Things are changing. It's sort of a ridiculous statement because the world is in a constant state of change. There truly isn't a moment in which you aren't experiencing some kind of change. But there are times when you feel that undercurrent more strongly -- when the rythmic churning of life just going on becomes louder, stronger, and sometimes a little bit frightening. We are living in just such a time. There are essentially three choices one must make when faced with an amplified sense of change: (1) Do nothing. Do your best to drown out any sign or symptom of change and go about your business denying its very existence; (2) Accept it. Embrace it. Make it yours and tell everyone around to heed its existence and make adjustments accordingly; and (3) Observe it. Learn from it. Interalize its message, understand its consequences and, if necessary, take action to stop any negative aspect of the change that is occuring.
In today's world you can find people in the legal profession taking each of these three very different approaches to the changes that are happening in the profession. These changes include the impact of the credit crisis on the economy and, thereby, on the areas of practice most deeply affected by it. When the economy goes sour people tend to divorce less, file more bankruptcies, experience more foreclosures, and seek more legal avenues to redress a variety of grievances from personal injury and workers' compensation claims to employment discrimination and business deals gone wrong. For some, these changes mean more clients and more business coming through the door. For others, the result is just the opposite. Some attorneys are making big changes to the focus of their practice and most are trying to find ways to work more efficiently, to implement better management systems, and to communicate effectively with stressed out clients. At the same time, attorneys are faced with many of these same stresses themselves.
Let's face it, it's tough out there right now. But we can take solace in the fact that we know change is cyclical and that we have a choice in how we respond to change. In my own experience, I find that the "Observe. Learn. Act." approach is often the most effective but it doesn't work all of the time. Sometimes change is happening so fast we have no choice but to accept, embrace it, own it, and spread the word. And it's probably my least favorite approach but sometimes your sanity and survival will require you to do nothing, ignore what's happening, and insulate yourself from change for a while. There's nothing inherently wrong with any of these methods of coping. The key here is to adjust your approach as part of the cycle. To make sure that your approach is appropriate to the nature of the changes you are experiencing.
And while many of the root causes of the rumbling changes we are now undergoing are stark and unpleasant, it is certainly reassuring to know that while we may not have control over their existence, we do have control over their impact on our lives, our work as professionals, and the extent to which our clients' lives are affected by them.
It's often said that lawyers don't like change. I disagree. I think lawyers exist because they believe in the ability to make changes -- to write a wrong, to stand up and advocate for a change in the system, to prosecute crimes that go against the expectations of society, to defend the wrongfully accused -- because in their heart of hearts, all lawyers must believe in change and the ability to guide it toward a more favorable outcome to believe in the justice system they serve.