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Top 4 2014 Trends in Legal Department Project Management

By Gabriella Khorasanee, JD on February 05, 2014 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

One month down, eleven more to go. Have you begun to implement changes to meet your departmental goals for 2014? What? Haven't even made a list of goals yet? Stop.

If you are running around putting out fires you will never be able grow as a management professional and trusted team player in the legal department. Before you run off to that next meeting, take a look at some of the top trends for 2014 in legal department management, that Huron Legal put together. We've summarized and re-categorized the issue for brevity, so you can focus on areas that make sense for you, and your department.

Compliance

With the increase in regulations and statutory compliance frameworks, compliance continues to be an important issue for corporate counsel. The most important single factor to help legal departments with compliance is to have a plan in place.

Technology

Technology is moving full steam ahead, and your legal department needs to keep up. Issues of cyber security and data privacy are not going anywhere, and your department, and company as a whole, will need to determine if, and how, it will utilize the cloud and social media. Finally, the development of enterprise legal management software that integrates all legal functions "can insure consistency of data, reduce data entry redundancy, as well as streamline processes, thus improving overall law department efficiency," according to Huron Legal.

Project Management

Basic business principals should apply when approaching legal project management issues, as well as departmental development as a whole. Whether it's matter management, or deciding departmental goals, don't think in strictly legal terms.

Financial

Outside counsel spend continues to be a big issue on legal department radars everywhere. Not only that, but effectively using technology such as ebilling to better understand, and deal with budgeting and finances is paramount. Finally, law departments will continue to use outsourcing as another way to be cost-effective.

While all of these issues are important, what you deem priorities will depend on what your particular department's goals are. One Huron Legal consultant stated, "The most important thing for law departments to remember is to be strategic about their choices."

What's at the top of your list of law department priorities for 2014? Tweet us @FindLawLP.

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