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Successes and Challenges of a Law Practice Manager

Successes and Challenges of a Law Practice Manager. JOY HARRISON-ABIOLA PRACTICE ADMINISTRATOR ADEPETUN CAXTON-MARTINS AGBOR & SEGUN. INTRODUCTION . My goal is to help unlock your potential for professional growth and challenge you to take control of your career.

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Successes and Challenges of a Law Practice Manager

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  1. Successes and Challenges of a Law Practice Manager JOY HARRISON-ABIOLA PRACTICE ADMINISTRATOR ADEPETUN CAXTON-MARTINS AGBOR & SEGUN

  2. INTRODUCTION • My goal is to help unlock your potential for professional growth and challenge you to take control of your career. • The simple description of successful law firm managers is, “they make things happen; they play a key role in shaping the firm’s business agenda.

  3. Peculiarities of Law firms • Professional environment populated with intelligent and individualistic professionals. • Highly politicised internal structure. • Consensus driven • Short-term focus • Poor investment mindset

  4. Peculiarities of Law firms • Highly pressurised environment because of deadlines. • Strong bottom-line focus • Strong client focus • Power based on client/revenue generation • Competitive and adversarial approach • Few role boundaries • Bound by precedents

  5. Peculiarities of Law firms • Intolerant of mistakes and are trained to detect them • Independence is highly prized. • Lawyers have a particular strong aversion to taking directions and management is about directing, controlling, planning, organising.

  6. Keys for success • Know your Landscape. The challenge of understanding the law firm environment. Culture is a strange thing, like an iceberg, the bulk of it is unseen and if you are unaware of it you could dangerously collide with it instead of manoeuvring around it. • Solution. Take time to understand and adapt to the culture of your firm.

  7. Keys for success • Know your place. The challenge of finding alignment.Do you struggle with unclear roles and policies in your law firm? • Solution.Clarify your role within the firm. Successful law practice managers are comfortable with the No. 2 role, do not need constant approbation to function, are highly organised and have a strong service ethic.

  8. Keys for success • Know your authority. The Challenge of empowerment. Responsibility without empowerment leads to disenchantment. Most law firm managers struggle with the issues of empowerment. They sometimes doubt their position within the structure. Law firms are very status driven so this is not an unimportant issue. • Solution. Ensure that you have a meaningful job title that conveys as much seniority as possible. Develop your image. Take your professional development seriously. Join and become active in a professional association.

  9. Keys for success • Know your letters. The challenge of communication.Lawyers are skilful communicators and they expect their managers to be just as proficient. Effective communication is critical to your success in a law firm and lawyers are particularly well trained to spot errors. • Solution.Develop a strategy to continuously improve your listening, writing and presentation skills. Practice communicating with smaller groups. Practice reflective listening. Learn good body language.

  10. Keys for success • Know who you know. The challenge of networking. Law firm managers act as bridges between diverse interests both internally and externally. There is always the challenge of managing all the interests. • Solution.Build your social capital. Invest in acquiring and sustaining meaningful relationships. Be accessible. Get out of your office and go talk with the lawyers. Ask questions. Show genuine personal interest. Send articles on topics of interest.

  11. CONCLUSION • It’s not the strongest nor the fastest nor the most intelligent which ultimately survives but those capable of adapting to change. Charles Darwin.

  12. THANK YOU

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