What started out as a series of pamphlets in 1971 “designed to help law office administrators in the performance of their jobs,” titled ALA News, has now evolved into the monthly magazine you know today. But the focus of these publications has always remained the same: being a resource for the ALA community.
With cheeky comics, an announcement for the first annual convention in 1972 and an ad for ALA’s first job posting, these early newsletters eventually led in 1982 to Legal Administrator, the Association’s first official quarterly magazine. As I’ve pored over these archives, I’ve been struck by how the topics covered have changed, or in many cases, stayed the same over the years. From the cost of calculators in the 1970s and the potential cons of transitioning to a computer system in the 1980s, to managing stress and interoffice relations (two topics we also published this year), Legal Management’s predecessors reveal how it acts as a voice for ALA’s members.
Having undergone several changes from multicolored pamphlets to a traditional magazine to now a PDF and digital articles, Legal Management has grown with the times. And now, as we plan for 2026, we have made the decision to take the leap and commit to discontinuing the PDF and focusing exclusively on digital articles. The magazine will now have themed issues, allowing us to create curated, timely content each month.
