A model for law department management: the components of processes, tools, and productivity

As posted previously, in-house counsel engage in various processes (See my post of April 27, 2006 on the term “processes.”). For all processes – think illustratively of contract review or preparation of responses to EEOC charges – lawyers develop methods and materials that help them accomplish the processes – think of checklists, bound volumes, precedent files, databases, and document assembly.

To the degree that it identifies processes and develops complementary tools, a law department becomes more productive (See my post of Aug. 8, 2006 on my recent article on productivity.). Just as soon as a law department thinks in terms not of bespoke artistry in its legal services but of substantially similar processes; whenever that law department appreciates and builds the tools to streamline those processes; at that time, productivity will jump.