Cohort #1: Pricing and Client Value in the Legal Industry. For Pricing Chiefs and Directors. Sub-Groups Include:
• Measuring and Using Profitability as a Law Firm Performance Benchmark
• Legal Pricing and Project Management Software Tools
• Defining the Role of the Law Firm Pricing Director
• Value in the "New Normal" - How to Define and Measure It
Next Cohort Call
See full schedule of upcoming calls here.
Members can also access a library of past calls here.
Members can also access a library of past calls 
Cohort #2 - Legal Project Management Leaders. Sub-Groups Include:
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Defining the Role and Measuring the Value of a Legal Project Management Director
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Legal Pricing and Project Management Software Tools
Next Cohort Call:
See full schedule of upcoming calls here.
Members can also access a library of past calls here.
Cohort #3 - In-House Legal Business Professionals.
The In-house Cohort is focused on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of legal operations, procurement, and in-house counsel efforts. The Cohort meets monthly via phone/webex, and participates in the Institute's Annual January Meeting in Miami. The scope includes opportunities that reside within client organizations as well as opportunities that come from improving partnerships with outside providers. Example topics include:
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Strategy: How to best help General Counsel meet company goals; how to make the shift from tactical to strategic support; how to provide proactive support; and how to identify what obstacles exist for providing better services without going over budget.
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Performance Management: Finding ways to help firms achieve their goals while ensuring performance management; identifying or developing an industry standard for performance management; and defining metrics and their related meaning.
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Reporting and Analytics: Sharing how people use data in a predictive manner, sharing what reports people are using and how they are using them (e.g., insights that they provide, frequency, target audiences, identification of savings opportunities).
Next Cohort Call:
Cohort #4: Managers & Analysts Cohort. For Up-and-Coming Managers/Analysts of Pricing, Legal Project Management, and In-House Teams.
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Cohort created by request of the other Cohorts wanting a forum for professionals who have not yet risent to the level of chief or director.
Next Cohort Call:
See full schedule of upcoming calls here.
Members can also access a library of past calls here.
Cohort #5 - George Washington University Masters in Professional Studies (GWU– MPS) Law Firm Management Cohort
The Institute is pleased to launch the GWU – MPS Law Firm Management Cohort in recognition that the graduates of this highly esteemed program hold – and will continue to hold -- roles central to driving and delivering value for their respective law firms.
The George Washington College of Professional Studies created this Program in response to the need for highly skilled and adaptable leadership in law firms and companies providing services to law firms. This unique, flexible program provides law firm professionals with the business and leadership knowledge they need to succeed in the fast-growing law firm industry. Program faculty included professors from the George Washington School of Business, College of Professional Studies, and adjunct professors from the legal field including the Managing Partners and Executive Directors of a number of Am Law 100 firms.
Students have attended the Program from law firms of varying sizes located throughout the United States, Canada, Asia, the Middle East and Europe, including professional administrators from Simpson Thacher; Debevoise & Plimpton; McDermott Will & Emery; DLA Piper; Jones Day; Vinson and Elkins; Morgan, Lewis & Bockius; Patterson Belknap; Hogan Lovell; Weil Gotshal; and Skadden Arps to name but a few.
Cohort goals:
- Promote the value of the Program and its graduates to the legal community.
- Encourage GWU to eventually run the program again with better industry support.
- Encourage online and in-person networking of Program.
- Support career advancement of Program graduates.
- Hold educational calls or webinars of interest to Program graduates.
Cohort Leaders to be announced soon!
Cohort Discussion Topics Include
Redefining the law firm business model to align with value-driven client service expectations and meet the new legal paradigm.
Changing the organizational structure and operating model of law firms to better support new business models in a lean, systematic, and data-driven manner.
Structuring and equipping the in-house department to be able to analyze, measure, and enhance value obtained from outside counsel while increasing efficiency and reducing costs.
Effective pricing of value – how it is defined, how it is measured, and what it is worth to the relationship.
How the in-house team can work with law firms to adopt collaborative approaches to predictable Budgeting and Matter Management.
How in-house counsel can engage and partner with key law firms in coordinating and sustaining a consolidated panel of law firms to achieve optimal returns.
The role of thought leadership in distinguishing your expertise to connect clients and law firms.
What is the new "sales proposition" and how does this align and connect with partnering to solve business problems.
Unbundling of legal services across multiple law firms to provide value.
The new roles of the law firm relationship manager and the role of the client relationship manager; where do they intersect for collaborative opportunities.
Going beyond price to true value and what does true value mean.
Connecting the dots (for both clients and law firms) between data analysis, analytics, business intelligence, and True Value Partnership.
Legal Project Management & Strategic Pricing: Why LPM and Pricing are, and ought to be, multidisciplinary and cross-functional endeavors. How these roles are converging at the intersection of law practice, finance, project management, knowledge management, process improvement, information technology, big data, business development and client relationship management, and continuing legal education.
Innovation in Business Development with client facing sales teams and sophisticated client relationship management which includes 360-degree view of the relationship through analysis, collection and delivery of actionable information, and technology mechanisms. How does this align with the new procurement model being adopted by many corporations for legal services.
How can law firms go beyond solving legal problems for clients? How can they solve business problems? What other products and services can they develop and deliver to clients? Lessons from how the big five accounting firms expanded.
