This Leading Practices Profile continues the series of ACC Leading Practices Profiles examining the role of law department leaders and in-house counsel in managing the legal affairs of companies doing business abroad.
This Leading Practices Profile features the best practices of five ACC law department members for planning and hosting successful legal retreats. In the wake of the economic downturn and increased pressure to do more with less, these participating corporations share their best planning practices to deliver retreats that inspire, teach, and fortify legal teams to continue delivering results to their organizations that will offset meeting costs.
Some would argue that finding the right people is paramount to outlining strategies and tactics. When running a legal department, however, perhaps that order should be reversed: First, what ... then who. With discipline and commitment, legal departments can achieve significant cost savings and operational efficiencies by implementing this approach.
These days, it seems that everything from meat to movies gets a letter grade. So, what about law firms? CSX Corporation decided to use the system to its advantage. By implementing a variety of practices, including “scorecard” evaluations, CSX was able to redefine its relationship with outside counsel. After all, who doesn’t want an A+?
This Leading Practices Profile, a supplement to ACC’s 2006 Leading Practices Profile, Contract Management for Small Law Departments, features law department leading contract management practices of seven entities. These entities provided background on databases and repository systems, as well as contract review, approval and archiving policies. In addition, participants shared key practices for successful program implementation and best contract administration practices. This supplement expands the scope of the 2006 Profile to include entities with medium and large law departments.
Hewlett-Packard Ongoing Blog Story: Uncovered - In-house Counsel Training Program
Overview of data mining and reporting tools directed toward law departments and law firms, how they tools do and don’t coordinate, and where to start for corporate counsel beginning to implement value-based fees. From ACC Value Challenge workshop, Legal Service Management, July 2010: www.acc.com/legalservicemanagement
Build your own project management tool, modeling from this template providing an overview of terms and components and tabs to set up your schedule, workplan, teams, assignments and budget. From
ACC Value Challenge workshop, Legal Service Management, July 2010:
www.acc.com/legalservicemanagement (provided by Aileen Leventon, QLex
Consulting)
This resource details Prudential Financial's structured approach to project management, including a Project Management Office, focusing on project definition, scope, risk assessment, training, and review.
This resource highlights Hewlett-Packards' program to onboard law school graduates, train them, and mentor them each step on their way toward full engagement within the law department.