Fast Future Research has released a report of the jobs of the future.  Fortunately lawyers still made the list, but with a slightly different role that they call a “virtual lawyer,”

The internet is a major facilitator of innovation in both the legal and illegal realms. Hence a significant part of a virtual lawyer‘s time will be spent monitoring new legal developments and precedents that apply to the virtual world. Much of the legal territory remains the same e.g. disputes, contractual failures, ownership issues, intellectual property theft, sabotage, copyright infringements and trademarks. However, the complexity comes from the global nature of the web and the different legal jurisdictions that could be involved…

Virtual lawyers will make extensive use of technology – for example setting up bots and spiders to develop a reverse audit trail of suspect transactions and scanning the web for possible clues or experts that could help in the prosecution of a case. A key role will be to advise customers on how to set up online activities – particularly e-commerce transactions – in a manner that is legally sound across a range of jurisdictions. The goal is to prevent possible future prosecutions in areas such as online gaming and content download.

Here are some of the other careers you could have considered that probably wouldn’t have required a BPMAT either:

• Body part maker: Create living body parts for athletes and soldiers.
• Nano-medic: Nanotechnology advances mean sub-atomic treatments could transform healthcare.
• GM or recombinant farmer: That’s “GM” as in “genetically modified” or engineered crops and livestock.
• Elderly wellness consultant: As an aging population increases in size, we’ll need folks to tend to their physical and mental needs.
• Memory augmentation surgeon: Like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, surgeons could boost patients’ memory when it hits capacity.
• ‘New science’ ethicist: With the rise of cloning and other ethically-dubious practices, ethicists will be needed to ford the river of progress.
• Space pilots, tour guides and architects: Space tourism will allow for space pilots, tour guides and the architects that will allow them to live in lunar outposts.
• Vertical farmers: The future of farming is straight up. Vertical farms in urban areas could significantly increase food supply.
• Climate change reversal specialist: Regardless of what you think about human-induced climate change, it’s clear we’ll need scientists who specialize in altering it.
• Quarantine enforcer: When a deadly virus spreads rapidly, quarantine enforcers will “guard the gates.”
• Weather modification police: If weather patterns can be altered and adversely affect other parts of the world, law enforcement will be needed to keep things legal.
• Virtual lawyer: As international law grows to supercede national law, lawyers will be needed to handle cases that involve people living in several nations with different laws.
• Classroom avatar manager: Intelligent avatars will replace classroom teachers, but the human touch week be needed to properly match teacher to student.
• Alternative vehicle developers: Goodbye, internal combustion engine. Zero-emission cars will need smart people to design and manufacture them.
• Narrowcasters: As in, the opposite of “broadcaster.” Media will grow increasingly personalized, and we’ll need people to handle all those streams.
• Waste data handler: Think of it as an “IT axe man”… for information. Waste data handlers will destroy data for security purposes.
• Virtual clutter organizer: Now that your electronic life is more cluttered than your physical one, you’ll need someone to clean things up — including your e-mail, desktop and user accounts.
• Time broker/Time bank trader: What’s more valuable than precious metals, stones or cold, hard cash? Your time.
• Social ‘networking’ worker: A social worker for the Web generation.
• Branding managers: These already exist for celebrities, but now everyone needs a “personal brand” so others can easily digest who you are and what you stand for.