Legal Project Management

The ability to use project management skills to deliver great results for clients is becoming an essential part of any successful law firm’s offering. 

LPM does more than just help law firms to manage their work productively and profitably. LPM ensures they understand and meet their clients’ objectives, deliver engagements on time and to budget, and communicate the value of the services provided. Introducing LPM techniques into your matter management will help you to win more work and keep your clients coming back for more.

Our courses start with an introduction the basics and build into a suite of resources to help you control your matters and deliver great results for your clients.

This is training that pays for itself.

And if you want training that’s tailored to your firm’s approach, we can help with that too.

Content

Typical 4-module course for fee earners and other legal professionals

Module 1 – Understanding what your client wants

The first module looks at techniques for defining the client’s objectives, initial planning, and preparing an engagement letter that’s of real value to the client. It includes:

• the LPM lifecycle applicable to all matters
• communicating with the client
• understanding the importance of objectives and scope
• assessing the value of the work to the client
• recognising the importance of a consistent approach
• establishing a sound, scoped and agreed basis for the work
• how LPM should change your engagement terms for the better

Module 2 – Planning the work

The second module looks in depth at in the key elements of a project plan and how to build a good one. Delegates will use a simple planning resource to prepare and cost a plan that includes:

• deliverables
• key phases
• tasks
• sequencing phases and tasks
• resources
• timescales
• milestones
• dependencies
• risk management

They will explore the best methods to communicate the plan to all those involved in the work.

Module 3 – Working the plan

The third module covers monitoring progress, handling changes of scope, and reporting to the client. Topics include:

• monitoring planned v actual progress
• describing progress against milestones
• running productive review meetings
• how to change the plan when it’s not working out
• mitigating project risks
• what to do when the client changes the scope
• reporting to the client and demonstrating value

Module 4 – Delivering value

This module covers areas often overlooked in the matter lifecycle and reflects upon lessons learned from other professionals, particularly the Big 4. Topics include:

• completing the job
• best practice billing
• communicating value
• capturing re-useable knowledge and skills throughout the project
• winning more work

Outcomes

4-module course

Improve your ability to:

• identify what clients really want
• accurately define, scope and cost a project
• produce a workable project plan
• write genuinely valuable engagement letters
• manage matters to budget and on time
• report meaningfully on progress and cost
• deal with change
• deliver greater value to clients
• improve billing and reduce write downs/offs
• cross-sell the firm’s services throughout the LPM lifecycle
• capture knowledge and skills for future use
• manage risk and
• improve profitability

Format

The course is delivered live online to small groups (not as a webinar) and uses quizzes, polls and breakout rooms to ensure the training is interactive and engaging.

A focused practical course. Delegates use case-study based learning to develop LPM skills.

The tutor gives detailed feedback throughout the course.

Timing

From a 90-minute introduction to a full four-module course we can structure our training to meet your requirements.

Delegates

Anyone with responsibility for case or matter management interested in developing their understanding of LPM.
Maximum 16 per course.