Legal Project Management has arrived. The first sign was a book. Then a web-based application. Now we have the ultimate sign of arrival: certification.
The book, Legal Project Management, is by Steven B. Levy. It is a great introduction to the subject, and also benefits from the author’s time at Microsoft. It’s very practical as well. As Steve has noted in his blog, project management isn’t dependent on any one technology.
That’s not to say the right technology can’t help. One new entrant is Onit, which recently announced that its online legal project and process management tool emerged from a successful beta test. Serengeti Law, now a part of Thomson Reuters, has popular offering as well.
Then there is the upcoming two-day workshop being offered by the Hildebrandt Institute. Upon successful completion of the two-day course, attendees get a certificate in Legal Project Management.
I couldn’t tell whether there is any testing required to gain the certificate (the $2,295 tuition check must certainly clear). The instructors are very experienced and the agenda is quite comprehensive.
Any legal professional would benefit from building skills in project management and having better tools for the job. Tomorrow, why the in-house and outside counsel communities diverge so strongly on this important skill. Friday, I will go out on a limb and suggest the real reason why many large law firms can’t manage projects on time and within budget.
Here’s a hint: it’s not the lack of Gantt charts on conference room walls.
