The word new refers to novelty, or the condition of being previously unknown or of recent or fresh origin. In the legal profession, the term new law encapsulates the concept of innovative practices that have been developed to provide clients with creative solutions for complex issues. These techniques are not limited to transactional matters, but can be utilized in a wide variety of practice areas. In the future, it is likely that many legal firms will offer one or more types of new law services to their clients. A well thought out plan using new law techniques could allow the firm to increase revenue and client satisfaction without impacting the core business of its traditional practice.

The legal industry is currently going through a process of paradigm shift, with law’s purpose shifting from legacy delivery models to greater customer-centricity. This shift will result in a new law environment that is more accessible, affordable, on-demand, data-backed, and scalable. It will also feature a more holistically diverse workforce, both cognitively, demographically, and culturally, that is empathetic and collaborative. The legal function will work more closely with its cross-functional enterprise colleagues to proactively identify, eradicate, mitigate, and extinguish risk. It will also help to identify and capture business opportunities.

A key aspect of the new law environment will be technology platforms that enable the collaborative and iterative development, deployment, and refinement of practical, predictive solutions to complex, high-value legal matters. This platform-based approach will be facilitated by multidisciplinary teams that include lawyers, “legal techies,” process/project managers, and data analysts. It will be driven by a strategic planning process that identifies a material challenge, and then reverse-engineers a solution based on best-in-class legal technology tools.

This page summarises laws enacted, vetoed, or abandoned during the current legislative session. It also provides links to other sources of information, including NYC agency laws and rules, New York State law, and federal law. This information is provided for general educational purposes only. It is not intended to serve as a substitute for professional legal advice regarding your specific matter. Please contact a qualified attorney licensed in your jurisdiction for guidance.