LawFirm Management

One of the classic problems of law firms (as opposed to corporations) is that they have no central management. Many law firms conform to the old saw that they are like a series of medieval dukedoms, each partner perched in his own castle on top of his own hill.

As a consultant, in dealing with a variety of firms, it is always possible to tell the state of their management by the authority of the Office Manager. Firms that have committed to having a central management tend to have strong office managers. You can always tell a firm with weak management when the Office Manager says "I don't know, it's up to the partners."

Ross Kodner drew my attention to a recent article on the Common Traits of Successful Firms in Lawyers Weekly by Nancy Byerly Jones. While all the kinds of things she mentions may not be directly applicable for you, it is certainly worth thinking about how her points have relevance to your firm.

The bottom line is that firms willing to put centralized processes in place – even for things as simple as standardizing the font the firm uses in its documents – are going to be more efficient and hence more profitable.