Maximizing Law Firm Profitability: Hiring, Training and Developing Productive Lawyers.

ALM Media, LLC, May 2013, Pages: 416

Whether you supervise a few associates and paralegals or hundreds, Maximizing Law Firm Profitability: Hiring, Training and Developing Productive Lawyers will help you become a more effective, more productive manager and lawyer. The book shows you how to manage your own practice and how to develop the potential of the people reporting to you.

It covers subjects such as: enhancing attorney skills and increasing profits through development of practical in-house training programs; using strategies for time and stress management; choosing CLE programs wisely; recruiting and keeping “top-notch” lawyers; benchmarking; grasping the basics of legal writing; teaching the essentials of negotiating, client relations and “people” skills; giving associates effective supervision and feedback; making the evaluation process productive; and instilling law firm loyalty. It features a cutting-edge discussion of lawyer training and making partner in the 21st century.

CHAPTER 1
Recruitment of Associates
- 1.01 Introduction
- 1.02 Entry-Level Recruiting
- 1.03 Why NALP Guidelines Matter
[1] NALP Principles and Standards
- 1.04 A Systematic Approach to Summer Associate Hiring
- 1.05 Defining Hiring Criteria
[1] Skills
[2] Personal Qualities
[3] Behaviors and Values
- 1.06 Applying Hiring Criteria in Entry-Level Recruitment Process
[1] Reviewing Resumes
[2] Effective Interviewing Strategies
[3] Evaluating Student Candidates and Making Offers
[4] Tracking Recruiting Statistics
- 1.07 The Behavioral InterviewKeys to a More Effective Recruitment Process
- 1.08 Associate Lateral Hiring
- 1.09 Working Effectively with Search Firms
- 1.10 Diversity Issues in Recruiting
- 1.11 Recruiting Strategies for Small Firms and Solo Practitioners
- 1.12 Checklist for Small Firm Recruiting
- 1.13 Sample Interview Questions
- 1.14 Sample Job Descriptions for Law Firm Recruiting Professionals
[1] Legal Recruitment Manager
[2] Lateral Recruitment Manager
[3] Attorney Recruiting and Development Coordinator
[4] Legal Recruiting Assistant

CHAPTER 2
Managing Associate Morale
- 2.01 Introduction
- 2.02 The Five Core Elements of Lawyer Development
[1] Formal Training
[2] Informal Training
[3] Hands-on Learning
[4] Performance Appraisal
[5] Individual Guidance and Mentorship
- 2.03 Attrition Rates are Troubling
- 2.04 Associate Morale Issues
- 2.05 Conducting Exit Interviews
- 2.06 Associates' Responsibility for Managing Their Own Experience
- 2.07 Why Talent Management Matters: What Associates Need to Know
[1] Introduction
[2] Arriving at this Point
[3] What the Future Holds
[4] Managing Performance at an Organic Level
[5] Using Firm Resources

CHAPTER 3
Acquiring Partners and Practice Groups
- 3.01 The History of Partner and Practice Group Movement
- 3.02 Before the Acquisition
- 3.03 Strategic Planning for the Acquisition
- 3.04 Cultural Planning for the Acquisition
- 3.05 Choosing a Team to Oversee the Process
- 3.06 Responsibilities of the Committee
[1] Recruitment
[2] Due Diligence
- 3.07 Selection Criteria
[1] The “What” Criteria
[2] The “Why” Criteria
[3] The “Who” Criteria
[4] Personal Qualities and Cultural Fit
- 3.08 The Recruitment Process
[1] Where to Look for Candidates Internally
[2] Professional Legal Search Firms
[3] Advertising
[4] Applying Your Selection Criteria to Potential Candidates and Groups
[5] Determining the Materials that Each Candidate Will Be Asked to Submit
[6] Business plans
-3.09 The Interview Process
[1] Ensuring Confidentiality
[2] Choosing Your Interview Teams
[3] Goals for Each Interview Phase
[4] Gathering Evaluative Information
[5] Candidate Consideration
[6] Screening the Applications
[7] The Face-to-Face Interview Process
[8] Decision-Making Factors
- 3.10 Hocus Pocus or Reality — Evaluating the Soundness of Portable Client Relationships and Revenues
[1] Overview
[2] Methodology Law Firms Employ to Vet Lateral Partners' Portable Relationships
[3] Vetting Process
[4] Efficient Vetting
[5] Predicting Future Success
[6] Summary
- 3.11 Selling the Firm in Lateral Recruiting
[1] The Lateral Attorney Mindset
[2] Delivering the Message
[3] Selling in Every Interaction
[4] A Final Note About Offers
- 3.12 Follow-Up to a Successful Recruiting Effort
[1] Announcing the Decision Within the Firm
[2] Announcing the Decision Outside of the Firm
[3] Details, Details, Details
[4] Orientation
[5] Specific Actions for Partners
[6] Specific Actions for Practice Groups
[7] Planning For the Future
- 3.13 Lateral Partner Integration
[1] Protecting Your Firm's Investment
[2] Effective Integration Strategies

CHAPTER 4
Professional Development for Competence, Performance, and Results
- 4.01 A Short History of Law Firm Professional Development Programs
[1] Professional Development Then
[2] Professional Development Now
- 4.02 The Purpose and Benefits of Professional Development
[1] Lawyer Hiring and Training Are Capital Investment
[2] Training Lawyers to Deal with the New Competitive Firm Culture
- 4.03 Who Will Be Served by the Program? Choosing the Target Population
- 4.04 What Does the Target Audience Need to Know and Do? Choosing the Subject Matter
[1] Aligning Professional Development with the Firm's Strategic Goals
[2] Why and How to Do a Needs Assessment
- 4.05 How Can They Best Know and Do It? Choosing Delivery Strategies
[1] Professional Development Strategies in Context: The Nine Performance Factors
[2] When the Focus is Competence
[3] Development Strategies for Law Firms
[4] Pilot-Testing and Evaluation
- 4.06 Special Considerations
[1] Obtaining CLE and Other Continuing Education Credit
[2] Supporting Diversity
[3] Using Internal Faculty
[4] Using External Consultants
- 4.07 Program Leadership and Resources
[1] Professional Leadership and Staffing
[2] Developing and Working with a Budget
[3] Professional Development Committees and Office/Practice Area Resources
- 4.08 Examples of Real-World Approaches
[1] Competency Model and Practice Milestones at Blackwell Sanders
[2] Sample Individual Professional Development Plan
[3] Small Case Program
[4] Work-Based Learning at Proskauer Rose LLP
[5] Sample Associate Orientation Exercise
[6] Coordinating Training Logistics
- 4.09 Bibliography

CHAPTER 5
Rules for a Great Summer Program
- 5.01 Rules for a Great Summer Program
[1] Know Your Audience
[2] Know Your Lawyers
[3] Real Work, But Not Boring Work
[4] Prove You Can Develop My Skills
[5] Watch Over Me
[6] Stay True to Your Firm
[7] No More Rules

CHAPTER 5A
Small Firm Training
- 5A.01 The Need for Formal In-house Training in Smaller Firms
- 5A.02 The Challenges of an Informal Training System
- 5A.03 Availability of In-House Training to Smaller Firms
- 5A.04 It Can Be DoneImplementing a Training Program

CHAPTER 6
Working with a Consultant on Professional Development
- 6.01 Working Effectively with a Consultant on Professional Development
- 6.02 Outline for Effective Collaboration with a Consultant
- 6.03 Collaborating with Consultants on In-House Training Programs
[1] Appropriate Course Topics for Collaboration
[2] Clarifying Training Goals
[3] Choosing Your Instructors
[4] Priming Your Audience

CHAPTER 7
A Competency-Based Performance Management Model
- 7.01 An Examination of the Core Competency Movement
[1] Introduction
[2] Starting at the BeginningA Look at Our Brains and Success
[3] Considering the Impact of the Organization and its Objectives on Success
[4] Distilling the Language of Success
[5] Key Consideration: The Danger of Using the Present to Predict the Future
[6] Summary
- 7.02 An Examination of the Core Competency Movement
- 7.03 Expanding the Impact of a Competency-Based Performance Management Style
- 7.04 Sample Benchmarks
[1] Labor and Employment
[2] Commercial Law
[3] Corporate
[4] Real Estate
[5] Health Care

CHAPTER 8
Using Online Learning Resources to Promote Competency Development
- 8.01 Introduction
- 8.02 Providing the Resources
- 8.03 Online Competency Learning Resources
- 8.04 Individual Development Programs
- 8.05 E-Learning
- 8.06 Podcasts, Wikis, and Such
- 8.07 In Summary

CHAPTER 9
Focusing on Skill Development
- 9.01 Developing a Technical Skills Training Program
- 9.02 Writing Skills Training
[1] What Your Firm Can Do
- 9.03 Negotiation Skills Training
- 9.04 Developing a Performance/Project Management Skills Training Program
- 9.05 Building Project Management Effectiveness
[1] Emerging Practices
[2] Technology Driven
[3] Management Training and Upward Reviews
[4] So What Should OUR Firm Do?

CHAPTER 10
Managing the Assignment Process
- 10.01 Methods for Assigning Work
[1] Rotation
[2] The Pooling System
[3] Assignment to Specialty Departments
[4] Free Market System
- 10.02 The Process of Delegating Assignments
- 10.03 Time Management
[1] The Value of Time Management
[2] Understanding Where Your Time Goes
[3] Accurate Timekeeping
[4] Overcoming the Obstacles
[5] Reducing Information Overload and Multitasking

CHAPTER 11
Supervisory Skills are Essential
- 11.01 Why Supervisory Skills are so Important
[1] Supervision of Developing Attorneys
[2] Provide Junior Lawyers With Reliable Positive and Constructive Feedback
[3] Increase Independence Over Time
- 11.02 The Art of Motivating Others
[1] Identifying and Applying Appropriate Motivators
[2] The Impact of Management Style on Motivation
[3] Which Partner Was Right?
[4] Supervisory Style Self-Assessment
[5] Using Motivators to Enhance Long-Term Performance
[6] Summary
- 11.03 Developing Supervisory Skills Training Programs

CHAPTER 12
Effective Evaluations
- 12.01 Introduction
- 12.02 Assessment and Goal Setting
- 12.03 Implementation
- 12.04 Developing the Review Message for Each Associate
- 12.05 Enhancing participation in Reviews
- 12.06 The Rationale for Upward Reviews
- 12.07 Include Associates in Evaluations
- 12.08 Emphasize Future Performance
- 12.09 Share Financial Data with Associates
- 12.10 Sample Associate Evaluation Policy
- 12.11 Sample Associate Evaluation Form
- 12.12 Sample Associate Self-Evaluation Form

CHAPTER 13
Implementing an Upward Review Process
- 13.01 Upward Review
- 13.02 Considerations
[1] The Relationship of Effective Supervision on Retention
[2] Improving Associate/Partner Relations and Reinforcing Shared Cultural Values
[3] Communicating a Commitment to All Lawyers' Development
[4] Areas of Concern
- 13.03 Implementation Strategies
- 13.04 Upward Review Summary
- 13.05 Sample Standards of Performance for Supervisory Lawyers
[1] Self Management
[2] Task Management
[3] People Management
- 13.06 Sample Upward Review Form

CHAPTER 14
Individualized Career Guidance and Mentoring
- 14.01 Introduction
- 14.02 Career Path Planning
[1] Organizing and Analyzing Information for Your Career Plan
[2] The Career Development Plan Outline
- 14.03 Mentoring as a Part of Career Planning
[1] Forming Mentoring Circles
[2] Guidelines for Mentoring Circles
[3] Possible Pitfalls
[4] Summary
- 14.04 Mentoring and the Competency Model
- 14.05 Coaching
[1] Introduction
[2] The Coaching Offer
[3] A Learning Model
[4] Attorney and Professional Administrative Staff Development
[5] How the Process Works
[6] External versus Internal Coaches
[7] Measuring Return on Investment
- 14.06 Outplacement Counseling Services
[1] “Outplacement” Defined
[2] The Value of Outplacement Services to Lawyers
[3] Specific Services Offered by Outplacement Providers
[4] Lawyers in Transition Who No Longer Want to Practice Law
[5] Why Firms Provide these Services to Departing Lawyers
[6] Selecting Outplacement Providers for Attorneys

CHAPTER 15
Firm Leadership
- 15.01 Emotionally Intelligent Leaders
- 15.02 Motivating the Next Generation of Firm Leaders
[1] The Numbers
[2] Motivation
[3] Generations and Diversity
[4] What's Next?
[5] Defining Leadership Competencies
[6] The Many Faces of “Leadership”
[7] Functional Competency and Mindset
[8] Steps to Developing Leaders
[9] Potential Pitfalls
[10] Summary
- 15.03 Succession Planning: Developing Law Firm Leaders

CHAPTER 16
Practice Group Leadership
- 16.01 Introduction
- 16.02 The Seven Department Chair Management Functions
[1] Managing Communications
[2] Evaluating Personnel Needs
[3] Lawyer Professional Development
[4] Business and Client Development
[5] Client Intake
[6] Work Allocation and the Numbers
[7] Evaluating and Compensating Those Under the Chairperson's Leadership
- 16.03 Department Chairs Must Have Authority

CHAPTER 17
Partnership in 2010
- 17.01 Making Partner in the Year 2010
[1] Act Like An Owner, Even Though You're Only an Employee
[2] Manage Your Time
[3] Focus on One Job at a Time
[4] Don't Procrastinate on Projects
[5] Use State-of-the-Art Document Production and Retrieval Techniques
[6] Return Phone Calls and E-mails Promptly but Efficiently
[7] Set Aside Some Time to Think
[8] Empower Yourself
[9] Understand Your Job
[10] Make a Difference
[11] Understand the Importance of When to Commit and When Not To
- 17.02 Financial Questions You Should Ask if Offered Partnership
[1] The Questions to Ask
[2] What is “NIPP”?
- 17.03 What Partnership Means to Generation X
- 17.04 The Next Frontier: Partner Development
[1] Why Partners?
[2] What's Changed?
[3] But Profits Did Increase
[4] So What Can Firms Do About It?
[5] Expectations and Competencies
[6] Targeted Training Interventions
[7] Measuring Performance and Ensuring Consistent Application of Standards

CHAPTER 18
Training Lawyers to Market the Firm's Legal Services
- 18.01 Introduction
- 18.02 Introduce Associates to Marketing Ideology
- 18.03 Including Associates in Business Development
- 18.04 Sell More Services to Current Clients
- 18.05 Develop New Clients
- 18.06 Bid on New Business
- 18.07 Examples of Pitching Services to Potential Clients
[1] Intellectual Asset Management
[2] Human Resources Initiatives
[3] Litigation Management

CHAPTER 19
Outsourcing Legal Services
- 19.01 Commonly Outsourced Services
- 19.02 The Use of Contract Lawyers
- 19.03 Outsourcing Legal Research

CHAPTER 20
Addressing the Human Factors in a Merger
- 20.01 Planning for the Merger
- 20.02 Before the Merger
[1] Assess Whether the Two Cultures Can Be Blended
[2] Create an Integration Team Early in Merger Discussions
[3] Decide How to Handle Disclosures and Client Service During Negotiations
[4] Develop Management Policies
[5] Work Out Departmental Structure
[6] Address Lifestyle Policies Squarely
[7] Get Out as Much Information as Possible
- 20.03 After the Merger
[1] Begin Building the New Firm's Culture and Values
[2] Take Steps to Reassure Associates and Support Staff
[3] Organize a Serious Training Program for All Lawyers
[4] Communicate Constantly
- 20.04 Merging Corporate Legal Departments

CHAPTER 21
Instilling Law Firm Loyalty
- 21.01 Disappearing Loyalties
- 21.02 The Compensation System Can Be Divisive
- 21.03 Developing Associates' Loyalty
- 21.04 How to Develop a Sense of Community and Rediscover Loyalty
- 21.05 The Future of Loyalty
[1] Create Local Attachments Within the Firm
[2] Decentralize Practice Management
[3] Emphasize Stability
[4] Place a High Value on Lawyer Development and Support
[5] Don't Avoid the Need for Developing Values and Traditions
[6] Create Policies and Implement Them
[7] Communicate, and Then Communicate More
[8] Don't Rely on Only One Mode of Communication
[9] Value Professionalism
- 21.06 How to Manage Lawyers in the Era of Diminished Loyalty

Index

Susan G. Manch



Susan G. Manch is a principal in the legal management consulting firm of Shannon & Manch, LLP. Her firm has provided consultation on effective attorney development practices for the past twenty years. Her expertise extends to issues regarding recruitment and lateral acquisitions, training and professional development, mentoring and career path guidance, performance appraisal, and career transition counseling. Ms. Manch has worked with law firms in all parts of the U.S. and abroad on a wide range of issues. She is the author of Partner and Practice Group Acquisition and co-author of Recruiting Lawyers: How to Hire the Best Talent as well as numerous articles published in professional publications of interest to the legal profession. Ms. Manch speaks frequently before the American Bar Association, the National Association for Law Placement, and many local bar organizations

Marcia Pennington Shannon



Marcia Pennington Shannon is a principal in the consulting firm of Shannon & Manch, LLP. Ms. Shannon has been a professional career counselor and coach to the legal profession for over 20 years. As the former Assistant Director of Career Services at Georgetown University Law Center and as a private coach, consultant, and career counselor, she has developed an expertise in working with individuals on career development and career management issues. Currently, she spends the majority of her time counseling attorneys through the career transition process and coaching individuals on the development of effective supervisory and management skills, as well as career advancement strategies. In addition, Ms. Shannon writes the award-winning "Managing" column for the ABA's Law Practice magazine. She is the co-author of Recruiting Lawyers: How to Hire the Best Talent.

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