LPM – ACTIVITY for firm meetings.

As the recently elected Managing Partner of a 30+ personnel law firm

located in Nairobi, you have to oversee the effective performance of the
firm’s administrator.
REQUIRED:
Provide a job description for the law firm administrator.
Advisory: DO NOT go to page two until you have exhaustively discussed
and agreed (as a firm) on a possible response to this task.

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Response: Professional law firm administrators make important contributions to the
financial and operating success of their law firms. The value of the administrator
actually increases as he/she appliesbusiness/management principlesto enhance
productivity by:
1. RESPONSIBILITY INCLUDES, BUT LIMITED TO:
The Firm Administrator shall be responsible for managing the administrative
operations of the Firm, including supervising all non-attorney personnel; evaluating
and managing the Firm’s operating and information systems; overseeing the Firm’s
finance functions; assisting in the marketing of the Firm’s legal services and client
development activities; and evaluating, managing and supervising the facilities of the
Firm.
The Firm Administrator will report to the Firm’s executive committee and will meet
with the executive committee on a regular, periodic basis. The Firm Administrator
may consult on an as-needed basis with the executive committee or any member of
the Firm so designated by the executive committee for specific purposes.
2. The Firm Administrator’s duties, which may be altered or added to from time
to time by the executive committee or by action of the members, are
described in more detail below:
a) Personnel and Human Resources Management

The Firm Administrator should have an extensive background in personnel and

human resource management and will be responsible for overall non-attorney
personnel management, including the following:

 Determining non-attorney staff needs in coordination with the executive

committee, practice group leaders, and supervising attorneys, as
appropriate.
 Interviewing and screening applicants for non-attorney positions.
 Supervising the training of non-attorney personnel.
 Evaluating non-attorney personnel, including consulting with the executive
committee, practice group leaders and supervising attorneys.
 Coordinating vacation schedules of non-attorney personnel.
 Counseling non-attorney personnel who are not complying with Firm procedures
and requirements and taking appropriate disciplinary action when necessary.
 Handling termination of employment of non-attorney employees after
consultation with the executive committee and, where applicable, the
supervising attorneys.
 Conducting non-attorney personnel meetings.
 Maintaining personnel records for all employees.
 Handling unemployment compensation hearings.
 Determining and recommending salary adjustments for non-attorney personnel.
 Maintaining the non-attorney employment manual.

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  Maintaining the attorney manual, containing policies and procedures applicable
only to attorney personnel.
 Assisting the executive committee in associate attorney compensation and
bonus evaluation process.
 Administering, evaluating, and recommending changes, as appropriate, to, the
benefits offered by the Firm, including welfare and retirement benefits.

b) Management of Firm Finances

The Firm Administrator should have a strong financial background and will be
responsible for the overall financial planning and financial management for the
Firm, including responsibility for the following:

 Planning and implementing the Firm’s annual budget.

 Tracking client development efforts.
 Financial and tax reporting.
 General ledger and trust accounting.
 Assisting with billing and collections.
 Cash flow control.
 Managing banking relationships.
 Payroll and fringe benefits for employees.

c) Management of Computer and Other Operating and Information Systems

The Firm Administrator should have a broad knowledge of computer systems and
other operating and information systems, both hardware and software, as used in
a law firm environment. Duties of the Firm Administrator with respect to
management of the Firm’s computer systems and other operating systems will
include the following:

 Evaluating periodically the computer systems used by the Firm, including

hardware and all software, to determine whether changes in these systems
are merited to increase efficiency and to achieve cost savings.
 Securing and managing appropriate maintenance contracts for computer
hardware and software systems.
 Managing records retention, including information storage and retrieval.
 Managing the library, including all reference materials and subscriptions.
 Managing the telephone system, including periodically evaluating the telephone
system to ensure that the Firm has a cost effective and up-to-date system.

d) Facilities Management
The Firm Administrator will be responsible for the overall management of the
Firm’s physical facilities and related functions, including the following:

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  Office space planning.
 Renovation of office space when necessary.
 Communicating with the Firm’s service/assets providers.
 Office furniture.
 Office equipment, including copy machines, fax machines, postage and other
mail equipment.
 Purchasingoffice and breakroom supplies, including food and drink items, and
miscellaneous equipment.

e) Firm Marketing and Client Development Activities

The Firm Administrator will assist the attorneys in the marketing of the Firm’s
legal services and client development activities, including the following:

 Coordinating the preparation and periodic updating of the Firm’s brochure.

 Assisting in preparing and disseminating in a timely manner the Firm’s
announcements for new members, new associates and other matters.
 Handling
Firm advertising.
 Handling
other activities that will promote and enhance the Firm’s visibility
and image in the communities served by the Firm.

f) Other Activities
The Firm Administrator should assist the Firm’s attorneys in recruiting attorneys,
training associates, training legal assistants, and improving the total quality of the
practice of law for the Firm’s attorneys. The Firm Administrator also is responsible
for coordinating business and social functions of the Firm.