Chapter § 1.09 Managing from Inside

• Jurisdiction: United States
• Publication year: 2020

§ 1.09 Managing from Inside

[1] Litigation Manager Standards

“As in-house lawyers rise in the legal department, they become less of a lawyer and more of a manager, making sure that everything is consistently applied.”⁸¹ A good lawyer does not always make a good manager. Management is a competency. The good manager takes responsibility for developing people through coaching. Methods of overseeing litigation managers vary from a formalized system to open-office talks.

At some companies, lawyers who are in management positions are held to a very high standard of performance. They are expected to meet set metrics, including financial metrics and performance metrics.⁸² Employees often are surveyed to determine satisfaction with the management team. The metrics ensure intense engagement between the managers and their teams.

Instead of metrics, some companies encourage managers to keep a close watch on their teams. For example, a small in-house team may be required to oversee one another and be responsible for one another’s work, including overseeing the completion of tasks and reviewing completed items...