Maximizing Associate Training with Project Management Tools

In our previous article on project management for law firms, we discussed the usefulness of project management software in a law firm environment and provided an example of a case managed with the Teamwork application. Now, we will focus on other areas that law firms can use these software systems for. 

One of the critical components of law firm management is the development or training of its associates.

In the early stages of an attorney’s career, it is most important for them to learn and perfect their legal skills. Some learn faster than others. Some need more hand holding. While some can rely on an engaged mentor, others are on their own. Especially in smaller law firms, there is typically no standard process in place at law firms to ensure effective attorney development. We believe a training plan can help firms overcome that challenge and ensure a more balanced and successful skill development.

The biggest hurdle to putting a standard attorney training plan into place is getting buy-in from everyone and organizing the plan development. At first, it can be time consuming to develop a training plan as partners need to define focus areas, training methods, and a curriculum and support resources. However, senior attorneys usually know exactly what knowledge and skills attorneys need to successfully progress through their career and can easily translate these ideas into a plan. Also, once a plan is developed, it can be used over and over again and will only require minor tweaks every now and then.

Once a plan is put together, the firm needs to make sure associates receive an outline to follow and document their progress. This will not only show associates what is expected is from them, it will also help the senior attorneys who are in charge of overseeing the training and evaluating performance. 

A project management application can be the tool law firms use to put together a training plan. The application can also later serve as that needed outline to guide associates through the steps of the plan. For example, the Teamwork application allows firms to set up training tasks. The tasks can be organized into different focus sections, along with time frames to complete the tasks, responsibility assignments and progress reporting.

Using the Teamwork application, associates get a good idea of their training scope and can allocate time accordingly, while senior attorneys maintain oversight of training advancement. 

In the video below, we illustrate project management for associate training plans using the Teamwork application :

As shown in the video, Teamwork helps law firms to develop training plans with the organization and delegation of tasks and opportunities, workflow effectiveness and efficiency, deadline and time management, collaboration and communication, as well as case oversight and progress reporting. 

STAY TUNED for our next post focused on project management tools for attorney practice planning. 

If you are interested in learning more about Teamwork or other project management tools, contact us now. 

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