publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/550988
ILTA WHITE PAPER: JULY 2015 WWW.ILTANET.ORG 15 Using a blueprint will help you think about the continuum of potential KM services and assess the order in which to tackle them based on their complexity and the skills required. INTERNALLY FOCUSED KM Scope and Goals: Internally focused KM targets the improvement of legal services and legal work product. Typically, firms focus on three areas that remain, for many, the definition of KM. • Know-How: Capturing, sharing and reusing documents, incorporating the firm's standards and best practices • Current Awareness: Capturing and sharing knowledge about changes in the law • Professional Development: Evolving lawyering skills through formal training, mentoring and coaching Internally focused KM initiatives are, relatively speaking, the least complex KM services because they are extensions of activities that already occur within the firm. Anyone who has worked in these areas knows that they are far from simple to master. Firms expect internally focused KM to deliver three business benefits: • Improve legal services by improving lawyers' technical skills and the quality and timeliness of work product • Reduce risk by ensuring standards and best practices are reflected in work product delivered to clients • Improve profitability by improving the efficiency of the firm's fee earners and reducing write-offs Process and Technology: Important synergies connect the business processes and technologies supporting internally focused KM. For example, content management life cycle and workflows are foundational to both know-how and current awareness. Repurposing content among all three services is a natural cycle. Awareness of changes in the law can drive changes in relevant precedents and guidance notes; both should be reinforced through relevant legal training and mentoring activities. ARCHITECTING KM: BLUEPRINTS FOR NOVICES TO EXPERTS Firms lacking internally focused KM programs, at a minimum, must establish a subset of the prerequisite people, processes and technologies to deliver their initial client-focused services.