First Thing We Do, Let's Deregulate All the Lawyers - Brookings Institution. The first thing I did, when I read the title of this book, as I am certain any lawyer would, was think of the Dick The Butcher quote from Henry VI: "The first thing we do, is kill all the lawyers". However, like Shakespeare, this first step towards Utopia is actually a world without freedoms and defenders of the oppressed. Without lawyers, Shakespeare argues, there would be no one to stand in the way of the tyrant. So, would deregulating the practice of law in our modern world really foster competition, and bring more efficient practitioners to the fore? Do lawyers operate like a guild, protecting their own wealth and policies? Or, do they protect the general public from the excesses of the oligarchy? As with all such questions, the answer lies somewhere in between. And, good news, the Internet and technology are playing a role in pushing lawyers to be more efficient within the current regulatory framework. So, let's not deregulate the lawyers. Let's use technology to make them better servants of their clients and the general public.
It looks like an interesting book. My initial reaction was the same as yours. My second thought was whether this was the end to bar fees, CLE requirements, and the rules of professional conduct. How the author addresses the issue with the RPC makes me almost curious enough to check the book out from the library.
Posted by: Ron Traud | October 11, 2011 at 09:43 AM
Deregulation would likely result in short term lower quality of representation but quickly the market would weed out the good from the bad. I think it's a good idea that will never happen.
Posted by: Charles Jannace | October 12, 2011 at 08:17 AM
Interesting podcast interview of author about ideas in the book: http://www.econtalk.org/archives/2011/09/winston_on_lawy.html
Posted by: Gene Albert | October 12, 2011 at 11:00 AM