Project management has been in the picture for a very long time. Many industries such as manufacturing and construction have been using project management for decades now. It is only recently that project management started gaining the buy-in from lawyers and law firms. The early adopter firms for law project management were big law firms having used it for over a decade now. The small law firms have been adopting the trend slowly, with so much growth recorded in the last five years. The LPM Institute launched an LPM maturity curve five years ago. According to this curve, it is clear that LPM adoption is at high levels across lawyers and law firms in the United States of America and around the world.

So, what is driving this rapid growth in legal project management?

Key drivers to the growing trend

The growth in the law project management trend in law firms is majorly driven by these factors:

• Technology advancement

Not long ago, lawyers were known as the only source of legal advice. Law students relied on law books in the university libraries to find legal information. Then came the internet and everything has changed ever since. People seeking legal advice can find the information they need to find legal guidance in online legal databases and other online resources. Law firms now have a task of providing value if they are to remain competitive and in business. Moreover, law project management has played a significant role in providing value to clients.

• Evolving client expectations

After using legal services for a very long time, the modern clients understand what they want from their legal advisors. This includes transparency in fees and effective communication. Clients no longer want the traditional hourly billing and prefer a fixed price approach in regards to the fees. However, for a fixed price approach, law firms have a task to define the scope of the work as well as determine the schedule, tasks, budget and human resources before starting the work. These tasks call for the application of project management principles, which has fueled the growing trend.  

The role of law project managers in law firms

A few years ago, the role of legal project managers lacked clarity. Most law firms utilized their skills for tasks such as training colleagues on legal project management, assisting in project managing live matters and running process improvement projects. This has since changed as the legal project management matures and develops. Most law firms have now gained clarity on what law project managers should do. 

Today, law firms are recruiting legal project managers to work alongside the legal teams and partners to promote better client relationships by managing projects from initiation to completion. Of course, this is done by defining the scope of matters upfront, planning the schedule of the matter and allocating resources, managing and monitoring how the matter is handled. Additionally, law project managers have a duty to assist in the development of project management best practices, techniques and tools.

What law firms have gained

As said earlier, clients are more conscious of the fees that they pay their lawyers. A clear definition, estimation and assumptions are crucial from the start. Otherwise, lawyers are having it difficult trying to explain budget overruns. Law project managers play a significant role in risk mitigation. Other benefits that LPMs bring to law firms include:

• Improved client relationships
• Increased profitability
• Enhanced teamwork
• Better ability to retain clients and attract new clients

A growing need for professional project managers

As law firms continue to realize the benefits of law project management to their firms, so is the demand for professional project managers increasing. Moreover, given the scope of the work, a need for individuals who have earned various certifications such as PMP certification training, certified associate in project management, and project management professional training among others is paramount. 

Unfortunately, the demand is still high and law firms are finding sourcing for law project managers challenging. As a result, most law firms are opting to train practicing lawyers on legal project management. Additionally, they are looking for ways to improve the skills and knowledge of project managers such as investing in software and deploying law project management templates.

Integration is still a challenge

While more law firms are opening up to the importance of law project management, integrating these skills and professionals is still a challenge. Not all lawyers appreciate the role of law project managers, which reduces their effectiveness in their work. This trend is prevalent in law firms with low adoption of legal project management. The good thing is that law firms that have highly adopted LPM value the role these professionals play. Moreover, as adoption increases even among small law firms, there is hope that the role of LPMs will continually be embraced.

Conclusion

Project management has become an integral skill for running successful businesses across different industries, the legal field included. While it has been a slow growth, law firms have increasingly adopted project management approach in recent years. This has been largely influenced by the rapidly changing clients’ needs and expectations. Moreover, project management has made it easier to meet these demands for better client relationships and increased profits.