Fast-Tracked Podcast Episode 10: Structural barriers to change may represent the biggest enemy to innovation, access to justice, and a coherent system of lawyer formation. From regulations that define what constitutes the unauthorized practice of law to the often-undervalued role state supreme courts play in reimagining the future of lawyer licensure, our guests Jordan Furlong of Law21 and James J. Sandman of Penn Carey Law have been at the forefront of these discussions, and share their insightful and inspiring vision for the future. Hear from these experts about how to better align legal education with lawyer regulation, how other countries’ approaches to legal services offer inspiration for the American legal services industry, and why they are optimistic about the future of law.
PLI’s Fast-Tracked: Emergent Issues in the Legal Profession podcast, brings you conversations with thought leaders, delving into the most dynamic trends shaping the legal world, from AI to DEI – and everything in between. PLI is proud to keep you ever current with timely programs, publications, and podcasts. Visit pli.edu/ftpod for more episodes.
Please note: CLE is not offered for listening to this podcast, and the views and opinions expressed within represent those of the speakers and host, and not necessarily those of PLI.
Featured In This Episode
Jordan Furlong
Jordan Furlong is a strategic consultant and market analyst for the legal sector. He studies trends in the legal market and tracks them with technological and geopolitical developments worldwide to assess how the legal world is changing and forecast where it’s headed next. Formerly a lawyer and for many years an award-winning legal journalist and magazine editor, Jordan is also the author of Law Is a Buyer’s Market: Building a Client-First Law Firm, and an eponymous Substack newsletter read by more than 2,000 lawyers around the world every week. Jordan is an accomplished keynote speaker who has addressed thousands of legal professionals at dozens of conferences and retreats in the United States, Canada, Europe, South America, and Australia over the last 15 years. He has also served as a volunteer advisor for several organizations dedicated to improving access to justice and legal education. He is based in Ottawa, Canada.
Featured in this Episode
James J. Sandman
James J. Sandman is Distinguished Lecturer and Senior Consultant to the Future of the Profession Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. He is also Senior Advisor to and Chair of the National Leadership Council of Frontline Justice. Jim is President Emeritus of the Legal Services Corporation, the United States’ largest funder of civil legal aid. He was President of LSC from 2011 to 2020.
Jim practiced law for 30 years with Arnold & Porter and was the firm’s Managing Partner for a decade. He has served as General Counsel of the District of Columbia Public Schools and is a past President of the 110,000-member District of Columbia Bar. He began his legal career as a law clerk to Judge Max Rosenn of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Jim is Chair of the Executive Committee and of the Advisory Board of the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System, Vice Chair of the District of Columbia Access to Justice Commission, a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a member of the American Law Institute. He serves on the boards of the Pro Bono Institute and Albany Law School, among other organizations. He is a Vice Chair of the American Bar Association’s Task Force on Law and Artificial Intelligence.
