The Curriculum
As we continue to build and develop the Legal Business Design Hub, the curriculum offerings and options will grow and change. The core areas of focus for curriculum development are design, entrepreneurship, technology, and innovation. Below is a description of the classes that have been developed and delivered in the program’s first year.
Managing & Leading the Business of Law
It is a real-time look into the legal market exploring serious trends impacting the profession. We will “lift the hood” on the underlying economics that drive private practice and in-house teams. You will learn how money flows, how legal services are actually delivered, the role of lawyers and business professionals, what technology is used and is emerging, and how all of this comes together through strategy, operations, and management execution. You will gain a deep sense of what capabilities are needed beyond legal knowledge to provide exceptional client service. You will acquire knowledge and skills that will strengthen your leadership capability.
Building a Legal Services Business
This course focuses on specific tools and skills that successful lawyers use to develop their own legal practice, from starting a solo practice, to building a larger law firm, to creating successful non-profits that provide essential legal services to the community. This course utilizes a “lab” approach that encourages each student to imagine their ideal legal practice and develop a “Practice Plan” they could carry out into existence. The practice plan will describe the legal practice and show its viability using real-world data on everything from technology investment to billing rates to client demand. Students will present their plans to each other as well as experts in the industry with the goal of developing a plan that could be pursued upon graduation if the student desired.
Legal Project & Process Leadership
The practice of law involves a myriad of projects and processes, including everything from finding clients, managing deal documents to performing conflicts checks. This course offers students a crash course on the most common legal projects and processes they will encounter in the practice of law, as well as the key technologies often used in each area. Students will also learn how to analyze and improve processes using the pathbreaking management approach of Lean Six Sigma. Lean Six Sigma is a set of principles used worldwide to optimize the efficiency of any enterprise, from a small, discrete project to a large international venture. Students can earn a Lean Six Sigma “yellow belt” or “green belt,” which is a marketable certification that can be included on one’s resume.
Legal Business Design Challenge
In this highly immersive and innovative course, students step into the realities of the practice and business of law by working directly with law firm leaders to help them discover a new competitive advantage. This is a 4-credit highly-immersive and practical experience. See more on the Legal Business Design Challenge page.