A pilot program aimed at giving access to cheap online legal advice has been shut down after strong opposition emerged from the car associations for many states. The program was launched in three states for testing, but the bars of Illinois and Pennsylvania strongly objected with worries that it would take away business from solo practitioners and encourage low cost but low quality legal advice. But the California bar, the third test state, found the program acceptable since it was targeted at those those could not get legal aid but were also hard pressed to pay for a lawyer. Fans of the new program expressed disappointment at the result and fear that the ABA would not try to offer a similar program in the future. But recent trends in digital legal services has put many on notice that increasing demand for simple, low cost legal advice has put much pressure to allow competition in areas traditionally associated with practicing law. But, as with many things, only time will tell how the digital revolution will ultimately change the way the law is practiced.
See Susan Beck, ABA Abandons Rocket Lawyer Venture Amid Attorney Backlash, The American Lawyer, February 18, 2016.
Special thanks to Brian Cohan (Attorney at Law, Law Offices of Brian J. Cohan, P.C.) for bringing this article to my attention.
