Gradually I am turning away from systems and technology and other impersonal resources of law departments and towards an emphasis on people (See my post of July 20, 2008: resources is the wrong word for humans.). All the best practices in the world falter if your people are incompetent, unmotivated, or poorly led; given ability, engagement and direction, people will overcome almost any dysfunction.
Motivated by this mindset that talent is the most important piece of a successful legal department, I published my most recent article on one aspect of it: core competencies. Click on the following URL for a PDF of my article.