Submitted by Tom Mighell
Historically, law schools have done a less-than-stellar job of preparing graduating lawyers for the reality of what it really means to “practice law.” Lawyers in big firms don’t learn how to use technology because “that’s what IT is for”; solo/small firm lawyers often don’t have the time or inclination to learn how their office technology works, to their detriment. And that’s just technology – lawyers are similarly challenged when it comes to knowing finance, marketing, or basic management issues in the running of a law practice. Unfortunately, attempts to provide this education post-graduation are also inadequate – conferences like TECHSHOW provide great training, but the majority of the legal profession remains woefully under-educated in practice management.
It’s time to find a new way to teach lawyers about practice management. This session will propose a new model of lawyer education, with practical, realistic steps to ensure that no lawyer is “left behind” when it comes to practice management skills.