Young lawyers and access to services.

We all know the legal profession is facing many challenges, with three of the biggest being access to legal --services, the lack of jobs for young lawyers, and the impact of technology.

With some effort and creativity, we can turn those three challenges into solutions and opportunities.

The issue of access to legal services has been well-documented, thanks to Florida's Commission on Access to Civil Justice, which was established a year ago by Chief Justice Jorge Labarga. The commission is looking at unmet civil legal needs while also examining our legal assistance delivery system as a whole.

That's important because the issue of access goes beyond low-income and disadvantaged Floridians. Many moderate and middle-income people feel they can't afford a lawyer (and I bet many lawyers cannot afford their own high hourly rates). In fact, fewer than 17 percent of people retain a lawyer when they have a legal problem.

This is a huge unserved market. How huge? Richard S. Granat, an innovator in legal services delivery, has estimated the worth of this unserved market at $45 billion nationally.

Yet, while this potential market sits untapped, brilliant young people are graduating from Florida's law schools, only to find themselves saddled with debt and unable to find work.

The average debt for a law school graduate is $140,000. Additionally, 15 percent of new lawyers can't find employment, and for those who do in Florida, the average starting salary is $45,000. Those numbers don't add up to success.

We need to connect these young Florida lawyers who need legal work with the people who need legal services.

That's where technology can help.

Today, a young lawyer does not have to charge high hourly rates in order to succeed. A young lawyer can create a virtual office without stacks of legal books or rented office space, and utilize web-based practice management software for less than $40 per month. Low overhead means lower costs for legal representation.

A young lawyer charging only $100 per hour and billing 1,000 hours a year (significantly less than a lawyer in a big firm) can make a decent living. More importantly, those lower costs can open a new market, putting that lawyer within reach of people who have felt they can't afford legal advice.

Online legal platforms such as LegalZoom, Rocket Lawyer, Avvo, and Legal Hero also offer opportunities. Whether it's buying shoes or airline tickets, or searching for health information or legal advice, people go...