PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
The Future of Law
is Human
Nicole G. Iannarone
Georgia State University
School of Law
All lawyers understand the importance of keep-
ing up to date on changes in the law. We know
that the law is never static, and changes in our
respective areas of practice must be studied in
order for us to competently represent our clients
now and help them navigate as they plan for the
future. When we think about the future of law,
we tend not to think about where the doctrine
will be, but instead how law will be practiced.
Each of us has seen tremendous technological
change in our lives, and no matter how long our
legal career has been, we have been witness to
technology that has the potential to streamline
or even replace certain aspects our practices.
Lawyers, however, tend to be wary about adopt-
ing technology and embracing the future of law.
As one scholar aptly put it, “Lawyers historically
have been reluctant to embrace new inven-
tions, resisting the newfangled invention of the
telephone as undignified, looking skeptically at
mechanical devices like typewriters, and even
avoiding taking elevators.” 1 Despite our skepti-
1
Catherine J. Lanctot, Becoming a
Competent 21 st Century Legal Ethics Professor:
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About
Technology (But Were Afraid to Ask), 2015 Prof.
Law. 75, 76 (2015).
4
February/March 2019
cism about innovation, there is no doubt that
new technology is changing how we currently
practice law, and will bring a new future of law
practice.
While technology will shape a different practice
than we have now, the future is not the tools,
tricks, or technology that we will use to deliver
legal services. The future of law is us – the hu-
mans who have been called to serve as lawyers
– and those who will join us in that calling.
Current lawyers should play a significant role in
shaping that future. I am proud that our Atlanta
Bar members embrace the future members of
our profession and work to promote them as
much as we work to improve our own future
practices. We are a reflective group, thinking
through what we do well, what we can improve,
and how we can improve. In addition to our self-
reflection, we run towards – not away – from
the future members of our practice.
Our Atlanta Bar members have been shaping the
future of law for decades, and continue to find
new ways to support each lawyer’s growth. Cur-
rently led by Wade Malone, Nekia Hackworth-
Jones, and Natasha Perdew Silas, the Summer