Here’s a fairly recent article from the World Bank. These are amazing statistics. The fact that we have come this far suggests that the continued improvement we need is possible.
And here is another article from the Brookings Institution that accompanies this graph: http://nextbigfuture.com/2011/02/poverty-in-numbers-changing-state-of.html
William Henderson, From Big Law to Lean Law. An paper discussed in the Legal Tech & Informatics course at NDLS addressing disruptive technologies in the legal market.
I pulled this article after listening to the HBR podcast which featured the author. I thought it was an interesting application of Eric Ries’ MVP methodology in the context of a system/culture/working group within an organization with the goal of driving innovation. They mostly mention corporate application of this process, but i could also see it’s application in governmental units, law/service firms, and educational institutions, to name a few.
This article discusses the supporters and critics of the Innovation Act, which is a bipartisan initiative meant to curb the strength of patent trolls. The Innovation Act would “require plaintiffs to disclose the owner of a patent before a lawsuit is filed and explain why they are suing, and would require courts to determine the validity of patent cases early in the process.” The bill has gained support from tech giants such as Facebook and Google but some Republicans fear that it will limit innovation. Opponents argue, instead, that more targeted action be taken rather than sweeping measures. Patent trolls are clearly a problem but the article highlights that the patent litigation rate is dropping.
Short article discusses the western part of the US having the highest concentration of startups.
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/280/5364/698.full
Two years ago, Michael Heller visited Notre Dame Law and talked about his theory, the “tragedy of the anticommons.” This article discusses that theory and notes that privatization in the field of biomedical research may effect innovation. Heller explains that “[a] proliferation of intellectual property rights upstream may be stifling life-saving innovations further downstream in the course of research and product development.” In the biomedical context, this paradox not only has high economic costs, but high social costs as well.
3M has a really cool program to promote innovation within the company. They pay their employees to dedicate 15% of their work time to innovation. It was actually through this program that post-its were invented.
http://solutions.3m.com/innovation/en_US/stories/time-to-think
We have discussed various qualities that are required to become a successful entrepreneur such as innovation, dedication, and sometimes creativity. Richard Branson says, “[The idea] should be a company that you can believe in, heart, soul and wallet. Are you enthusiastic about how this business will make a difference in people’s lives? This is crucial, because if you love your work, you are far more likely to persevere despite the long hours and struggles that are an inevitable part of an entrepreneur’s life – and your successes and celebrations will be all the sweeter.” It is no surprise then that lawyers are thought of as “wet blankets” to the budding, ambitious, passionate entrepreneur, and less a surprise that they would rather avoid contact with lawyers until they are needed to untangle some mess in which they find themselves. For those lawyers who see themselves working for entrepreneurs or start-ups, it seems necessary to adopt a similar passion or at least remember that this is their lives, or their dreams, and that may drive the lawyer to be more creative in the way they advise their clients. To quote Tim Gunn of Project Runway: “Make it work!”
The ABA journal posted an interesting article about how some law schools are creating incubators for recent graduates. The programs provide new attorneys with cheap rent, mentors and networking opportunities to help get their solo practices off the ground.
Another example of technology revolutionizing the practice of law. Page Vault allows lawyers to securely capture, document and preserve content online in a way that makes it admissible in court.