Internal surveys of law department members as a tool to gather information

Here is an example of how to use a survey of the law department. Boehringer Ingelheim began its pro bono program more than five years ago. Since the start of the program, approximately 30 percent of the legal department has participated. A piece in Met. Corp. Counsel, Vol. 16, Aug. 2008 at 45, from which this post is drawn, explains that an Associate General Counsel coordinates the program.

“After working on over 60 different legal matters for over 40 nonprofits,” that lawyer (Bruce Banks) surveyed the entire legal staff – admins, paralegals, support staff and lawyers – to find out what kinds of pro bono opportunities attract them. A survey such as this, especially if the results are compiled by someone outside the legal department so that respondents can answer honestly, is a low-cost, excellent tool for law department managers.