAR as the central model and the need to ‘get naked’ as the central theme throughout.

It is my belief that placing the client at the centre of everything, the continual striving toward extraordinary customer service and reaching out and relating (‘R-O-A-R-ing’), whether by human touch, machine intelligence, or robotic interaction, will continue to be THE differentiator between those lawyers who (and businesses which) survive, grow, and excel and those who simply walk slowly toward an inevitable demise (or splat horrendously). In short, I attempt to reduce the complex to the simple.

 

how is the book organised?

Throughout tomorrow’s naked lawyer, I share my experiences and escapades these past few years along with insights into our likely future together and ideas for the way forward in the guise of an imaginary prancing, private dancing, prrrrrrrrrring ‘naked lawyer’ in law law land (again). After all, it would be rude not to. Prrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

The information I share is presented in a variety of ways and styles. For example, there are chapters and sections where I indulge in storytelling, cheekiness, and sexiness, and others that are (perhaps alien to those of you who read the naked lawyer) written in a more typically journalistic and lawyerly prose.

I have done this for a reason. I wish this book, not unlike the naked lawyer, to reflect and practise what it preaches, and I’d like you to enjoy ‘an experience’ as you read. We are in a world of contrast, uncertainty, and in some respects, no rules. I reckon it would be beneficial for you to actually feel this as you turn the pages and enjoy this book as an adventure, not knowing where it is going or what is going to happen next. This is, after all, the nature of business, law, and life!

Unlike the naked lawyer, in this sequel you’re not just going to be hearing from me. There are a handful of eminent professionals who have contributed a variety of quotes from my interviews with them, or paragraphs, and even sections. Their contributions add a great deal of value to what you are about to read and learn. I promise.

Chapter 1 sets the scene (the context in which I am writing the book) and provides you with my personal views of the kind of world we live and work in, the past, present, and future legal landscape, and I compare and contrast the old and new legal way and the problems and opportunities each of these creates.

In Chapter 2, I switch up a gear and begin to stick my dancing legal beagle bootie in. I share with you past, present, and future trends along with a number of pertinent reports and research material from prominent and credible individuals and companies to enlighten you as to what to watch out for. I then proffer a variety of insights, guidance, and tips as to how to embrace this knowledge and prepare yourself for your likely future.

In Chapter 3 we go ‘far out’ – I’m talking about our robotic life 2015–2045, the era of avatars, artificial intelligence, icyborg lawyers, and robot lawyers in a Robotic Age. Exciting times. Exhilarating chapter!

Chapter 4 is all about you, ‘tomorrow’s naked lawyer’ – that is preparing yourself for your transition and likely lawyerly role in the years to come. I proffer ideas in relation to improving your education, training, and skill sets, highlighting gamification, psycho-lawyernetics, rainmaking, storytelling, intrapreneurism and entrepreneurism, to name a few.

Throughout Chapter 5 we look in detail at our imminent future, that is, the next few years, 2015–2020 and I introduce you to a new concept – SocialHuman in online ‘social land’. We’re talking social savvy junkie re-invented, the magic of a brand trio, brand piggy-backing, smart words, smart behaviour, and smart pricing of the brand message. I then tease you with what is likely to be the NEXT BIG thing in social (with the help of a scientist) – namely, resonance, vibe tribes, and social vibe intelligence, sharing a description of the latest technology together with ‘3D diagrams’. I conclude the chapter with a number of case studies documenting what is likely to be the successful way forward for you in social land in the near future.

In the penultimate chapter (6) I’m talking about the NewTech, NewHuman and NewLaw referred to in the title. Yep, we are prancing, dancing, and prrrrrrrrrrrrrring into the really futuristic stuff, but not without first addressing the legal technology available today to support you in your transitioning hybrid lawyer role. Perhaps some of you may think I’m going a little too far by talking ‘robot wife’, ‘robot hooker’, and ‘law on Mars’ in the Robotic Age. Nevertheless, you’ll be able to say that ‘you read it first here’!

Chapter 7 brings everything together. It’s a wrap up chapter of all that has come before in Chapters 1–6 in terms of key messages, theories, concepts, practicalities, and future thinking and action. I pose to you the question: ‘Are you ready to change your world, or change the world?’ For in this ‘age of magic and miracles’, nothing is certain – but anything is possible. And, of course, I couldn’t leave you without injecting some more humour, so you can expect it here.

who is the book written for?

If it is not already obvious, I am writing the book to be appealing, globally, and to be of benefit to, in particular:

• Lawyers and ‘non-lawyers’ (I hate that term) – All of you, from student to the board in the businesses of law and GC’s in corporate behemoths;
• All personnel in professional service firms – The content is as relevant for you as it is for lawyers;
• All support personnel in professional service firms – E.g. business development, marketing, sales, CRM, relationship managers, learning and development, knowledge managers, social media managers/executives, etc., etc., etc.;
• All suppliers to the professions;
• Consumers and businesses – You, the buyer of professional services and products;
• Investors interested in funding a start-up businesses of law, or getting involved with an existing company providing legal services and products;
• Entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs and innovators; and
• Anyone who is curious as to their future and how to skill-up and prepare for it.

 

do you need to read the naked lawyer?

No. You don’t need to have read the naked lawyer to enjoy and learn from tomorrow’s naked lawyer, that’s why I’ve provided a handy recap of that book’s key takeaways at the front of this book, but those of you who have read it will, perhaps, gain just that little bit more from this title. (No, this is not a ruse to get you to line my pockets with golden doubloons or cryptocurrency bitcoins. I simply respectfully draw your attention to the fact that the concepts, teachings, and substance of the ROAR model I wrote about in the naked lawyer cannot possibly be regurgitated in its entirety here – understandably.)

 

the mischievous Prof

You may recognise the title of the final volume of the naked lawyer , ‘XXX rated – tomorrow’s lawyer’, in the title of Professor Richard Susskind’s latest book tomorrow’s lawyers (published three years later, in 2013), which he no doubt nicked (oops, I mean he was ‘inspired’) as we continue to challenge and, dare I presume, inspire one another in our work and shared passion. Respect, dear Prof. Prrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Accordingly, I felt that the title of the sequel to the naked lawyer ought to reflect the ongoing friendly duel and mutual respect between two professionals who approach our respective topics in completely different styles, yet share the same dance in continually innovating, pushing the boundaries, and breaking down the walls in law law land.

 

warning – naked adult content

While I deal with serious matters by providing serious information, messages, solutions, material, and ideas throughout tomorrow’s naked lawyer, I take an idiosyncratic approach, yet again. It is, after all, the naked lawyer series indomitable style. But it may, or may not, be to your taste.

In the chapters which follow you will note that there is an ‘adult’ element and theme throughout. But that’s OK, I reckon. We’re all adults. And, of course, you have the choice as to whether you wish to read any further. I dare you to read on…

Most writers are reserved in their writing style, tone, and approach for fear of causing offence, being rebuffed, receiving negative feedback and being vilified. Sorry, not me. If you don’t like what I’m saying or don’t want to hear what I’m saying, then that’s okay. Ignore me. It’s your choice. If you don’t wish to have a laugh, either at me or yourself, then tomorrow’s naked lawyer is probably not your cup of cocoa. Go and work through a hum-drum professional or academic marketing/branding/social media/technology/futurist book instead, perhaps?

Only those of you who wish to give yourself the best possible chance of succeeding in the challenging years ahead, those of you who wish to take control of your future by preparing and acting now for it, and ultimately those of you who wish to create your future and embrace it with a sense of humour and with an appreciation for sex will truly enjoy it. I am confident that we are many.

In case you hadn’t got the picture by now, I’m not going to beat around the bush. I’m just going to say it as it is… No nonsense. No sugar-coating. Just pure gut-wrenching thought, feeling, and action. This book is NOT going to be like the usual boring, dry-rot, scholastic clap trap tomes. There’s a place for that – it’s called the traditional law firm. For this book is written purely for you, the aspirant lawyer, existing lawyer and non-lawyer who:

• Wishes to excel in the business of law; and/or
• Proudly serves in a truly customer-centric business of law; and/or
• Will bring about positive change in legal provision throughout the world; and/or
• Will truly be the difference; and/or
• Wishes to change your world; and/or
• Wishes to change THE world.

And with this in mind, we’re going to have some fun, because when we have fun, we learn best. If I can help even just a handful of you, again, then the vilification will be worth it… and most of all, I’d be honoured. For those of you who choose to read on, I promise you this: tomorrow’s naked lawyer will certainly be an informative, fun, and sexy way of my pouring and prrrrrrring (teaching) and you sponging (absorbing).

do you need to read tomorrow’s naked lawyer?

No. If you prefer to stick your head in the sand and arse in the air in the hope that the technological age and all this digital, artificial intelligence, and robot gubbins is going to go away, then don’t bother.

Yes, absolutely. If you’re curious, intrigued, and want to be prepared for the inevitable robotic (legal) world of our future. Whatever you perceive and/or envisage that to be and whatever evolves and transpires.

One thing is for certain…

 

the robots are coming

They’re already here! I am, therefore, unwaveringly confident that the stuff I share with you throughout this book will be of some value. As the idiom states: ‘forewarned is forearmed’. I have every confidence that when you work through tomorrow’s naked lawyer, you will understand and appreciate precisely why it is an apt title.

 

why listen to me?

Because I give a damn. I genuinely care about you (the lawyer) and your future, and you, the entrepreneur who aspires to agitate, disrupt and make changes for the better with regard to legal services and provision, and most of all for YOU, the reader, who may at some point in your personal or professional life need legal help. Prrrrrrrrrrrr.

What’s more, I draw constant inspiration and the ear of the leading lawyers, professors, thinkers, innovators, scientists, futurists, and consultants in various fields around the world who share their insights with me (and now you) and who continually devote their lives to theorizing (thinking) and preparing in practice (doing) for the short, medium, and long term in law law land.

To give you confidence, this is what delegates have said about what I shared with them in my speeches, writing, and counsel these past few years – and it’s what I will be sharing with you (and more) throughout this book:

• ‘…eloquent description of the past, the present and the future’
• ‘…you go a lot further into the future than Professor Richard Susskind in his talks. It is a scary thought but hopefully one that we can capitalise on’
• ‘…delivered a fascinating talk which really gave our delegates a real jolt. Chrissie reminded them that embracing change need not be a step in the dark, but rather a chance to revitalise their businesses. Chrissie is a pro who is very knowledgeable and above all, good fun to work with!’
• ‘…technological developments at a high level … potential impact on professional services … you took that awareness to a very new level. Your talk was fascinating and it’s given me an opportunity to consider application of technologies in a way that I hadn’t contemplated before’
• ‘…if you want to conquer Social Media then you must listen to this lady!’
• ‘…avery worthwhile investment!!’

I am confident you will find tomorrow’s naked lawyer a worthy investment too. All that remains is for you to pour yourself a glass of wine, curl up in a comfy chair, click on your reading light and turn the page… Enjoy!

foreword by Professor Stephen Mayson