1. We are a diverse group of people that come in all shapes, sizes, t-shirts and tattoos.

The image of the lawyer as a distinguished older, Caucasian, gentleman in an expensive, tailored suit shall no longer represent the modern day attorney. Thankfully, the modern day attorney comes in as many forms as our modern day clients. We will no longer try to make ourselves fit this image or celebrate this image as the prime choice of available attorneys. Instead, we will celebrate this image alongside the many other images of diverse attorneys who are also extraordinary members of our profession.

 2. We embrace our weirdness.

We reject the idea of a “normal lawyer.” In fact, we abhor it. Normal is a pretend notion that doesn’t exist. Either that or ”normal” means boring as hell. Regardless of which definition is right, one thing is for sure – normal sucks. Lawyers are as weird as the rest of the population. We are individuals with random sets of interests, appearances, backgrounds, ideas and desires. We cannot be mass-produced in a factory (that factory is sometimes referred to as ‘law school’). Instead, we embrace our weirdness and use it to our benefit. In doing so, we make it easier for our weird clients to work with us and benefit from our services. As a very traditional profession, our collective embracing of individuality frees our clients, and even the world at large, to embrace their own individuality and wave their very own freak flags.

3. We will not let being lawyers prevent us from being business savvy.

We will not allow our training to recognize and evaluate risk to result in an utter lack of risk taking. We will make smart business decisions while mitigating risk but not attempt to completely eradicate risk (since this is not possible 99.9% of the time anyway). We accept that in business, some failure is not only a requirement but something to be celebrated and learned from. In addition, we do not believe that ‘marketing’ is a dirty word. Marketing is just a way of telling the world about how we would like to serve them and what we have to offer. We do not have to be sleazy or unethical in order to market our services.

4. We will not let our past with tradition rob us of a future with innovation.

Some traditions are worthy of praise, remembrance and even upholding . . . but not all. In the legal profession, tradition will bark savagely and try to bite your leg off if he catches you with innovation. But we are not afraid (see #3 on risk taking). We understand that failure to incorporate innovations into the profession (while those innovations are still considered innovative, instead of after they become “the norm”) will result in its very demise. As such we reject archaic law firm business models based on gouging clients for every moment of time and working associates to the bone. We reject law school’s obsession with numbers that don’t matter – rankings, LSAT scores, GPAs – and ignorance of numbers that do – overpriced tuition, percentage of job placement, staggering debt of graduates. Lastly, we reject waiting for permission from gatekeepers to change. We will make changes, with or without permission, thank you very much.

5. We will utilize technology in all of its glorious forms.

We accept that we have a duty to utilize modern methods to make legal services available to those who need them. We will not reject technology simply because we are afraid of making less money or being less prestigious. Lawyers are not an endangered species. Avoiding technology to maintain an appearance of scarcity or for the sake of tradition is wrong and useless. The world is changing via technology and this profession will change with it. We have no desire or interest in using technology to trick or fool clients or to be dishonest. We accept that the use of technology may come with some inherent risks but we recognize that the benefits far outweigh the risks (see #3).

6. We value actual morality over “ethics” rules.

We will comply with so-called “ethics” rules but we will not pretend that they make us “ethical.” Ethics rules are an old and tired procedure that have little to do with moral character and would benefit from being replaced with common sense. Furthermore, these rules often fail to fulfill their purpose of protecting the public from bad lawyers and elevating the profession in the eyes of the public (have you heard a lawyer-joke lately?). Instead of pretending to be ethical by merely complying with ethics requirements, we will  be honest with clients, create environmentally responsible businesses, not chase money but provide value, not be condescending with our vast legal vocabulary but speak plain English and create innovative ways to practice law that benefit lawyers and clients.

7. We understand that the true value of money is determined by what it costs us to make it.

We value and desire money. However, there are very real limits on what we are willing to do to earn money. We want to earn money in a way that honors our God-given gifts, talents and passions as well as our innate need for time with loved ones and time to pursue non-income earning interests. Working 100 hour weeks and living as a slave to the billable hour is no longer an acceptable means to earn money. We will not exchange our dignity for cash. We will work hard for the amount of money we need to support the lifestyle we desire. But we will not take part in a never-ending rat race to earn the most while enjoying life the least.

8. We will not live in fear.

The legal profession suffers from an acute affliction known as fear mongering. We will not partake. We are not fearless but we need not be fear-full. Yes, there are things to be feared in the world, in the profession and in our individual lives. But we will not let our fears prevent us from truly living, from pursuing our dreams and from being our best selves. What we really have to fear is regretting a life of inaction.

9. We recognize our duty to do epic sh*t now.

We embrace our unique gifts and realize that we have a duty to share them with the world. We will not wait for someone with a fancy title to choose us or allow us to practice law the way we envision. We choose ourselves. We choose to offer our gifts now, in one form or another. We do not need corporate backing or someone else’s permission to take action. We will not give authority over our lives and work to people who have none. We will do epic sh*t now.

[10. You tell me.]

Looking for number 10? There isn’t one. (I’m a rebel; I don’t live by the rules.) But I invite you to share your number 10. What bugs you about the legal profession? What change will you declare and demand? Please share in the comments.

Ready to embrace the revolution?

Here’s a few action steps you can take:

1. Spend some time designing the lifestyle you want. Commit it to paper and take action to make it a reality.

2. Change the way you practice law. I challenge you to make one scary, risky, exciting change that you have been thinking about. And don’t make it a baby-step change. Take a leap and see what happens!

3. Share The 21st Century Lawyer Manifesto with your friends, colleagues, loved ones. Engage in honest, meaningful conversations about lawyering, life and what it all means to you.

The 21st Century Lawyer Manifesto is now a work of art!

Get the mini version via Digital Download or the full size Limited Edition Print of The 21st Century Lawyer Manifesto!

Hang it on your wall and share it with your friends, colleagues and loved ones. Engage in honest, meaningful conversations about lawyering, life and what it all means to you!

#3 was inspired by Seth Godin’s new book, We Are All Weird, and #9 was inspired by Charlie Gilkey’s call to “do epic sh*t.” Photo courtesy of Jim McDougall.