Is it too early to talk about the future of virtual law practice? This is not about more supposed Starbucks lawyers. It is not about lawyers sitting on the couch wiping Cheetos grease on their shirt while watching Downton Abbey reruns and waiting for Google to shove clients toward their online client portal.
The future of virtual law firms is the collision of full-service representation and the online delivery of legal services. It is about removing barriers for client access to lawyers. It is about delivering sophisticated work in innovative ways. It is about utilizing creativity when building a law firm but not forgetting about the old-school hustle necessary to make it happen. It is about outsourcing effectively, collaborating with branded networks and using expert systems for decision making. That is the future of virtual law.