The agile approach, developed in the software industry and adopted by various sectors, can enhance innovation and efficiency in legal services. It originated over two decades ago when a group of developers sought new approaches to manage the software industry.
Discover alternative methods to achieve legal effectiveness.
The Agile Manifesto, released in 2001, served as the foundation for various approaches embraced by the technology industry, leading to significant sector progress in recent years.
The developers aimed to enhance the operational system’s flexibility and efficiency to promote innovation and improve deliveries for customers and development teams. This led to the creation of four values and ten principles, which have influenced practices across different industries, including legal services.
Agile Manifesto principles
- People and their interactions are more important than the tools and processes.
- Software operation holds greater significance than detailed documentation.
- Collaborating with the client during contract negotiations.
- Respond to changes by adhering to a predetermined plan.
Agile Manifesto Principles
- Deliver software regularly.
- Customer satisfaction should be given top priority.
- Collaborate with the customer.
- Gather modifications in requirements, even towards the project’s completion.
- Construct projects based on individuals who are driven;
- Communicate in person.
- Assess development mainly through the use of software testing.
- Promote an environment conducive to sustainable development.
- Keep things simple.
- Team self-organization.
Legal administration: transitioning from Taylorism to agile techniques
Before considering the ways in which agile methodologies can benefit the legal industry, it is important to grasp the environment in which legal services operate and how the digital era has led to the need for new approaches to work and management.
Product and service organizations like law firms or legal departments typically follow the Taylorist organizational model, developed by Frederick Winslow Taylor in the late 19th century during the Industrial Revolution to maximize efficiency and productivity while minimizing costs.
The legal market has experienced significant growth due to the digital age and the high level of litigation in Brazil, leading to an increase in demand and complexity for lawyer organizations.
The efforts to boost production in the legal sector have inadvertently created further challenges. As a result, both clients and providers of legal services are experiencing high volume, low costs, standardized work, and little consideration for individual case details.
Agile methods for a complicated legal industry
Law has been influenced by technology and design, as well as adopting agile methods to empower professionals and promote innovation and efficiency in their work. This shift encourages a more creative and efficient legal sector, allowing for new working methods and legal perspectives.
This method enables the daily and ongoing management of the intricate legal services within an organization, fostering a collaborative work environment where the legal team operates swiftly with concise planning cycles and transparent communication. This setup facilitates the constant oversight of each project and real-time adjustments when necessary.
It is important for lawyers to start using the agile methodology in their work to improve efficiency and become a market leader. To assist with this, a course on working with agile methods in law will be offered to address the benefits and challenges. Learn more about the course at this link.
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