Editor’s letter

Getting people to acquire and share knowledge more effectively has become an essential management target among law firms large and small. Whether a person’s knowledge can be ‘managed’ may be questionable, but there is no doubt that law firms, which make their profit from selling their expertise, are working harder than ever to improve and align their data repositories within a better culture of information sharing among staff.

In this issue, David Jabbari, global head of know-how at Allen & Overy, well describes the changing approaches to knowledge management (KM) in law firms.
By explaining KM in terms of an old and new order, he argues that firms like his are moving away from an inward-focused approach to KM, which is based on an internal research function and ‘information categorisation’. Instead, he says that KM has become the responsibility of all partners, associates and know-how lawyers, who are encouraged to think along the lines of e-business and added-value services to clients, thereby differentiating the firm’s expertise and driving business development.

Similar views are expressed by many firms that are investing time and money in linking KM to their firm’s culture and people. For instance, it is common to find firms focused on changing behavioural attitudes and working practices, with the aim of getting all lawyers better exchanging existing expertise or know-how in the firm. Measuring the value of KM, a subject that continues to prove divisive, also seems to increasingly rely on linking KM to business objectives, a step that requires KM to become an outward-looking discipline, which directly impacts a firm’s success or otherwise.

KM is no longer purely an IT discipline, relegated to a back office for the convenience of lawyers who merely need easily accessible information. That is not to say, however, that systems for effective data management are redundant, especially at a time, post Enron, when document-retention procedures loom large in the priority checklists of law-firm clients. After all, clients are implementing expensive records-management policies, which their law firms, with equal access to clients’ sensitive information, will be increasingly expected to replicate. Those that fail to live up to those demands will quickly lose out to those that can. It is an area that consultant Neil Cameron tackles in this issue with some practical, if not essential, guidance for managing information effectively and safely.

Also at the end of this month will be Ark Group’s annual knowledge management conference for the legal profession, which takes place from 13-14 April. If you would like more information on the speakers and agenda for the event, please contact Sam Boyle at sboyle@ark-group.com.

Caroline Poynton
Editor

Features

Is partnership their goal? Free
In the February issue of Managing Partner, KAREN MACKAY, a consultant at Edge International, described how the varying attitudes of different generations of lawyers could impact the development of a firm. In this issue, MacKay goes further to research the makings of the next generation of professionals and, in particular, their views on partnership in the modern law firm.

Blogger in the house : The rise of ‘blawging’ as a knowledge-sharing tool Free
Weblogs or blogs, as they are more commonly known, have become more popular in recent times, but many might not realise their potential use as a valuable KM tool. KM ‘blawger’ JOY LONDON, knowledge and training manager of Allen & Overy’s US law group, explains the whys and wherefores of blogging in law firms.

It’s who you know...PSLs, knowledge brokers and firm-wide innovation Free
The role of the professional support lawyer (PSL) continues to be debated. Some firms think them essential to knowledge-sharing activities while others are cutting back on numbers, saying that they too easily convince lawyers that they have no part to play in KM. ANN DONAKEY, head of know-how at Linklaters, assesses the ongoing role of the PSL and argues the case for turning a PSL into a knowledge broker.

Searching for answers: Compliance, information management and taxonomies Free
Finding the right information to manage clients and matters more effectively is a complex task, the solutions for which have evolved dramatically over recent years. NEIL CAMERON, of Neil Cameron Consultants, assesses the developing market for knowledge management, including today’s requirements for effective record keeping. Are today’s lawyers really keeping up with the needs and demands of their clients?

A value judgement: Demonstrating the worth of knowledge-management Free
Berwin Leighton Paisner this year won an e-LOTIES award for its intranet-based know-how tool, the KITs. Director of knowledge management LUCY DILLON is therefore well placed to assess the value of KM and how law firms can best go about measuring the return on the considerable investment that KM projects demand.

The changing face of KM in law firms Free
Know-how management (KM) in law firms is changing, as firms move more towards expertise rather than commodity-based KM, a trend that has been noted in a recent major review of KM strategy at Allen & Overy. DAVID JABBARI, global head of know-how, explains the changing strategic thinking at his firm and how this is impacting KM policies and procedures.

Regulars

Personal profile: Changing fortunes Free
Lawrence Graham hasn’t had the easiest time of it in recent years, but managing partner Penny Francis has serious ambitions for the firm’s success and growth that seems to include change on all fronts, including the firm’s location. Caroline Poynton finds out if Francis is ready and able for the job at hand, and asks whether the firm can live up to high ideals that Francis has in mind.

Thought leader Free
As an industry, law firms have had to cope with the most profound recession in their sector since the 1970s. In those days, however, the sector was smaller and a lot less mature. Twice, during the 1980s and 1990s, law firms profited from the stock market booms to achieve exponential growth and build the large European and global law firms that we know today.

KM Thought leader Free
Well, despite the prophecies of doom that knowledge management (KM) would ultimately go the way of other management “fads”, we enter 2005 finding KM still going strong and having an ever increasing impact on the successful operation of law firms and in-house legal departments.