CBA Record May-June 2022

Chicago Bar Foundation Report

Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches and Toasters v. Typewriters and Toll Booth Operators By Bob Glaves, CBF Executive Director

I nnovation. It’s what all the cool kids are talking about. It’s something the CBF is proud to be a longtime leader in on the access to justice front, and it’s something we could use a lot more of in our profes sion and in our justice system.

What is innovation anyway? In simple terms, innovation is a new idea or a new way of doing things. Many people conflate innovation with tech nology, and while technology is often a means of innovation, it is much broader than that. Innovation can encompass every aspect of doing business, and it is often broken down into four broader areas: • A new or improved product or service, • A new or improved process or way of delivering a product or service, • A new or improved way of market ing a product or service, or • A new kind of organization or business practice.

What problem are we trying to solve? A good starting point for thinking about innovation is what problem are we trying to solve or what opportunity do we see to make things better? One of the best books out there on innovation is Adapt by Tim Harford. The book is a trove of wisdom and guid ance on innovation and how it happens, but Harford starts off the book with the example of the toaster to illustrate that there also are plenty of things that are proven solutions that have stood the test of time. I have added the venerable peanut butter & jelly sandwich into that mix too, and we can all think of many other good examples. That said, for all of those tried-and true solutions with well-earned staying power, there are many more areas that are ripe for innovation or for new ways of doing things. But for that to happen, it takes visionaries who are committed to taking risks, trying new things, and admit ting failure and learning from it. As Henry Ford famously said, “If I asked the people what they want, they would have told me a faster horse.” The horse and buggy of course gave way to the car as our primary means of transit, and it changed the world. The typewriter gradually gave way to the com puter, and all its subsequent iterations

Thus, the title of this article. In the quest for the promised land of a justice system that is fair and accessible for all, we need to identify our legal versions of PB & J sandwiches and toasters* that have served us well over the years and continue to do so and distinguish them from our legal equivalents of typewriters and toll booth operators, former mainstays that were overtaken by far superior solutions. * I used those two examples for their individ ual staying power, not as a combo, but toasting your PB & J sandwich is an underrated way to make it even better. Hot tip for the day is to try the PB & J sandwich at Potbelly some time. You’re welcome.

Central to innovation is a commitment to constant improvement and an open ness to new ways of doing things and taking risks.

12 May/June 2022