As discussed in yesterday’s part one, this put up is the second in a three-part sequence of reflections on the ReInvent Law Silicon Valley occasion, held in Mountain View Calif., on March 8, 2013, and what it meant to the authors and to the broader motion for innovation in regulation. Right now, we characteristic contributions from Chas Rampenthal, Chase Hertel, and Sarah Glassmeyer.
– Dan Lear and Bob Ambrogi, sequence editors.
Chas Rampenthal, Chief Authorized Officer, Dinari
Chas is a founder and the chief authorized officer of Dinari, a sensible contract start-up. From 2003 to 2021, Chas served as LegalZoom’s basic counsel and head of trade relations. Chas is an outspoken advocate of transformation within the authorized trade, inspiring elevated entry to authorized providers by means of know-how and new enterprise fashions. Chas is a member of the California and Massachusetts bars and is certified as a solicitor within the UK. Chas earned his bachelor’s diploma in economics and math research summa cum laude from Southern Illinois College and his JD from the College of Southern California. Previous to his authorized profession, Chas served honorably in the US Navy as an officer and naval aviator.
The yr 2013 looks like each a minute and a lifetime in the past. A lot has occurred prior to now 10 years! I particularly keep in mind Reinvent Regulation and the impression it had on the career and my very own view of authorized providers. At the moment, I used to be in my tenth yr as LegalZoom’s GC, coping with the brunt of a number of lawyer and state bar challenges. It was proper across the time that the Authorized Providers Act went into impact within the UK, and I couldn’t shake the sensation that our career ought to (or possibly…would…ultimately?) innovate and permit a enterprise mannequin that would present authorized providers to the underserved. To do that, we would want to “Reinvent” a brand new methodology of supply. It appeared like the correct time to dive into the ways in which added funding and other people may take our career ahead.
Eddie Hartman, James Peters and I used to speak about how retail shops like Goal had been serving a large middle-class product want and doing an exceptional job rising a model and satisfying their clients. My discuss on Retail Classes for the Authorized Trade virtually wrote itself!
One factor I’ll always remember is exhibiting up that morning and asking the organizers the place the lectern can be arrange. To my horror, I used to be knowledgeable — only a few hours earlier than my 15-minute discuss — that it was a “no notes” presentation. I crammed/memorized like I used to be 19 with a chemistry last the subsequent morning!
Trying again on the ten years that adopted, it was not lengthy after that the “UPL Wars” had been a factor of the previous. LegalZoom acquired an ABS license within the UK, and ultimately in Arizona as properly! I’m happy with the accomplishments of my fellow Zoomers that made a great deal of the TargetLaw presentation a actuality — and even higher than I may have imagined!
Reinvent Regulation was there after we had been all considering, “Might we?” A decade later we now have a definitive and AFFIRMATIVE reply. I can not wait to see what the subsequent 10 years has in retailer. To all of the dreamers which are on the market: Don’t let the naysayers cease you from making new authorized service supply fashions a actuality. There’s nonetheless a whole lot of work to do
I wish to thank Dan, Renee, and Michael for his or her imaginative and prescient, and for offering a discussion board that allowed all of us dreamers to assemble and assist one another!
Chase Hertel, Director & Counsel, SimpleCitizen
Chase Hertel is the director and counsel for SimpleCitizen, an immigration-focused authorized know-how firm. Previous to this position, he was a principal on LegalZoom’s Lawyer Providers workforce. Chase was additionally beforehand the deputy director and counsel of the American Bar Affiliation Middle for Innovation and has held different roles with high-growth authorized tech corporations targeted on bettering the supply of authorized providers. Captivated with scaling entry to justice, Chase is devoted to empowering attorneys and shoppers to work collectively by means of know-how. Chase is a member of the Authorized Providers Company’s Rising Leaders Council and the Maryland Bar.
My ReInvent Regulation Silicon Valley expertise is one I’ll always remember. In March 2013, I had simply accomplished Dan Katz and Renee Knake Jefferson’s Entrepreneurial Lawyering course as a 2L at Michigan State College School of Regulation. The category culminated in a start-up pitch competitors through which my mission accomplice and I pitched an immigration know-how enterprise designed to make the U.S. immigration course of extra accessible and reasonably priced (an concept and alternative I’ve refused to desert and spoke about at ReInvent Regulation NYC in 2014). My mission accomplice and I ended up profitable that regulation college pitch competitors and used our modest winnings to buy airfare to the convention. I wasn’t precisely positive what to anticipate however knew some 3Ls that I seemed as much as in this system had been going. Little did I do know then that I might forge skilled relationships that will keep on with me to this present day.
After spending the evening on an air mattress at my uncle’s home in Cupertino (I may barely afford a espresso, not to mention a lodge room), I confirmed up on the Laptop Historical past Museum shiny and early. The place was packed and Dan and Renee virtually instantly put me to work serving to test in audio system and getting them mic’d up. I can’t thank them sufficient for that chance. As a shy first-generation school and regulation pupil who had by no means achieved any form of networking in a crowd like this one, I discovered myself compelled to work together with attendees and audio system. I did my greatest to remain on high of the duties I used to be assigned whereas making an attempt to awkwardly community with anybody I may.
Then Ed Walters took the stage. His discuss, centered round who “owned” the regulation, opened my eyes to the deeply disturbing ongoing try by authorized publishers to copyright the regulation, and I distinctly keep in mind having to cease myself from giving him a one-man gradual clap standing ovation. However my pleasure didn’t cease there. Chas Rampenthal’s discuss on how LegalZoom was (and nonetheless is) delivering authorized providers at scale through new enterprise fashions helped put me on my path — one which led me not solely to a task with LegalZoom serving to to kind its ABS regulation agency in Arizona but additionally to alternatives that bridge the justice hole for shoppers whereas creating new income streams for attorneys.
I contemplate myself lucky to have been a part of ReInvent Regulation and deeply recognize the friendships {and professional} relationships I can hint again to that day virtually 10 years in the past. Dan, Renee, Michael and the ReInvent Regulation crew: Thanks for exhibiting me and the remainder of the career what a group of like-minded, devoted individuals can do after they come collectively. I can not wait to pay this expertise ahead.
Sarah Glassmeyer, Web Raconteur and Bon Vivant
Sarah Glassmeyer is a librarian and lawyer by coaching, and has spent her profession in a wide range of positions and organizations. She is enthusiastic about open know-how, content material, requirements and the facility of group to impact constructive change within the authorized world and past. She catalogs all of this at sarahglassmeyer.com.
After I look again at my bizarre life and profession, which happily or sadly I’ve documented on social media and blogs for over 15 years, I can positively see that 2013 was a dividing line between profession levels. The work of Renee Knake Jefferson, Dan Katz, and the workforce at ReInvent Regulation had a significant hand in serving to me by means of the transition.
Previous to 2013, I used to be a librarian who just lately modified work environments from regulation faculties to the Middle for Laptop Assisted Authorized Instruction (CALI). I used to be primarily considering points round open regulation and know-how (and these, together with requirements, are nonetheless a ardour of mine) however CALI’s work with A2J Writer led me to study extra about know-how utilized by training attorneys and all the varied alternatives for enchancment within the observe world. When ReInvent Regulation Silicon Valley occurred, I used to be on medical depart two weeks out from main surgical procedure, however I used to be in a position to comply with alongside on Twitter. By way of the years I used to be in a position to attend the Reinvent Regulation NYC in 2014 and several other occasions hosted within the Chicago space, although I nonetheless primarily engaged with the content material and different viewers through Twitter.
(Speaking to individuals nose to nose? No thanks! I’ll be the weirdo within the nook looking at my cellphone in the event you don’t thoughts.)
Although I used to be targeted on a really area of interest space of authorized know-how and innovation, I used to be in a position to see the interconnectedness of concepts and options. It additionally made me wish to give attention to systematic adjustments (like taxonomies, standardized deployments, knowledge requirements, and dare I say it, regulatory reform) as an alternative of a particular subject material answer.
(However extra energy to folks that wish to try this! Construct a greater mousetrap CLM!)
My publicity to the ReInvent Regulation world resulted in three fundamental takeaways:
- There’s a cohort of individuals that may reflexively say “no” and shit on any concept from individuals who need issues to be higher. Ignore them.
- There’s a cohort of folks that instantly leap on any bandwagon and suppose it would change the world if solely individuals will cease being unfavourable. You can too ignore them.
- There’s a bunch of individuals which are considering making issues higher in massive and small methods and you will notice them repeatedly in your profession as a result of although regulation is a world billion greenback enterprise, the variety of individuals working in direction of change is considerably depressingly small. Nonetheless, it’s a mighty group and rising each day.
Although we work for competing corporations, or corporations, or are neutrals in non-profits or different organizations, I see a powerful group and dedication to studying from one another and discovering broadly appropriate options. The open studying and sharing created at ReInvent Regulation had a big half in shaping that.
Look ahead to the ultimate installment on this sequence tomorrow on LawSites.