Inspiring Global Change in Law
Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Ralph Baxter
Dereliction of Duty: State-Bar Inaction in Response to America’s Access-to-Justice Crisis
abstract. America has an access-to-justice crisis. At a time when law is more prominent in every facet of American life and commerce than ever before, most of our people and small businesses have no access to legal service. The consequences are dire. America has ample resources to provide everyone the legal service they need. We have the lawyers, the technology, the know-how, and the capital. Our failure to enable those resources to meet the needs of our people is a disgrace.
DailyJournal
Apr. 30, 2021 Ralph Baxter: Major part of legal system is broken. But it can be fixed. Podcast host Howard Miller talks with Ralph Baxter about legal reform in Utah and Arizona, and the challenges for California. Howard B. Miller Howard is a contributing editor and podcast host at the Daily Journal. He is a JAMS mediator and arbitrator, a past president of the State Bar of California, and a former professor of law at the USC Gould School of Law.
DailyJournal
Ralph Baxter and Zachariah DeMeola believe the legal system is broken ("The legal system is broken; it's time for change," Mar. 22, 2021). Their arguments for why and how nonlawyer ownership of law firms is the fix do not withstand the slightest scrutiny. They conveniently sidestep the most critical problems of nonlawyer firm ownership raised by Arash Homampour ("A regulatory 'sandbox' that will turn to quicksand," Feb. 26, 2021).
DailyJournal
Arash Homampour's recent op-ed opens with the phrase, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." ["A regulatory 'sandbox' that will turn to quicksand," Feb. 26, 2011]. Well, the legal system is broken. Disgracefully broken. And in grave need of fixing. The system may work well for some lawyers, but it is broken for nearly everyone else -- and in dire need of fixing.
Law Firms Should Seize This Unique Moment
EMBRACE A BOLD VISION TO MEET THE IMPERATIVES OF THE 21ST CENTURY In my forty six years in law, there’s never been a moment like this. Firms are preparing to resume normal operations after a period of totally remote working. The phenomenon of “resuming” creates a unique chance for firms to take a fresh look at how they operate. A chance to make those improvements that have been sitting on the drawing board.
Just as Predicted, Lawyers Rush to Protect the Status Quo
Commentary Lawyers should lead the charge for reform. Too often it is the opposite—they try to block it. John Lund, Parsons Behle partner and Ralph Baxter former chairman and CEO of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe. Photo: Courtesy Photo Two estate planning lawyers, James Gorton and William Winslow, wrote a response to our May 13 op-ed, in which we advocated reform of California’s restrictive legal service rules.
With Californians Needing Access to Justice, the California Bar Should Advance Reform
Commentary Diversifying and innovating the profession will result in increased access to justice: more people will get better legal help for less money and more lawyers will practice law in new ways. John Lund, Parsons Behle partner and Ralph Baxter former Chairman and CEO of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe (Photo: Courtesy Photo) The coronavirus pandemic has laid bare the long-standing dysfunction of the way legal services work in America.
Potential Silver Linings: Making Firms Stronger for the Long Term By Actions During the Crisis
AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENHANCE RELATIONSHIPS, INITIATIVES, AND HUMAN CONNECTION This is my fourth post on law firms and the Coronavirus Crisis. This week I’ll examine how firms can make themselves stronger in the long term, by actions they take during the crisis. This post was inspired by a question Bob Ambrogi asked me on his show, Law Insights, earlier this month: “Do you think there are any silver linings in this crisis,” he asked. I answered yes and offered a couple of brief examples.
Managing a Totally Remote Workforce and Budget Pressures in the Coronavirus Crisis
UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES REQUIRE IMAGINATIVE AND THOUGHTFUL APPROACHES This is my third post about law firms in the Coronavirus Crisis. Last week I addressed leadership. Today I turn to management. Managing during this crisis will be challenging and mission critical. It will require leaders to draw on their experience and imaginations to adapt pre-existing strategic and operational plans to guide radically changed circumstances.
Four Core Values to Guide the Future of Law
AS LAW MODERNIZES THESE VALUES WILL BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER BEFORE This week I want to examine four core values that I believe enable effective legal service and promote public confidence, and their implications for our future. In almost all discussions of the future of law we focus on change. What we need to do differently. That is because we can and must do better. A very healthy outlook.
Law 2030: Penn Law Opens a New Initiative Dedicated to Improving Legal Service
THE NEW INITIATIVE HOSTED TWO DAYS OF STIMULATING DISCUSSION ON THE FUTURE OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION Modernization of legal service got an influential new ally last week with the launch of the Future of the Profession Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. To mark its launch the Initiative hosted Law 2030: A Global Conversation About the Future of the Profession, welcoming approximately 250 leaders from across the legal service community, last Thursday and Friday in Philadelphia.
Let's Stop Calling Legal Service Professionals "Non-Lawyers"
WE SHOULD NOT DEFINE THE ROLES OF HALF OUR PEOPLE IN THE NEGATIVE We really need to stop using the term “non-lawyer” to refer to everyone who works in legal services who has not passed the bar exam. This issue is much more than a word choice. At best it is careless. At worst it reflects a lack of respect for the contributions that half the people in legal services make. Either way, we should put an end to the use of the term.
Legalweek 2020 In New York Was Outstanding
8500 PROFESSIONALS FROM ACROSS THE LEGAL SERVICE ECOSYSTEM CAME TOGETHER FOR A WEEK OF LEARNING, SHARING, AND NETWORKING I participated in Legalweek 2020 in New York last week, co-chairing the Legal Business Strategy Program with Gina Passarella, Editor in Chief of the American Lawyer. It was a exceptional experience.
Innovation Will Change the Law Firm Business Model
THE TRADITIONAL MODEL WILL CHANGE IN FIVE FUNDAMENTAL WAYS I wrote last week about law firms’ increased focus on innovation, the market forces behind it, and why it is important to the overall modernization of legal services. I believe this innovation effort will inexorably lead to five fundamental changes in the law firm business model. Each change will have an impact on the others; once one changes, the others will necessarily adapt.
Law Firm Innovation Is Picking Up Steam
Law Firms Are Responding to Market Pressure With Increased Efforts to Innovate Law firms across the country are taking steps to innovate the way they organize themselves and serve their clients. This trend promises to be more than a passing fancy because it is driven by demands from corporate clients , as well as increasing competition from new entrants in the legal services market. This development matters beyond the interests of the law firms.
Don't Miss the Business Strategy Program at Legal Week 2020
THIS YEAR’S PROGRAM PROMISES TO BE THE BEST EVER: TOPICS, SPEAKERS, AND FORMATS Legal Week 2020 convenes in New York in just two weeks on Tuesday, February 4. One of the most significant events in law each year, it attracts more than 8,000 participants, across the spectrum of stakeholders in contemporary American law.
Be a Part of Mapping the Future of the Profession
In two weeks, some of the greatest minds in the profession are coming together to work through the biggest challenges and opportunities currently facing the legal industry. And we invite you to join us.
Richard Susskind’s New Book: Drawing on Technology to Achieve Justice | LexBlog
RICHARD SUSSKIND PROPOSES AN INCREMENTAL TRANSFORMATION OF OUR COURT SYSTEM. AND ENCOURAGES READERS TO THINK DEEPLY ABOUT WHAT CONSTITUTES “ACCESS TO JUSTICE” AND “JUSTICE” ITSELF, AS THEY CONSIDER THE FUTURE OF DISPUTE RESOLUTION. In my introductory post on Legal Services Today, I said I planned to draw attention to people who are making a difference in the way legal services are delivered. I can think of no better example than Richard Susskind.
The Big Four’s Legal Play: The Pace of Change Accelerates
In all these things, the Big Four are no longer on the horizon. They are now front and centre in the evolving legal landscape. What they are doing promises to accelerate the pace of change. The UK’s Legal Services Act 2007 enabled the Big Four’s move. While it initially was gradual, it has gained momentum in the past year. UK law firms now need to pay attention. Ralph Baxter, former CEO of Orrick and Intapp board member, discusses with Lawyer Monthly why law firms have reached a ‘tipping point’.
Spreadsheets and the Challenge of Model Risk Management - WatersTechnology.com
Ralph Baxter, CEO of ClusterSeven: Half of C-level executives and senior managers said there are either no usage controls at all or there are poorly applied manual processes over the use of spreadsheets within their firms. This misunderstanding creates risk and cost for the whole business: high operational costs are incurred as users repeatedly applying manual checks, while executives sit frustrated at the slow pace of financial reporting and analysis.
Spreadsheets and the Challenge of Model Risk Management - WatersTechnology.com
Ralph Baxter, CEO of ClusterSeven: Half of C-level executives and senior managers said there are either no usage controls at all or there are poorly applied manual processes over the use of spreadsheets within their firms. This misunderstanding creates risk and cost for the whole business: high operational costs are incurred as users repeatedly applying manual checks, while executives sit frustrated at the slow pace of financial reporting and analysis.
Stop Calling Legal Service Professionals “Non-Lawyers”
It is time to stop using the term “non-lawyer” to refer to everyone who works in legal service who has not passed the bar exam. This may seem like a minor issue to some, but it is not. In fact, it reflects an outlook that impedes the ability of our profession to make the changes we need to make. I first realized this problem more than 20 years ago when Norm Rubenstein joined Orrick as our Chief Marketing Officer. It was a big moment for the firm.
Spreadsheet Dependency in High-stakes Institutions
By Ralph Baxter, CEO of ClusterSeven One of the unwritten truths of the modern financial world is the fundamental reliance on spreadsheets for managing business critical data and information. It is unsurprising to find financial institutions such as retail banks, pension funds and insurance firms running hundreds of thousands, millions even, of active spreadsheets – usually Excel – and why? Because they are flexible, easy to use and practical.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Ralph
Contact Ralph, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack