We’re delighted to welcome you to White Oaks Resort & Spa!

Join us for an engaging experience where you'll connect with our valued Business Partners and explore the latest innovations and trends at our exciting trade show.

Please note: Registration closes on September 5.

We look forward to seeing you there!

OUR EXHIBITORS

Labour Day is like a mid-year “New Year’s Day”. The “holiday” months are over. The children are returning to school. University students are moving away from home, into residence. Parents have mixed feelings about the changes going on in the family.

At TLOMA, we are getting ready to LEAD THE CHANGE. As I write this, the conference countdown on the TLOMA website says that there are 19 days to the start of the conference. By the time you read this, it will be much less. We will be getting into the groove of this autumn “New Year”, starting with our annual educational conference. Our Conference Committee has been hard at work, all year, in order to provide us with a conference to remember. From September 16 to 19, we will be at the White Oaks Conference Resort and Spa for the Conference and Tradeshow. I am looking forward to making new TLOMA friends and catching up with old friends. There will be lots of learning and networking.

If you were planning to register and haven’t gotten around to it, consider doing it now. I would love to see you there.

In Memoriam:

It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of one of our TLOMA members, Jo-Anne Hebert. Jo-Anne was the Director of Operations at Benson Percival Brown LLP. She was a member of TLOMA since 2010.

Hello TLOMA friends,

If you haven’t secured your spot yet, now’s the perfect time. We’ve got an incredible lineup waiting for you, and you won’t want to miss a moment of it.

This year’s conference is a perfect blend of learning, networking, and fun. We’ve curated sessions featuring experts from both inside and outside the TLOMA community, offering fresh perspectives and practical insights to take back to your firms.

Tuesday evening promises something truly special — a surprise event that’s never been done before at TLOMA. Trust me, you’ll want to be there!

And don’t forget the Trade Show: we’re thrilled to welcome 51 vendors this year, showcasing innovative products and services tailored to our legal management needs.

Let’s make this year unforgettable. See you in Niagara-on-the-Lake, September 16–19!

Warmly,
Michelle Bilboe
Chair, 2025 TLOMA Conference

Using AI for legal work? Better outputs start with better prompts. 

The Importance of AI prompting

In GenAI terms, a prompt is the instruction, question, or request you input with the goal of getting the information or output you want. When it comes to prompts, specificity and context are paramount. If your prompt is ambiguous or vague, your output will follow suit.

When creating prompts, keep the following tips in mind:

• Use simple, clear, and concise language. Keep prompts short and use the active voice.
• Specify the output you want. Think backwards from your goal and provide details about how you want your information to appear. For example, do you want a detailed summary, an email, or a bulleted list?
• Provide as much context as possible. Consider including helpful background information or a specific persona, desired grade level, or general scope.

Using prompt libraries for legal tasks

When building a case or defence, using an AI solution increases the ease and speed of your research. But if you don’t understand how to effectively use an AI tool to get the results you want, it can also be a source of frustration. This is why a prompt library can be such an invaluable resource.

A prompt library is a curated collection of pre-written, tested, and optimized prompts that are designed to elicit specific responses or outcomes. Prompt libraries offer significant time savings, allowing you to quickly perform legal research, analyze information, and draft documents.

Additionally, a quality prompt library provides the following benefits:

1.  Enhanced accuracy: Better prompts lead to more comprehensive results. Having access to expert-created prompts at your fingertips can quickly produce the accurate results and reliable information you need.

2.  Time efficiency: Using an expert-created prompt library can significantly reduce the amount of time it takes to draft and review legal documents. Because the information contained in the prompt library is continually reviewed and updated by legal GenAI prompting specialists, you can feel confident that your work is always based on the most accurate information.

3. More context means better quality: Utilizing a prompt library helps ensure that specific contextual details are automatically included in your prompts. This means your results are tailored to provide the most helpful and high-quality information possible, so you get the results you need from your very first query.

Exploring solutions with prompt libraries

Utilizing a prompt library can help you quickly complete a variety of legal tasks. But it’s important to note that not all prompt libraries are created to the same standards or maintained in the same way.

To ensure that you get the most precise results, choose an AI solution that utilizes a prompt library specifically tailored for legal professionals, and where the information is curated and regularly updated by legal experts.

Keeping these parameters in mind, a pre-built prompt library offers:

• Immediate access to a broad range of vetted prompts
• Significant time savings and reduced effort
• Seamless and easy integration with existing legal workflows and helpful tools

Get the best and fastest results with prompt libraries

AI is changing the way legal professionals work.  But there's a steep learning curve to effectively using it, and the accuracy of your output depends on the quality of your prompts.

By using a robust prompt library that serves legal professionals, you can significantly reduce the time it takes to conduct legal research, complete a thorough document analysis, and draft correspondence. With the time savings prompt libraries provide, you’re free to focus on more fulfilling and higher-value work.

Discover how the right AI solution can help transform the way your organization completes work.

Recent conversations around neurodiversity emphasize that offices need to go beyond merely checking accessibility lists. Firms are exploring inclusive design to support different ways of thinking, processing, and interacting. The aim: spaces where all can thrive.

Why Inclusion Matters

Neurodivergent individuals—those with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, or other cognitive differences—bring valuable perspectives, such as attention to detail and creative problem-solving. However, research indicates that sensory distractions and unpredictable environments can significantly impact their focus and comfort.

Designing for inclusion helps reduce these barriers and benefits the wider workforce. As Haworth's research suggests, planning for diverse needs improves the experience for everyone.

Four Key Design Strategies

1. Choice and Control

Legal professionals tackle confidential calls, collaborative meetings, and focused research. A single type of space can’t support all these tasks. Providing quiet rooms, team areas, and wellness spaces gives people control over their work environment, which in turn boosts productivity.

2. Sensory Awareness

Lighting, sound, and texture matter more than we often realize. Dimmable task lights, acoustic panels, and muted finishes can minimize sensory overload. Even simple adjustments—like offering sit-stand desks or varied seating options—create more inclusive conditions for concentration.

3. Predictability and Wayfinding

Complex layouts or unclear signage add stress. For neurodivergent individuals, consistent visual cues and intuitive navigation reduce cognitive load. Predictable wayfinding supports both staff and visitors in law firms focused on professionalism and efficiency.

4. Tech-Enabled Inclusion

Hybrid work has become the standard in the legal sector. Meeting rooms designed with equitable sightlines, easy-to-use technology, and strong acoustics ensure that everyone—whether remote or in-person—can participate fully. Inclusive technology isn’t just about convenience; it’s about equal voice.

Applying This in Legal Offices

Practical examples can help translate these principles into daily practice:

• Focus rooms: Small, enclosed spaces where legal professionals can draft documents, conduct detailed research, or make confidential client calls without interruptions, enhancing privacy and concentration.
• Acoustic zoning: Designating collaboration spaces away from high-focus areas, such as placing meeting rooms at a distance from quiet working zones, helps reduce noise disruptions for those needing concentration.
• Wellness areas: Quiet, comfortable spaces intended for reflection, brief breaks, or mental resets, providing employees with a dedicated area to recharge during the workday.
• Accessible resource hubs: Clearly labeled file or library spaces with intuitive layouts, making it easier for staff to locate documents and resources quickly without unnecessary searching.
• Inclusive meeting rooms: Spaces with adjustable furniture and layouts designed for hybrid participation, ensuring both in-person and remote attendees have equal access to technology and visibility.

These ideas apply to firms of all sizes, from boutique practices to national offices. The key is embedding choice, clarity, and flexibility into the design.

Beyond Design: Culture and Leadership

Inclusive workspaces succeed when matched with an inclusive culture. Leaders can reinforce design by encouraging open conversations, offering training on neurodiversity, and ensuring policies align with physical spaces. This dual approach creates workplaces where people feel respected and empowered to perform at their best.

Moving Forward

The legal profession thrives on precision and trust. Creating inclusive environments isn’t just about physical comfort—it’s about enabling sharper focus, smoother collaboration, and a healthier culture.

As the Haworth research emphasizes, designing for neurodiversity benefits everyone. For TLOMA members, it serves as a reminder that thoughtful, evidence-based design is one of the most effective tools firms have for supporting talent, enhancing retention, and strengthening client outcomes.

The responsibility is clear: law offices shape futures and decisions. Take action—advocate for and invest in inclusive design principles in your firm. By doing so, you help ensure environments where everyone can bring their best thinking forward, allowing the legal profession to truly thrive.

To learn more, see Haworth’s full Neurodiversity & Sensory Spectrum Research Brief

As we reach the midpoint of 2025, legal hiring across Canada is showing clear signs of recalibration. At Forge Recruitment, we recently released our Mid-Year Job Market Report to help law firms and legal professionals better understand the shifts taking place, and how to respond.

Here’s what we uncovered.

A Tale of Two Markets

The legal job market in 2025 has been one of the most unusual in my 14 years of recruitment. Firms are hiring, often due to growth, but there is a noticeable standoff between employer expectations and candidate demands.

Firms want senior-level experience. Candidates want strong compensation and flexible arrangements. Layer in economic uncertainty, and the result is a cautious hiring climate where neither side is quick to compromise.

Many law firms tell us it feels like a candidate-driven market due to the challenge of finding qualified people. From our vantage point, however, it's increasingly an employer's market. Firms are taking a more deliberate, patient, and selective approach than even a year ago.

Setting the Stage

For the first time, with our market report, we’ve combined macroeconomic labour trends with our internal hiring data to provide a sharper view of what’s driving legal recruitment in 2025.

Let’s start with the national context to set our backdrop.

Canada’s labour market is under strain, unemployment has risen to 7%, job creation is slowing, and the average job search now lasts over 21 weeks. While sectors like retail and manufacturing have weakened, professional services, including legal, have held relatively steady. Still, the broader climate has made both employers and job seekers more cautious.

What Our Numbers Reveal

At Forge Recruitment, we closely track internal hiring metrics. Comparing January to June 2025 with the same period in 2024, a few key trends emerged:

First, the total number of jobs registered with us dropped by 13%, likely reflecting both fewer vacancies and a greater reluctance to invest in external recruitment.

Second, it took 5.6% more resume submissions this year to generate the same number of client-candidate interviews, pointing to either increased employer selectivity or greater misalignment between candidate profiles and job requirements.

Third, and most telling, we saw an 8.9% improvement in the interview-to-hire ratio. When firms do meet with candidates, they’re making decisions faster and more decisively.

The takeaway? Firms are casting wider nets but screening more precisely. The days of mass interviewing or rushed offers are behind us. Hiring today is far more focused and outcome-driven.

Taken together, these metrics reveal a hiring landscape that is leaner, more intentional, and more discerning—where law firms are slowing down to hire smarter, not faster.

Compensation: Less Desperation, More Deliberation

This sharper focus is mirrored in compensation trends. According to our data, average salaries for filled roles are up roughly 35% year-over-year, particularly in legal support positions. In 2025, the average salary range for legal support roles we filled was $69K–$76K, up from $52K–$55K in 2024.

While that may seem surprising in a slowing economy, it reflects firms holding out, and paying up, for proven performers who can deliver impact quickly.

In our view, two factors are driving this. First, there’s strong demand for experienced, senior-level professionals. Second, many candidates who moved in 2021–2022 did so at elevated salary levels, meaning any future move comes with higher compensation expectations. That said, we still see many moves that are lateral in nature, suggesting firms are resisting overpaying and candidates are being cautious.

One additional notable trend: nearly one-third of the roles we filled in the first half of 2025 were litigation legal assistant positions, making it the most in-demand role so far this year.

Guidance for Law Firms

So, what can law firms do to stay competitive in this environment?

First, always be recruiting. Building a passive pipeline before a role becomes urgent will shorten your time-to-hire and improve results.

Second, emphasize career progression. Clear growth paths help attract candidates seeking long-term opportunities.

Third, be realistic with compensation. While there’s no need to revisit post-pandemic salary highs, a modest premium for the right hire can make all the difference.

Fourth, maintain flexibility. Hybrid work remains a major draw for many legal professionals.

Finally, streamline your process. The best candidates won’t wait—delays can cost you top talent.

Closing Thoughts

Looking ahead to the second half of 2025, we expect hiring in legal and professional services to remain steady, with continued competition for senior-level talent. If the economy stabilizes, we may see more passive candidates return to the market, but employers will still need to be strategic and compelling in their approach.

In this climate, success belongs to those who stay proactive, informed, and responsive.

To receive a free copy of Forge Recruitment’s full 2025 Mid-Year Job Market Report, click the link below: https://mailchi.mp/forgerecruitment/2025-mid-year-report

AI’s promise requires a disciplined approach

Artificial intelligence is no longer aspirational for legal professionals - it’s operational. Law firms and in-house legal teams are deploying AI to streamline everything from contract review to legal research and litigation support. But early success stories often obscure a critical factor: without a sound information governance (IG) strategy, these implementations are exposed to financial risk, compliance failures, and ethical lapses.

The challenge isn’t the potential of AI—it’s the environment in which it operates. As AI becomes more deeply embedded in legal work, information governance emerges not as a technical detail, but as a business and professional imperative.

The value equation: Why governance determines ROI

AI’s financial upside is widely recognized. Automating routine legal tasks lowers operational costs and reallocates resources toward complex, high-value matters. But those benefits are highly dependent on the quality, structure, and accessibility of the underlying data.

When AI tools are trained on poor-quality information - misclassified documents, inconsistent metadata, or data locked in isolated systems - accuracy drops, manual review increases and operational savings erode. The result: missed ROI targets and disillusionment with what should have been a game-changer.

A case in point: Walmart’s high-profile difficulties with AI-based inventory systems stemmed largely from data quality issues - problems that required multimillion-dollar remediation. Legal organizations face similar pitfalls if they deploy AI without ensuring data is properly governed.

In Canada, this risk is amplified by an evolving regulatory landscape. Proposed legislation such as the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA) under Bill C-27 outlines requirements for responsible AI use, including transparency, fairness and data governance obligations. Violations could result in significant penalties. In parallel, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) continues to apply where AI processes personal data. These frameworks align with global efforts like the EU AI Act and U.S. state-level AI regulations - all reinforcing the message that AI cannot be separated from governance.

Effective information governance supports financial performance by:

• Improving data readiness before AI deployment
• Standardizing taxonomies to enhance AI model reliability
• Enabling defensible data retention strategies that control storage costs
• Providing auditability and traceability for compliance reporting

Operational Resilience: IG as a Foundation for Scalable AI

Strong governance doesn’t just protect against downside - it actively enhances AI performance and scalability. In the legal context, where outcomes hinge on consistency and accuracy, governance becomes a force multiplier.

Key operational benefits include:

1. Faster implementation: Clean, structured data environments reduce the friction of AI rollout and integration.

2. Higher accuracy: AI tools trained on well-governed data produce more reliable and replicable outcomes.

3. Lower support costs: Governance reduces data silos and standardizes formats, easing the burden on IT and end users.

4. Easier expansion: When governance frameworks are in place, AI success in one practice area can be replicated elsewhere without starting from scratch.

Canadian legal teams can align with international frameworks like the NIST AI Risk Management Framework and ISO/IEC 42001 or adopt emerging guidance from Canadian privacy commissioners and regulators. These frameworks embed principles of accountability, fairness and human oversight - aligning well with the legal industry’s need for defensible, auditable AI use.

Ethics and obligations: What legal professionals must get right

For legal professionals, AI deployment isn’t just a business decision - it’s a matter of ethics, client trust and professional responsibility.

• Client confidentiality: AI systems must not compromise sensitive data. IG policies define access controls, encryption standards and acceptable use boundaries.
• Privilege protection: Improper handling of privileged information by AI could waive protections. Clear governance protocols prevent such risks.
• Bias and fairness: AI trained on unexamined datasets can entrench bias. Governance ensures that testing and validation procedures are in place to surface and mitigate discriminatory patterns.
• Transparency: Courts and regulators are increasingly scrutinizing how legal outcomes are influenced by AI. Documented governance processes make it possible to explain and defend AI-generated insights.

In a regulated profession where trust is everything, information governance is what allows legal teams to innovate without compromising core values.

Governance is the prerequisite for AI success

For Canadian law firms and corporate legal teams, the message is clear: the effectiveness of AI initiatives will ultimately be determined by the strength of information governance. Whether it’s maximizing ROI, avoiding legal exposure, or maintaining ethical integrity, IG is the foundation on which sustainable AI use must be built.

The stakes include:

• Business value: Clean data, clear policies and auditability enable better outcomes and stronger returns.
• Operational readiness: Governed systems are easier to scale, support and maintain.
• Regulatory compliance: From AIDA to GDPR, global and domestic regulations demand demonstrable controls.
• Ethical practice: Governance ensures AI use respects client rights, avoids bias and upholds transparency.

Action points for legal technology Leaders

1. Evaluate your current governance maturity before expanding AI programs.

2. Develop or refine policies that address data classification, retention and access.

3. Form cross-disciplinary governance teams involving legal, risk, IT and compliance.

4. Establish governance KPIs to track compliance, risk exposure and business outcomes.

5. Map AI initiatives to frameworks like NIST AI RMF, ISO 42001 and align with Canadian legislative expectations.

AI is not a plug-and-play solution. It requires thoughtful design, controlled environments and professional stewardship. Legal teams that treat governance as the starting point, not the afterthought, will be the ones best positioned to succeed in a rapidly evolving legal and regulatory landscape.

LegalRM have hosted many educational webinars over the last few months on this topic and other related information governance subjects. These webinars are all available free of charge and on demand by clicking here.

If you would like to find out how iCompli, from LegalRM can help your firm manage and govern data more efficiently and compliantly then do not hesitate to get in touch.

Succession is a critical yet often ignored component of business strategy that left undone can lead to unfortunate outcomes from client and legal talent departures to law firm failure. Best to act now because it’s not how you start; it’s how you finish.

Do you plan to work forever? Or live forever? For your sake, I hope not. After all, as Bugs Bunny—probably the world’s most famous cartoon rabbit—says: “Don't take life too seriously. You’ll never get out of it alive.”

Because change happens throughout our lives is exactly why succession and the planning of it is a critical business strategy that, to the detriment of individuals, their families, law firms, colleagues, and clients is often ignored until it’s too late.

It doesn't have to be this way; however, the planning, process, and execution of successful succession takes forethought, care, and diligence.

Aging Demographics

As I’ve said on other occasions, succession pertaining to aging demographics is cause for concern.

Among the most daunting factors are that in 2021, both the American and Canadian Bar Associations said that most law firms have actively practicing lawyers in their late 60s and 70s. And that partners who are 60 years of age or older control at least half of the revenue in 63 per cent of law firms.

An informal survey of many law firms will confirm that finding; all you have to do is look.

As Baby Boomers born between 1946 and 1964 shift out, the next cohorts, Generation X (1965-1980) and Millennials (1981-1996) expect to step up. And so they should; but they need to do so without impediments created by those who stay too long at the fair.

Shifting Laterals

Remember when lawyers, especially partners, stayed at one firm until they retired or went out the door on a board? Not now. Now, lawyers at all levels are changing firms with such frequency that you need a program to tell the players.

And it’s not necessarily singletons that are switching sides; whole teams are upping sticks and decamping to other firms or setting up their own shops.

If the concept of loyalty exists at all anymore, it’s increasingly fragile due to various factors, including damage wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic that left behind vestiges of various employment concepts, such as working from home that while it embodies many positive attributes, also carries—perhaps among the distrustful—a connotation of noncommitment and stigma of distance resulting in a myriad of negative outcomes.

Aging demographics and shifting laterals are only two major factors of the changing face of law firm life. This is why coming to grips with how to help internal talent at all levels manage the flow and planning of successful succession is an inside job that can often be aided by the neutrality of professional outside support whose sole agenda is successful succession outcomes.

Cause and Effect

I have found that there are four prohibiting factors that impede or stall succession planning:

1.  Control: Many of us enjoy control; it makes us feel more secure. The joke’s on us because very little in life is within our control.

2.  Possessiveness: Holding onto something or someone doesn’t mean you can take it or them with you. This includes clients who often don’t follow a lawyer who makes a lateral transfer.

3.  Fear: Lawyers by nature tend to be risk averse, so fear can be a triggering mechanism. (If you want to get a lawyer’s attention, scare them.)

4.  Inertia: Inertia can happen when control, possessiveness and fear gang up on a person’s psyche causing them to lock up and seek safety in numbness.

There will always be lawyers and legal services professionals of all stripes who look forward to closing their careers and jumping the gate with glee.

For those who feel otherwise, there are ways to find safe zones for lawyers as well as their firms and clients to enable healthy conversations about succession along with customized plans and tailored tactics to help a smooth transition happen with dignity and grace.

Intentional Grace

As a foundational element of business strategy, the process for successful succession happens in predicable steps to enable all concerned to be graceful. This is why my recommendation for a successful handoff and exit is to start the planning, process, and steps of succession two to five years out.

This signals that succession strategy and the planning of it, which includes tactics and timelines are intentional.

Planning with intent and executing on a timeline enables succession to become part-and-parcel of a workflow that dovetails with the general business of law firm life that includes client work along with people, business, and financial management.

Dovetailing succession to overall legal service in this manner helps remove stigma and fear that can quickly settle and set like cement if it’s introduced as a factor that exists outside the purview of business as usual.

This is because succession is a factor of business as usual. And it had better be since while a lawyer may not be actively planning for succession, clients most certainly are, and they will act if a lawyer or firm does not.

And that would defeat being both intentional and graceful, which would be a disservice to all concerned.

Smooth Succession

In my experience there are four general rules that help guide a smooth succession.

1.  Law firms are businesses; run them that way
2.  Culture enables succession that creates distinction and underscores trust.
3.  Succession plans must be transparent
4.  Voice of the client is key to smooth succession and client retention

Law Firms are Businesses

That law firms are businesses and must be run that way is advice I’ve espoused since time immemorial. I stand on my record. This is my hill and I’ve been dead up here for years.  

Ironically, as a business that deals with contracts for a living, it’s amazing how many law firms don’t include exit clauses when constructing legal talent entry agreements. Frankly, any lawyer or legal service professional worth his or her salt and their law firm should know that it’s simply good business to negotiate the ‘out’ at the same time as negotiating the ‘in’.

Therefore, including a crystal-clear clause in an employment contract pertaining to when and how succession will happen is simply good business for all incoming professionals, including associates, laterals, administrative management, and those on a partnership track who aspire to individual and law firm growth.

Cultural Distinction

It may be ironic for me as a legal market strategist to say that culture trumps strategy, but it does. Culture is about people’s beliefs and behaviours, which is why there is truth to the notion that managing lawyers is like herding cats.

Still, culture is developed and nurtured, which enables succession to be a market differentiator and hallmark for law firms that value the progression of talent. This does not mean adherence to ‘up or out’ rigidity because strong talent can’t help but show itself, which is why it’s so attractive. However, attractive talent is not a trait that is exclusive to senior individuals, which is why talented individuals at up-and-coming levels must be groomed for elevated success that, yes, will lead to their succession.

Planning Transparency

In my experience, and as I have written more fully, there are four essential steps to succession planning.

1.  Selection of successors with the right qualifications and temperaments to serve specific clients.
2.  Enable a successor to work in tandem with the retiring partner on matter engagements with the client’s approval.
3.  Support the retiring partner as they step back from the client-successor relationshi
4.  Transfer increasing parts of the origination credit from the retiring partner to successors.

Enabling transparency means that succession happens without mystery and in full light rather than half-light or worse yet, no light for all parties involved in the process.

Voice of the Client

Successful succession gets traction at the client level. Smart firms and lawyers take a client’s needs, wants, and expectations into the equation when planning for succession.

“I love surprises,” said no client ever. When confronted by surprise, it often happens that a client will retaliate—most often quietly—by sending some of their work elsewhere, which is often followed by sending all of their work elsewhere.

Clients are fully aware of to whom they send work and where that lawyer or law firm stands in terms of talent moving on or out. Unwelcoming of surprise, they want to be part of the succession plan, and will welcome and actively support a succession discussion because it is usually in their best interest to do so.

Seeking a client’s perspectives is probably the most critical factor of a successful succession. That’s because a client that takes part in the process is more likely to remain loyal. Another benefit is that the law firm or lawyer that solicits a client’s perspectives is apt to learn more about that client’s needs and how they can be best served by a successor or client team.

Dearly Departed

Very few of us aspire to die at our desks and yet it happens.

While the television series L.A. Law that ran from 1986 to 1994 was fictional in nature, its over-the-top storylines followed the adage that truth is stranger than fiction. The first episode kicked off with a name partner found dead at his desk. This disaster was immediately followed by the firm’s partners bickering about who would inherit his office and jockeying to claim his roster of lucrative clients.

Granted, this story provided an entertaining premise on which to start a hit TV series, however anyone who has spent half a minute working inside a competitive law firm could easily identify that it illustrated precisely why addressing succession and the planning for it proactively is a critical business strategy.

Afterall, smart succession enables grace and dignity—a much more elegant ending than either a fumbled hand-off or dying at one’s desk both of which might prompt Bugs Bunny’s pal, Porky Pig, to stutter his signature sign-off: “Th-Th… That’s all, folks!”  

Law firm leadership is at a pivotal juncture. The response of participants at a recent leadership conference certainly supports the proposition that the importance of leadership is increasing exponentially.

As the legal industry continues to undergo rapid transformation, strong and forward-thinking leadership is becoming increasingly crucial for success and profitability.

Management or Leadership

Often, when discussing law firm leadership, lawyers use the terms "management" and "leadership" interchangeably, and they are different – equally essential but distinct.

Leadership in a law firm involves guiding and influencing the firm's vision, culture, and strategic direction. Management in a law firm refers to the administration and operational oversight of the firm's resources, including human resources, finances, and client relations.

Management ensures operational excellence, stability, and efficiency, while leadership inspires innovation, guides strategic growth, and fosters a strong company culture.

In 2025, law firm management and leadership serve distinct but interconnected roles. The traditional boundaries are blurring. Leaders increasingly take on managerial aspects to ensure alignment with the firm's strategic vision.

The most successful firms are those that seamlessly blend managerial discipline with visionary leadership, adapting to an ever-changing legal landscape and positioning themselves for sustained success.

The Major Challenges Faced by Leaders

Law firm leaders face numerous challenges, but four major ones are:

• Adapting to technological disruptions;
• Managing remote or hybrid work model;
• Maintaining profitability amid fee pressure; and
• Increased competition.
  
  

This importance of leadership is driven by a shift towards more inclusive, innovative, and strategic approaches. Effective leaders are those who can navigate complex change, foster a thriving firm culture, and continuously adapt to the evolving legal industry landscape.

Does Gender in Your Leadership Team Matter?

The newly evolving skill set that successful leaders urgently require will and has impacted the gender makeup of the leadership group in the legal industry.

Over recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of women rising to leadership positions in law firms. Evidence suggests that diverse leadership teams, including those with women, often bring different perspectives and approaches that benefit firm growth, profitability, and client relations.

This premise is not based on hope or wishful thinking; instead, it is grounded in the science of the brain in general and the differences in the attributes of male and female brains, which continue to grow and evolve.

Numerous studies have been conducted on the differences between male and female brains. When considering broad factors, the differences can be interpreted as cancelling each other out, leading to the conclusion that sex differences in personality do not exist.

However, a report from December 2019 provided the following example:

"For instance, males and females, on average, don't differ much on extraversion. However, at a more narrow level, you can see that males, on average, are more assertive (an aspect of extraversion). In contrast, females on average are more sociable and friendly (another aspect of extraversion)."

So well, there is nothing to indicate a difference in intellectual performance; as noted in the book "Leadership and the Sexes: Using Gender Science to Create Success in Business," there are differences in behavioral patterns, including:

• How and what we remember: Women tend to take in more through their five senses than men do and store more of this material in the brain for later use. Thus, they tend to remember more details during a conversation.
  
  
• How we process words (including how many and what kinds of words we use): Women use many more words than men while speaking, reading, and writing.
  
  
• How we experience the world: Female retinas have more P ganglion cells — which see color and fine detail — while male retinas have more M ganglion cells, which more easily see the physical motion of objects around them.
  
  
• What we buy and why we buy it: Women's buying is linked to an immediate, complex sensory experience, so they enjoy walking through a store and touching objects. Men, on the other hand, tend to relate their buying more to performance competition, often buying memorabilia from sports teams with which they identify.
  
  
• The way our midbrain (limbic system) and emotional processing work: A woman can process a significant, emotion-laden experience immediately, whereas it may take a man hours to do so. This often creates considerable tension between men and women.
  
  
• The amounts of white and grey matter in the brain: Women have more white matter, which connects brain centers in the neural network, while men have more grey matter, which localizes brain activity into a single brain center. This is one reason the genders bring different perspectives to the same problem or design. Women can connect widely different elements that men often overlook, while men tend to focus on one element or pattern without distraction more effectively than women.

A real example of this difference is how the genders approach diversity and inclusion. First, it is essential to understand that a leadership statement claiming the entity strongly supports diversity and inclusion, along with established policies, neither ensures their execution as intended nor aligns with people's experiences.

Successful execution requires a combination of participatory collaboration, descriptive communication, emotional intelligence (EQ), and individual development, ensuring that policies reflect the experiences of people.

Muhtar Kent (former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Coca-Cola) perhaps said it best when he shared:

"We need to make everyone more aware of the benefits of empowering women. Then I think we can succeed faster. Because it's one thing to achieve success and another to repeat success. That's the job of a leader. Promoting women leadership and creating a more level playing field is a huge enabler to repeat success."

Conclusion

Ultimately, the best law firm leaders are those who possess the necessary skills, experience, and vision, regardless of gender. Promoting diversity and inclusion in leadership is recognized as essential for fostering innovation, resilience, and a competitive edge in the legal industry.

When your firm’s systems slow down or stop working, the impact is immediate. Lawyers and staff can’t access files, draft documents, or send critical emails. Work that could be billed is put on hold, and the time available to meet deadlines gets shorter. Communication with clients also suffers because calls, video meetings, and document sharing often rely on the same systems that are now unavailable.

You can reduce these problems by making your IT setup faster and less prone to failure. We’re not talking about spending heavily on the latest tools: all you need to do is make a few practical changes. By taking a proactive approach, you can cut downtime in half and give your team the tools they need to serve clients without delay.

The True Cost of IT Downtime for Law Firms

When your systems are down, the most immediate loss is billable time. Lawyers at your firm can’t draft contracts, prepare filings, or review case materials without access to the software, files, and databases they rely on. If your practice management system, document storage, or email platform is unavailable, entire workflows grind to a halt.

Downtime also damages client service. Missed or delayed emails mean clients may not receive updates when they expect them. File-sharing interruptions can prevent timely delivery of contracts, pleadings, or discovery materials. Video calls and virtual hearings may have to be rescheduled, creating further delays and forcing clients to adjust their own plans. These interruptions can erode client confidence in your ability to manage their future matters.

Identify and Eliminate Common Causes of Downtime

Many law firms still take an “if it’s working, leave it alone” approach to technology. While this can postpone immediate expenses, it eventually leads to repeated outages and slowdowns that cost far more in lost time and client service.

• Outdated Hardware: Aging hardware is one of the biggest culprits. Desktop computers with outdated processors, hard drives that are near failure, and servers running on expired warranties can slow daily tasks like opening large case files or loading practice management software.
• Outdated Software: Security vulnerabilities left open by skipped updates make systems more likely to be targeted by ransomware or phishing attacks. Even if a breach doesn’t occur, older versions of software can suffer from bugs that cause sudden crashes or data corruption.
• Network Bottlenecks: Outdated routers or switches, weak Wi-Fi coverage in parts of the office, and overloaded connections from simultaneous video hearings can slow down everything from uploading evidence to sharing discovery files with opposing counsel. In a hybrid work setup, poor network performance also disrupts secure remote access.

Without proactive monitoring, small issues, such as low storage on a server, warning signs of hard drive failure, or growing email queues, can remain hidden until they cause a full shutdown. By the time a technician is called, deadlines may already be missed and the backlog of work may be harder to recover from.

Proactive Monitoring and Maintenance Are Key

Proactive IT monitoring is one of the best ways to prevent outages. Instead of waiting for staff to report a problem, use monitoring tools to check the health of your systems 24/7 and alert your IT team to potential failures. This approach allows many issues to be resolved after hours, so your lawyers log in the next morning to functioning systems instead of error messages.

Ongoing maintenance complements monitoring by keeping your systems in stable condition. Regular updates to operating systems, security patches for applications, and firmware upgrades for hardware help prevent vulnerabilities and performance issues. Maintenance also includes cleaning up server storage, replacing aging components, and testing backups to ensure they’ll work when needed.

Standardize Office Systems and Software

Running different versions of the same software across your firm can increase the risk of technical problems. One lawyer might be using the latest version of your document management system while another is two updates behind, leading to file errors or inconsistent formatting. These mismatches can cause delays when collaborating on contracts, pleadings, or client reports.

Standardizing software ensures that everyone is working in the same environment. For example, if all lawyers are on the same version of Microsoft 365, they’ll all have the same features, security updates, and interface, which reduces confusion during training and support calls.

Hardware standardization is just as important. Using the same type of computers, monitors, and peripheral devices streamlines maintenance and reduces downtime due to hardware incompatibility. In a law office, this can mean faster setup for new hires, smoother transitions when replacing old equipment, and fewer surprises when connecting to court or client systems.

Build a Rapid Response Protocol

Even with proactive monitoring and standardized systems, problems can still arise. A rapid response protocol ensures that when they do, your team knows exactly what steps to take and who to contact. Without a clear plan, valuable time can be lost while staff try to figure out how to report the issue or wait for someone else to act.

The first step is defining your escalation path. Assign a primary contact within the firm who collects issue reports and relays them to your IT provider. Make sure everyone knows how to reach this person and what information to provide, such as error messages, affected systems, and the urgency of the problem. This avoids multiple, incomplete calls or tickets that slow down resolution.

What’s the Bottom Line?

IT downtime disrupts client service, shortens the time available to meet deadlines, and reduces profitability. By addressing common causes, using proactive monitoring, standardizing systems, creating a rapid response protocol, and giving staff basic troubleshooting skills, you can reduce the time lost to technology issues.

Every hour your systems are unavailable is an hour your lawyers and staff can’t work on client files. Taking targeted steps now helps you avoid larger disruptions later, keep cases on track, and maintain your firm’s reputation for reliability.