Global Networks and the Legal Profession

Abstract

The importance of networks and the power of exponential growth within networks have become much more apparent to the world as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This Article addresses the topic of global legal profession networks. The introductory section provides information about our global economy and society that helps explain why global legal profession networks are valuable. It argues that global networks are beneficial for clients, lawyers, and other legal services stakeholders.

After introducing some of the scientific literature about networks in general and legal profession networks specifically, Section II identifies ways in which lawyers participate in global legal profession networks. The Article identifies global network opportunities for law firms, as well as global network opportunities for individual lawyers. This section also addresses the growth prospects for global legal profession networks. It concludes that despite recent events, these kinds of global networks already are important and are likely to grow in importance.

The final section of the Article urges individual lawyers and the organizations for which they work to recognize the global networks to which they already are connected and to consider joining additional global networks. It also explains why the “take-aways” from this Article apply to lawyers and organizations outside of the United States, as well as lawyers and organizations within the United States.

(A subsequent article focuses on a subset of global legal profession networks, which are the global networks of lawyer regulation stakeholders. This related "networks" article is Laurel S. Terry, Lawyer Regulation Stakeholder Networks and the Global Diffusion of Ideas, 33 Georgetown J. Legal Ethics 1069 (2020), available at https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3671528. )

Keywords: networks, law firm, Lex Mundi, domestic lawyer networks, vereins, networks for small law firms, Global 100 law firms, domestic lawyer networks, McGarry, Ohio outbound law firms, international trade in legal services, Ohio FLCs, foreign legal consultants, foreign educated bar exam applicants

JEL Classification: L8, L84, K33, N70