Legal Research

Legal Project Management

By Ted Tjaden

Over the last few months I have noticed a marked uptake on the topic of legal project management in the legal literature and blogosphere. Although I think lawyers have always “done” legal project management (not always well), I also think the recent buzz on the topic is related to the economy and the recent emphasis within the legal profession on changing trends and the need to do legal project management better.

SLAW recently did a book review of Steven Levy’s book called Legal Project Management. In addition to Steven’s book, there is also Jim Hassett’s The Legal Project Management Quick Reference Guide: Tools and Templates to Increase Efficiency.

The Lawyer’s Weekly (Canada) also had a recent article providing a nice overview on legal project management: Michael Rappaport, “Legal Project Management’s New Billing Paradigm” (14 May 2010).

There are also numerous blogs now devoted to the subject that I am following, including blogs by the two foregoing authors (please “Comment” below if you recommend other blogs specific to Legal Project Management)

• Paul C. Easton, Legal Project Management

• Jordan Furlong, Law21

• Jim Hassett, Legal Business Development Blog

• Steven Levy, Lexician

Not included above, of course, are numerous law-related blogs that often discuss legal project management in addition to other legal issues. Such sites include Mary Abraham’s Above and Beyond KM, Ron Friedmann’s Strategic Legal Technology, and Dennis Kennedy’s blog, to name but several.

I also note two upcoming conferences on the topic (please let me know if you are aware of others):

• Legal Project Management – Achieving Cost-Certainty for the Firm ? Enabling Cost-Certainty for the Firm?s Clients
  Ark Group USA – Chicago – 28 September 2010

• Project Management for Canadian Lawyers
  Canadian Bar Association – Toronto – 1 November 2010

In my recent paper called ?The Evolution of Law-Related Knowledge Management in North America ? Opportunities for Law Librarians? (10 May 2010) I included legal project management as one of the “7 Faces” of law-related knowledge management. Expect to see legal project management gain in profile/stature over the next year as lawyers and law firms all grapple with how to better deliver legal services.

Full post as published by Slaw.ca on August 04, 2010 (boomark / email).