Overview of Legal Project Management

Transcription

1 Overview of Legal Project Management

2 Scope - Determining the goals and deliverables for the project Conduct of Legal Matter Carrying out the project within the established parameters, making adjustments as required Scope Schedule People Budget Conduct of Legal Matter Review Schedule/People/Budget - Establishing parameters within which the project will be accomplished Review Assessing the project results and lessons learned after its completion

3 Steps: Define scope. Schedule. People. Budget. Execute. Review.

4 Scope Define the Scope The scope identifies what the project is to encompass and what it is to accomplish. A clearly defined scope will make it easier to determine the project s phases and timeline, staffing, and budget. Legal Project Charter The charter identifies the team members and leadership and lays out the overall project description, the goals and scope of the project, key assumptions and risks, and timeline and dates for key deliverables.

5 Schedule/People/Budget Schedule Begin with the major divisions project phases and milestones. Once the major phases are determined, drill down to itemize specific tasks and activities within that phase, and the sequence in which those tasks must be done. Key Questions: What is the required timing for completion? Who will perform these tasks? How much will the various components and the entire project cost?

6 Schedule/People/Budget Estimated Time Use past experiences, estimates, and a contingency to estimate time. The resulting schedule becomes part of the project plan. If the project is tied to a fixed due date such as a trial date, discovery deadline, deal closing date, or other target event, you must also use the due date as an end-point from which to work back to develop a schedule.

7 Schedule/People/Budget Roles and Responsibilities Developing the project plan also includes determining who will be responsible for completing the specific tasks and activities. Take into consideration all of the people who could contribute to the project: lawyers, paralegals, support staff, other resources within the company, outside counsel, and vendors.

8 Schedule/People/Budget Estimated Costs Develop the budget based on estimates for the individual tasks. Budget drivers include hours, rates, and expenses. The level of budget detail will depend on the scope of the project; for major projects, the budget may be detailed down to the individual time-keeper level.

9 Value-Based Fees Good project management facilitates the negotiation and development of VBFs such as flat fees and retainers (whether or not combined with success fees or collars). Scoping a project carefully as part of the planning stage including who will do what, how much effort they will put into it, and what they will deliver and carefully developing the budget aid the negotiation process because they help clarify the cost and the value of the work.

10 Conduct of the Legal Matter Project Initiation - Setting Expectations It is a good idea to conduct a kick-off meeting at the project outset in order to clarify the expectations of all team members. The project charter should be reviewed and discussed with all team members so that they are fully aware of the project s goals and objectives.

11 Project Management Review vs. Substantive Review Project management review of a matter should be conducted independent of substantive review, so that the project management issues do not become overshadowed. In a litigation matter, substantive review includes reports on facts developed in discovery and the resulting updated evaluations of potential liability, potential damages, affirmative defenses, or other issues. Project management review, on the other hand, is a function of monitoring progress of the project against the plan. Project management review of the same litigation would include matters such as budget-to-actual reports; reports on timing progress toward each phase or task, such as reporting on successful uploads of various databases and the percent of data review that is complete.

12 Conduct of the Legal Matter Reporting and Management The project plan is a living document it is updated regularly to show the percent of the project that is complete. The project plan illustrates progress of the tasks in terms of timing and percent complete. Budget Report Budget reports demonstrate the use of financial resources. Periodic budget-to-variance reports will allow us to make sure that spending is on track.

13 Status Reports A good status report is no more than a page in length and provides information such as tasks completed since last update; upcoming meetings and tasks; questions/ issues/risks; and timeline and budget updates.

14 Conduct of the Legal Matter Assess Risks Identify each risk and evaluate its probability of occurring and its impact on the project development if the risk were to occur, such as impacts on scheduling, costs, or people. Take Action Evaluating risks periodically throughout the project and taking action where necessary will keep the project on track and minimize extreme variances in the project s scope, cost, or schedule.

15 Conduct of the Legal Matter Manage Quality Quality assurance must be built into the work plan, including internal review and QA review. Are we going to deliver what the client wants?

16 Conduct of the Legal Matter Manage Communications Part of administering the project includes making sure that communications are made according to the plan so that all stakeholder stay in the loop. We have a form communication plan. Face-to-face and telephone meetings are best. Follow up in writing.

17 Conduct of the Legal Matter Change the Plan As the project develops, new information will become available. The new information may necessitate adjustments to the project plan. In some circumstances it may be appropriate to refine the scope, schedule, staffing, or budget. Don t wait!

18 Review Review Outcome with Client This review will: (1) satisfy the client that you are aware of and addressing their needs; (2) allow the client the opportunity to provide feedback regarding the project; (3) potentially educate the client regarding issues that will improve communication and expectations for future similar projects.

19 Review Capture Lessons Learned What went well What was unexpected The accuracy of the original project plan (including estimates of schedule, people, and budget) Learn for future projects

20 Next steps Review Forms Implement Review Process and Improve It

21 Why? The results we achieve for our clients will be better.