publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/550988
ILTA WHITE PAPER: JULY 2015 WWW.ILTANET.ORG 38 ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS I recently attended a panel discussion where a firm's partners asked how their firm could get more work from us. This makes sense, since lawyers are the primary revenue drivers in a firm: they provide legal advice, do legal work and get paid for that work. However, focusing solely on generating more work is a narrow and not particularly innovative approach to developing the client relationship. Fortunately, another partner at the session asked what else they can do for us. This partner recognized that clients are looking for creative services that deliver greater value. She realized firms can do much more and wanted to hear directly from clients what we might value most. Here is precisely where firms can seize a tremendous opportunity: by bringing KM in to lead non-billing professionals within the firm to provide services to clients. While some firms have already offered their KM resources directly to clients, most have not yet discovered how to market or even bill their clients for KM and other non-traditional services. For firms that figure this out, KM could become a new revenue stream. THE PROPOSITION KM and other non-billing professionals within law firms are talented, dedicated and highly skilled in a range of disciplines, including process design, technology training, project management and research. These individuals also are embedded in their firms and vested in the firm's culture, philosophy, success and strategy. Firms should creatively utilize these people and their specialized skills with clients so billing lawyers have more opportunities to focus on where they add the most value. To get there, firms must stop positioning KM teams as back-office overhead. Pull these people out of their silos and disperse them overtly among the lawyers, clients and each other. Cross-functional client relationship teams should be designed to lead all aspects of the client relationship. These teams should be let loose to determine how the firm can best help clients in any way possible. KM AS THE CLIENT RELATIONSHIP TEAM OF THE FUTURE The client relationship team of the future might look like this: KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT Professional Development Finance Human Resources Client Relationship Manager Information Resources Information Technology Risk Management Marketing and Business Development