New law is about doing legal work in entirely different ways. It’s about collaborating with underserved communities and developing strategies that haven’t been part of the practice of law in the past. In the end, it’s about delivering value in a more effective way than has been done before.
Amid the rapid changes sweeping the business world, the legal profession is undergoing a paradigm shift as it moves closer to the needs of its clients and society at large. This shift is powered by technological change and human adaptation enabled by it. It’s about moving from a product-based model of service to one that is customer-centric. It’s about shifting the focus from cost preservation and self-congratulatory industry awards to creating customer impact that produces high net promoter scores.
The law firm of the future is a fluid, collaborative organization that resembles the corporate businesses and societies it serves. Its workforce will be more holistically diverse (cognitively, demographically and culturally) and tech and data-proficient. It will be creative, empathetic and team-oriented. It will work across functional areas within and outside the legal function to solve business problems at the speed of business and society.
California’s new law against gender bias in pricing is a good example of how the legal industry has changed in recent years. Under the new law, stores cannot charge women a higher price for products like shampoo or hand soap that are marketed solely to them. The change was prompted by advocacy groups who complained that a pink tax existed, where retailers would charge more for personal care items such as hairspray and deodorant to offset the lower profit margins on feminine-oriented products.
This year has produced many new laws — some of them small, others large. Some will produce a significant impact on the legal industry, others will be felt by the people of the state of California.
These new laws are published as enacted bills and joint resolutions in the Statutes at Large. They are published after the National Archives assigns public law (PL) numbers and slip law texts have been issued by GPO. The Statutes at Large is a permanent collection of all laws, both public and private, enacted during each session of Congress.
The Commission consists of the chairpersons of the Committees on the Judiciary and Codes of the Senate and Assembly, as members ex officio, and five members appointed by the Governor, each for a term of five years. The Governor designates the Chairperson of the Commission.
The Commissioners are authorized to review and make recommendations on all matters relating to the administration of justice and to recommend legislation to the Governor, the Legislature, and the City Council. The Commissioners also appoint an Executive Director to facilitate the Commission’s work and a staff of attorneys and law school or graduate student interns. The Commission’s staff is funded by the Office of the Corporation Counsel, a division of the City Attorney’s office.