This report is designed as a practical guide to help you and your firm get to grips with process improvement techniques, and to understand their core benefits and practical applications in a legal environment. With contributions from leading law firms, consultants, and internationally renowned experts on legal process improvement and project management, this report: Provides in-depth, strategic, and tactical guidance on the application of process improvement in law firms; Outlines the different approaches firms are taking, and includes case studies highlighting what the results have been for those who have already adopted process improvement techniques; Includes practical guidance on implementing process improvement - from gaining buy-in through to process mapping and devising different strategies; and Explains the relationship between legal process improvement and related disciplines and key methodologies such as Lean and Six Sigma, project management, and KM.

The United Nations estimates that four billion people worldwide live outside the protection of the law. These people can be driven from their land, intimidated by violence, and excluded from society. This book is about community paralegals - sometimes called barefoot lawyers - who demystify law and empower people to advocate for themselves. These paralegals date back to 1950s South Africa and are active today in many countries, but their role has largely been ignored by researchers. Community Paralegals and the Pursuit of Justice is the first book on the subject. Focusing on paralegal movements in six countries, Vivek Maru, Varun Gauri, and their coauthors have collected rich, vivid stories of paralegals helping people to take on injustice, from domestic violence to unlawful mining to denial of wages. From these stories emerges evidence of what works and how. The insights in the book will be of immense value in the global fight for universal justice. This title is also available as Open Access.

Drawing on representative corpora of transcripts from over 100 English criminal jury trials, this stimulating new book explores the nature of 'legal-lay discourse', or the language used by legal professionals before lay juries. Careful analyses of genres such as witness examination and the judge's summing-up reveal a strategic tension between a desire to persuade the jury and the need to conform to legal constraints. The book also suggests ways of managing this tension linguistically to help, not hinder, the jury.

Mit BeitrAgen zum RAmischen Recht in Antike und Mittelalter, zum geltenden Zivil- und Steuerrecht sowie zu den Grundlagen der Rechtsidee ehren Horst Heinrich Jakobs, Eduard Picker, Jan Wilhelm, Wolfgang Ernst, Rainer HA1/4ttemann und Wolfgang SchAn den Lehrer Werner Flume aus AnlaA seines 90. Geburtstages. Zum Inhalt: Horst Heinrich Jakobs, Studien zur Geschichte des Textes der glossa ordinaria; Eduard Picker, MenschenwA1/4rde und Menschenleben - Zum Auseinanderdriften zweier fundamentaler Werte als Ausdruck moderner Tendenzen zur Relativierung des Menschen; Jan Wilhelm, Irrtum A1/4ber rechtliche Eigenschaften und Kauf - 50 Jahre "Eigenschaftsirrtum und Kauf" von Werner Flume; Wolfgang Ernst, Die Vorgeschichte der exceptio non adimpleti contractus; Rainer HA1/4ttemann, Der Grundsatz der VermAgenserhaltung im Stiftungsrecht; Wolfgang SchAn, Die verdeckte GewinnausschA1/4ttung - eine Bestandsaufnahme.

Working in Language and Law is a detailed account of the forensic linguistic work done by the author in the last 35 years. It provides exemplary insights into an ever-expanding field of expert testimony, focusing on the situation in Germany since the seventies and covering all major areas of the field.

Increase your efficiency, profits and client approval through the use of clear, modern English. This unique book debunks the myth that legalese is precise. Using many before-and-after examples, this book explains how you can increase your efficiency, profits and client approval while making your documents more readable and reliable. This third edition covers online communications and includes updated chapters on the common law rules of interpretation and: * what is good writing * how misunderstandings arise * translating and interpreting * an outline of how software can improve the clarity of your writing * the common law rules of interpretation. With a foreword by Lord Neuberger, this practical book also contains a number of useful precedents written in plain English to help you work better with clients and avoid potentially costly misunderstandings.

This book on Legal Education was written based upon many of the author's experiences as professor and dean. The author noted that there is relatively few literature and research about legal education and felt it was necessary to discuss legal education in present times. The book focuses on many issues such as teaching itself, employability, mission and focus of law schools, the future of law schools in this age of internationalisation, student intake, the link with the labour markets and many other issues. One of the conclusions is that law schools will have to seek their own position and niche and that law schools will have different roles. This book also focuses on the need for law school deans and leaders to set clear missions and strategies and work towards education with all the necessary skills and knowledge, which the students can take with them far into the 21st century. No teaching as we did for many years, but analysing what lies ahead and what is needed for future careers.

"Client listening is the single most important marketing activity." - Paul Amit, Head of Sector and Client Marketing, DLA Piper. Forward-thinking firms know that listening effectively to their clients is crucial for improving client service, value, retention, and, ultimately, profitability. It can also help future-proof your firm by embedding client relationships, and anticipating client needs. Client Listening: Why It Pays and How to Do it, will show you how to design and implement effective client listening programmes and act on the intelligence gleaned to secure these critical benefits for your firm. It highlights the important factors that must be considered before launching a client listening programme, and offers practical advice to ensure its success. Topics include how to: * Identify the role of client listening within your firm's broader CRM and BD initiatives; * Overcome typical objections from individual lawyers to engaging in client listening; * Determine the type of client listening activities which best fit your firm's culture, budget, timetable, and purposes; * Design and conduct effective client questionnaires and interviews (how-to guide included); and * Ensure client feedback is reported, shared, absorbed, and converted into action appropriately. Real-life case studies from DLA Piper, Ashurst, CMS Cameron McKenna, K&L Gates, and KPMG reveal how firms are currently using client listening as a means to deepen client relationships and develop more responsive, value-added services. Useful appendices are also included to assist you with the design, launch, and fine-tuning of your own client listening programmes. These include: * A client listening planner; * A sample client invitation; and * A sample discussion guide for a client service review.

Socio-legal researchers increasingly recognise the need to employ a wide variety of methods in studying law and legal phenomena, and the need to be informed by an understanding of debates about theory and method in mainstream social science. The papers in this volume illustrate how a range of topics, including EU law, ombudsmen, judges, lawyers, Shariah Councils and the quality assurance industry can be researched from a socio-legal perspective. The objective of the collection is to show how different methods can be used in researching law and legal phenomena, how methodological issues and debates in sociology are relevant to the study of law, and the importance of the debate between "structural" and "action" traditions in researching law. It also approaches the methodological problem of how sociology of law can address the content of legal practice from a variety of perspectives and discusses the relationship between pure and applied research. The editors provide a critical introduction to each of the six sections, and a general introduction on law, sociology and method. The collection will provide an invaluable resource for socio-legal researchers, law school researchers and postgraduates.

"The occasional flashes of insight and the unique perspectives of the participants make this book invaluable for students doing research on the judicial process."--"CHOICE"

"Fascinating, spirited, and unique. This unusual book offers fresh illumination about what judges do and why they do it."
--Cass R. Sunstein, University of Chicago

"The format suggests that one has been invited into a special, high-level conversation where we can glimpse the uncensored converstation of thoughtful and seasoned jurists."--"The Law and Politics Book Review"

Law, politics, and society in the modern West have been marked by the increasing power of the judge: the development of constitutional justice, the evolution of international judiciaries, and judicial systems that extend even further into social life. Judges make decisions that not only enforce the law, but also codify the values of our times.

In the summer of 2000, an esteemed group of judges and legal scholars met in Provence, France, to consider the role of the judge in modern society. They included Robert Badinter, former president of the Constitutional Council in France; Stephen Breyer, Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States; Antonio Cassese, the first president of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia; Dieter Grimm, former vice president of the Constitutional Court of Germany; Gil Carlos Rodriguez, president of the Court of Justice of the European Union; and Ronald Dworkin, formerly of Oxford University, now professor of philosophy and law at the New York University Law School. What followed was an animated discussion ranging from the influence of the media on the judiciary to the development ofan international criminal law to the judge's consideration of the judge's own role. Judges in Contemporary Democracy offers a rare and intimate glimpse into the powers and the role of judges in today's society.

The success or failure of your firm is determined by how your clients and employees view your brand - simple. An effective brand strategy that is clearly understood and supported throughout your firm is crucial if you want to attract and retain profitable clients and sustain a talented workforce. Brand Strategy and Management for Law Firms report provides a comprehensive framework and guidelines for developing a brand strategy tailored to your firm. Packed with key concepts, practical tools, tips and advice this report will give you an understanding of brand and how it can be developed and strengthened as your firm's most invaluable asset. Specifically, this report will help you to: * Understand the key elements of personal brands, firm brand, and the employment brand - and how they relate to each other; * Align your brand strategy with your overall firm strategy, vision and values; * Realise the importance of brand names, icons or logos, design and aesthetics; * Understand the key brand considerations when using online channels - websites, blogs, LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook; * Create a customised brand stress-test and make improvements to strengthen your firm's brand accordingly and ensure its success; * Get partners and staff on board to support and grow your brand; and * Avoid brand mistakes and overcome the common challenges - including recommended steps for managing your brand before, during and following a merger. Brand Strategy and Management for Law Firms features insightful case studies, examples and expert contributions from the likes of Norton Rose South Africa, DLA Phillips Fox, Lex Mundi, Lex Africa and more - They reveal practical tips, lessons learned and mistakes made that will prove invaluable in the development and management of your own brand strategy.

Court reporters--those who record courtroom legal proceedings and then transcribe them into writing--are a growing subspecialty in the field of legal administration. With the increasing volume of litigation in U.S. courts, the duties of all reporters have become more complex and their ranks increasingly professionalized. This book serves as an introduction to the business of legal reporting and a guide to those involved in managing reporters--both those who work for court jurisdictions and those who work on a free-lance or contract business for independent firms specializing in legal reporting services.

The Ultimate Logbook for Ease of Use and Client Privacy As a notary, you need an easy way to keep track of your clients and documents, but most notary logbooks out there just aren't quite right. The boxes are too small, or there are too many entries crammed on a page, making it difficult to use and even more difficult to keep your clients' privacy intact. The carefully designed and thoroughly tested layout in this logbook addresses all of these problems and more, making it the ultimate tool for your notary business. Valid in all 50 states and offering features like large type, oversized entry boxes, layflat binding, and just one entry per page, this logbook makes sure both you and your clients' needs are acknowledged and addressed.

This critical report provides the most up-to-date and detailed guide to the practical, regulatory and ethical considerations that must be reflected in your partnership agreement. Extensively revised, the second edition features new case studies and real-life examples, including a sample agreement precedent and comprehensive updates to reflect how new legal and regulatory developments will affect your deed. Key subjects covered include: *The impact of the Legal Services Act on partnership agreements; *Discrimination in partnerships, in particular, age discrimination; *Outcomes-focused regulation; *New business structures; *Distressed partnerships; *Current trends in mergers; *Profit-sharing arrangements and management structures: *The equality system *Profit share by capital contribution *Seniority (lockstep) *Merit or performance systems *Hybrid profit sharing systems *Retirement annuities *Performance measurement, supervision and disciplinary measures; *De-equitisation: provisions for expulsion from the partnership; *Expulsion, retirement and dissolution; *Good faith, arbitration and mediation; *Drafting for the future, avoiding early revisions and much more - Ensure you understand the necessary considerations of an agreement that not only fulfils legislative requirement, but ensures the attraction, retention and motivation of the best talent for your firm.

With rising competition putting pressure on law firms to raise their performance levels, Alan Hodgart's much anticipated report on Performance Measurement for Law Firms could not have come at a better time. Hodgart, an acknowledged industry expert, provides practical step-by-step guidance on how to effectively measure the performance of your fee earners, core support functions and overall firm. Hodgart highlights the key challenges many law firms face when measuring performance and provides critical advice on how to tackle them successfully through the development of an effective performance measurement system. Key topics covered include: * Measuring performance in law firms - what it means and what to measure; * The key financial measures of profitability and how to calculate them - cost, profit, revenue; * The data and financial information required at firm and practice-group level; * The effective use, and abuses of financial data; * Aligning the economic structure of your type of work to maximise profitability; * Implementing an effective performance measurement system; * How to measure the performance of your fee earners and support staff - finance, IT, Marketing, HR, KM and other; * Client profitability, project management and much more - The report focuses particularly on profitability and demonstrates how it can be used to monitor and compare the outcomes of working with different clients to project future revenue and profit levels. It also includes a useful appendix - an 'Economic Template' which demonstrates how to assemble the relevant data to manage the financial performance of your firm. Performance Measurement for Law Firms is essential reading for any firm looking to measure and enhance all areas of their performance.

In a highly competitive fee-focused environment, project management can be your law firm's lifeline. Project Management for Lawyers report provides a structured approach to planning, pricing and managing legal work that will boost profitability and deliver superior value to your clients. It aims to: *Demonstrate the value of applying project management to a legal practice; *Explain basic project management principles and how to apply them within your law firm; *Provide a simple legal project management framework; *Describe key tools and techniques to support the framework; *Discuss legal project management as a pricing and business development strategy; *Show how lawyers can manage matter profitability and demonstrate value to clients; *Guide lawyers in overcoming the challenges in managing a matter profitably (time, scope and cost); and, *Share practical advice on how to develop and implement a legal project management programme within your firm. Real-life in-depth case studies provide valuable insight into the successful legal project management programmes of Dechert LLP, Eversheds LLP, Seyfarth Shaw LLP and McCarthy Tetrault. A case study from the Royal Bank of Canada is also included to provide the a client's perspective on the value of legal project management. Project Management for Lawyers also comes with a complimentary CDRom packed with useful forms, templates, checklists and frameworks that can be used immediately in planning and executing your own project management programme. These include: *A generic work plan; *A sample staffing profile; *A sample agenda for a project kick-off meeting; *A sample roles and responsibilities sheet; *A client satisfaction review questionnaire; *A project risk log; *A sample change request form; *A sample monitoring worksheet; *An example of an agenda for a lessons learned session; *An example of how to calculate leverage on matter profitability; *A completed monitoring worksheet; and *A work plan for an asset purchase.

While much fundamental research in the recent past has been devoted to the criminal jury in England to 1800, there has been little work on the nineteenth century, and on the civil jury . This important study fills these obvious gaps in the literature. It also provides a re-assessment of standard issues such as jury lenity or equity, while raising questions about orthodoxies concerning the relationship of the jury to the development of laws of evidence. Moreover, re-assessment of the jury in nineteenth-century England rejects the thesis that juries were squeezed out by judges in favour of market principles. The book contributes a rounded picture of the jury as an institution, considering it in comparison to other modes of fact-finding, its development in both civil and criminal cases, and the significance, both practical and ideological, of its transplantation to North America and Scotland, while opening up new areas of investigation and research. Contributors: John W Cairns Richard D Friedman Joshua Getzler Roger D Groot Philip Handler Daffydd Jenkins Michael Lobban Grant McLeod Maureen Mulholland James C Oldham J R Pole David J Seipp

So you AZre in A C or striving to be in A C The Lawyer AZs top 200. But are you being measured on what your clients actually find attractive? With increased demand for efficiency, value added services and effective governance, a ranking based simply on revenue is not sufficiently compelling. Having an effective governance model and the right measures of success in place are now vital to secure sustainable profitability for your firm. AZs report on Law Firm Governance and Measurements of Success provides a vital examination of: New governance models for law firms of different sizes and complexities; Law firm growth stages and the structural changes necessary to succeed; Overcoming the cultural barriers/issues involved with changing your governance and/or measurement systems; Current measurements of success A C internal and external; New medium and long-term success metrics to better support long-term thinking, and payment and reward structures; Attracting clients and external investors through effective reporting of your firm AZs success; and more Peter Blair, former first chief operating officer of Field Fisher Waterhouse provides cutting-edge analysis on The Lawyer AZs top 200 firms by examining what creates their success. Peter evaluates whether the measures used are effective and demonstrates how by using alternative metrics you can boost your rankings. Featuring real-life case studies this invaluable report provides a vital insight into current law firm governance models, examines where they are going wrong and how they can be improved to secure sustainable growth.

If you were to liken your firm to a restaurant, would it be a Rules? A Nobu? A Fat Duck? A Pizza Express? Or a McDonald AZs? All of the above have a successful business strategy based on the needs of their target market. Could you say the same for your firm? In an increasingly competitive and changing legal market, knowing where and how to compete through the implementation of a clear strategy is crucial to ensure a profitable future for your firm. AZs report A C The Strategic Law Firm A C will help you analyse your firm AZs core strengths and capitalise on them by developing a coherent business strategy for success. Specifically this report will help you: Identify your strengths and priorities; Understand and implement the key elements of a successful strategy - value proposition, client segments, client relationships, provision of services, revenue, key resources, key activities, cost structure, partners; Visualise, understand, review and tailor your business model; Build the right focus for your firm (industry, client or transaction based); Align your teams and leaders to target the right clients and industries; Understand disruptive models; and more The report further sets out the practical details of how a strategy planning day should be organised - before, on, and after the day, including: A series of nine potential exercises ranging across values alignment through to market segmentation and scenario analysis; Specific worked examples of ways to calculate team financial and contribution measures; Capturing the outcomes into one page plans, which can be utilised at firm, team and individual level to drive your ongoing agendas; and Useful examples, checklists and templates for immediate implementation. This uniquely practical report will help you devise an effective strategic vision for your firm, and provides the tools to ensure that vision is achieved.

Want to know how to - Successfully market, brand and sell yourself in this digital era? Generate GBP500,000+ of new client work enquiries in a year? Have more choice, change and control in the direction of your career, business or life? And be entertained whilst being informed? If your answer is YES then the naked lawyer is essential reading for you - Packed with examples, case studies and 'to do's' focusing on 10 key elements (with hundreds of proven successful steps, tips, hints and secrets) this inspirational book will show you how to get more clients, sales, referrals, income, value, growth and success. Within the report, author, lawyer and entrepreneur, Chrissie Lightfoot reveals the ROAR (Reach Out And Relate) model, a successful blueprint detailing how, as a trainee solicitor and newly qualified lawyer (during the 2009 recession), she achieved GBP562,000 of new client legal sales generation enquiries and referrals. From start to finish the naked lawyer will provide you with a complete strategy and skills toolkit for brand, career and business development - covering key areas including: Devising an effective personal brand; Using social media to build brand, win business and enhance relationships with clients; Innovation; Getting referrals and winning business; Creating a strategy and mindset for success; Communication; Client relationship management; and much more...

Over the past decade, the European Union and national policy-makers alike have paid more attention to childhood poverty and children's rights. Whether this has led to better policies, and whether these policies have in turn resulted in less childhood poverty and more human dignity, remains debatable. Children's rights may provide some common ground for the different perspectives on the causes of poverty. They also introduce specific process requirements, in particular the participation of the poor. At the same time, children's rights may gain from an encounter with child poverty studies, not least in grasping the complexity of child poverty and in making a realistic assessment of their own potential for addressing child poverty. This book introduces several approaches in the field of child poverty and children's rights studies, and identifies intersections between different theoretical approaches from both domains. It is a collaborative project of Centrum OASeS and the UNICEF Chair in Children's Rights, both located at the University of Antwerp. The Chair, established in 2007, acts as a knowledge broker of children's rights within the academic community and between the academic community and policy and practice, through teaching, research, and service to the community. The research topics of the Centrum OASeS include poverty and other forms of social exclusion, ethnic minorities, urban policy, social economy and supported employment, and social networks.

With the introduction of Alternative Business Structures fast approaching and more and more partnerships converting to LLP status to meet the new requirements and remain competitive - now may be the time to start considering the benefits of conversion for your own firm. The conversion process can be a challenging one with wide-reaching implications. But a successful LLP conversion can provide the ideal opportunity to review your core business operations, allowing you to plan positive change and growth in an increasingly competitive and changing market. Managing Partner's new report on LLP Conversion for Law Firms provides a highly practical, step-by-step guide specifically taking into account the unique considerations that are raised by today's economy and evolving legal marketplace. It highlights the key questions that need to be asked during the preparation and transition stages, as well as how to deal with the complications that may arise after conversion has taken place. Key topics covered include: + Converting from a partnership to an LLP - key considerations and trends; + Advantages and disadvantages of converting from a partnership to an LLP; + Preparatory work and practical issues involved; + The default provisions and their drawbacks; + Tailoring the LLP agreement to reflect the needs of your firm; + Transferring the existing partnership business into the LLP - key issues and contractual obligations; + The general tax treatment of limited liability partnerships - possible complications that may arise after the conversion and how they might be handled; + Management and technical resources involved in the conversion - Is outsourcing an option? + The implications of the Legal Services Act 2007 and the introduction of Alternative Business Structures. LLP Conversion for Law Firms includes valuable behind-the-scenes access to existing LLPs and the common pitfalls and successes they encountered through the conversion process. In addition, you will also find a precedent for an LLP agreement within the Appendix. Whats more ...this publication comes complete with a complimentary CDRom containing all the required forms for an LLP agreement in an easy to access format. About the author Nicholas Wright is chief executive of Wright Son & Pepper. He has specialised in LLPs and professional regulation for over 15 years and has been a member of the Solicitors' Assistance Scheme for most of that time. He has acted for a number of substantial firms in dealing with regulatory issues, as well as dealing with drafting, restructuring issues and disputes.

In academic human rights research, especially legal human rights research, little attention tends to be devoted to questions of methodology. One reason for this may be that human rights scholars often are former human rights activists. Dispensing with methodological niceties enables them to engage in wishful thinking and to come up with the conclusions they were hoping to find in the first place. Furthermore, although much emphasis continues to be put on the need to carry out human rights research from a multidisciplinary perspective, the methods to be applied in such research remain far from clear. Which criteria can be identified to qualify a piece of human rights research as a methodologically sound piece of work? Are there aspects and considerations that are typical for human rights research? What are good practices in human rights research? This book addresses these questions from the perspective of different scholarly fields relevant for human rights research, including international law, criminal law, criminology, political science, comparative politics, international relations, anthropology; philosophy, and history. This book is essential reading for any PhD candidate embarking on a dissertation in the field of human rights and any human rights scholar wishing to critically reflect on the quality of her/his own methods of work.