Members of law departments can take part in different kinds of knowledge networks. They may belong to an association (See my posts of May 30, 2005 and Dec. 19, 2005 about associations and networks of law firms), they may join an online community, they may take part in projects such…
ONSITE3 a vendor of consulting, forensic services, discovery and review services was the subject of a profile in Met. Corp. Counsel, Vol. 15, Feb. 2007 at 28. The company’s CEO, Mark Hawn, explains that they created a forum called the Corporate Forum “consisting of over 100 of the top Fortune…
Law Firm Inc., Vol. 5, Jan./Feb. 2007 at 24, provides some details about the Corporate E-Discovery Forum. “[C]reated in May 2006 … executives from the 83 member companies use the confidential forum to discuss strategies and emerging issues involving e-discovery.” James Wright, director of e-discovery for Halliburton Energy Services Group…
These vendors offer software systems that help with all aspects of corporate entity management (See my post of Aug. 9, 2006 on these and board member packages.). The software packages manage corporate minute books, assemble various corporate documents, generate reports about subsidiaries and officers, support document management systems, and craft…
In addition to pro bono assistance, a law department’s members can contribute in another way: company-wide public service efforts. Data from the 2006 ACC’s Seventh Annual Chief Legal Officer Survey at 9, shows how 848 chief legal officers or general counsel responded to four choices for the question “Which of…
A useful way to display data that should be broken out by components, such as a law department’s spending, is by means of a cascading bar chart. The components look like stair steps of different heights. Think of a column to the far left of the chart for, say, base…
“Strategic” often isn’t, as that worn-out adjective is stuck promiscuously on too many actions. A law department that decides to install a matter management system has not made a strategic decision. A law department that sets up a pro bono program has not embarked on a strategic initiative. To hire…
More a McMansion industry than a cottage industry, the providers of ADR services to companies and law departments include many very large entities, such as the American Arbitration Association (AAA); Endispute, JAMS (which has more than 200 full-time neutrals, according to the Economist, Feb. 3, 2007 at 62); and the…
Litigators in many law departments must periodically send out litigation hold orders (See my post of March 19, 2006.). At the recent LegalTech conference there was material about Atlas LCC, which is software from PSS Systems that “automates and optimizes the legal holds and collection process for the litigation department.”…
A model simplifies reality, to the point where scientists, engineers, consultants or economists can describe at a high level and quantify the elements of the model (See my post of July 14, 2006 on narratives, theories and models.). What are some models of law departments already entertained in these posts?…