The legal profession in the 21st century: a reflection on the most significant changes that the profession has undergone in this century.

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the most significant changes in the legal profession in the 21st century. This ancestral profession has not been able to resist the effects of globalization. What are the changes that this phenomenon has produced and that affect all areas, including one of the oldest professions in the world? There are many: the model of law firms has changed and new forms of professional practice have emerged. Today, the liberal professional has given way to the lawyer-entrepreneur, hence the importance of entrepreneurship and legal marketing in this profession. Who would have thought that, in order to have clients, lawyers would have to promote themselves and sell their services well? Likewise, new ways of contracting legal services have appeared; the systems for collecting fees have changed and the lawyer's obligations have increased in relation to the fight against money laundering and the protection of client data. Finally, the business dimension of the legal profession and the public interest of this function allow us to speak of corporate social responsibility. Do all these changes allow us to speak of the legal profession as a modern profession adapted to the needs of the 21st century? Are all these new developments respectful of the basic principles inherent to professional ethics and constitutional rights? Through the analysis of all these questions.