I never thought I would see the day that I could go to the office in blue jeans and provide legal advice to my clients without wearing a tie. I also never thought I would be working from home representing my clients. The legal profession certainly is changing and many of the changes are, in my opinion, for the better. But we also need to be cautious that the practice of law does not become such an informal and unimportant commodity that it no longer is a respected and influential profession in society.

I often worry that the legal profession will be replaced by ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence platforms. We all need to be sensitive to the importance of professionalism in the legal profession. We may be able to represent clients while wearing blue jeans or use a cell phone to communicate with clients and other lawyers from any location, but we must not drop our guard and let the legal profession become another commodity-based service.

I recently listened to a seminar on elder law and the use of powers of attorney to help clients manage end-of-life considerations. Printing and using an online form will not suffice for clients to meet their needs and desires regarding the distribution of assets or the protection of their health. Lawyers must educate the public about the importance of proper legal planning and using a lawyer’s services to accomplish the goals of representation. Using a web-based legal document is similar to an individual doing research about a medical condition and then telling the physician what should be done to address the symptoms. We need to preserve the importance of the legal profession and the legal services that lawyers provide.

So, be careful when you put on your blue jeans in the morning to go to the office or go downstairs to your home office – make sure you maintain proper professional standards when providing the highest level of service to your clients.

Remember: Lawyer wellness is important!