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Center for the Study of the Legal Profession
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Georgetown Faculty Publications
Executive Director Co-Directors Contact Us Center for the Study of the Legal Profession Carole Silver |
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Upcoming Events
LAW FIRM EVOLUTION: BRAVE NEW WORLD OR BUSINESS AS USUAL? A Conference Sponsored by the Center for the Study of the Legal Profession Georgetown University Law Center March 21-23, 2010
Law firms have been affected to an unprecedented degree by the current economic downturn. Many have made deep cuts in lawyers and staff. Others have reduced salaries and hours, rescinded outstanding offers of employment, frozen hiring, delayed start dates for incoming lawyers, and even paid graduates to forgo the positions they earlier were offered. Many have lost clients as entire sectors of the economy have disappeared or have been radically realigned. Are the dramatic steps that firms have taken temporary adjustments to market conditions, which will have limited long-term effect after economic recovery? Or do they reflect fundamental changes in the business model of law firms that are likely to transform the market for legal services and the legal profession in general? This symposium will bring together scholars, practitioners, and legal professionals from around the world to discuss the future of the market for legal services, and the implications of change for the organization of law practice, legal career paths, law schools, and lawyers’ sense of professional identify.
Hotel Accommodations: We have secured a special room rate of $289 per night at The Liaison Capitol Hill, which will be honored until Friday, February 26, 2010. Please mention "Georgetown University Law Center" when calling (866) 233-4642 or emailing reservations@affinia.com to make your reservation to receive the special room rate.
Registration for this conference is now closed because the conference has sold out. Please click here to add your name to the wait list.
Past Events
Tuesday, November 10: Second Annual Lecture on the Legal Profession Professor Scott Cummings, UCLA Law School, Market-Driven Public Interest Law Supreme Court Institute Courtroom, 4:00 pm.
Professor Scott Cummings of UCLA Law School, who is faculty chair of the Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and Policy, will deliver the Second Annual Lecture on the Legal Profession on “Market-Driven Public Interest Law.” Professor Cummings’ research examines the organization and practice of public interest law. He currently is working on projects that explore the operation of small public interest firms, the development of public interest law systems abroad, and the role of lawyers in the anti-sweatshop movement in Los Angeles.
Wednesday, October 7: Panel Discussion on David Cole's Book The Torture Memos: Rationalizing the Unthinkable Gewirz Student Center, 3:00 p.m.
We will be co-sponsoring with the Dean’s office a presentation and panel discussion on David Cole’s new book The Torture Memos: Rationalizing the Unthinkable. The book collects in one place the memos prepared by the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) that provided legal authorization for the CIA to use controversial interrogation techniques with prisoners suspected of having information on terrorism. The book also contains David’s thoughtful introductory analysis of the memos. The discussion will focus on whether the OLC lawyers acted consistently with their professional responsibilities, and, if not, whether they should be subject to discipline or other sanctions. Panelists will present a range of views on these issues. We currently have David Luban and Alan Morrison confirmed as panelists, and expect shortly to have two other confirmed participants.
The Future Is Here: Globalization and the This conference is jointly sponsored by May 27, 2009
The Center for the Study of the Legal Profession Lecture on the Legal Profession Speaking on the topic of “Developments in the UK and Australia: How Might They Affect the Regulation of Legal Practice in the United States?” Monday, April 20, 2009
Professor Schneyer will be discussing the implications of recent reforms in the UK and Australia for the regulation of lawyers in the US. These reforms include the authorization of outside investment in law firms, the establishment of a regulatory agency independent of the bar, and the creation of separate regulatory programs for large law firms.
EMPIRICAL RESEARCH ON THE LEGAL PROFESSION: A symposium sponsored by: GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY LAW CENTER This symposium will bring together scholars, practicing lawyers, print and electronic journalists, consultants, and communications experts, from the US and overseas, to discuss how empirical research on lawyers and law practice can inform our understanding of issues facing the profession. Papers will focus on issues of diversity, lawyer mobility, globalization and its relationship to law firms, how lawyers can use empirical research on the profession, and the coordination of legal and media strategies in representing clients. A lunch panel discussion will focus on the impact of the legal press on the profession. The symposium will be structured to allow for lively discussions among scholars, practitioners and others in order to foster a dialogue that generates new knowledge and awareness on all sides.
INSIGHTS INTO THE LEGAL PROFESSION - Speaker Series - The Center for the Study of the Legal Profession and the Office of Career Services are pleased to announce a new speaker series for the Law Center community entitled “Insights into the Legal Profession.” The series is intended to present different perspectives on where the legal profession presently is and where it may go in the future. We will have two speakers in this semester and three speakers in the spring. The first presentation will be on Wednesday, November 5. The speaker will be Bruce MacEwen, an expert in the economics of law firm practice. His website, AdamSmith, Esq is widely admired for its insights into the legal profession. His topic will be Law Firm Finance 101. The second presentation will be on Wednesday, November 12. The speaker will be James Jones, former managing partner of Arnold & Porter and presently chairman of the Hildebrandt Institute and vice-president of Hildebrandt International. He will talk about the past, present and future of the legal profession. Third, on February 4th, 2009, we present "Challenges Faced By In-House Counsel For A Global Organization: Maneuvering Your Way To Success," a presentation by Cindy Moehring, Senior Director, U.S. Ethics, Wal-Mart. The focus of this speech is the role of in-house counsel in shaping corporate decisions and policies in the area of corporate social responsibility, diversity, alleged illegal conduct, and business ethics. The session will address the role of in-house counsel as cop, counsel and/or entrepreneur in each of these situations, and when is it appropriate to wear which hat. Throughout the session, the situations examined will give students a better understanding of the judgment and skills required to maneuver successfully as in-house counsel. Our fourth presentation is on February 11, 2009. Ray Bayley, CEO and Founding Partner of Novus Law, LLC, will speak. Ray is a former managing partner at Pricewaterhouse Coopers. LLC. Novus is a new global legal services firm which has done a great deal of work in India and elsewhere. His talk will be entitled “Creative Destruction in the Legal Profession.” He will discuss the forces that are transforming the legal profession and will analyze the new business models, services, forms of distribution and globalization that are challenging and changing the traditional law firm practice model. He believes that there are new and interesting opportunities for lawyers and that there is an increasing need for lawyers to learn new skills to succeed in a rapidly evolving legal industry.
PANEL DISCUSSION ON WORK-LIFE BALANCE Have you been thinking about life after law school, and how you will negotiate the demands of your career and your interest in having a meaningful personal life? For you, what does work-life balance mean? What are the personal and professional costs and benefits of taking advantage of a work-life balance policy? How and when should you investigate the policies of potential employers in the interviewing process? After you have started working, what are the best strategies for flexibility - the practical "dos and don'ts"? Speakers include:
WHEN: Wednesday, January 28th - 3:30 to 5:00 ROOM: McDonough 201
SYMPOSIUM ON CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: LAW, OPERATIONS, AND STRATEGY GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY LAW CENTER CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION On November 7, 2008, the Center and the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown sponsored a symposium on Corporate Social Responsibility: Law, Operations, and Strategy at the Law Center. This event brought together distinguished legal and business scholars, as well as prominent Calls for corporate social responsibility often urge companies to assume responsibilities that rest upon some basis other than economic interest or legal obligation. These responsibilities may well be consistent with a business’s economic and legal concerns, but they also may conflict with them. The demand that business act upon social responsibilities must take into account three important dimensions of corporate activities. These dimensions were the focus of this symposium. The issues below were just some of those that participants addressed in a wide-ranging series of discussions. Law Some argue that current legal rules inhibit behavior based on a sense of corporate responsibility. Others suggest that existing law can accommodate initiatives that reflect a commitment to social responsibility. How long a time horizon can managers take into account in satisfying their fiduciary duties? Is direct regulation of corporate behavior a useful approach? Or will law be more effective by creating incentives and relying on more informal influences? What role might “soft law’ play in fostering the fulfillment of corporate social responsibilities? Operations By what standards should businesses report their success or lack of success in operating in a manner that seeks to be socially responsible? Though the Global Reporting Initiative’s G3 has emerged as one of the leading contenders for a global non-financial reporting set of standards, what are the strengths and weaknesses of this kind of approach? Other standards such as the Equator Principles, etc. are relevant in operationalizing demands for corporate responsibility? The ISO movement is working towards a set of standards by which business might measure its CSR activities. Other standards are offered by Social Accountability international and AccountAbility International. The obstacles and issues that are characteristic of each of these dimensions increasingly arise with respect to global activities. Consideration of multinational corporate operations therefore is a theme that will run throughout the symposium. Strategy What steps can businesses take to integrate corporate social responsibilities into their strategies as well as the products and services they provide to the public? Should the law require corporate disclosure of social and environmental risks created by corporate activities? Or should disclosure be limited to risks that are financially material to the company and investors? Is disclosure under any standard likely to make any difference in corporate behavior? Is promoting greater shareholder involvement in corporations likely to make them act in more socially responsible ways? Or will it risk reinforcing existing incentives to emphasize short-term performance? For the Symposium program, click here.
The Center for the Study of the Legal Profession
In support of its mission, the Center sponsors symposia, research, publications, workshops and speakers designed to foster exchanges among scholars, practitioners and students about the ongoing evolution of law practice and the aims and commitments of the profession. The Center is directed by Professor Mitt Regan, regan@law.georgetown.edu, Professor Jeffrey Bauman, bauman@law.georgetown.edu and Professor Carole Silver, silver@law.georgetown.edu.
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