Irish Competition Authority proposes reform of the legal profession
The Irish Competition Authority (the equivalent of our Federal Trade Commission) says the market for legal services is permeated with unnecessary and disproportionate restrictions on competition and is in need of substantial reform. In a report published this week, the Irish Competition Authority recommends new comprehensive legislation to address the lack of competition in the legal services industry in Ireland. The legislation would establish an independent Legal Services Commission with responsibility for regulating the legal profession and the market for legal services. This new Commission would be independent, transparent and accountable, involving a wider group of stake holders that the current model of self-regulation. The Competition Authority says that all who have studied the legal profession have reached a similar conclusion -- that the legal profession needs to move towards a modern, transparent and accountable system.
Perhaps the American legal profession could learn something from this report. Very few state bar associations have adopted recommended reforms to make the legal profession more accountable to the consumer. The US legal profession still operates like a closed guild subordinating the interests of the consumer, over the interests of the profession. It's time for a change. For a summary of this report, click here.
