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MSU College of Law

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 6, 2012

CONTACT: Kent Love, director of communications, 517-432-6959; kent.love@law.msu.edu

MSU Law Hosts Professor Richard Susskind for a Lecture on the Future of Lawyers

East Lansing, MI — Michigan State University College of Law’s Frank J. Kelley Institute of Ethics & the Legal Profession hosts Professor Richard Susskind at MSU’s Wharton Center Pasant Theatre on Tuesday, September 11, 2012, at 4 p.m. for a lecture titled “The Future of Lawyers.”

Susskind, who authored The End of Lawyers? Rethinking the Nature of Legal Services, will speak about the future and changing dynamics of lawyers. He will discuss his claims that the legal profession will be driven by two forces in the coming decade: a market pull toward the commoditization of legal services, and the pervasive development and uptake of new legal technologies. Susskind believes there is a clear threat that traditional legal jobs will be eroded or even displaced, but also foresees the emergence of exciting new markets for entrepreneurial lawyers.

“Richard Susskind is a visionary in the field of law and technology. At MSU Law, we want to cultivate learners who will invent the future of law practice,” said MSU Law Professor Renee Newman Knake, co-director of the Kelley Institute. “Hearing from Professor Susskind is an incredible opportunity for students and practicing lawyers to consider their future opportunities for delivering legal services in a technology-infused world.”

Susskind has been IT adviser to the Lord Chief Justice of England since 1998. He is president of the Society for Computers and Law and chair of the advisory board of the Oxford Internet Institute, where he also is a visiting professor. He also holds professorships at Gresham College in London, the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, and University College London. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and of the British Computer Society, and was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the Millennium New Year’s Honours List for services to IT in the Law and to the Administration of Justice.

“Susskind was the first to predict the profound influence technology is now having on the practice of law, which he began writing about more than a decade ago,” said Professor Hannah Brenner, co-director of the Kelley Institute. “His remarks at the lecture will help all of us understand and prepare for the ways in which technology will shape law practice and the delivery of legal services for years to come.”

The Kelley Institute was established in 2009 to promote ethical education in the law and to bring ethical issues and concerns to light through teaching, research, and outreach initiatives. Named for Frank J. Kelley, the longest-serving attorney general in U.S. history, the Kelley Institute builds upon the dedication, professionalism, and ethical code that marked Kelley’s career, including his 37 years of service to the State of Michigan. A cornerstone of the Institute is its dedication to bringing legal thought leaders to the MSU Law campus.

“Professor Susskind builds upon the strong line of lecturers we have brought to MSU Law over the past four years as part of the Kelley Ethics lecture series,” Knake said. “He will offer tangible guidance about how attendees can poise themselves to leverage innovative technology to build their law practice and reach untapped markets in need of legal services.”

For more information and to register for this free lecture, visit www.law.msu.edu/kelleyethics.

Michigan State University College of Law, a leading institution of legal education with a long history of educating practice-ready attorneys, prepares future lawyers to use ethics, ambition, and intellect to solve the world’s problems. Michigan State Law offers comprehensive interdisciplinary opportunities combined with a personalized legal education, and is on an upward trajectory of national and international reputation and reach. MSU Law professors are gifted teachers and distinguished scholars, its curriculum is rigorous and challenging, and its facility is equipped with the latest resources—all affirming a commitment to educating 21st-century lawyers.

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Law College Building
648 N. Shaw Lane, Room 320
East Lansing, MI 48824
www.law.msu.edu

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