T-shaped lawyering: need of hour in Pakistan

T-shaped lawyering is a term used to describe a type of legal professional who possesses both broad knowledge across multiple areas of law (the horizontal part of the T) and deep expertise in a specific area of law (the vertical part of the T). The concept of T-shaped lawyering emphasises the importance of having a diverse skillset that goes beyond a narrow focus on a specific legal specialty. The idea was that T-shaped professionals could use their deep expertise to solve complex problems, while also collaborating effectively with professionals from other disciplines and adapting to changes in the industry. The concept was later adapted and expanded upon by other organisations and industries, including the legal profession. T-shaped lawyers are often seen as versatile and adaptable, able to quickly learn and integrate new knowledge and skills. They may also have strong communication and interpersonal skills, which can help them effectively work with clients and colleagues.

The concept of T-shaped professionals, including T-shaped lawyers, gained prominence in the 1990s with the emergence of the knowledge economy. The term was first introduced by David Guest, a professor at King’s College London, who used the metaphor of a T-shape to describe the skills and attributes that were most valuable in this new economy. In the 1990s, McKinsey & Company consulting firm introduced the concept of T-shaped consultants. The concept gained further prominence in the 2000s with the rise of the interdisciplinary approach to problem-solving, which emphasised the importance of collaboration and the ability to work across multiple disciplines. This approach recognised that many of the most pressing problems facing society, such as climate change, poverty and inequality, require solutions that draw on expertise from multiple fields.

In the legal industry, the concept of T-shaped lawyers was popularised by legal industry expert Mark Cohen in his book, The T-shaped Lawyer: A News Way to Think About the Business of Law. The book agrued that lawyers need to have both deep expertise in a specific area of law and a broad range of skills and knowledge across multiple areas to provide effective legal solutions to clients and succeed in a rapidly changing legal landscape. Since then, the concept of T-shaped professionals, including T-shaped lawyers, has gained widespread recognition and adoption in many industries, including law, technology, and business. T-shaped lawyers, with their broad range of multidisciplinary skills, were seen as particularly well-suited to this new approach. They were able to work collaboratively with professionals from other disciplines, such as technology experts, data analysts and business professionals, to develop innovative solutions to legal issues.

Normal or I shaped lawyers typically specialise in a specific area of law and have deep knowledge and expertise with traditional skills. The normal lawyers possess the conventional ability to conduct legal research on various aspects to develop arguments and legal strategies to communicate their written or oral arguments in courtrooms and negotiations to counsel clients on legal strategies and potential outcomes. In contrast, T-shaped lawyers are versatile, adaptable and interdisciplinary legal professionals integrating knowledge and skills from multiple fields to solve complex legal problems with some non-traditional skills in the legal profession that are becoming increasingly important for lawyers to possess, given the evolving nature of the legal industry and the changing needs of clients. They may also have strong communication and interpersonal skills which can help them build relationships with clients and colleagues and work efficiently in team environments, bringing a more diverse and interdisciplinary perspective to the legal profession. They must also have a strong understanding of business principles, including financial management, marketing and client development. T shaped lawyers must also have strong emotional intelligence, including empathy, self-awareness and the ability to manage their own emotions and relationships with others. This enables them to build strong relationships with clients and colleagues and work effectively in team environments.

T-shaped lawyers have become increasingly popular in the US, Australia, the UK and many other European countries where many law schools are offering interdisciplinary courses and clinics that expose students to other fields such as technology, business and public policy. Many law firms have also embraced the T-shaped model, hiring lawyers with a broad range of skills and knowledge to better serve their clients’ needs. This has led to a new generation of lawyers who are better equipped to work in the rapidly changing legal landscape. Studies by Cummings and Rhode; and Rhode, Cummings and Bibas criticise traditional legal education for failing to prepare students for the challenges they will face as practising attorneys, including addressing legal case backlogs. Surveys of US law students found that interdisciplinary courses and clinics better prepared students for the practice of law and encouraged innovative solutions to legal issues. The studies suggest that interdisciplinary legal education, a key component of T-shaped lawyering, can reduce the backlog of legal cases by better preparing lawyers to address complex legal issues.

T-shaped lawyering can benefit the legal profession in developing countries like Pakistan, which face challenges such as a backlog of cases and limited resources for legal education. T-shaped lawyers in Pakistan can bring an interdisciplinary perspective and collaborate with professionals from other fields to develop innovative solutions. They have the potential to contribute to a more collaborative, interdisciplinary and socially responsible legal profession, becoming more effective legal professionals in addressing complex legal challenges. T-shaped lawyers have good job opportunities in multidisciplinary law firms, large corporations’ in-house legal departments and public interest organisations. They can provide specialised legal advice and collaborate with professionals from other fields. They may also find work in alternative legal service providers like LPO firms and legal tech startups. Educational institutions, legal chambers and legal bodies should update their syllabus to produce T-shaped lawyers with interdisciplinary skills for the evolving legal industry. Law schools must offer courses in technology, business and data analysis to develop versatile skills for legal careers. Emphasis on practical skills like research, writing, negotiation, advocacy, and teamwork is essential for effective lawyers. Institutions should encourage innovation through hackathons, design thinking workshops and internships, enabling students to think creatively and tackle legal issues efficiently.

The writer is an LLM Scholar at Yong Pung How School of Law, Singapore Management University. He can be reached at kamboyoshahid@gmail.com