Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/7694
www.iltanet.org The Business of Law 7 works well even for "accidental" project managers, such as attorneys without formal project management training who step up, or are appointed, to run legal projects. LPM draws on and enhances the skills attorneys already possess. There are a lot of smart legal professionals, but long-term success will come to those who work smarter. how LegaL ProjeCT ManageMenT iS DifferenT Legal project management applies the proven concepts of project management to the management of legal cases. It involves not the legal work itself but the mechanics of the work surrounding the practice of law and the provision of legal services. LPM modifies the actual project management techniques and approaches to fit the legal world and its practitioners. Because many of the core teachings for managing construction or IT projects have no legal analogs, traditional project management per se is a poor fit for the legal environment. Especially at senior levels, attorneys can present challenges for traditional project managers, as they are often resistant to rigid process boundaries and limits on their actions. LPM is designed specifically for attorneys rather than for project managers. It takes into account the constraints surrounding both the practice and the business of law. Also, the "output" of legal work is significantly different from the output of standard project management, e.g., a construction project or piece of software. The different output and different processes require notably different techniques. Good legal project management is unobtrusive as it supports attorneys in delivering higher client value. It can improve efficiency for in-house practices as well as firms. The goaLS of LegaL ProjeCT ManageMenT Legal project management yields project predictability via principles that are straightforward, practical and business-focused. How can the members of a practice feel confident about large fixed-fee cases without faith in their ability to control costs on those cases? To succeed profitably today, firms need to aggressively contain costs, respond to both expected and unexpected events, and do only the work that truly delivers value to the client. The same holds for work taken on in-house, though the goal may be to do as much quality work as possible on a limited budget, rather than profit. Either way, attorneys need to be able to predict costs, delivery dates and results. AFA cases aren't the only type that benefit from legal project management. Consider any case where you want to accomplish one or more of the following goals: • Control or better understand the cost • Control or predict the time spent • Be better prepared for unplanned events • Deliver only the work necessary to meet the client's needs • Engage the most appropriate resources, assigning them the work best suited to them • Improve communication within the team and with the client