Law Department Management Blog
Improvements in engagement standards. The Aquarius Project is an effort to rid the e-billing process of unnecessary friction and cost. According to Patrick Lamb, at More Partner Income the project is moving in the direction of automating the delivery of engagement standards (rules) to the law firms, keeping everyone on the same page. With Aquarius, divergent standards will be hair today, gone tomorrow (See my post of April 14, 2005 on LEDES in Europe.).
Six Sigma is Cummins!. As reported in InsideCounsel, April 2006 at 51, Cummins Inc.’s law department “is exploring the application of Six Sigma quality methods to the legal services” it purchases.” According to Cummins’ lawyer Joe Perkins “Six Sigma can directly improve the quality of the legal services we receive” (See my posts of July 31, 2005 about GE, Aug. 27, 2005 about Medco Solutions, Oct. 19, 2005 about Raytheon, and Nov. 14, 2005 about Xerox, as well as March 7, 2006 on terminology and March 8, 2006.).
Outside lawyers not paid by the written word. During a recent seminar, in-house counsel Dan Churay of YRC Worldwide told the attendees that he “tells outside counsel never to provide a written response unless he requests it.” This item in InsideCounsel, April 2006 at 51 made me recall the max-two-draft rule of Schering-Plough’s head of litigation (See my post of Feb. 8, 2006 about PD Villareal.).