The Modern Law Library

How the Great Recession changed American law firms

  •  
  •  
  •  
  • Print

three lawyers on a rollercoaster.

Image from Shutterstock.

There's no denying that law firms have gone through significant changes in the last decade. These changes continue to create unprecedented challenges for modern law firms today. So, what's next?

Randy Kiser, author of American Law Firms in Transition: Trends, Threads, and Strategies, pinpoints why the Great Recession of 2008 marked a defining moment for law firms and how the economic shift transformed the legal services landscape.

book cover.

In this episode of the Modern Law Library, ABA Publishing’s Olivia Aguilar speaks to Kiser about the impact of the recession on law firms, why law firm culture is crucial in today’s world and what lawyers have in common with the Pirahã tribe in Brazil. Kiser describes law firms’ errors that have destabilized firms, how those errors affect client relationships and how law firms can survive and thrive in the years to come.

Podcast listeners can purchase American Law Firms in Transition through the ABA web store.


Modern Law Library logo
Want to listen on the go? The Modern Law Library is available on several podcast listening services. Subscribe and never miss an episode.
Apple | Spotify | Google Play


In This Podcast:

<p>Randy Kiser</p>

Randy Kiser

Randy Kiser is a principal analyst at DecisionSet in Palo Alto, California, and a scholar-in-residence at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law. His research has been featured in popular and scholarly publications including the New York Times and the Harvard Negotiation Law Review. Kiser received his law degree in 1978 from the University of California at Berkeley. He is the author of American Law Firms in Transition: Trends, Threads, and Strategies.

Give us feedback, share a story tip or update, or report an error.