Legal project management skills are a reliable way to strengthen a practice. They help keep a client’s matters on budget and on time, and they build client satisfaction along the way. Some firms hire non-lawyers to manage the work from a business efficiency perspective. The stronger candidate is usually the lawyer who also has business acumen and management knowledge.
So, exactly what role does a legal project manager fill?
According to Susan Raridon Lambreth, founder of the LPM Institute, a legal project manager has multiple responsibilities, including:
- Analyzing the stakeholders
- Developing a project charter/scope of work document
- Developing a project plan (including a work breakdown structure and budget)
- Monitoring task completion and other changes through the life of a matter, in stakeholders, risk, budget and scope
- Monitoring the matter against timelines, deadlines, and budget
- Ensuring sufficient communication with the client and matter team
- Reviewing the matter at the end to determine lessons learned and work product developed
Whether the manager does each of these or delegates them, the principles are the same.
I. Develop A Project Management Mindset
The role takes more than hard skills. A project manager has to lead and solve problems, and because the work runs across team members, firm leadership and clients, it also takes a high degree of emotional intelligence. A successful manager learns to think in a particular way:
Create a Plan
- Establish clear goals
- Organize into measurable steps
- Prepare for what changes the plan, such as new legislation or new client expectations
- Identify potential risks
Execute the Plan
- Encourage ongoing feedback and clear, consistent communication
- Review status regularly
- Be flexible when a change of course proves necessary
Discuss / Evaluate the End Package
- Determine what worked, and what needs to change
- Maintain a record of the process for future reference
II. Take Advantage of Technology
Legal project management software, or a cloud-based system, lets the manager and everyone else involved:
- Plan and manage projects
- Create and track the project budget
- Contain and easily reference project documents
- Match documents to tasks
- Facilitate communication and collaboration
- Maintain an overview of the project
- Record end processes for future reference
III. Continue Project Management Education
Certification, and there are several options, is valuable, and it is not the last stop. The role takes an aptitude for continual education. Course work changes. Legislation changes. Technology changes. Best practice changes. Staying in that loop is what keeps the skills current.
Is your firm or legal department looking for attorneys with those skills? Talk to OnBoard Legal. Contact us and see the difference the right hire makes.