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The nature of the firm, and why it matters
Jordan Furlong‘s justified question, “Why do law firms exist?” is something that isn’t just relevant to partners (or potential investors in firms). Those who support the core functions of the firm need...
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Hiding behind technology: what kind of a job is that?
I think our relationship with technology is detracting from our capacity to work effectively. In order to change this, we need to reassert what it is that we actually do when we come to work. One of...
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People in the legal ecosystem
This is the third part in my exploration of the legal environment. I have done a general overview and looked at the role of clients. Now I want to turn to people — the people who work in the law in one...
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Working with intent
“Why?” is the question of the moment. Why do you want me to do this? Why are you doing that? Fewer and fewer people accept what they are told at face value. Many organisations, professions and...
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In praise of Professional Support Lawyers
Yesterday I attended Ark Group’s Professional Support Lawyer (PSL) conference, along with nearly 50 PSLs from over 35 firms. The presentations and audience contributions reminded me that PSLs are the...
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Generating value through unavoidable irritation
Having worked in both, I can say that one thing that law firms and universities have in common (and there are more than you might think) is that they have a clear purpose built into their fabric....
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Law libraries: The heart of legal practice
The library has historically had a central position in the life of the law. The popular view of legal practice links it strongly to dusty tomes. Law is bound to texts as closely as theology is. Until...
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Fighting the right battles
Perhaps a more appropriate title for this post might be “not fighting the wrong battles.” Over the past few weeks, I have come to a realisation that at various points in my career I have spent too long...
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Measuring performance and setting priorities
Today is a leap day, a quadrennial adjustment of the calendar on which tradition dictates that women may ask men to marry them. (Of course, this is just a convention — nothing in reality prevents...
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Institutional memory — a diversity problem?
The BBC has discovered that knowledge management is important, at least in the form of improving institutional memory. In a report for Radio 4’s Analysis programme, Phil Tinline writes: Each time...
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