Need Partners Who Can Effectively Manage Your Firm?
Start by Training Your Associates
As I work with partners in law firms throughout the country, I continue to be surprised at how little, if any, formal training they have had in the business of law – leadership, management, profitability, and business development. I recall, with horror, lengthy discussions among partners as to why billable hours should be the only consideration in setting partner compensation. Or, I look at my imaginary bank overflowing with imaginary nickels – one for each time a law firm partner told me that all a lawyer had to do to market him or herself was to “do a good job for the client.”
Lawyers are largely bright and talented people. Most, however, do not have MBAs, did not study business in college and do not devote sufficient non-billable time each year to ongoing leadership and management training courses.
Law firms are investing more than ever in professional development. Across the country, hundreds of firms have hired full-time professional development administrators to manage firm-wide lawyer training and development. Firms have spent many thousands of dollars developing formal, in-house orientation and training programs for lawyers.
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