Ahead of the Curve (January 2015)
with ALA's Professional Development Advisory Committee
Purpose
If you are receiving "Ahead of the Curve" then you are an ALA leader with board, regional, chapter or conference planning responsibilities, or a designated ALA employee. The Professional Development Advisory Committee’s (PDAC) purpose in providing you this communication is to further its goal of periodically sharing topical information regarding the legal industry. Our hope is that one or more of the updates will provide a spark of insight to assist with your work on behalf of ALA as well as within your firm or legal department.
C-Suite
Strategic Planning: It’s not just for “BigLaw” Anymore
In today’s legal environment, a firm that is standing still is losing ground. Every law firm should create a plan that looks forward five years in terms of practice mix, client mix, firm size and geographic footprint. Read the article here.
Resource: Thomson Reuters
Facilities
Are Cubicles Preferable to the Open Office Layout?
Though about 70 percent of U.S. workplaces have open office floor plans, numerous studies have shown that employees who work in offices with no or low partitions suffer increased stress from lack of privacy and disrupted concentration — which ultimately decreases worker productivity overall. Should the open office layout be reconsidered? Is it time to bring back the cubicles and the corner offices? Click here to read the article.
Source: The New York Times
Finance
Leaders struggle with setting firmwide rates
The collective weight of the season is upon law firm managing partners this month, with the season of course being that of collections, partner compensation and rate-setting. And the latter has proven a bit vexing for firm leaders this year as they grapple with setting rates in an era where firms span multiple markets and practice concentrations, clients aren't willing to pay the published rates, and alternative fee deals are a growing part of firm revenue. Click here to read this article.
Resource: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
What is a pricing officer and does your firm need one?
Ways to charge clients beyond the traditional hourly billing approach have become part of the continuing evolution of how law firms manage their operations. Many of these alternatives, however, see the risk shift from the client to the firm — somewhat terra incognita still for many. Read about a growing trend to ensure law firms continue to maintain a profit in this new environment by having a pricing officer on board.
Resource: Canadian Lawyer
Financial Considerations for New Law Firm Partners
For many private practice lawyers, becoming a partner is a priority, yet it's surprising how few are prepared for the financial implications of such an undertaking. Read more here.
Resource: Law Practice Today
Future Focus
Fresh thinking on the evolving BigLaw–NewLaw continuum
Fresh thinking on the evolving BigLaw–NewLaw continuum is emerging as the legal services ecosystem evolves apace. This post shares a synthesis and critique of views on a taxonomy that seeks to elucidate the current status of BigLaw–NewLaw continuum and some of the implications of this lens.
Resource: Beaton Capitol
Does the UK know something we don't about alternative business structures?
For two nations sharing a language and legal history, the contrast in the visions at play in the legal systems of the United States and United Kingdom is more than striking. It’s revolutionary.
The debates in the U.S. go on: Should ethics rules blocking nonlawyer ownership of law firms be lifted? Is the current definition of unlicensed law practice harming rather than protecting clients? What about the restrictions on multidisciplinary practices? Read more here.
Resource: ABA Journal
Human Resources
Four Benefit Administration Trends for 2015
Read about four key trends affecting the delivery of employee benefits that are likely to escalate in 2015.
Resource: SHRM through ADP
Pandemic? What Pandemic?
Resource: Compensation Cafe
13 Hot Intranet Trends for 2015
Given the fact that competition is only getting more and more intense with the advancement of technology, it's never been so important to stay focused on what lies ahead, and this is especially true when it comes to intranet trends for 2015. Read this article for 13 tips.
Source: Axero
Information Governance
What to Expect in E-Discovery and Information Governance in 2015
Electronic information disciplines, such as records management, cyber security and corporate compliance, continued to become more intertwined in the e-discovery process, and the group of stakeholders touching e-discovery has begun to transform its focus into the broader Information Governance (IG) spectrum. Find out more here.
Resource: CMS Wire
Getting LPM In Shape: A 4-Step Plan
Resource: Elevate Services
Marketing
5 Presentation Predictions for 2015
PowerPoint with bullet points is outdated. Read 5 presentation predictions for 2015.
Resource: SlideShare by Scott Schwertly
Technology
Law Firms And Contracting For The Cloud
This article presents opportunities and challenges for law firms with the growth of cloud computing as a means of obtaining computer and IT service. The opportunities – in terms of scalability, flexibility and ease of use and, for most firms, pricing – are well documented, not least by cloud service providers themselves. This article will set out a number of the risks, challenges and considerations to be borne in mind by law firms taking the decision to switch some or all of their computer and IT requirements to the cloud, whilst outlining possible solutions. [Written for UK market but very relevant for US firms as well]
Resource: mondaq
What’s the difference between public, private and hybrid cloud?
It’s well known by now that the cloud is here to stay and it’s important to familiarize yourself, as well as users, by reading up on the subject and experimenting! The focus of this article is to discuss the differences between public, private and hybrid clouds to help you decide which type of cloud services solution is best for you. It’s often the case that companies use the word “cloud” as a way to advertise their services, but the reality is that we’ve been using the cloud for years; we just didn’t use the same words as we do today. Read the article here.
Resource: Highq
How to Better Manage E-mail in Outlook 2013 with Quick Steps and Rules
If you tell us email has fallen out of fashion, we’d ask you to have a look at our inboxes. Being able to sort through and organize the mess of messages that arrive daily is fairly key to maintaining workplace sanity. Click here for timely tips.
Resource: How-To-Geek
Tax Court Okays Use of Predictive Coding to Review Documents
Predictive coding is having a significant impact on e-discovery specifically, and litigation generally. Here is a case illustrating the power of the technology and how it is being adopted by the courts.
Resource: National Law Review
Where Is Your Firm on the Technology Curve?
Resource: Law Technology News
Cybersecurity: Business Imperative for Law Firms
Some clients are auditing their law firms for cybersecurity safeguards. This article points out that cybersecurity is only as good as the cybersecurity of its vendors. As law firms, we are vendors to those clients and therefore under greater scrutiny to disclose cyber security standards and policies. Also addressed are the(protected health information (PHI) some firms face depending on their client base and the ethical obligations all firms encounter. Read the article here.
Resource: New York Law Journal
Professional Development Advisory Committee Members
Anthony Greene ~ Jamison Risk Services
Eric Hightower, CLM, SPHR ~ Davis Agnar Rapaport Skalny
John Jakovenko, CLM, SPHR ~ Freeman Mathis & Gary
Mark Davey ~ Ricoh USA, Inc.
Nolan Kurtz ~ Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC
Savannah Robinson, MPA ~ Barnes& Thornburg LLP
Steven Morris, CLM, SPHR ~ Allen Matkins
William Mech ~ ofPartner Consulting Services
ALA Liaison to Committee
Susan Hanf ~ ALA Sr. Director, Member Experience
Email: shanf@alanet.org
Website: www.alanet.org
Phone: 847-267-1252