Developing an Active Management Style

You may have founded your law firm or act as one of the principle partners. Regardless of your position, the ability to use a place of leadership to form a coalescing strategy can be one of the most important parts of your legal career. This isn’t something that was tacked onto your J.D. or on the bar exam. Effective use of logistics and strategy can ensure the steady growth of your firm.

Your role as a manager of others doubles with your self-management. Making sure that you are able to show a good example through a personal style or ethic is a powerful visage. Your own attention to detail and ability to work in varying situations will show your partners or employees that you can walk the walk. This also sets a high bar for others in the office to follow.

Beyond establishing a personal precedent, the need for effective administration is key. Making sure that you have a solid guiding principle behind your action will serve as a solid foundation. You can also streamline and explain much of the decision making process for your partners, making their lives easier. This also develops a professional atmosphere that balances the needs of home life with the office. Remember– you are a leader, even if one of several. You are expected to act like one.

Building the Structure Beyond the Person

You may have started or co-founded your firm, but the moment you took on other attorneys, you are no longer alone. Your firm carries a reputation and obligations with it that go beyond just yourself. Making sure that these sets of standardized practices are followed gives leeway in times of personal trouble. Knowing that you have common pool of research, technology, or experience, you will be better able to weather hard times and share work with your partners.

Making sure that you are all on the same page also helps prevent careless errors and the risk of malpractice claims. When you have a solid record keeping system that enables swift use of existing documents, you lessen the chance of mistakes. A cohesive office is also more likely to rely on each other to work out problems and not sweep them under the rug. A leader with the knowledge of his staff’s strengths and weaknesses can appropriately fine tune their workload depending on circumstances.

All of these issues can be dealt with through leadership. A solid hand running the day to day management of the firm will prevent ‘broken rudder syndrome’ and synthesize the best ideas of the other members of the team. Consider joint training or reading to properly align the interests and capabilities of your partners. Use the tools at your fingertips to your own benefit.

Michael Ehline is the founder and principle partner in the Ehline Law Firm, PC. Ehline Law’s role as a leading personal injury firm in the greater Los Angeles area has helped victims navigate the difficulties of the modern legal landscape. Michael has also taken his experience in the Marine Corps. to develop a cohesive team of professionals and sharing his keys to success with other attorneys.