 | The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. (July 2016) |
Law practice management (LPM) is the management of a law practice. In the United States, law firms may be composed of a single attorney, of several attorneys, or of many attorneys, plus support staff such as paralegals/legal assistants, secretaries (including legal secretaries), and other personnel.
Debate over law as a profession versus a business has occurred for over a century; a number of observers believe that it is both.[1][2][3]
Law practice management is the study and practice of business administration in the legal context, including such topics as workload and staff management; financial management; office management; and marketing, including legal advertising.
Many lawyers have commented on the difficulty of balancing the management functions of a law firm with client matters.[4]
- ^ Champ S. Andrews, The Law: A Business or a Profession? (June 1908), Yale Law Journal, Vol. 107, No. 7, pp. 602-610.
- ^ Jeremy M. Miller, Is Law a Business or a Profession-And Does it Really Matter? (1994), Los Angeles Daily Journal Vol. 107, No. 7.
- ^ Paul Lippe, Law Is Both a Profession and a Business—Forget That at Your Own Peril (January 27, 2011). Legal Rebels, ABA Journal.
- ^ Anita J. Cicero, as told to Elizabeth Olson. Preoccupations: The Tightrope of Managing a Law Office (January 3, 2009). New York Times.