It may enable new mechanisms for managing mounting caseloads, increasing access to public records, equalizing resources among litigants, and facilitating dispute resolution outside courtrooms. That the litigant of the future will file electronically, the judge of the future read a simultaneous transcript of hearings on a laptop, and the jury of the future look at evidence on individual video screens is just the beginning. Over time, new information technologies may also alter our understanding of forums and jurisdiction, of harms and the means for their correction, of the reach of markets, and the principles of governance. Forward-thinking and technologically sophisticated lawyers will play a key role in both the intellectual and institutional fashioning of this future. Similarly, the internationalization of legal practice will make fascinating intellectual and institutional demands on lawyers.
Lawyers are increasingly important as borders are less so.
That is because our distinctive contribution is the anticipation, prevention, and resolution of conflict. Conflict is, if not inherent in the human condition, certainly inherent in a nation as large and diverse and democratic as ours. The potential for conflict grows exponentially in a world that is increasingly networked and international. And so does the need for its management. Competition with accountants, management consultants, and financial planners is not something our profession ought fear.