subject: Law Firm Organization: How Well Do You Know It? [print this page] Law Firm Organization: How Well Do You Know It?
One key to a successful practice is the strength of the firm behind you. Sure, you have to be smart, dedicated, and driven, but your law firm has to be organized as well. Without a full understanding of how your law firm works, you can't be 100% effective. Why? Because you are part of a whole, and every piece must fit in order for the system to operate smoothly.Here are 3 components to a strong firm:1. Organizational responsibility: first of all, do you know who is at the top of the chain and how it branches out from there? An organization chart is handy to have so that the lines of responsibility are clear. This is true for the entire firm, for departments and for committees. It is also important to know the function of every person in the law firm. If you have all of this information available, it is easy to see if there are any gaps. Could one area of practice use another attorney? Do the committees have the proper representation (meaning do they represent everyone in the firm and do the newer attorneys have a voice)? How long do people serve on committees, and how do you go about getting on one? Are there too many committees or not enough? You will also be able to see if there are inefficiencies in the way the firm is run when you can systematically identify the hierarchy.2. Non-attorney staff: we all know that the foundation of the law firm is the people behind the scenes. Without the administrative assistants, paralegals, librarians, IT, human resources, accounting, and all of the other non-lawyer functions, your practice couldn't prosper. All of these people should also be on an organizational chart so you know who to turn to when you need help. They should be there to support the attorneys in the firm so that all needs and requirements are met. You may find that some of these staff people are buried in work while others are underutilized. Another issue you might identify is whether everyone has the proper training for the job, and if their strengths are being used to their full potential.3. Technology: it is important to have up-to-date equipment and software. The technical world is changing rapidly, and it's hard to keep up with the latest and greatest. But to stay on the cutting edge, you have to evolve with the technology. It's not always fun to have to learn new toolsin fact, it can be downright painful especially if you just got the hang of the last one! Be open to it and accept that nothing stays the same anymore.The more you know about the organization of your law firm, the more you can support its mission and vision. As a successful attorney, you should be able to easily identify where you fit into the picture, and how your knowledge and expertise make the firm stronger. When you know where you stand, you will be able to see where you want to go, and have a better idea how to reach those goals. This will help you to have a thriving career!
