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An Unsustainable Business Model
- October 1, 2015
- Category: Workflows and Workloads
- Publication: Lexpert, Vol. 17, No. 1, October 2015
The CEB reports that, for two reasons, the relationship-based business model for corporate law departments is fundamentally unsustainable. First, the number of individuals calling on inside counsel for routine matters has proliferated beyond the company executive team. Second, most internal clients want resolution not a relationship. Some General Counsel are conducting detailed studies of demand patterns affecting their resources. Others are introducing protocols and programs to make many regular clients self-sufficient.
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The Legal Weather Forecast
- May 1, 2015
- Category: Positioning and Strategy
- Publication: Lexpert, Vol. 16, No. 7, May 2015
Up to 50% of the operational support provided by law departments to business lines can be standardized or kept with business units. There are 5 steps to preparing a good business plan for the law department: alignment with corporate priorities, detailed work estimates, work allocation protocols, improving practice management, and metrics. Accurate forecasts and good business plans improve the value of the law department.
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World Class Effectiveness
- February 1, 2015
- Category: Positioning and Strategy
- Publication: Lexpert, Vol. 16, No. 4, February 2015
A 4-part assessment tool to guide law departments is profiled and critiqued. It covers opportunities for creating value in the company, optimizing talent for higher value work, operational effectiveness, and the effectiveness of external counsel. The article comments on the 20 segments supporting the assessment and suggests several new assessment questions.
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Arrested Development
- July 31, 2014
- Category: Organization and Resources
- Publication: Lexpert, Vol. 15, No. 9, July-August 2014
Legal and corporate priorities are a frequent distraction for General Counsel trying to change the practice management and work allocation patterns of the legal department. Four management skills are essential to meaningful change in how legal resources are managed: a focus on results rather than process; a commitment to innovation with external counsel; a strategic business sense; and the efficient use of time for administrative matters.
Articles on Demand – Archive