The Oklahoma Bar Journal January 2024

greater cost control and enhanced communication. LPM also requires more flexibility in project plans due to the fact that both internal and external parties are working together to manage matter-specific deadlines on top of client and law firm schedules. Traditional project management deals with traditional business concerns such as adequate staffing, failure to meet deadlines, budget constraints and contractual obligations. LPM helps in-house legal departments and law firms accommodate resources efficiently while dealing with roadblocks. There is currently no standard framework for LPM. However, the Legal Project Management Institute’s (LPMI) LPM framework, developed by LawVision Group, provides a useful tool for under standing the critical LPM concepts and approaches. Pursuant to the LPMI framework, there are four phases of LPM: engaging, plan ning, executing and evaluating, and closing. These iterative and often overlapping phases are dis cussed in more detail below. first stage of LPM and can also be referred to as the Initiating Phase in organizations applying traditional project management. This phase is primarily focused on ensuring the lawyers and the client are on the same page regarding the details of the matter as they are known at that time. The activities and processes generally encompassed by the Engaging Phase are identi fying stakeholders, setting matter expectations and parameters, and establishing initial objectives. The The Engaging Phase The Engaging Phase is the IMPLEMENTING LEGAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT

and law firm include improved profitability for the law firm and reduced cost to the legal depart ment, greater client satisfaction and enhanced risk management. Benefits of LPM to the individual lawyer and law firm also include a greater differentiation from com petitors and improved knowledge management. 8 Benefits to the legal department and client include greater predictability, a more man aged approach to legal work, on- budget and on-time work, greater efficiencies and enhanced quality of work. 9 One of the most impactful benefits to the individual lawyer, law firm and legal department/ client is the creation of a collab orative environment among the legal team realized in the form of improved teamwork, enhanced lawyer development and the result ing improvement in morale. 10 LPM can be especially beneficial when applied to litigation. LPM imposes the discipline required to conduct early case assessment, short-term and long-term goal set ting, a budget and an overall game plan for conducting the litigation, all of which is then approved by the in-house legal department and/ or client and outside counsel and updated or modified as the litiga tion progresses and the “inevitable vagaries of litigation set in.” 11 While LPM borrows processes and systems from traditional proj ect management, which has been employed by corporate America for decades, there are some key differences simply because of spe cifics required to practice law, stat utory and court-ordered timelines. LPM is focused on anticipating risks through reliable estimates, Key Differences Between LPM and Project Management

5) Ongoing monitoring

throughout the life of the matter, including budget to actual key milestones for progress with the client’s objectives, changes in scope, risk or influencers and more. 6) Evaluating a matter at the end to identify “lessons learned” and how similar matters with the same or

different clients can be improved in the future – resulting in future efficien cies and/or improved results for the client.

LEGAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT Legal project management (LPM) provides methods and tech niques to address concerns about the time and resources required for legal matters. LPM can be defined as: approach to managing legal work that involves defin ing, planning, budgeting, executing and evaluating a legal matter; 2) The application of specific 1) A proactive, disciplined

knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to achieve proj ect objectives (the client’s and law firm/legal depart ment’s); and

3) The use of effective com munication to set and meet objectives and expectations. 7

Benefits of LPM When integrated into legal

matter management, the key con cepts of project management create benefits for the individual lawyer, law firm and legal department. Benefits to the individual lawyer

Statements or opinions expressed in the Oklahoma Bar Journal are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Oklahoma Bar Association, its officers, Board of Governors, Board of Editors or staff.

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THE OKLAHOMA BAR JOURNAL