Know Your Target Audience
The Legal Administrator
A legal administrator manages business functions as well as the overall
operations of a law office. He or she reports to the managing partner,
management committee or Chairman of the Board, and participates in
management meetings. In addition to general responsibility for financial
planning and controls, personnel administration, and systems and physical
facilities, the legal administrator identifies and plans for the changing needs of
the organization, shares responsibility with the appropriate partners or
owners for strategic planning, practice management and marketing, and
contributes to cost-effective management throughout the organization.
Depending on a law firm's size and practice, those activities may be
coordinated through one person (a "principal administrator") or through a
team of specialists with strong knowledge and proficiency in one or more
of these areas. Click here
for sample organization structure and reporting information.
Legal Vendors and Lawyers
Lawyers now spend as much as 20 percent of firm income on the
necessities of practicing law in a modern society. In fact, lawyers and law
office managers rely on a continuing stream of new products and services
to enable lawyers to practice more efficiently and effectively.
While managers may meet with some resistance, there is always
great excitement about, and great anticipation of, the "latest and
greatest." Therefore, the link between those who practice law and those
who provide products and services will always be important.
The Profitable Law Firm
The majority of lawyers had no intention of running a business when they
decided to go to law school. But for most of them, especially managing
partners and those in small and mid-sized firms, that’s exactly what they are
doing – running a business.
Law firms are profitable when they deliver quality legal services to their clients in a
timely, efficient and cost-effective manner. In order to do so, each person within
the firm contributes to the client service process in ways that best utilize their skills
and abilities. For lawyers, this means doing what they’re educated and trained to do:
practice law.
The legal administrator contributes to client service and the firm’s bottom line by
managing the business operations of the practice. Successful legal administrators
create processes and procedures that are needed for the firm to operate at peak
efficiency – and its highest level of profitability. They bring professional management
techniques to the professional practice of law.
ALA
Since 1971, ALA has been serving the unique needs of legal management
professionals. In fact, ALA's overall mission is to improve the quality of legal
management and promote and enhance the competence and professionalism of
all members of the legal management team.
ALA recognizes that its members' needs can be addressed at a number of levels.
At the international level, ALA provides a number of resources - many of which facilitate
member education and direct interaction with vendors in the industry. The Annual
Educational Conference and Exposition, one of the premier events for anyone involved in
legal management, provides many opportunities for establishing one-to-one relationships
between vendors and administrators.
Other resources also play a part and offer vendors communication opportunities:
- The ALA Web site (www.alanet.org)
- Legal Management - the bimonthly journal of ALA
- ALA News - our member magazine containing feature articles on career management,
member benefit programs and news on national, regional and local association developments
- ALA News International - targeted for our members outside the United States and Canada
ALA members reside in six regions, where additional opportunities exist for education and
networking during fall Regional Conferences.
Lastly, the majority of members and vendors have access to ALA Chapters. Networking
opportunities abound in this very important setting. Chapters provide a number of additional
resources, including regular meetings, education programs, and vendor events. Members can
connect with professional colleagues right at home to acquire education, exchange information,
and provide assistance and advice to one another.
Legal Vendors and ALA
The Association of Legal Administrators organized its first Annual Educational Conference
in 1972. For that event, the organization invited a handful of law office suppliers to exhibit—and
some of them have continued to exhibit every year. Many also support the organization through
sponsorships, partnering relationships and underwriting at all ALA levels.
From that initial handful, the number of exhibitors has grown to nearly 300 annually. Apart from
the Annual Educational Conference and Exposition, ALA offers exhibitor opportunities at the six
Regional Conferences, specialty conferences and many individual Chapters have retreats and vendor fairs. Vendor
sponsorships at all these events helps ALA enhance membership offerings and keep registration fees for
member attendees reasonable.
ALA's Mission Statement
ALA, its Regions and Chapters, are guided by the Mission and Goals adopted by the Board of
Directors. ALA’s mission is to:
Promote and enhance the competence and professionalism of all members of the
management team; and
Improve the quality of management in law firms and other legal service organizations;
Represent professional legal management and managers to the legal community and to
the community at large.
ALA Goals
Develop and deliver programs and products that will provide high quality, competency-based
education to members of the legal management team.
Improve and strengthen the flow of information to
and from the members.
Enhance the services and benefits available to members.
Increase the visibility and credibility of the Association of Legal Administrators and its
members in the legal community through effective marketing and communications, and through
partnering efforts with the bar and other law-related associations.
Retain and recruit members from all components of the legal management team.
Maintain the Association's strong economic base.
Increase diversity within the Association, in the legal management community and in all legal service organizations.
Promote and continue an organizational structure which clearly and effectively allocates the policy and operational roles and
responsibilities of volunteers and staff through Governance Policies that ensure that organizational resources are best used to achieve
the Association's Mission and Goals.
Demographics
One key to ALA's successful business partnership is the organization's demographic make-up.
Business partners view ALA's audience of law firm decision-makers as key to their success in the industry.
ALA members represent the diversity of the legal industry. Click
here for
demographic information regarding ALA's membership.
ALA members are expected to understand and follow a Code of Professional Ethics in their
business dealings. Click here for the full text
of that document.
