It's 9:00 pm. Do you know where your lawyer is?

Jordan Furlong's "Be the World’s Most Client-Accessible Lawyer" on the Attorney-at-Work blog. There's been a lot of talk over the past few years about the "virtual law office." What it is, where it is and isn't permitted, how to run one, what are the risks and rewards, etc. But Jordan's post is one of the first I've read that looks at virtual law offices from the client's perspective. Not in the lower-overhead-means-lower-cost-to-clients sense, but rather in the making-yourself-accessible-to-clients-when-the-clients-need-you-to-be-accessible-means-being-a-better-lawyer sense. Sure, Jordan's suggestion is not for everybody. But isn't meeting your clients' needs a core part of your strategy? What's wrong with doing it on their terms once in a while?

The future of law firms: irrelevant?

Jordan Furlong's "Not wanted on the voyage" at Law21.ca. What if we staged a revolution, and none of the law firms came? According to Furlong, that is a real possibility. Nobody disputes the fact that change, true change, the kind that requires you to step off the cliff without knowing if there's a ledge below, is hard. Really hard. But what appears to be still up for grabs is whether or not that kind of change is all that necessary. The visionaries certainly think so. The consultants certainly think so. A lot of clients seem to think so. But the law firms? Not so much. Furlong's thoughtful post takes a look at what that means -- for lawyers, law firms, and clients -- and offers some useful advice on avoiding irrelevance.

The future of law? You fill in the blank.

"'Bet the Farm' Versus 'Law Factory': Which One Works?" from Toby Brown and Ron Friedmann on 3 Geeks and a Law Blog (it's also posted at Friedmann's blog, Strategic Legal Technology). How will law firms adapt to change? Will there be a new business model? More than one? How can firms respond to market and client pressures for lower prices and greater efficiency and increasing specialization? What will the new firm look like? Are firms facing a "transform or die" decision? Friedmann and Brown explore these questions, possible futures for BigLaw, and what it all means for lawyers and firms, for clients, and for the practice of law. This is stuff you need to know. And while you're at it, read these posts too (list compiled by Jordan Furlong - thanks, Jordan!). More stuff you should know.

• V. Mary Abraham's "Law Firm Investment Portfolios" on Above and Beyond KM
• Steven B. Levy's "The Law Factory Debate: Another Perspective" and "Apple Meets the Law Factory" on Lexician
• John Wallbillich's "Legal Billing Rates: The Next Wave" on Wired GC
• Mark Herrmann's "Inside Straight: In Praise of Mediocrity" on Above The Law
• Jordan Furlong's "The stratified legal market and its implications" on Law21.ca

Strap yourself in. The ride's just beginning.

Jordan Furlong's "The year of the free-agent lawyer" on his blog at Law21.ca. Want to know where the profession is headed? Look where it's been. Furlong's post looks back at 2010, "the year of law firm outsourcing," and provides his usual insightful analysis on last year's most significant developments and what they mean for lawyers and the legal profession going forward. Will 2011 be the year of the freelance lawyer? Only time will tell. But you don't need a crystal ball to prepare yourself for changes in the profession. Just posts like this.