E-Lawyer

ADAM NEWHOUSE of Tokyo, Japan, understands firsthand the challenge of being a global lawyer in the digital age. In his 25 years of commercial litigation and transactional experience in the United States and Japan, Newhouse has seen the good, the bad, and the wrongheaded at law firms large and small. He has served as deputy general counsel for one of Japan's largest trading houses and develops global legal strategies for multinationals operating within widely divergent regulatory environments. His rare nexus of skills and perspectives has led to some unusual missionsco-authoring a treatise on the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG), for example. Newhouse is a graduate of Cornell Law School and NYU School of Law (LL.M. in Taxation). He is licensed by the State Bar of California and is a licensed foreign member of the Dai-ni Tokyo Bar Association. Practicing what he preaches, Newhouse is committed to leading his profession forward. He can be reached at elawyerleader@gmail.com.

The Digital Age: Lawyers' Nightmare or Dream Come True?ix PART ONE Pre-Digital Lawyers' Story 1 Overview of Part One for the Busy Lawyer 1 Chapter 1: Lawyers in RecessionWhere Did We Go Wrong? 3 It's All in the Story 3 Historical SettingEight Centuries of Lawyer Bashing 8 Our Story of Discontent and Alienation in Three Subplots 10 Chapter 2: Story of Law as Show Business 13 Days of the Demure LawyerLawyers in Paradise 13 Days of a ShowmanParadise Lost 18 Chapter 3: Story of Don't Ask, Don't Tell 23 Perennial Business-Law Disconnect 25 Lawyers as Brokers of Legal Knowledge 26 Chapter 4: Story of Perennial Followers Lawyer-Come-Lately Tragedy 29 Always Too Little, Too Late 32 Rocket to Cyberspace with No Lawyers on Board 33 Social Media Network Rebuff 36 PART TWO Lessons LearnedImmutable Attributes of Good Lawyering 39 Busy Lawyer Overview of Part Two 39 Chapter 5: Unraveling the Failed StoryWhat's It All About? 41 Earn Less" Fallacy 41 Why Us?Self-Diagnosis 42 Chapter 6: It's About the Client 45 Knowing the ClientContext Is Everything 45 Thinking Like OwnersUndivided Devotion to Serve Clients' Interests 47 Personalizing Our ServicesNot Making Ourselves Fungible 49 Getting to Know Each OtherSymbiotic Partnership Between Law and Business 50 Focusing on Clients' Needs, Not Our Technical Competencies 52 Chapter 7: It's About Adding Value 55 What Business Are We Really In? 55 Leaving Clients Better Than We Found Them 56 Giving Clients Peace of MindLegal Services as Business Insurance 57 Being ConstructiveCuriosity in Action 59 Being a Businessperson First and Then a Lawyer 61 PART THREE Are We Relevant Today? 65 Overview of Part Three for the Busy Lawyer 65 Chapter 8: The Good News: Yes, We Are Still Relevant 67 Is Law a Commodity? 67 Lawyers' Secret 70 The Law Schools Are Not to Blame 72 Commoditize That! 74 Chapter 9: The Bad News: Being Relevant Today Is Not Enough 77 Lawyers Reinventing ThemselvesRethinking the Cravath Model 77 We Need a Story for Tomorrow 80 PART FOUR Rise of the Digital Lawyer 85 Overview of Part Four for the Busy Lawyer 85 Chapter 10: New Legal LandscapesA Rude Awakening Democratization Among Legal Service Providers Right to Be Digitally Equal 88 Global Mind-Set 90 Chapter 11: Birth of Digital Mentality 93 Roaming for Identity 94 Avatars Are ComingBuilding a Better World in Cyberspace 96 Let's-Meet-Online Mentality 97 I Want It, and I Want It Now 100 Chapter 12: Digital ValuesIngredients for Our New Story 103 Digital VirtuesCode of Ethics of Digital Natives 103 Digital CultureBlessing or Curse? 110 Go Digital or NotThat Is the Trick Question 115 Chapter 13: New Paradigm of Legal PracticeWe Are of Cyberspace 121 Birth of the Digital Law Firm 121 WebsiteThe Alter Ego of the Digital Law Firm 124 Rise of Digital Lawyers 128 Online ReputationThe Name of the Game 130 Interactive Global Legal Theatre of Internet 134 Billing Matters 136 PART FIVE Lawyers as Leaders in the Digital Age 139 An Overview of Part Five for the Busy Lawyer 139 Chapter 14: The L" in Law" Stands for Leadership 141 Being a Good Lawyer Is Never, Ever Enough 141 How Do You Spell Digital Lawyer"? L-e-a-d-e-r" 143 Learning to Fly 145 Chapter 15: Leading in the Digital Age 149 Magic of Digital Relationship Building 150 Soft Powers of Attraction and Quiet Empowerment 151 Invisible LeadershipEngaging Clients in Legal Process 155 Long-Term Digital Mentality 160 Chapter 16: EthicsThe Stuff of Which Digital Lawyers are Made 165 Primacy of Ethics to Digital Lawyers 166 No ExcusesCourage to Say No 167 Pro Bono Mind-SetTrue Colors of a Leader 171 Conclusion 173 Glossary of Terms 175 Index 000