MANAGING CHANGE WITHIN THE ATTORNEYS’ PROFESSION
Date
2011-06-24
Authors
VILLION, JEAN PIERRE
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Abstract
Prior to the 1980’s, the historically staid and conservative legal profession had
not been compelled to react to a dynamic and changing business environment;
neither had it been subjected to any meaningful form of competition from nontraditional
sources. The ensuing years have, however, seen the erosion of the
role played by traditional legal practitioners in the provision of legal services, both
to the general public and to corporate clients.
It has been recognised over a substantial period of time that regulatory issues,
incursion into the field by non-traditional service providers, demands for more
high quality services at lower costs, and the effects of technological
developments, are, collectively, the root cause of change affecting the legal
profession. Furthermore, the professions around the world have been swept up in the
broader movement of deregulation and in which the professions are no longer
seen as distinct from business and are no longer immune from the demands of
competition reform. In the quest to manage the change impacting the profession, the legal
establishment is faced with three inter-dependant tasks - to respond to change;
to capitalise on change; and to create or influence further change. The
professions response to change ought to include embracing change and
adopting a pro-active posture – to place it in a position to master change. Having
mastered change, the profession places itself in the position where it is has the
potential to capitalise on change. However, in order to realise this potential, the
profession needs to create and influence further change – to its established
structures.
Description
MBA - WBS
Keywords
Change management, Attorneys