VALL/BCLMA VALL/BCLMA The Business of Law The Business of Law

Views Views from the Law Firm Administrator’s Chairfrom the Law Firm Administrator’s Chair

January 26, 2010January 26, 2010Ernie GauvreauErnie GauvreauMiriam RedfordMiriam RedfordBob WatermanBob Waterman

AgendaAgenda

Role of Legal Administrator

Challenges

Trends

Role of Legal AdministratorRole of Legal Administrator Financial Oversight

Human Capital

Facilities

Equipment

Strategic Matters

Marketing

ChallengesChallengesFor the Law Firm

Maintain/Increase Profitability

Client, lawyer, staff satisfaction & retention

Reduce expense not service levels

Reducing costs & carbon footprint

Technology & Education

Help lawyers understand the “business”

of practicing law

Succession planning

ChallengesChallengesFor the Librarian

Defining your role in the firm

Define your value to the firm

Lawyer generations-different attitudes

Cost control-Reduction in office space

Cost recovery; billing for legal research

Skyrocketing costs of electronic services

Identify a library champion within the firm

TrendsTrends

Virtual Print/Books

The books are going away

The space is going away

TrendsTrendsVendors

Virtual library cheaper- more profit

Paperless - environmentally more friendly

Law Firms

Gen X & Millennial’s less attached books

“Starbucks” atmosphere

Reducing library footprint - profitability

Integration of technology products

Client demand for cost containment

TrendsTrends

Goal- strategic advisors to clients

Differentiation

Industry knowledge = value to client

Demand for Business Intelligence

Anticipate clients needs- Provide solutions

Research Critical factor

Library can become key player in this role

Law Firm Marketing

TrendsTrendsLaw Library

Increase recoveries & billing research

Build awareness value of library recovery

Negotiation skills- individual/group

Partner with marketing & practice groups

Library-Dynamic “On Demand” portal

Environment for learning Training lawyers / Keeping up on new

resources

Cost/Benefit analysis –to buy or not

We will continue to work towards providing users with seamless, organized access to virtual library resources.

Perhaps we will even start to push the envelope and become innovators in the use of nontraditional training

and reference services. Who knows?

As long as librarians continue to share with one another, both informally and on Internet discussion lists, and at

conferences, the opportunities and possibilities are ours

for the taking Features - The Virtual Library - Past, Present & FutureFeatures - The Virtual Library - Past, Present & Future

By By Holly M. Holly M. RiccioRiccio, Published on December 3, 2001, Published on December 3, 2001