RICHARD S. GRANAT

My Work

 

The focus of my work is helping lawyers and other organizations convert legal services into what I call "law products"
My definition of a "law product" is a software application that enables a user to solve a legal problem
without the services of an attorney.
 

Lawyers have visions of making money while they sleep. A few law firms have developed a product approach as a method of
capturing potential clients and then upselling them to more traditional legal services.
{See for example https://www.cooleygo.com/ ).

Other law firms have created law products to create additional revenue streams.
(See https://afterpattern.com/siskind-susser ).

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Unfortunately, it is not as easy as it seems. The journey towards making a successful law product is complex, with lots of detours
and failures. I know this because I have been working in this market space for more than 20 years since I launched
the www.mylawyer.com website that offered automated legal forms directly to consumers.

In 2003 I launched one of the first online law firms that offered a highly automated service in family and divorce matters at
www.mdfamilylawyer.com. 

In 2009 I founded DirectLaw, Inc., the first provider of a platform to enable solo and small law firms to offer online legal services.

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My mission is to help law firms develop law products and automated legal services and to share what I have learned about  this
an exciting new sector of the legal market - through my blog, advisory services, and podcasts.

My hope is to help lawyers and entrepreneurs who have decided to go down this path avoid mistakes and
increase their chance of success.

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About the Blog

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My blog is at www.lawproducts.online and reports on the following topics:

• Law firms developing automated legal services.

• Law firms developing legal products.

• Non-law firms who are developing law products.

• Pro bono and Legal Service Program efforts to encourage the development of law products.

• Regulatory and ethical issues in offering law products.

• Marketing approaches to providing law products.

• Tech tools that enable the development of law products.

• Financing the development of your law product.

Other relevant topics will be addressed as they surface.
If you think this kind of analysis is helpful on your journey, you can subscribe here.

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About Me

​​​​​​​I am a lawyer, frequent speaker on legal technology, blogger, and consultant.,

I have served as Co-Chair of the ELawyering Task Force of the Law Practice Management Division of the
American Bar Association and also served on the Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services of the ABA.
 

In 2009, the ABA Journal named me as one of  50 Legal Rebels.

In 2010, I received the Louis M. Brown Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Bar Association
in recognition of my work in innovating in the delivery of legal services,

In 2013 I was  - Named a FastCase50 Winner

Also, in 2013- I received the ABA James I Keane Memorial Award for Excellence in the Delivery of Legal Services.

I have been involved in developing innovative legal services delivery systems for many years,
first as part of the initial working group that created the National Legal Services Program,
and then later as Director of the Center for Legal Studies at Antioch Law School in Washington, D.C.,
the nation's first clinical law school, and later President and Dean of the Philadelphia Institute for Paralegal Training,
the nation's first paralegal school.

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I am a Fellow of the College of Law Practice Management.

I was the founder of the People's Law Library of Maryland, one of the first state-wide legal information websites,
presently operated by the Maryland Court System. Last year the Peoples Law Library had over 1,000,000 visitors.

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I serve on the Board of Directors of ResponsiveLaw, Inc., the consumer's voice in the legal system.

 

Other Ventures:

Founder and CEO, MyLawyer.com, (1999 - 2004).

Founder and CEO, SmartLegal Forms, Inc. (2004 - 2017).

Founder and CEO, DirectLaw, Inc. (2009 - 2017).

Advisor and Shareholder, FedArb, Inc. (2000 - present ).

Advisor and Shareholder, OneDigitalTrust, Inc. (2019 - present).

Founder and CEO, LawMediaLabs, Inc. (1970 - present).

I have taught at the University of Maryland School of Law, the District of Columbia School of Law, Rutgers School of Law, courses
in Computers and the Law and Law Practice Management.

I am a graduate of Columbia University School of Law (J.D.), the University of Pennsylvania (M.S.), and Lehigh University (B.A.).

I am a member of the Maryland and District of Columbia Bar, the American Bar Association and the Maryland State Bar Association.