What’s the goal? Why are we here?
We’re looking to the law as we’d like it to be 2050, then learning what we’re doing right and wrong now.
That high-level concept-based beginning will be brief. The “meat” of the meeting is intended to consist of the Breakout sessions, where concepts and critique can (we hope) merge into vision and plans for action. Think of that directive as stimulating the imagination rather than as scripting what must happen. These are intended to be unstructured, unmoderated conversations (unless, of course, participants in a Breakout session choose to designate a moderator). Participants can use the Breakout sessions however they’d like to: conversationally; to re-connect with current colleagues; to find new friends; to brainstorm new things to do; report on existing things; vent about frustrations; and more. There are no scripts, no expected “outcomes” to be documented, no fixed set of ideas or interests to check off. This is not a law journal symposium, however. It’s a leadership conversation.
What are we going to do?
The Plenary sessions are brief “book end” convenings of the full cohort for the event. For small group conversations, participants may move as they wish from Breakout session to Breakout session, and they are also always welcome to “stay” in the Zoom Lobby rather than join one of the Breakout sessions. The Breakout sessions will be recorded solely for the purpose of creating a shareable summary of the event, anonymized, for posting and distribution afterward.
We hope that you’ll come out of these conversations energized to continue the work that you’re doing, inspired to begin new projects and collaborations, and reinforced in the idea that there is a collective of people around the world – a community, even – who share your instinct that the legal world can and should be made better. Much better. For the good of people and communities everywhere.
[All times are listed in Eastern (New York) time.]
[Here is a printable version of this agenda.]
Welcome plenary (everyone) (8 am to 8:30 am)
A brief introduction from Mike Madison and self-introductions, questions, and comments from all.
Coffee and bio break (8:30 am to 8:45 am)
Check in to the Zoom Lobby for guidance as to next steps.
Choose a breakout room, round one (8:45 am to 10:15 am)
The common theme for this session: education, training, and pathways to practice and service.
[Here and below, topics were culled from participant suggestions. Participants are welcome to switch from group to group as they wish.
[Room 1A] Curriculum. What should we start teaching (and how); what should we stop teaching (and why); and who should teach what?
[Room 1B] Accreditation and the purposes of “legal” education. What are the best roles for bar associations, law societies, law schools, universities – and others – in training people to provide legal information, legal services, and “legal”?
[Room 1C] Licensing. If it’s broken, then how do we move to better system(s)?
Coffee and bio break (10:15 am to 10:30 am)
Check in to the Zoom Lobby for guidance as to next steps.
Choose a breakout room, round two (10:30 am to 11:30 am)
The common theme for this session: law and its forms, roles, and impacts.
[Room 2A] Law, trust, and legitimacy. How do we build and re-build ideas and practices of law as integral to sustainability, equity, and human flourishing?
[Room 2B] Innovating, technology, design, and access to justice. Who and what provide legal information, services, and “other” and how, in a heterogeneous world?
[Room 2C] If we still need law schools, then why?
Coffee and bio break (11:30 am to 11:45 am)
Check in to the Zoom Lobby for guidance as to next steps.
Choose a breakout room, round three (11:45 am to 1:15 pm)
The common theme for this session: brass tacks.
[Room 3A] Priorities, tactics, and strategies. How do different needs and objectives fit together, or not, given our intensely siloed profession and industry?
[Room 3B] Metrics. How do we know whether we’re moving in the right direction?
[Room 3C] Organizational dynamics. Who’s in, what do they do, where does the money come from, and what’s the message and brand?
Coffee and bio break (1:15 pm to 1:30 pm)
Check in to the Zoom Lobby for guidance as to next steps.
Concluding plenary (everyone) (1:30 pm to 2 pm)
Moderated by the convenors. Does the whole event converge in a tight, integrated plan and vision? Quite possibly not!
Participants, share your reactions, criticisms, hopes, and plans. Share ideas and proposals for meetings (when, where how?), conversations (about what?), group activities (what’s the output?), partnerships (who else is trying to build cross-silo, non-silo visions?), individual recruitment (who’s missing?) and other initiatives.
Celebrate what’s right.
Build on what’s working, and who’s working.
What’s next for the Law’s Futures series?