The Things Students Need To Know About The Legal Industry In 2020
So, what are the experts saying about issues facing the legal world in 2020? There are many new technologies now impacting the legal industry. We now face major challenges to the global economy. Below we will look at some of the biggest issues and those that law students need to be aware of.
Today we seem to be more divided than ever. New and challenging times with Brexit in the UK and President Trump in the US and the never- ending struggle and debate about how to create income equality. How does all this affect students and particularly those interested in studying law?
It appears that applications to law schools have increased by 11.6 percent in the last two years. The reason, it is argued, being that students wish to make real changes in society, due to the challenging times in which we live, and feeling that law is the way in which they can make a real contribution – perhaps a little more noteworthy than just joining a Thunderbolt online casino. The turbulent times in which we live is inspiring more young people to want to engage in some practical solutions to some of our more pressing problems.
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New regulations to protect the environment
All over the globe, lawmakers are lobbying to create new laws to reduce pollution and develop more global sustainability. One of the main issues is learning how to maintain economic stability and at the same time reduce negative environmental problems.
On the agenda is the renegotiating of the North American Free Trade Agreement between the United States and Mexico and the whole issue of new and developing industrial cities.
In 2019 we saw the young Swedish Greta Thunberg campaigning and standing before the United Nations in order to promote more sustainability. This young, 16 year -old was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for her role in this endeavor.
Another clear example of how these environmental concerns have become more central was seen also in 2019. The case of Juliana verses the United States reached the federal court. This was the case of 21 young people who charged that the United States government was in violation of the constitution by “aggravating climate change” and therefore violating a person’s rights to life, liberty and property. The judge in this case, Ann Aiken stated that “Exercising my ‘reasoned judgement’, I have no doubt that the right to a climate system capable of sustaining human life is fundamental to a free and ordered society.”
On the agenda is the renegotiating of the North American Free Trade Agreement between the United States and Mexico and the whole issue of new and developing industrial cities.
We will no doubt see many more cases like this during 2020 pushing for more changes in regulations relating to issues concerning the environment.
Human rights issues
In the aftermath of Brexit, many new and interesting opportunities are likely to present themselves. Law students and graduates will need to search for some unique solutions and answers to complicated issues raised by these political developments. Also, the protests in Hong Kong has raised once again the issue of human rights and human rights lawyers will need to keep abreast of things.
Automation and Artificial Intelligence and the law
We are seeing a huge growth in automation and also in Artificial Intelligence software. These new machines are being used by lawyers in due diligence and in all other areas of the legal process. It is possible that we will start to see Artificial Intelligence programs to aid in drafting legal documents and in many other areas including paralegal duties.
Data Protection
Protecting personal information has been and remains to be a big concern. With more and more services going digital it is a huge issue for consumers, companies and government watchdogs. We already have the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe which gives people more control over how their personal data is managed. We also have the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) which was introduced in January 2020, so this year will likely see more work for regulators and lawyers. The CCPA covers all the issues that are the focus of the GDPR, basically a person’s right to access and/or delete information and also the issue of how information is collected. South Korea and several South American countries are also planning to introduce such laws.
The Law and marketing
The traditional relationship between lawyers and their clients is changing rapidly. People go about finding lawyers today very differently. Rather than looking for a specific kind of lawyer, they are looking to find a particular service and they are usually in a hurry. Being available and accessible is the main focus. Today people are more tech-minded and look for everything on line. It is crucial for law firms to keep abreast of the latest marketing techniques in order to stand out and attract clients. They will need to be involved in “targeted social media campaigns” which answer people’s particular needs.
Laws concerning Retirement
There was a “demographic bulge” which occurred following the 2nd World War with a disproportionate number of births taking place. They are referred to as “baby boomers” and they are in the millions. These people are now reaching retirement age which means they will be needing more public funded services and at the same time generating less tax revenue.
These huge numbers of retirees represent a considerable challenge for governments and lawyers. There are planned pension reforms in France which are seen as contentious and the same goes for those in the United Kingdom. These issues represent clear opportunities for lawyers and challenges for students and law graduates to become involved in. They is also a greater need for legal services to represent these senior citizens to negotiate their retirement plans and to organize and manage their assets.
There will be much work for law students and law graduates throughout 2020. Opportunities to make a real contribution to bettering the world in
