Gain the knowledge and practical tools you will need to build an organization that can adapt in the face of today’s challenges and achieve continued success tomorrow.
The global events of the last two years have amplified the trends – globalization, digital transformation, diversity, and generational change – that were already impacting the legal services market and will continue to shape the competitive environment in which law firms operate in the future. Law firm leaders must develop a sophisticated strategy as they seek to build resilient organizations that will continue to provide outstanding service to clients and attract and retain top talent, while nurturing a culture that embraces change but also preserves a firm’s core strengths.
Leading the Law Firm of the Future will provide participants the knowledge and practical tools they will need to build an organization that can adapt in the face of today’s challenges and achieve continued success tomorrow.
Through a series of highly interactive case studies, lectures, discussions, simulations, and exercises led by world-class experts from Harvard Law School, Harvard Business School, and other leading institutions around the world, the program will provide participants with frameworks to navigate the interrelated drivers impacting their organization:
The External Environment: Clients and Competition
The Internal Environment: Talent, Systems and Structures
The Leadership Style: Building Purpose and Leading Change
Leading the Law Firm of the Future is designed for senior law firm leaders who have an understanding of the basic tenants of leadership and strategy, gained in intensive training programs such as Harvard Law School Executive Education’s Leadership in Law Firms. Building on and expanding participants’ foundational knowledge, this program will provide new perspectives on the challenges they face while also giving them the opportunity to discuss and practice what they have learned. Participants will connect with peers from around the world to share experiences and potential solutions – and return to their firms with renewed energy to ready their firm for the future.
About the Leading the Law Firm of the Future program
PROGRAM GOALS
Leading the Law Firm of the Future will prepare participants to navigate today’s rapidly changing world. Participants will leave the program equipped to:
Acknowledge uncertainty and balance competing perspectives—and even agendas—while still pushing a firm forward.
Solve problems more effectively by developing integrated solutions that draw on more than one area of expertise and incorporate several different perspectives simultaneously.
Build a dynamic and resilient firm by understanding their stakeholders, including their people, future talent, and clients.
Take a holistic approach to firm strategy and integrate the strategy through the whole organization, down to business level units.
Adapt their personal leadership style to inspire people and lead effectively through change.
CURRICULUM
Using real case studies on law firms and other professional services firms, engaging discussions, and interaction with peers, participants will work through possible approaches and solutions to the challenges participants, their firm, and their clients face right now. The program will cover a wide range of topics including but not limited to:
Leadership in the New Normal
Sustainability, Stakeholders, and Social Justice
Digital Transformation
Developing Culture, Structure, and Systems
Multi-disciplinary Teams
Corporate and Business Unit Strategy
Public Narrative
PARTICIPANTS
Leading the Law Firm of the Future is for senior law firm leaders who have influence over the strategic direction of the firm. Participants will typically have 20+ years of experience and strong foundational understanding of the principles of strategy and leadership.
For the first offering of this program in 2022, applicants should either be alumni of a previous Leadership in Law Firms program or have significant management experience. Applicants in the latter category will be considered on a case by case basis.
Our core faculty are members of Harvard faculty – distinguished academicians, educators, researchers, authors, and practitioners in their respective fields. Representing various disciplines, they are close to practice through relationships with law firm leaders and General Counsel and through personal involvement as consultants for top firms around the world.
