Category: Best Practices

How much longer will lawyers resist the idea of best practices? Perhaps they can learn from baseball.  I frequently write about “evidence based law“, an extension of the idea of “evidence based medicine.” Last week, Billy Beane (GM of Oakland A’s), Newt Gingrich And John...

I recently suggested lawyers call “timeout” when they see a problem in how law is practiced.  Doctors and pilots use checklists and have the ability to call timeout. I think a big difference between lawyers and other professionals is that lawyer errors may never become...

Leading Japanese manufacturers are famous for letting any worker stop the assembly to correct a quality problem. Can lawyers say the same?  I’ve been in automotive assembly plants and know that emergency stop buttons are critical safety features. It can also be a critical quality...

It looks like one large law firm finally sees business benefit in developing best practices.  Heller Ehrman announced in September that Suzanne Hawkins joined the firm as Chief of Practice Excellence. She “will be responsible for developing best practices to ensure that the highest quality...

Knowledge management may be all about “not re-inventing the wheel.” Just how far can lawyers go in re-using know-how? Can we define “best practices?”  The consensus answer is “no.” I recently wrote KM Best Practices (llrx.com, May 29, 2007). This short piece reports on discussion...

General counsel grumbling about outside counsel bills and services is mild compared to the real pressures doctors face: insurers, employers, and malpractice risks. These pressures cause medical practice to change far faster than law practice. The Wall Street Journal today reports on a healthcare innovation...

Many businesses borrow best practices from other industries. Do law firms do so?  Rarely in my experience, and that’s too bad. That point was hammered home reading A Hospital Races To Learn Lessons Of Ferrari Pit Stop (Wall Street Journal, 11/14/06, p. A1), which explains...

Few law firms invest in research and development. But doing so could pay big dividends.  Lawyers spend time on billable work, client development, firm administration, and keeping up on legal developments. Is R&D even on the list? The focus of R&D should be driven by...