Reaction Paper to BAR and BENCH 2025

By Robert Ramirez
Change is inevitable. The evolution of technology is yielding both
benefits and challenges to the legal profession this is the message of
Unified Courts of Guam Chief Justice Robert Torres, Jr in his talk BAR and
BENCH 2025 last February 12, 2015 at CEU School of Law & Jurisprudence.
While I agree with his message, his view on what the future will be ten years
from now is somewhat exaggerated particularly here in the Philippines.
Nevertheless, the future of legal practice is set to be much more automated.
Though there is exaggeration on his presentation about the future, I
think it is his way to catch attention from the audience. It is a wake-up call
for everyone; we have to keep abreast with the technological changes and
its development. The primary challenge of technology in the coming years is
to redesign the way lawyers and courts work so that technology is fully
integrated into their workflow in an efficient and effective manner. Another
challenge is the increase in educational and training opportunities for
lawyers regarding practical ways to use technology to enhance their
practices, to understand and use technology more effectively, and to develop
practice management and project management skills.
In the presentation, Chief Justice Torres discussion is akin to what legal
futurist Richard Susskind predicts in his book Transforming the Law.
Susskind discusses the ways in which the Internet is transforming the
delivery of legal services. He revisits the Future of Law by summarizing its
central arguments, updating the main themes, clarifying the impact of his
ideas on lawyers and responding to key objections by critics. He also looks
beyond legal practice to the justice system more generally, concentrating on
the impact of IT on judges, the courts and society. Susskinds latest book
Tomorrows Lawyers: An Introduction to Your Future builds on his previous
work and predicts fundamental and irreversible changes in the world of law.
According to him, the future of legal service will be neither Grisham nor
Rumpole. Instead, it will be a world of virtual courts, Internet-based global
legal businesses, online document production, commoditized service, legal
process outsourcing, and Web-based simulated practice. Legal markets will
be liberalized, with new jobs for lawyers and new employers too. This book
targets young and aspiring lawyers, and those who want to modernize the
legal and justice systems. It introduces the new legal landscape and offers
practical guidance for those who intend to build careers and businesses in
law. This is what the Chief Justice conveyed in his presentation.

With or without the hyperbole of Chief Justices presentation on the

legal profession in the future, we have to accept the fact that change is
indeed inevitable, and as lawyers, or future lawyers, how do we respond to
these changes? This is the major question that must be answered. Another is
that the preparedness of our country to adapt to such changes, are we ready
to face these challenges? Philippine legal profession must be ready for a shift
that will entail not only new knowledge and awareness, but also a new set of
skills of a lawyer that will encompass the advancement in technology and
other disciplines.
There are also essential changes in most areas of legal education
caused by the rapid changes in technology and the increasing globalization
of knowledge and economies that must be addressed. Best practices and
innovation have become common terms in business, government and
education. As in all disciplines, adapting to a rapidly changing world is
becoming a fact of life. The Philippine legal profession must learn to accept
that they cannot continue to operate in a shelter of protectionism while the
society around them is embracing change.
As in all other professions, the rapid changes in the practice of each
profession as driven by many factors such as technological advancements,
globalization and economic developments needs to adapt to these changes.
But we have to note that all professions are interrelated and affect all of us
and thus it is very important that one discipline should not be left behind by
the other discipline, we can only achieve this with the help of course of the
government, we need to engage the three branches of the government to
help one another, not only to always emphasize being the co-equal branch
that a certain situation is not within their province and such the other should
be responsible. I know this would be difficult but a coordinated team yields
effectiveness and efficiency.
Indeed, change is inevitable, but to adapt to such change is the major
challenge.