COVID-19 Could Catalyze The Legal Industry Renaissance

I had the opportunity to co author this article with my good friend Nancy Rapoport. We believe that in the face of the COVID-19 crisis, there are things that the legal industry can do not just to survive, but to adapt, evolve, and thrive.

As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, the focus unsurprisingly has been on the exigent and obvious.  No matter which industry you’re in, this pandemic threatens not only your life but your financial health.  Though much has been written about industries in peril, far less has been written about industries—like law—that are poised to enjoy a Renaissance.

During times of crisis, experts reflexively draw comparisons between seemingly similar events. Legal industry pundits are busily comparing the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the financial ruin created by the Great Recession of 2008.  Such comparisons are, at best, shaky.  Those pessimistic pundits are conflating both events and forecasting only doom and gloom. We think they’re wrong.