Legal Process Improvement: Transforming the Way Lawyers Work

Introduction

Despite client pressure and considerable evolvement of the legal profession, most lawyers and law firms are struggling to implement legal process management practices. This set of disciplines aligns with legal operations, although there are various models across large law firms, in-house legal teams, and the Corporate Legal Operations Consortium (CLOC). In this article, I will elaborate on legal operations and process improvement for law firms.

Process Improvement Concepts

Any type of work is a process, and you can improve any process. A process is a number of steps and decisions that help to get the job done, while improvements focus on removing errors and useless activities from the process.

The key process improvement concepts are:

  • Efficiency includes resources and costs. The goal here is to reduce the efforts to achieve consistent or improved quality, which cuts the process expenses and improves future viability.

  • Effectiveness is about meeting clients' expectations. Here, effectiveness ensures key performance indicators (KPIs) and service level standards for WCQ are met and exceeded across the board.

  • Lean manufacturing helps reduce the process time framework by removing errors and useless activities.

  • Six Sigma helps legal professionals improve the quality of process results by identifying and removing the causes of errors or defects and minimizing variability. 

  • Lean Six Sigma encompasses the following legal process simplification tools and methods:

    1. Reviewing the approach of a specific legal task to define what can be improved;
    2. Lean manufacturing and Six Sigma provide their tools and techniques to improve quality;
    3. Removing defects and streamlining legal work to deliver more efficient results;
    4. Meet exact clients' expectations in less time and at a reduced cost.
  • Quality assurance is the activities made before and during a process to ensure quality results, decrease errors, and avoid overtime work. For example, these are recruitment and training events, development and use of precedents, regular work reviews, co-worker reviews, cooperation, coaching, and mentoring.

  • Quality control provides necessary actions, e.g., supervisor reviews, at the end of the work process to detect errors.

"Quality assurance is always preferred over quality control. The aim is to remove defects from the process so none are found at the end. The later a defect is found, the more expensive and the longer it takes to rectify."

Therese Linton, Founder and Principal Consultant of The BASALT Group

Comparing Lean Six Sigma To Design Thinking

There are several leading principles that help professionals change their legal work, and one of these ways is Lean Six Sigma. It emerged during the 1980s and '90s in Japan and the US when lean manufacturing and Six Sigma methods of process improvement established total quality management.

It's a highly mathematical approach to process improvement that aims to cut all errors to 3.4 per every million units or opportunities. Total quality management is applied to produce physical deliverables in manufacturing processes, and it has been applied in service-based principles since the early 2000s. In service-based processes, the Six Sigma unit measure for errors is often unreasonable and leads to statistical analysis and broader usage of the concepts and principles.

Recently, more firms have been looking towards more modern frameworks, such as design thinking. The legal design merges the basic principles of process improvement and streamlining with a more human-centered and client-oriented approach. LSS does this as well by taking the voice of the customer into account when improving or designing processes. As the benchmark for process performance, LSS also relies on the client's definition of quality. Still, a hybrid approach when legal process improvement is a combination of Lean Six Sigma and legal design thinking turns out to be the most effective. 

Conclusion

Legal process improvement is an essentially client-centric and statistics-free Lean Six Sigma framework. The lack of statistics within legal design frameworks makes them more accessible to the average lawyer. The greatest implementation success comes when human-backed Lean Six Sigma is merged with design thinking to highlight the human elements and de-emphasize the mathematical elements. These tools can enhance client satisfaction and loyalty while increasing income and boosting the work of legal teams in the future.

Also Read

11 Best Practice Areas for Solo Attorneys
After you leave law school with your law degree, what’s next? Now, you get to choose the best areas of law for solo practice you want to work in and whether you want to join an existing firm or become a solo practitioner. There are many reasons you might consider going solo. First, the local market in your area might not be large enough to support an entire firm, especially for the legal work you want to do. Another reason you might want to work independently is if you are returning to your ho
All Shareholder Loan Legalities You Need To Know
When it comes to financing a business, various options are available, including loans from shareholders. Whether you are a shareholder considering extending a loan or a business owner seeking funds, it is crucial to have a comprehensive understanding of the shareholder loan legality.   Understanding the legal aspects surrounding shareholder loans is essential to ensure compliance with applicable regulations and to avoid potential repercussions. In this article, we will delve deep into the int
Are Tech Noncompete Clauses Enforceable in Texas?
Tech is no longer confined to the Bay Area. I’ve been in Austin for a while, so I’m not shocked when media outlets start proclaiming that Silicon Valley is losing its prominence and the future of tech is in Austin. Austin is the home of the SXSW conference and a magnet for big names like Tesla and Oracle. But the booming tech future in Texas brings up one question we’re going to hear a lot more often: what about noncompete clauses? Noncompete clauses make sense in theory. For example, if a
Can an Employer Refuse To Pay Me?
Anyone who earns their living via employment understands the fundamental premise of work: service rendered should be compensated. When that straightforward equation is disrupted due to non-payment by employers, it can lead to a distressing amount of uncertainty, particularly if an employer refuses to pay me. So, it's essential to understand your rights regarding pay under employment laws. When embarking on a new employment journey, one of the first and most important steps involves understandi
Certificate of Incorporation vs. Certificate of Incumbency
When it comes to running a business, proper documentation is essential. Two crucial documents often come up in the corporate world: the сertificate of Incorporation and the Certificate of Incumbency . While they may sound similar, they serve different purposes and hold distinct significance in the business landscape.  This article will explore the key differences between the  incumbency certificate template , their roles, and how they can aid business operations. By the way, you can get the
Defamation of Character in Texas Law Overview
Unless you have spent most of your years living as a hermit in the woods, chances are someone has said something insulting about you with or without your knowledge. While this is part of being human, if not kept in check, these rude remarks can turn into legal defamation of character and deal more serious damage. They can disrupt someone’s personal life and professional life and even ruin a business. To avoid these problems, or at least reduce the damage, you might want to fight back. So, if y
Final Paychecks in Ohio
When are employers in Ohio required to pay final paychecks to their terminated employees? Answering this question requires an understanding of the Ohio final pay laws and state laws governing payment of wages. As you will see while reading this guide, applying the Ohio state law on the issue of disbursing final paychecks to terminated employees is not as straightforward as it sounds. This guide seeks to lead employers and employees within Ohio final paycheck laws on the issue of last wages to te
How To Use a Stock Purchase Agreement with a Notary?
Are you considering buying or selling stocks in a private company? Have you ever wondered how the stock purchase agreement notary fits into the picture? Well, you are not alone. The world of stocks and share dealing can seem somewhat cryptic to the untrained eye, and it is in such tricky terrains that legal instruments, such as a stock purchase agreement with a notary, act as guiding compasses. This article will serve as a handy guide taking you through the steps and components of using a stoc
All Guides
    Business
      7 Reasons Solo Entrepreneurs & SMB Owners Should Use Legal Templates
      A Guide To Joint Venture Consulting Agreements
      Banking Law
      Bankruptcy Law
      Best Law Firm Marketing Tools in 2025
      Business Associate Agreement: Indemnification Clasuses
      Business Planning Law
      Commercial Law
      Contract Law
      Corporate Law
      Elevate Your Business by Growing Your Online Presence
      Entertainment Law
      How Different Is It To Market a Law Firm From Any Other Business or Service?
      How To Grow a Law Firm: 8+ Marketing Ways
      How To Set Up Successful Vendor Contract Management
      In-House Counsel: The Essential Business Advisor
      Independent Contractor Law
      Inserting Legal Symbols in MS Word
      Intellectual Property Law
      Internet Law
      Is It Legal To Have More Than One Job?
      Labor Law
        11 Best Practice Areas for Solo Attorneys
        All Shareholder Loan Legalities You Need To Know
        Are Tech Noncompete Clauses Enforceable in Texas?
        Can an Employer Refuse To Pay Me?
        Certificate of Incorporation vs. Certificate of Incumbency
        Defamation of Character in Texas Law Overview
        Final Paychecks in Ohio
        How To Use a Stock Purchase Agreement with a Notary?
        Lawyer Career Guide: How To Get Your First Job As a Lawyer in a Remote World
        Legal Process Improvement: Transforming the Way Lawyers Work
        Missouri Wage Garnishment Laws
        Oregon Family Leave Act (OFLA)
        Oregon Overtime Laws
        Pennsylvania Overtime Laws
        The Role of Corporate Resolution Incumbency Certificates in Business
        What Is Medical Discrimination?
        What Is the Minimum Wage Law in Pennsylvania
        What Is the Seaman's Protection Act, 46 USC §2114 (SPA)?
        When You Need A Staffing Agency Contract Addendum
      Legal Guide for Oil & Gas Companies
      Legal Technology: Gateway to the Future for Law Firms?
      Litigation & Dispute Resolution Law
      Networking for Lawyers: How Does Being a Part of the Community Help Your Career?
      Networking for New Lawyers: Everything You Need To Know
      Oil & Gas Law
      Open Communication Transforming Strategy at Law Firms
      Running a Small Law Firm in Pennsylvania: Owners’ Perspective
      Smart Cities Collaboration: Agreements, Contracts, and Partnerships
      Sports Law
      Stock Redemption Agreement: What Must Every Lawyer Know?
      Tax Law
      The Anatomy of a Follow-Up Letter That Secures New Clients for Lawyers
      The Importance of Legal Portfolio Management
      The Key Legal Marketplaces Lawyers Should Join in 2024
      Unlocking the Benefits of Promissory Notes in Severance Agreements
      What Is a Boutique Law Firm?
      What Type of Lawyers Make the Most Money?
      Why Tomorrow’s Best Lawyers Should Have Basic Mediation Skills
      Why You Need a Business Community
    Personal
    Real Estate