“Once we rid ourselves of traditional thinking we can get on with creating the future."
    
    --James Bertrand

Innovation. It’s an idea not easily embraced by traditional professions like the legal field.

To innovate means to “introduce something new; make changes in anything established.” Innovation is, at its essence, the antithesis of convention and precedent, two concepts that are the very building blocks of our profession.

As any lawyer will concede, the practice of law is grounded in the past. We’re trained to look backward—by analyzing the holdings of prior cases—to determine what the future holds.  

On a grand scale, change is approached with caution. The leaders of large law firms cling to tradition and are reluctant to make decisions that have the potential to drastically alter the way that things have always been done. Enacting change in a large law firm environment can be a cumbersome, committee-laden process that happens at a snail’s pace and is met with tenacious resistance at every turn.

Solo practitioners and small firm lawyers, on the other hand, are a different story. These lawyers are uniquely positioned to innovate. Their smaller size allows them greater flexibility, making them better able to respond to market changes, advances in technology and the demands of legal consumers. Whether by taking advantage of emerging technologies or newfound practice management theories, these lawyers are changing the ways in which legal services are delivered to consumers, from the ground up.

For examples of small firm and solo attorney innovators in action, you need look no further than the most recent Xemplars.

First, there is Stephanie Kimbro, January’s Xemplar. She is a North Carolina solo practitioner who pioneered virtual law office technology. In 2005, she envisioned the possibility of representing clients via an online portal and then made it a reality. To this day, she continues to practice law by means of a virtual law office, Kimbro Legal Services, using the software platform that she developed with her husband.

The next Xemplar was Don Thompson, a Rochester, New York criminal defense lawyer, who is a partner with the firm Easton, Thompson, Kasperek, Shiffren. Don has always been an early adopter of technology and was one of the first attorneys in town to use a PDA to maintain his calendar. So, it’s no surprise that his technology-savvy firm maintains a long-standing legal blog, New York Criminal Defense, which offers summaries and analysis of important New York criminal law cases. This group blog provides a great resource for New York criminal defense attorneys, while simultaneously showcasing the firm’s expertise.

March’s Xemplar, Jay Shepherd, is passionate about changing the way that lawyers price their services. Jay is a strong advocate for the eradication of the billable hour. He believes that doing so will change the way that legal services are delivered and priced and will greatly improve client service and satisfaction in the process.

Susan Burke was the Xemplar in April. Susan’s Washington, D.C.-based law practice, Burke PLLC, is a shining example of small firm innovation in legal hiring and telecommuting. Her two associates, Susan Sajadi and Katherine Hawkins, are both mothers and each returned to the law to work as associates at Susan’s firm after taking a hiatus from the legal field. At one time or another, both associates have telecommuted and one currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. For Susan, their legal skills and talent trump the BigLaw preference for an uninterrupted, office-based, traditional career path.   

Finally, this month’s Xemplar, David Mills, eschews the concept of a traditional law office. Instead, he operates his Cleveland, Ohio appellate law practice, The Mills Law Office from his home-based office. And, it was at this very office that he first met with his federal civil rights client, Michelle Ortiz, for whom he later achieved a victory before the United States Supreme Court.

These forward-thinking attorneys are leading the way by taking advantage of their unique circumstances and bucking tradition. They defy convention, whether by operating from virtual or home offices, implementing newfound pricing and hiring practices, or utilizing social media and telecommuting in their practices. These progressive practitioners understand the importance of looking forward, not back, and embracing change. These trailblazers lead by example.

For true innovation in the legal field, look no further than these and other solo and small firm attorneys—for they are undoubtedly the future of our profession.