Services for Law Schools

Knowledge has gone viral! No longer the exclusive purview of higher education institutions, knowledge is everywhere, whenever we need it, and often for free. While the ramifications of these changes have been felt throughout the higher education sector, this has been particularly evident for knowledge based professions like the law. Learning for lawyers now, more than ever, needs to be accessible, relevant, impactful, valuable and “just in time”.

These changes and many more have driven the demand for different law schools and different skill sets for their academics. Law schools are market driven businesses. They need to run high quality programs, taught by engaged and up-to-date academics for time poor students. Law academics are increasingly incorporating technology into the classroom. They are not only swapping blackboards for smart whiteboards but also using a plethora of digital and social based media to demonstrate, illustrate and enhance face-to-face and online student engagement.

My work with law schools focusses on supporting Deans and Associate Deans in identifying where their law schools are today, where they want them to be and how they will get there. This usually involves strategic and business planning as well as leading a change process along the way. It also focusses on finding opportunities to collaborate effectively with the legal profession. Whether it is identifying what differentiates your law school from others, enhancing your existing programs and courses, developing new leadership and management skills, learning how to engage employees, or aligning all that you do what the needs of the legal profession and students, as the services articulated below suggest, I would welcome the opportunity to work with your law school.

 

Services Include:

Consulting

  • Facilitation of focus group meetings (inside the law school, law firm and with students), feedback analysis and reports on findings
  • Design, customization and implementation of governance structures, staffing, budgeting, communication plans, marketing plans, and return on investment metrics for skills based academies, institutions, and curricula
  • Design, customization and implementation of market research and analysis for profession wide competencies and how these relate to the development of student capabilities and learning outcomes
  • Facilitation of strategic and business planning sessions for law school management and administration departments
  • Design, customization and implementation of law school and individual change and transition processes
  • SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis for strategic planning
  • Student, law firm and legal professionals surveys and focus groups
  • Student and employee satisfaction surveys and focus groups
  • Leadership and management skills gap analysis

Learning Programs

  • How to run a law school “business”
  • Creating an culture of change and innovation
  • Cultural competency and business etiquette
  • Law school leadership/management orientation and on-boarding programs
  • Effective leadership and management
  • Leading change and innovation
  • Managing change and innovation
  • Navigating change and innovation
  • How to collaborate effectively outside the law school
  • Design, customization and implementation of law school practical legal education/externship programs

Coaching

  • Coaching law school leaders and managers in business basics
  • Coaching law school leaders in leading, managing and navigating change and innovation
  • Coaching law school leaders and managers in strategic and business planning
  • Coaching law school leaders and managers in giving and receiving feedback
  • Coaching law school leaders and managers in people management
  • Coaching law school leaders on identifying and implementing collaborative opportunities with legal practitioners