Parker, Isabel
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(Article) A blank canvas - re-creating the law firm
01.04.2021
Those who have throughout history tried to imagine a better future, will often imagine what could be created if they had a blank canvas and could reimagine fundamental structures in a different way. The key is thinking creatively but, as we are products of particular social structures at a particular point in time, can we even imagine boldly enough? Is this true of the legal profession? For years there has been heated debate about many of the key structures that the modern law firm is built upon but very little ever changes. In this Modern Lawyer roundtable, I invited a mixture of people who, in their own way, are involved with reimaging the legal profession and invited them to hypothesise what should change most urgently in what we understand as the ?law firm'. The following is an edited version of our conversation. -
(Article) A fond farewell and a warm welcome
01.01.2022
Catherine McGregor talks to Isabel Parker -
(Article) Change? Sorry, we're too busy
01.04.2022
Our Editor shares her views on managing change in volatile times, and explains why law firms need to make time for change. -
(Article) Complete Issue - Volume 6, Issue 1 April 2022
01.04.2022
The April 2022 issue of Modern Lawyer -
(Article) Editorial - April 2022
01.04.2022
Welcome to Modern Lawyer. I am delighted to share my first issue as Editor of Modern Lawyer. It comes at a pivotal time for the profession. Many lawyers and allied professionals are coming back to the office after a prolonged period of isolation. It is not a question of returning to a "new normal". Against the backdrop of war in Ukraine, spiralling inflation and a pandemic that still rages, there is a collective feeling that whatever "normal" once meant for us, we are not going back there again. -
(Article) Complete Issue - Volume 6, Issue 2 July 2022
31.07.2022
The complete text of the July 2022 issue of Modern Lawyer -
(Article) Editorial - July 2022
31.07.2022
This issue focuses on law firm ethics and sustainability, and as the war in Ukraine continues to rage and the legal community processes the US Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v Jackson, the subject feels highly relevant. -
(Article) Pioneers, purpose and profit - towards a more sustainable law firm business model
31.07.2022
In our lead article, three industry heavyweights (Dan Kayne, founder of the O Shaped Lawyer, Sara Carnegie, director of legal projects at the IBA and Alastair Morrison, head of client strategy at Pinsent Masons) join me for a provocative discussion on law firm purpose, ending with a call to action to contribute to the debate. -
(Article) Complete Issue - Volume 6, Issue 3 October 2022
31.10.2022
The complete text of the October 2022 issue of Modern Lawyer -
(Article) Editorial - October 2022
31.10.2022
In this issue of Modern Lawyer, we are consciously looking to unlock our ivory tower and explore what legal can learn from other industries. The idea stemmed from a conversation with my good friend Emma Jacobs, feature writer for the Financial Times, who specialises in writing about the future of work. Emma has covered lots of different industries - but never legal. She was curious; how is the legal profession adapting to the workplace trends that are redefining other industries? Our contributors draw on their wide-ranging experience to help us answer this question. What lessons can legal learn from public planning authorities about effective change management? What can technology companies teach lawyers about productising for delivery at scale? If 45% of 18 to 24-year-olds are prepared to share their data in exchange for a more intuitive and personalised user experience, what are the implications for data sharing in legal services? Does empathetic leadership really matter - and how can it be put into practice in a law firm context? -
(Article) Shaping the legal workplace of the future
31.10.2022
What comes to mind when you think about the legal workplace of the future? Robot lawyers? VR headsets? Ping pong tables and free beer in an airy, open-plan loft space? Virtual networks of fully remote lawyers operating from their bedrooms?