When Harvard law professor David Wilkins started teaching about technology and the law back in 2000, he invited a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor to speak to his class. This was at a time when architects and engineers were starting to use software to create and build 3D models of physical structures, and computer-aided design and manufacturing were disrupting the world of design.

"He walked into the class, and the very first thing he said was, 'Professionals always think that technology allows them to do what they already do cheaper and faster. But, in fact, what technology does is it redefines what it means to be a professional,'" Wilkins recalled the professor saying.