Legal Project Managers extend from lawyers to now being a career path for allied legal professionals, such as para legals, as well as professionally certified project managers. This has called for the development of a rigourous competency assessment tool being developed by a IILPM working group comprising Todd Hutchison (Chair), Aileen Leventon, Antony Smith, Ignaz Fuesgen, and David Rueff Jr.
With the differing career entry pathways, the competency model has to look toward both the legal environment knowledge and legal project management specific knowledge, following five key areas: the practice of law: the legislative, procedural rules and ethical responsibilities of the practice of law; the legal industry ecosystem: the industry knowledge of the roles of legal professionals, buyers and consumers involved in legal services; legal operations: the policies, processes, information management and the associated supporting technologies of the business of law; the legal project lifecycle: the approach, methods and techniques of defining, planning, delivering and closing legal matters and other projects; and the people dynamics: the soft skills required to engage key stakeholders and lead legal project team.
The context and integration of these five knowledge areas are the basis for assessing gaps in the capabilities and growth opportunities for an aspiring legal project manager. In order to identify such gaps in knowledge and to develop a custom professional development plan, those assessed would be rated across five levels of practice capability: Uninformed, Aware, Knowledgeable, Competent and Accomplished. Each level includes a robust profile of the associated knowledge, skills and experience typically required.
This competency model will be tested across the 13 countries where IILPM Accredited Training Providers reside, and extended to practicing graduates that exist in 47 countries.
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