As law firms look for new ways to grow, they are turning to a practice area that may not be as familiar as traditional client services. They are exploring what is often called “law new.” This article describes a very broad category that encompasses everything from alternative legal service providers (ALSPs) to legal technology companies, from robo-attorney software to legal design. It is not a simple concept, however. It’s one that lawyers should think very carefully about before jumping in feet first.

Law New: Fresh icing on the stale cake

It is easy for legal stakeholders to get distracted by the fad of the day. The industry abounds with self-proclaimed innovators and disruptors. There is also an unending cycle of award dinners and accompanying press coverage. While many of these new ideas and business models have merit, they are not what is most meaningfully transforming the legal industry.

The defining features of the legal industry’s evolution are not new ideas or innovative techniques but the integration of the legal supply chain with businesses and society, the eradication of artificial, lawyer-created distinctions between provider source sources, and an integrated platform-based delivery structure that provides agile, fluid, on-demand resources with verifiable, material expertise and experience. It is a multidimensional shift that will bring significant value to businesses and their customers, free up management to focus on core business objectives, reduce risk and cost, and facilitate business opportunities.

While there are many new laws that take effect on January 1, 2023, a select group stands out as having potential to make noticeable changes in the lives of Californians and change the direction of the state’s policy.

This bill would require public agencies to notify persons whose private identifying information is accessed, disclosed, or stolen by an unauthorized person. The City’s current data breach notification requirements are inconsistent with State law and do not adequately cover the full range of potential breaches of personal information, including those involving sensitive information such as social security numbers.

Many shoppers have noticed that shampoos and other personal care products marketed to women cost more than the same product marketed to men. This bill takes steps to address the “pink tax” and encourage gender equity in pricing.

This law will provide an additional layer of transparency to job applicants by requiring employers to include pay information on job postings. This law builds on other existing transparency measures, and is designed to help reduce wage gaps.

The City’s new law and rule changes are now available online through the Laws of the City of New York (Public Access Portal) and NYC Rules. The Laws of the City include Constitutional, statutory, and regulatory law, as well as decisions, opinions, and rulings of the courts and other authorities. The law also includes the code, ordinances, and regulations promulgated by city agencies pursuant to broadly worded statutes or as delegated authority from state law. In addition, the City maintains a comprehensive set of administrative codes, rules and regulations.