Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/34417
In This Issue 8 2010 KM SURVEY RESULTS BY FIRM SIZE Last year we published our biennial KM survey results, and we have heard your request for results analyzed by size of the organization. From these new results, we see that as the size of an organization gets larger, the more likely it is that KM is operated through a separate department with a separate budget. We also see that smaller organizations are more likely to have a practicing lawyer leading the KM initiative, and — however large or small — all expect the number of FTEs focused on KM to remain the same this year. Find out what else varies (or doesn’t) by firm size! 22 FORMING A KM STRATEGY FOR YOUR FIRM by Oz Benamram of White & Case LLP and Sally Gonzalez of Hildebrandt Baker Robbins Law firms are among the most knowledge-driven businesses, and it is rapidly becoming obvious to most lawyers that effective knowledge management contributes to the success of their firms. However, how to act on that basic tenet is not always clear. Developing a KM strategy tailored for your firm can clearly articulate your firm’s current and future KM priorities, articulate the expected business benefits and create plans of action for those priorities. Use this guide to identify your strategic challenges, formulate a KM strategy using three basic elements of a strategic business plan, and keep your strategy current. 28 HOW KM CAN SET YOUR FIRM APART by Meredith Williams of Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz KM is evolving and expanding into the world of client connectivity and mobility. Clients now request a multitude of KM tools and resources to aid them in their day-to-day work. This client demand is giving KM an opportunity to truly innovate the delivery of legal services. Learn how you can use KM to set your firm apart, and read how Baker Donelson has taken their KM initiative to develop a structured online services program one step further. 32 THE COMMODITY VS. PREMIUM WORK DEBATE: OBSERVATIONS ON THE TRANSCENDENT ROLE OF KM by Scott Rechtschaffen of Littler Mendelson and Ayelette Robinson of Littler Mendelson Observers of the legal industry have recently engaged in a lively debate about the contrasting law firm business strategies of focusing either on “bet-the-farm” (a.k.a. “bet-the-company”) work or on commoditized “law factory” services. Legal strategists and commentators have argued whether law firms should choose between focusing on high-value premium matters or on “commodity” work, including standardized and systematized work. Read more about these varying opinions, and why large law firms should not readily abandon the notion that they can perform both types of legal services with the use of KM solutions. 40 AN UNCONVENTIONAL ALLIANCE: LESSONS FROM A LEAN SIX SIGMA PILOT by Lann Wasson of Husch Blackwell LLP Lean and Six Sigma are process improvement and project management methods that combine both common sense techniques and data- based tools to eliminate waste, reduce defects and delight customers. Conventional wisdom would suggest that a complex mergers and acquisitions practice is an unlikely place to start a Lean Six Sigma pilot in a large law firm, but Husch Blackwell decided to take on this unconventional alliance. Gain insight into what they learned in their efforts to differentiate their services and ultimately give their clients a marketplace advantage and the firm greater market share. 46 KM STRUGGLES TO SURVIVE WHILE LEGAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT THRIVES by Andrew Terrett of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP The implementation of a KM strategy in a law firm is multifaceted and complex — a combination of people, process and technology with a significant dose of behavioral change management. Legal project management (LPM) provides law firms with an opportunity to recast their services in a much more structured and predictable manner. See what the future holds for KM and LPM, and how KM professionals can align themselves with these new initiatives. www.iltanet.org Knowledge Management 7