Richard Sloane: Owner and CEO. The owner is in charge of the law firm. While input from other owners or partners is important when making decisions, managing by committee eventually leads to nothing getting done. Only one person, the CEO, should have the ultimate and final decision making responsibility for the firm. All other employees in the law firm fall under the supervision of the owner.
Attorneys. Attorneys are the ones who manage cases, litigate in court, provide legal advice to clients, and are experts in their practice area. There may be managing attorneys for each practice area in your firm and junior attorneys that answer to them, but those managing attorneys will report to the CEO. Attorneys may be:
- Partners, the more experienced and senior attorneys in the firm who are also usually owners of the firm too.
- Associates, or junior attorneys at the firm who may or may not be on partner track in the firm.
- Contract of Freelance Lawyers hired on a contract basis, or for particular cases, on a temporary or part-time basis for the firm. Their tasks can range from bringing a particular expertise to a matter, or assisting in research and legal writing when your caseload is overwhelming.
Legal Assistants. Legal assistants are usually trained in law, but don’t have the license to represent clients or practice law. They can be:
- Paralegals, who handle most of the paperwork and even some legal drafting for attorneys.
- Legal secretaries, who help manage the attorney’s schedule and other administrative duties.
- Law Clerks, law students who work at firms for training or internships. They help by assisting in legal research and case preparation.
Other Departments
Within the Sloane Law firm organizational structure, there are different departments with different and specific functions to help grow the practice.
Marketing. Knowing how to market your law firm is arguably one of the most important skills you need to develop when you first start your law firm. Your marketing department will develop ways to attract clients to your practice, distinguish you from your competitors, and help develop your law firm brand.
Finance and Accounting. Your accounting department will help you manage your law firm finances, including budgeting, bookkeeping, and taxes. The responsibilities associated with this department require skill and can be time consuming. If you’re a solo practitioner, this is one department you will want to consider outsourcing.
Billing and Collections. Sending clients bills and getting them to pay them isn’t always a fun task. This department will try to make this process as painless and smooth as possible with the help of human kindness and maybe some specialized software.
Sales. Sales, or business development, helps you bring in and manage clients. Sales will work closely with your marketing department to make sure that you’re advertising your sevices effectively so you’re bringing in your ideal client.
IT Functions. Whether you plan to have a server in your office, have company computers, or want someone to manage your software and cloud platforms, you’ll want to have a go-to person to troubleshoot any issues that arise with your firm’s technology.
Office Management and HR. Office management is an important, but overlooked, department. It can encompass ordering supplies, managing compensation, benefits, and employees, managing the office rent and lease, and other aspects of the business side of your law practice.