Law and lawyers will never go out of fashion, but they will have to evolve: Cyril Shroff

"Law will never go out of fashion, nor will lawyers. But law will evolve for the new world, and so will lawyers", observed Managing Partner of Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas Cyril Shroff on Wednesday, while speaking during the inaugural session of the Jindal Global Virtual Conference on Legal Education. .He explained in his address, ."It is true that the world has changed forever, and so has the legal profession. What has not changed, however, is the quest for justice and the need for all civilised societies and nations to provide speedy justice. Humanity still needs justice and professionals to assist them in that human goal. The rule of law is aligned with the basic human condition, particularly in free societies.".Apart from Shroff, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also spoke during the inaugural session, which saw founding Chancellor Prof (Dr) C Raj Kumar deliver the welcome address. .Law students must be taught to think global, but remain connected with the local: Union Law Minister RS Prasad.Shroff on the need for more Delta Lawyers.Shroff went on to share his opinions on what the future of law and legal education might look like, particularly in a post-pandemic world. "My prediction is rather different from the current reality or the past. I draw upon a Thomson Reuters paper on adapting for 21st-century success called 'The Delta Lawyer Competency Model' for inspiration.".Shroff spoke of how the expectations of an ideal lawyer have evolved from the "I" and "T" shaped lawyers to a Delta Lawyer. As for what would entail being a Delta lawyer, Shroff elaborated:."Think of the delta as a triangle. A bottom layer and two limbs. On the horizontal, is legal knowledge and legal skills. On the left limb is the personal effectiveness. In today's world, you need an entrepreneurial mindset, you need emotional intelligence, which is a combination of self-awareness and empathy, relationship management, character, communications skills and problem solving character. On the third limb, is technology and social media awareness, business fundamentals, data analytics, data security, design thinking, project management. The combination of these three streams, which has been eloquently and geometrically described as the 'delta model', is the future.".I shaped lawyers from earlier generations mastered a single competency, possessed traditional and deep knowledge and training in one thing, Shroff explained, adding that he himself belonged to this generation. .With time, around the late 90s and the early 2000s, the skill set required from a lawyer evolved leading to the rise of T shaped lawyers, who adapted to incorporate other general skills, including technological skills as well. Shroff remarked, "Look at how young lawyers do research, produce papers on the internet and seek knowledge as opposed to my "I shaped lawyer" days, when we sat in the library... that still has a place, but a lot has changed.".However, with factors such as the increasingly complex nature of clients and client demands, the need for relationship management, the rise of the procurement industry and the need to measure performance, even T-shaped lawyers were not enough. This is where Delta Lawyer Model assumed significance. Shroff pointed out:."... with the rise of Artificial intelligence, there is going to be a great demand and need for emotional intelligence, which only a human being can provide: the human side of lawyering. It is the key to becoming a trusted lawyer. That is the thesis of a lawyer in the future, who is based on the delta model.".Shroff added that this kind of lawyer reflects on "the new humanity and the new world, and in the post-pandemic world, it is going to be even more so. It is the new formula for success.".He further emphasised,"This is what firms like us will require. This is what law schools and universities will need to manufacture." .However, the present legal education system is falling short on producing these kinds of lawyers, Shroff opined. "Today's legal education is largely unfit for the purpose, which is why firms like us and other employers have to do a major overhaul after the recruit comes on the first day... I believe universities are still fundamentally producing the "I" shaped lawyer. They have missed most of the "T-shaped" generation and are not equipped for the Delta at all. They need to fundamentally reimagine the curriculum and pedagogy of teaching", he said. .Among the suggestions made to improve legal education, Shroff said that there is a need to focus on creativity rather than rote learning. Teach for what the market needs, he said, adding that the Delta Model would be a good starting point..Law firm model also changing.Shroff also made pertinent comments on how traditional notions of lawyering and law firms are evolving. He observed, ."The law firm model, and particularly the role of law firm partners, is also changing. Our traditional notions are outdated and require a reset. Law firms are now massive enterprises and they need to run like businesses. The paradox of whether legal practice is a noble profession, a service or a business has come to an end. The answer is, it is all of the above. The expectation of these aspects is a source of continuous conflict and reinvention.".He also opined that the currently prevailing model of legal partnerships requires a re-look, observing:"The business model of a partnership, I would believe, is up for a review. Indeed, it is a business. If it is a business, why should regulation force you to choose only one form of business organisation? Does it choose to impose that for other forms of enterprises and business etc.? There are other ways in which professional ethics can be regulated.".As his address came to an end, Shroff also touched upon law, justice and ethics, while commenting that there is a need to inculcate emotional intelligence and ethical values right from law schools. He observed: ."We are part of the profession and not of the markets. We have a different code of conduct. Our professional duties rank higher than the obligation to make products. We stand on a higher footing... It is the duty of lawyers and ethicists that we rise to the occasion and equip ourselves with the demand of future generations. If we as a legal profession do not do this, who will?"