Managing People in Today's Law Firm

Despite clear evidence of a serious decline in morale, the major competitors in the law firm management marketplace have virtually ignored the motivational facet of current managerial theory and practice. As evidenced by a review of the literature dealing with law firm management, including major books, handbooks, and professional seminar outlines, there has existed until now no treatment of current management theory and practice as it pertains to law firms. In addressing human resources topics as they apply to the modern law firm, this book fills a genuine void in an area which is of major importance to law firms challenged to remain profitable in an increasingly hostile environment. Managing People in Today's Law Firm: The Human Resources Approach to Surviving Change provides a comprehensive treatment of critical aspects of modern management: motivation, communication, organizational culture, structure and strategy, power and politics, recruitment and training, the reward-performance-retention dynamic, performance appraisal, and planned change. Grounded in managerial theory and research, based on extensive practice, and exemplified by anecdotal war stories, this book makes valuable reading for partners, associates, managers, and future members of law firms—and offers important ideas for motivating members of all professional service firms. Intended for law firms and lawyers within them, solo practitioners who contemplate joining with others in a firm partnership, law school libraries, and general and professional association libraries including bar associations on the state and local levels.

ELLEN WEISBORD is an Associate Professor of Management at Pace University and has been a consultant specializing in strategy development for professional service firms. Her research has been published in the Labor Studies Journal, the Journal of Managerial Issues, the Labor Law Journal, and the Journal of Collective Negotiations in the Public Sector. She has also written for The American Lawyer. BRUCE H. CHARNOV is currently an Associate Professor of Management and General Business in the School of Business at Hofstra University. He has been a vice president of a major social values research firm and has practiced law with a large national law firm. His previous books include Appraising Employee Performance (1984), The Basics of Wage, Salary, Benefits Administration (1985), Management (1987), Management, second edition (1993) hical Dilemmas for Academic Professionals (1987) d Global Corporate Intelligence, published by Quorum Books (1990). JONATHAN LINDSEY is a principal in the national legal search and consulting firm of Major, Hagen & Africa. Lindsey earned his law degree from Columbia Law School and clerked for Chief Judge Kaufman in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He practiced law with Debevoise & Plimpton, served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York, and was Counsel to the Chairman of New York City's Planning Commission. He has written extensively for The National Law Journal, The American Lawyer, and the New York Law Journal