Process Management in the Law Firm - The Coming Tide

Recently I have become more and more concerned (and more vocal) about the problems I have seen as I work directly on cases for law firms.  The inefficiencies and tail chasing is staggering.

I'm a small business man.  I spend my own money when it comes to buying services for my company.  In some cases I am thankful that I am not funding the chaos found in some of law firms.  If I found myself as a large consumer of legal services, I would be the most militant, the most irritating client these law firms have ever had.  I'd want to know (amazingly) what stuff costs.  How are decisions made to do "X", and in what specific way?  Why should I spend $1,000 for Mr. X to search for a document, or $300 for Ms. Y to type up something that can be generated from a document manager instantly?  The list is endless and exasperating.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that every firm has these issues, some are quite good.

This morning I came across an article referenced below.  It was brought to my attention via the e-Legal group in LinkedIn.  

"Law Firms Look at Process Management"

The Legal Intelligencer by By Gina Passarella October 20, 2009

As I read the article I thought, if Henry Ford set up a auto plant like a law firm, each car would cost more than a space shuttle.  Every part would be hand made, custom made and fit only that car.  No one in the firm outside the file could figure out what's going on in the file. 

I'm not saying the practice of law is not noble, challenging and takes skill and ability. It demands subtlety and expertise from superior practitioners without question. 

I am saying that gifted people with these required 'lawyering skills' are WASTED managing the PROCESS of the matter.  Not every aspect of the processing of a matter requires this type of skill or ability.

Waste means more cost for clients and more written off hours. Waste leads to unhappy clients and unprofitable or less profitable practices.

I know that the skills of the production line can be brought to bear on the processes of the law firm.  I know that competition, automation and the huge data processing implications of the torrent of e-discovery will force us all down this road.  

More systems, more routines, more standard practices performed by non-lawyers, non-law clerks, in other words by process people - less expensive people.

Have a look at the article, the tide is coming.