Visiting the world of KM

As some of you may know, for five years, I had the privilege of editing KM Legal’s sister publication Managing Partner. As part of that title, I sometimes covered knowledge-management (KM) issues, and reported on the evolution of this discipline within the overall management structure of the legal profession. It is not until now, however, that I have been given the chance to really drill into this important topic as KM Legal’s one-off consulting editor.

The thing that has struck me in taking on this task, is that KM continues to be debated as much as it ever was. Perhaps the rather limiting term, knowledge management, hasn’t helped demonstrate the overarching business potential for KM activities. But, even as KM professionals take on ever-more responsibility for dealing with internal and external clients, others continue to debate whether business-development divisions or even IT, will eventually claim ownership of a firm’s KM. In the cover story for this issue, for instance, I looked into the role of the professional support/know-how lawyer. Where much of the job seemed to once entail compiling practice notes and precedents, PSLs now engage in firm-wide training of fee earners, as well as providing seminars to clients and helping on pitches to win work. Such broadening responsibility, however, has brought know-how lawyers into closer contact with business development and IT. And with such support divisions now having to work so much more closely together, so has arisen the debate over where KM should sit.

Looking at client needs, however, it seems to me that there has never been such a need for firms to appoint and maintain stand-alone KM departments, including qualified lawyers with the expertise to help both fee earners and clients. With clients demanding ‘value-added services’, it has become important for KM practitioners to provide in-house training for clients, for example, or to meet with clients to support a firm’s pitch for work. For success, firms and fee earners also need to have a finely tuned understanding of what clients want and have the know-how to meet those needs. Without a fully supported and resourced KM division, I wonder how successfully firms will be able to meet changing client expectations.

Thankfully, however, evidence suggests that while KM continues to be debated, the actual remit and responsibilities of the KM team continue to grow. Far from disappearing into other support functions, know-how managers and lawyers look likely to play an increasingly vital role in the provision of excellent services to law-firm clients.

As a final note, I would like to thank the editor of KM Legal Kate Clifton for allowing me to take the helm on this summer issue. While I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity, I am sure you will be pleased to have Kate back in the editor seat for the next issue.

Caroline Poynton
Consulting editor

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