Litigation Project Management Course Materials (Litigation Project Management Course

Business of Law Workshop 201 course materials v1.doc 1/1

Business of Law Workshop (BLW) 201

Moving Beyond the Standard Reports

Learning Outcomes

1.Explain how effective tracking of billable time can affect profitability;

2.Explain how labour costs can impact human resource decision making; and

3.Illustrate how to use profit and loss statements to provide key analysis to help in decision making.

Course Pre-requisite

This course is open to those who work or have worked in law firm accounting, law firm administration, stakeholders in law firms and associates who aspire, one day to be a stakeholder in a law firm.

Primary Teaching Tools

1. Mini-lectures, there will be handouts but no syllabus;

2. Pre-course work requiring the students to work on learning outcomes #1 and 2;

3. In-course case studies requiring the students to demonstrate understanding in learning all three outcomes; and

4. Post-course work to enable the students to demonstrate the key points to all three outcomes.

Presenters Staff:

Lisa Dawson, Facilitator and Course designer

Dom Bautista, Facilitator and Course designer

Business of Law Workshop 201 course materials v1.doc 1/1

Law Courts Center Business of Law Workshop 201

Date of Course:

Summary of Marks:

Pre-Course Work (20%)

In-course Group Work (60%)

Post-Course Work: (20 %)due one week after the course

Minus 5% per day late demerit (if applicable)

Total/100%

Remarks

For continuing professional development reporting purposes to the Law Society of British Columbia, this course is 7.0 hours long. It includes 7.0 hours of training in professional responsibility and ethics, client care and relations and practice management.

Upon the completion of a course, you will receive one of these two types of certificates - attendance or completion. The Certificate of Completion indicates that you attended the course, participated in the discussions, completed the pre and post course work and achieved a minimum mark of 70%.

Business of Law Workshop 201 course materials v1.doc 1/1

Course Outline

9:00Introductions and housekeeping

9:15Section A: Revenue analysis

9:45Section A: Case Study: The Woodshed

10:30 Morning break

10:45Section A: Case Study Conclusions: The Woodshed

11:30 Section B: Cost analysis

12:00 Lunch Break

1:00 Section B: Cost analysis

1:30Section B: Case Study: Do we hire an associate or designate a paralegal?

2:15Section B: Case Study Conclusions: Do we hire an associate or designate a paralegal?

2:30 Afternoon break

2:45 Putting it together: Case Study: Who do we invite to the partnership?

3:30 Putting it together: Case Study Conclusions: Who do we invite to the partnership?

3:45Summation and Post-Course Work

Business of Law Workshop 201 course materials v1.doc 1/1

Pre-Course Work

To facilitate your learning and to make good use of your time with us, we ask that you submit your written response before the start of the class.

Let us begin with benchmarks, to answer these four questions, we encourage you to speak to your colleagues: (20 marks)

Draft a retainer letter for your firm that includes these ten items:

The scope of the work or description of the legal services the law firm is undertaking 
Who the client is
Who/What lawyers and staff may be assigned to the file
Billing and Fees expectations
Retainer funds
Expectations around communication and instructions. (approximate timeline of services)
Termination and Files
Privacy
Liability
Some commitment or pledge and summary,

Refer to the Law Society of BC model on Retainer Letters and Contingency Fee Agreements

Reference:

2.In what ways does your firm ensure that lawyers and support staff who have to track their billable and non-billable time do so in a timely manner?

3.Describe how your firm goes about making hiring decisions.

4.Describe how your firm goes about reviewing support staff salaries and benefits.