Ten good questions to answer when you take on a secondee from a law firm

These ten questions to answer will help you shape a successful secondment. They come from Mark Prebble, Managing In-House Legal Services: Providing High Value Support for Your Organisation (Thorogood 2009) at 73 .

1. What should the outcome of the secondment be in terms of benefit for the department, its secondee, and the firm?

2. What is this secondee going to be doing?

3. From where and whom will they be receiving work?

4. What type of work should not be done within the secondment?

5. When are they expected to be in your offices?

6. Will some of the work be done in the law firm’s offices?

7. How will this secondee’s other commitments/holidays be covered?

8. What is the basis of charging?

9. What is the firm’s responsibility for this secondee’s work?

10. What is the duration of the arrangement?

Much else about secondments is available on this blog, compiled in three metaposts (See my post of July 17, 2008: secondment with 12 references; Jan. 23, 2008: secondees with 8 references; and Aug. 11, 2009: secondment arrangements with 10 references.).