Mark Heffner on Changes in the Legal Profession
Mark Heffner was recently interviewed for a Providence Journal article titled, Middle Class Squeeze: R.I. wages flatlining as workers struggle. The article discusses some of the downward pressures on salaries for middle-class Rhode Islanders.
Published May 31st, Mark is quoted discussing some of the current challenges faced by new law graduates here in Rhode Island. As an Adjunct Professor teaching Elder Law at Roger Williams University Law School, Mark is aware of the employment challenges presently facing his students after graduation. He also cites the growing impact of automation technologies on the practice of law:
“A glut of lawyers churned out by law schools has likely depressed wages, according to Mark Heffner, who owns a Warwick law practice and teaches at Roger Williams University. Some law-degree toting graduates who can’t find work are taking jobs as paralegals, creating further downward pressure on pay.
Heffner says the industry has been affected by another factor typically associated with manufacturing: automation.
Computer software has been developed to analyze documents. It’s known as technology-assisted review or predictive coding. Similarly, so-called “document assembly” software has automated the creation of legal documents. The rise of both coincided with the recession.”
The article can be viewed in its entirety on the Providence Journal website.