Transforming the Practice of Law: Reclaiming the Soul of the Legal Profession - Paperback

by John Allison (Author)

This book presents a thoughtful, in-depth analysis of the current state of the legal profession in the United States. Many lawyers are experiencing profound distress and dissatisfaction in their professional lives and public esteem for the legal profession has fallen to an all-time low. The author describes how the current state of affairs results from a combination of factors, including the nature of legal education, the emergence of zealous representation as a guiding principle for the behavior of lawyers, and the commercialization of the private practice of law. The book also contains the author's suggestions for specific steps that can be taken to guide the profession to a path that leads to a better destination, where lawyers find meaning and fulfillment in their professional lives and where the legal profession is held once again in high regard by the society it serves. The author is an experienced lawyer who built a successful private law firm practice and then, as Assistant General Counsel in the legal department of a Fortune 100 company, hired and led teams of lawyers handling major litigation all over the country.

Author Biography

John Allison has practiced law for 43 years. He built a successful private law firm practice as a trial lawyer and litigation attorney representing individuals, small businesses, non-profits and large companies. His law practice grew based on repeat business and referrals from satisfied clients. He chaired a committee of the American Bar Association and was a Judge Pro Tem. He also served in management roles at two different law firms. After being in private practice for 24 years, John was hired by a Fortune 100 company as its senior in-house litigation manager. He wrote the guidelines and criteria the company used to hire and evaluate lawyers in private practice. He personally hired and led teams of lawyers representing the company in mass tort, class action and other complex litigation all over the country. As Assistant General Counsel, John served on the Office of General Counsel Management Committee and had overall responsibility for the litigation managed by the Office of General Counsel worldwide. He also was legal counsel for the company's Medical Department and Environmental Remediation Program, and advised senior executive management on effective strategies for handling a number of challenging issues.