There will always be lawyers in a free society, at least.  As more and more of our lives is replaced and/or displaced by technology, perhaps you wonder about this statement. But, trust me ... we lawyers are here to stay.  Why?  

I am listening to Scott Adams' (the creator of Dilbert) book, How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big.  One of the principal takeaways is that Adams believes success comes mainly from working tried and true systems and acquiring needed skills.  And one of those needed skills is a working knowledge of psychology. To be sure, we lawyers, especially trial lawyers, are amateur psychologists.  Knowing people and dealing with them well is vital in virtually every case in myriad ways. 

In fact, just this past week I saw a lawyer blow up a site inspection due to his own impetulance and presumption.  He wasted a huge opportunity both to represent his client well and move the case toward resolution because he failed to understand what was happening in the moment and the people around him. 

And in this same week, I saw a client wrestling with a settlement proposal.  She had been confused and was negative as emails shot back and forth.  However, some personal contact, empathy, and understanding ... along with supplying accurate legal advice and information ... enabled her to understand and make a good decision.  

A computer could never do this, though our impersonal treatment of clients via technology could cost us many opportunities to serve them effectively. 
 

So, in the land of the free lawyers who understand and can relate to people shall remain ... for worse and for better too.