*** Welcome to piglix ***

Law practice management


Law practice management (LPM) is the management of a law practice. In the United States, law firms may be composed of a single attorney, of several attorneys, or of many attorneys, plus support staff such as paralegals/legal assistants, secretaries (including legal secretaries), and other personnel.

Debate over law as a profession versus a business has occurred for over a century; a number of observers believe that it is both.

Law practice management is the study and practice of business administration in the legal context, including such topics as workload and staff management; financial management; office management; and marketing, including legal advertising.

Many lawyers have commented on the difficulty of balancing the management functions of a law firm with client matters.

Lawyers started practicing centuries ago. Law firms as an institution date back to the 19th century, and in the United States began appearing in the period before the Civil War. predating the development of modern management theory.

Today, the George Washington University College of Professional Studies (CPS) offers a Master of Professional Studies and Graduate Certificate in Law Firm Management.

The leading organization focused on law practice management is the Law Practice Division of the American Bar Association which traces its history back to the creation of the ABA Special Committee on Economics of Law Practice by the ABA Board of Governors on July 30, 1957. In August 1957, when Charles S. Rhyne became President of the ABA, he made one of his major objectives the institution of a “comprehensive program to aid members of the ABA in the field of economics of law practice”. He appointed the first Committee which consisted of five members and was increased in May of the following year to seven by action of the Board. The first Chair of the Special Committee was John C. Satterfield of Yazoo City, Mississippi.


...
Wikipedia

...