Law firms have evolved exponentially over the last few decades, and today it requires far more than legal skills for firms to operate efficiently, fulfil client demands, give back to their communities and, ultimately, succeed. As a result, specialist roles beyond fee-earning have been created and more continue to emerge as technology advances and competition intensifies. They are a crucial part of future-proofing law firms and there is growing recognition of the respect and value they deserve with increasing numbers gaining positions in senior management. These roles range from working with legal tech to bringing in new business, from managing the firm’s risk and compliance function to collaborating with clients to develop new products. For a lawyer looking to take the next steps in their career, or a law firm wanting to implement the career paths required for future success, it can be difficult to know where to begin.
The Rise of Specialist Career Paths in Law Firms is the essential guide to the plethora of career opportunities available in law firms. It covers more established roles such as the professional support lawyer and pro bono professional, and new, emerging career paths, including in innovation and legal operations, as well as roles that will become available in the future. Written by experts with lived experience performing these roles, chapters provide information and insights into the different opportunities available, the skills needed to thrive in these positions, the responsibilities they entail and how to build careers in these spaces.
With increasing client demands and the ‘talent war’ raging, this title will demonstrate how implementing these specialist career paths will enable law firms to continue to provide stellar client service and develop and retain top legal talent, who are increasingly looking for more tailored and flexible career options. It will also provide individual lawyers with the resource to identify and pursue the career that suits them best, allowing them to thrive to the benefit of both the individuals and their firms.
สารบัญ
Executive summary vii
About the authors xiii
Chapter 1: The role of the professional support lawyer 1
By Catherine Hart, partner and head of professional support, Digby Brown LLP
Introduction 1
The “traditional” professional support role and how this emerged 1
How the role has developed 2
The skills required to be an effective PSL 4
How professional support differs from the more traditional legal role of fee earning 6
Conclusion 7
Chapter 2: Career paths for professional support lawyers 9
By Lucy Hall, client value lawyer, Shearman & Sterling LLP
Diverse routes a professional support lawyer (PSL) can take over his or her career 9
PSL career structures in law firms 9
Flat structure of PSLs in law firms 10
Senior roles for PSLs within law firms 10
Roles for PSLs outside law firms 12
Conclusion 14
Chapter 3: The evolution of knowledge management – meeting the future 15
By Clare Harman Clark, senior professional support lawyer, Taylor Wessing LLP
Introduction 15
History of KM 15
Functions of legal KM 16
Knowing the future 20
Chapter 4: Pro bono management 21
By Amy Grunske, head of international pro bono, sustainability and community responsibility, Orrick
What is pro bono? 21
How many dedicated pro bono roles are available? 21
What responsibilities are included in the role? 23
What are the usual job titles for dedicated pro bono roles? 25
What skills do I need to be a pro bono professional? 26
What is a typical day like in a pro bono role? 29
What support is available for pro bono professionals? 31
How do I become a pro bono professional? 34
Chapter 5: Risk and compliance 39
By Rebecca Atkinson, director of risk and compliance, Howard Kennedy
Areas of practice 39
How are risk and compliance teams structured in law firms? 40
What roles are there? 42
What skills and attributes are needed for roles in risk and compliance? 50
What knowledge and qualifications are needed and what training can be undertaken? 51
Career progression routes 52
What does the future look like? 53
Chapter 6: How to create a successful career in legal business development 55
By Anne Macdonald, partner and head of business development, Harper Macleod LLP
How do you embed a culture of business development throughout your firm? 55
Making the switch 56
The benefits of bringing legal experience to business development 58
What about career paths? 59
You have to see it to be it 60
Lessons learned? 60
Conclusion 61
Chapter 7: The shifting sands in talent management 63
By Rachel Brushfield, founder, Energise Legal
Introduction 63
Impact of COVID-19 63
Careers and role options 64
How to choose your HR talent specialism 66
Qualifications and routes into talent management 66
Emerging in-demand skills to perform talent roles 67
Marketing, branding, and networking in the talent management space 68
My path into talent management 69
Summary and conclusions 70
Chapter 8: Communications – bringing brand to life 71
By Hayley Geffin, head of communications, Mishcon de Reya
Introduction 71
Your brand 72
Growing a team 74
The sky’s the limit 75
Chapter 9: Oh the places you’ll go: careers in legal innovation 77
By Amy Monaghan, director of client innovation, Perkins Coie
Introduction 77
My path to my role 77
Leading innovation in a law firm 79
New and emerging roles in legal innovation 82
Conclusion 83
Chapter 10: Legal operations – transforming the way legal services are delivered 85
By Tammy Heydenrych, managing consultant, and Tom Evans, legal operations consultant, Norton Rose Fulbright
Solving the challenge of legal’s value gap 85
So, what is legal operations? 86
The growth of legal operations 86
Legal operations taxonomy 89
Building your legal operations career 93
Mindset over skillset 95
Chapter 11: The role of legal engineers 97
By Nina Gramcko, lawyer and manager, Pw C Legal Germany
What do legal engineers do? 98
What skills should legal engineers have? 100
Does every law firm need legal engineers? 103
What do law firms need to create the role of a legal engineer? 103
Summary 105
Chapter 12: The emerging world of ESG 107
By Claire Shasha, lawyer and ESG advocate
What is ESG? 107
Emerging trends 108
ESG specific roles in the legal sector 109
What can you do to pivot? 111
Conclusion 114
Chapter 13: Hyperspecialization: how the Digital Revolution will lead to new legal careers 117
By Rebecca Holdredge, director of knowledge management, Levenfeld Pearlstein
The Digital Revolution: impact on the legal industry 118
The Digital Revolution: digital maturity leads to hyperspecialized roles 120
Hyperspecialization example 121
Conclusion 123
About Globe Law and Business 125
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