Law Offices Set Sights On Improving Service Levels

21 October 2005

Robert Half Legal, a legal staffing service specializing in lawyers, paralegals, law clerks and other highly skilled legal professionals, announced the availability of a just-released white paper titled "Client Service: Challenges and Strategies," as part of its continuing
Future Law Office project.

The report's key findings emphasize the impact of service levels on law firm profitability and illustrate how law offices are developing strategies for better supervision of client relationships. The research also highlights new management trends, including the application of formal marketing and sales programs by law firms, a practice once banned in the industry, and the evolving role of corporate legal departments since the implementation of new corporate governance regulations.

For its annual Future Law Office project, Robert Half Legal periodically commissions surveys of lawyers and legal administrators, interviews leading experts and conducts extensive research to determine how law offices will operate in the coming years. The results are available at www.futurelawoffice.com.

"Increased competition among law firms, heightened client expectations and ongoing corporate governance requirements are having a profound impact on the legal profession," said Charles Volkert, executive director of Robert Half Legal. "Law offices of all sizes are diversifying practice areas, streamlining communications and utilizing technology to become more efficient."

From Legal Technicians to Business Counsellors "Research conducted for the Future Law Office project shows many law firms are re-evaluating their business strategies in order to become customer- centric and generate additional revenue," Volkert said. Ninety per cent of law firm lawyers polled reported they were utilizing mentoring and coaching methods to enhance their team's focus on client service, while 88 per cent said they were implementing technical tools or training employees to maximize technology.

"Firms are sharing more information across practice groups, hiring chief marketing officers and conducting research to improve service offerings," Volkert added. He noted that lawyers also are familiarizing themselves with their clients' current business challenges in order to provide customized legal guidance. "Some lawyers are pursuing MBAs to help fulfill their roles as legal counsellors and business advisors."

New Mandates for Corporate Legal Departments Legal departments have undergone dramatic changes in response to new corporate governance regulations as executives and boards of directors look to corporate lawyers for proactive, preventative counselling and risk management.

"In the coming years, legal departments will assume a prominent role in business management," Volkert said. "In-house counsel will oversee policy development to ensure an organization's financial reporting meets legal standards and complies with corporate governance regulations."

Research conducted by Robert Half Legal indicates that issues stemming from Sarbanes-Oxley and other corporate governance regulations will continue to create new responsibilities for legal departments as well as service opportunities for their law firms. Forty-one per cent of corporate lawyers surveyed for the study indicated their law offices have increased work with outside counsel in the last 12 months. "Many legal departments are restructuring to better serve other business units throughout the corporation," Volkert said. "The most sought-after qualities for today's corporate counsel include business acumen; accessibility and credibility;
prosecutorial backgrounds; and a knowledge of how government works on all
levels."

About Robert Half Legal
Robert Half Legal provides law firms and corporate legal departments with project and full-time professionals including lawyers, paralegals, law clerks and legal support personnel. Robert Half Legal offers online job search services at www.roberthalflegal.com. To order a complimentary copy of the complete white paper, or for more information on the Future Law Office project, please visit www.futurelawoffice.com.