Tips For Building a Great Legal Team

Developing a great legal team is a key component to your business’s success. Great lawyers are able to analyze the information pertaining to a case and develop a strategy that makes sense in the context of the business. A great legal team understands corporate culture and is well-versed in the company’s processes. The following are some tips to build a great legal team. Read on to learn more.

Effective communication

In a world of instant communications, a strong legal team relies on effective communication skills. While effective communication involves sharing information, listening to the other person, and demonstrating empathy, lawyers and other professionals also must be able to build rapport and trust. If they cannot do so, their clients may suffer. Effective communication is also essential for a well-managed presentation and positive outcome. Listed below are some tips for good communication.

Good communication also involves understanding each other’s point of view and paying attention to non-verbal cues. A person’s face and expression can convey their level of understanding or nervousness. For example, if a person looks confused, that might indicate nervousness, while direct eye contact can be interpreted as disrespect in some cultures. This can make it difficult to effectively communicate with a team member. By taking note of non-verbal cues, you’ll be able to make the best possible legal team.

Understanding corporate culture

An understanding of corporate culture is essential for a successful legal team. Organizations have distinct cultures that often clash, leading to a disjointed and sometimes antagonistic work environment. Employees may have differing goals and approaches, resulting in conflicting opinions. One employee, Brad, may want to expand the company’s product line while another may advocate that the company produce a different type of product. Regardless of their individual views, understanding the corporate culture of a company is crucial in creating a successful legal team.

To make a successful legal team, smart law firm leaders need to understand the needs and aspirations of the organization’s culture. They need to be able to communicate effectively with their teams and clients while demonstrating emotional intelligence. GCs should be proactive in creating a positive work environment, not simply provide legal services. They should also act as a role model, enabling and advocating for an organization’s culture.

Developing a diverse team

Companies need to make sure their outside counsel is diverse. Facebook, for example, requires outside counsel to have a diverse workforce. The company also requires outside counsel to provide clear leadership opportunities for women and underrepresented minorities. Another company is HP, which withholds up to 10% of its bills if its lawyers do not meet certain diversity requirements. To ensure a diverse legal team, companies must make sure that their outside counsel has a diverse firm relationship partner and at least 10% of its billable hours are spent on HP matters.

One challenge is a lack of trust. People tend to trust others who look like them. This can result in a homogeneous team. In a recent article, Heidi Gardner discussed the challenges of collaborating with diverse attorneys. She noted that diversity can be a competitive advantage for firms that are committed to serving diverse clients. While diversity is not a prerequisite for success, it can help attract more diverse talent. Ultimately, this can help improve the firm’s bottom line.