Law Department Management

Updated August 2005

Provided by the Association of Corporate Counsel
1025 Connecticut Avenue, Suite 200
Washington, D.C. 20036
Tel 202.293.4103
Fax 202.293.4107
www.acca.com

The following material is intended to provide information on law department management. Included are links to materials on professional responsibility, including ethics and attorney-client privilege, records maintenance, communications, compliance and technology controlling legal costs. Also provided are checklists and templates to basic forms that can be replicated by your legal department. This information should not be construed as legal advice or legal opinion on specific facts, or representative of the views of ACC or any of its lawyers, unless so stated. This is not intended as a definitive statement on the subject but a tool, providing practical information for the reader. We hope that you find this material useful. Thank you for contacting the Association of Corporate Counsel.

Table Of Contents

1. Professional Responsibility
   1. Ethics
   2. Attorney-Client Privilege
   3. Corporate Responsibility


2. Skills Training for In-House Lawyers
   1. Introduction
   2. Client-Centeredness
   3. Financial Reporting
   4. Maintaining Records
   5. Communications
   6. Compliance
   7. Technology


3. Skills Training for Non-Lawyers
   1. Legal Training
   2. Compliance Training


4. Managing Outside Service Providers
   1. Outside Counsel Management
   2. Independent Auditor
   3. Outsourcing


5. Staffing & Organizational Structure
   1. Recruitment & Staffing
   2. Job Descriptions
   3. Global Law Department
   4. Accounting for Disabilities:
   5. Conducting Background Checks:
   6. Organizational Structure
   7. Attorney Evaluation Forms
   8. Mission Statement:
   9. Other Policies


6. Controlling Legal Costs
   1. Outsourcing
   2. Restructuring
   3. Increasing Efficiency
   4. In-House Counsel Compensation
   5. Billing


7. Crisis Management
   1. Media Relations
   2. Crisis Strategy
   3. Internal Investigation


8. Alternative Dispute Resolution


9. Litigation Management


10. Intellectual Property


11. Additional Contracting Resources