Isthe shape of the 21st century lawyer changing?

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From T-shaped to Team-Shaped Lawyer: A Vital Evolution for Legal Success

In March 2020, I published an article entitled “Shaping the 21st Century Lawyer,” in which I argued that the complexity of the new legal ecosystem was challenging the identity of the lawyer. If the T-shaped lawyer was defined by traditional technical knowledge combined with knowledge of other skills such as technology or project management, the O-shaped Lawyer, which was advocated by Dan Kayne, General Counsel (Regions) at Network Rail, focused on his softskills: an open-minded, opportunistic, original, ownership and optimistic lawyer. These two ideas were complemented by the Delta Model, which encompassed three areas of competence: Law, Business and Operations, and Personal Skills.

Whatshape are you? Isit importantto define yourself?

When I teach Legal Project Management, I always start my classes with a reflection on the identity that we would like to have as lawyers. Understanding what type of lawyer we want to be and whether there is a gap in our knowledge,skills and abilities between what we have and what we want to be is not only important but strategically necessary. Unless each person is clear about the identity they want to achieve, any change or evolution becomes difficult and progress can sometimes be made intermittently or sporadically, with back-and-forth movements that waste energy and effort.

In this article, in the hope of adding value to the legal sector think tank dedicated to this reflection, I would like to propose a new identity for the 21st century Lawyer: the Team-shaped Lawyer.

Although we are discussing lawyers, this reflection would apply to the majority of professionals working in the legal sector or in any other sectors.

The Team-shaped Lawyer is still a T-shaped Lawyer, but has the advantage of working in a team, which requires certain skills and also has many benefits.

The ‘T’ in T-shaped Lawyer, which Amani Smathers, Innovation Solutions Manager at Chapman and Cutler LLP, introduced in 2014 in an article published in the ABA Law Practice Magazine (Big Ideas Issue, July/Aug 2014), represents the knowledge needed to fully develop the legal practice. Whereas the I-shaped Lawyer (represented by the vertical bar of the letter T), only had extensive legal experience, knowledge of the law and skills such as advocacy, drafting or legal research, the T-shaped Lawyer serves to adds to this base by including a knowledge of other subjects, such as technology, business knowledge, data analysis and security, project&process management and legal design thinking. Consequently, the T-shaped lawyer’s knowledge of the law forms a base structure, but that is able to ensure that the legal services are rendered by applying technology and legal project management, thereby seeking efficiency and continuous improvement, and having a privileged knowledge of the client’s business.

However, I believe that this model needs to evolve. We are no longer in 2014 and the T-shaped practice is not enough to be able to meet the challenges of a global high-speed economy and exponential technological changes such as we are experiencing. Hence, my proposal for a new model: the Team-shaped Lawyer.

The Team-Shaped Lawyer retains its ‘T’ shape, because there is no going back: it is inconceivable that 21st century lawyers will not expand their knowledge of subjects that are proving to be strategically necessary to the law, such as technology, data analysis, design and management. Furthermore, this is a lawyer who knows how to work in a team, collaborating and co-innovating with professionals (engineers, designers, data analysts, marketing experts) whose in-depth knowledge complements that of the lawyer’s extensive legal knowledge.

This approach does not dilute legalspecialization, but rather enriches it by integrating it into a multidisciplinary environment. Indeed, at the beginning of March, the NYSBA (New York State Bar Association) published an article (3 Trends Transforming the Future of Law Firms and Legal Teams), based on the 2024 Industry Trends Report, in which it identified three trends that will transform the legal sector:

1) Improving productivity through generative AI

2) Strengthening the talent recruitment and retention strategy

3) Increasing efficiency through legal technology

Within this framework, the article proposed the following competencies of lawyers and legal teams as being fundamental:

• Technological competence: Understanding and using legal technologies will be essential. Skillsin AI, data analysis and cybersecurity will be highly valued.

• Data analysis: The ability to interpret and use data in legal contexts will be crucial as datadriven decision making becomes more prevalent in legal work.

• Adaptability: Asthe legal field rapidly evolves, the ability to adapt to new technologies and processes will be vital.

• Collaboration ability: With the increase in teamwork and interdisciplinary work, the ability to collaborate effectively across various areas will be crucial.

• Emotional intelligence: Understanding and responding to client’ sentiments and needs will continue to be a key skill, especially in an increasingly digitalized world.

Based on these conclusions, I think it makes sense to talk about a lawyer as a ‘Team’ that combines legal specialization with interdisciplinary collaboration in order to offer innovative and client-focused solutions. Such a lawyer uses advanced technologies to optimize efficiency and improve the provision of legal services. He or she effectively heads legal projects by ensuring high-quality results within the established budget and timeline. He or she uses data to make informed strategic decisions and anticipates clients’ future needs. He or she creates personalized, results-oriented legal solutions that deliver tangible value to clients.

However, he or she doesn't do it alone. The Team provides the value of having multiple perspectives in order to fully understand the problem, advanced knowledge that fuses into a transversal solution, and diverse skills, such as critical and analytical thinking, lateral thinking, problem solving, creativity, adaptability, synergy, systemic thinking or the co-innovation mindset where ideas and perspectives intertwine to generate creative and disruptive solutions.

Therefore, in order to benefit from this value, the T-shaped Lawyer also adds to the T:

• The E for Emotional Intelligence

• The A for Adaptability

• The M for Multidimensional

Emotional Intelligence (EI) plays a crucial role in the legal profession due to its interpersonal nature and the complexities involved in managing client relationships, negotiations and team dynamics. It is a critical skill for working in legal teams because it facilitates effective communication, conflict resolution, collaboration, stress management, and leadership, all of which are essential elements for success in the legal profession.

Adaptability, namely, the ability to adapt quickly to new situations and environments or changes in circumstances, is crucial in the dynamic legal environment where unexpected challenges may arise. In fact, we can even talk about Adaptive Leadership, to guide teams in the complexity of the environment towards the expected outcome.

The Multidimensional Approach allows the lawyer to integrate legal experience with knowledge from different subjects, thereby providing holistic solutions to multifaceted challenges. It is not about each team member working in a silo with his or her skills, but rather that the skills are intertwined and generate a result greater than the simple sum of their parts.

This interpretation highlights the key attributes of the Team-shaped Lawyer, emphasizing his or her ability to combine legal acumen with collaborative skill, adaptive leadership, and a multidimensional approach.

From my perspective, the shift from ‘T’ lawyer to ‘Team’ lawyer represents a crucial evolution in the legal profession. By maintaining a strong foundation of legal knowledge and embracing interdisciplinary collaboration, these professionals are better equipped to address complex challenges and seize opportunities in today's legal environment. With a client-centric, innovation-driven, and technology-enabled mindset, the Team-Shaped Lawyer is prepared to lead and thrive in the next era of legal practice.