The Business Counselor Blog™

Law Firm Policies and Procedures

Law firms, like any other business, must establish policies and procedures that govern a wide range of matters and activities.  This month's report includes some suggestions about the policies that might be needed on issues such as associate performance evaluation, diversity and pro bono activities.

Attorney-Client Relationships: Attorney Duties and Liabilities

I recently had the need to revisit in detail the various professional duties that lawyers have to their clients and the liabilities associated with failing to live up to those duties.  The attached report provides an overview of things that lawyers need to keep in mind as they begin and continue engagements with their clients. 

Law Firm Training and Development Programs

Training and development programs for all lawyers and non-attorney personnel are important tools in building and preserving a competitive advantage for law firms.  This post provides an overview of the evolution of law firm training programs and information regarding curriculum development.

New Book - Handbook of Law Firm Management

I was recently given the opportunity to take on editorial responsibility for the Handbook of Law Firm Management, which is published by Legal Works.  The attached report includes an excerpt from the updated Introduction to the publication that discusses various developments over the last year or so that have presented challenges for law firms.  I will be included periodic posts on this Blog relating law firm management issues going forwarded and welcome any thoughts or suggestions for topics to be covered in the publication.

Leadership Styles for Law Firm Leaders

A great deal of research has been done, and much has been written about, styles of leadership.  In general, leadership style refers to the manner in which the leader of a group or organization, such as a law firm, provides direction to group members, implements the strategic plan of the group and motivates the members to act in ways that further that strategic plan.  In this report I discuss six categories of leadership styles and how they might fit into the law firm context.