Project/Program Management

Current reality

Most legal teams lack specialized program management skills and experience, making it difficult for them to implement effective initiatives or matters at scale. Although not embraced by all legal organizations, legal project management (LPM) is becoming an increasingly important part of legal operations. LPM has matured from its early origins as a derivative model of the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) and is now recognized as a matter management framework for its alignment to the business of law over four lifecycle stages—Intake, Planning, Execution, and Review.

The LPM framework applies traditional project management principles to the management of all matter types including contractual, regulatory, litigation, transactional, complaints/disputes, and intellectual/real property. This framework enables legal organizations and their external counsel, service providers, consultants, and technology vendors to predict legal matter staffing, milestones and deliverables, and cost.

Desired state

Design, implement, and lead legal teams and enterprise-level initiatives that deliver cost effective value to the business. Take on complex special projects without losing focus or effectiveness elsewhere. Maximize the use of available resources and technologies to deliver the most effective and efficient legal services.

• Design change management efforts that make the best use of your people and resources
• Staff your Legal Ops team with a trained LPM professional 
• Design a knowledge management program to highlight LPM practices and designate a subject matter expert on your Legal Ops team 
• Engage and communicate with stakeholders across the organization
• Comply with internal initiatives and procedures without compromising the quality or volume of ongoing work
• Utilize Matter Life Cycle Management (MLM) principals, processes, and tools to manage matter-oriented projects.