Should strategy always be centred on growth? Are there other barometers for success? Could collaboration – rather than competition – be a more effective strategy for your firm?

Now's the time to look through a critical lens at the age-old approach to legal business strategy.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

After you complete this subject, you will be able to:

• Explain foundational business strategy concepts
• Analyse the current state of a legal business
• Analyse disruptive strategy, growth strategy and competitive-collaborative strategy
• Develop a strategic plan for a legal practice applying key business models
• Develop a sustainable implementation plan to execute your strategy

• Apply effective written and oral communication skills to communicate strategic advice

FACILITATOR

Kristen Podagiel
Teaching Fellow

Kristen Podagiel has been involved with leading and growing dynamic companies and professional service firms for over 20 years. Kristen has been both the CEO/Managing Partner of McCullough Robertson, one of Australia’s largest independent law firms, and the CEO of the largest community legal centre in Queensland. She has also worked as a non-executive director and advisor partnering with a wide range of organisations (from professional service firms and listed companies through to charities and private companies) on strategy and on helping organisations implement ways to be more efficient, effective and enjoyable to be involved with.

Kristen has been named in the Australian Financial Review’s Top 100 Lawyers and has been the winner of the ILO Australian Client Choice Award for Energy and Natural Resources. She is also a founding director of charity UNIQ You, an innovative new career advisory service.

Kristen loves working with diverse stakeholders to identify strategic opportunities to ‘do things better’ and add value to the business. She is also accredited as one of Australia’s first practitioners in the area of Smart Collaboration – how to harness the unique skills and experience of a group of specialists to solve strategic problems that are volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous.

This subject is also available as a non-award, standalone short course.

Gain a solid understanding and tangible skills for innovative solutions

Significant changes in legal delivery are occurring around the globe. Traditional ways of doing business have given way to innovation at lightning speed.

Shift your way of thinking, solve problems efficiently and identify new opportunities for growth.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Designed to transform legal professionals into innovative individuals.

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

Assess the concepts and influences on innovative behaviour in the legal sector.

Evaluate legal operations for business improvement opportunities.

Apply problem solving frameworks to recommend creative value-add solutions for defined legal business problems.

Recommend performance metrics to promote an innovative culture.

Apply effective written and oral communication skills to communicate innovative solutions.

FACILITATOR

 

Alison Laird
Teaching Fellow

The Capstone Project is taken as your final subject, as a culmination of the knowledge and skills attained throughout your Master of Legal Business. It will allow you to demonstrate your skills in legal business using real-life scenarios and case studies.

Challenge the legal industry

The role of legal operations professional is crucial. You’ll act as a trusted, integrated business guardian for your organisation. And implement sweeping change to drive your team forward.

During this course, you’ll cover everything from strategic planning to information governance to financial management.

And you’ll walk away with the expertise and confidence to meet today’s legal challenges – head on.

This is a core subject for the Graduate Certificate in Legal Operations

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

Explain how delivery models for the legal profession have evolved.

Understand key considerations when designing, building, implementing and running world class legal operations

Recommend efficiency improvements to optimise legal operations.

Apply data analytic tools to inform decision-making in legal decision making process.

Prepare a business case to support an investment recommendation.

Develop key performance indicators to drive sustainable legal business operations.

Apply effective written communication skills to communicate improvements to legal business operations.

FACILITATOR

 

Steven Walker
Teaching Fellow

What’s the difference between management and leadership?

This subject is a road map to understanding the complexities and motivations of individuals and teams, and how to lead them to success.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

This is more than coaching, it’s cultivating meaningful teamwork

FACILITATOR

 

Dr Bob Murray
Teaching Fellow

Bob is an internationally recognised expert in strategy, leadership, influencing, human motivation and behavioural change. Using the latest research in human science, Bob helps organisations to better market their services, lead their people, improve their productivity and increase their firm-wide resilience.

With his colleague Dr Alicia Fortinberry, Bob won the American Science Achievement Award and was appointed to head the Obama Administration’s comprehensive national workstress initiative.

Bob is a NY Times best-selling author and he also writes for a professional audience. Bob’s weekly newsletter, “Today’s Research,” on the latest findings that apply to leadership, wellness, psychology and social trends, has a global readership of leaders in industry and academia.

The impact of new legal technologies is sweeping the profession. And as firms race towards a seamless service and the perfect process – you can’t afford to be left behind.

In this course, you’ll explore the fundamental legal technologies shaping the industry. So you can determine the best fit for your business and harness true innovation

LEARNING OUTCOMES

When you complete this course, you will be able to:

FACILITATOR

 

Fiona McLay
Teaching Fellow

We can’t know what the future will look like. We can use the best of workforce planning to be poised for success.

Learn how to align workforce planning and strategy in an ever-evolving workplace.

Using a wide range of case studies and resources, you’ll consider the practical challenges of a multi-generational workforce, the paradox of being both profitable today and ready for tomorrow and the different ways to communicate your insights to stakeholders.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

How to align workforce planning and strategy in an ever-evolving workplace.

Explain the purpose and challenges of workforce planning in contemporary legal settings.

Explain the technological and cultural components of digitalisation influencing workforce planning.

Create a workforce plan to support the execution of a business strategy for a legal business.

Develop a change management plan to implement the workforce plan.

Apply effective written and oral communication skills to communicate your workforce plan.

FACILITATOR

 

Daljit Singh
Teaching Fellow

Daljit runs Transforming Talent – a consultancy that helps professional services firms optimise performance and team goals. Before this, he spent 35 years in professional services firms, including KPMG and Baker McKenzie. At KPMG Daljit was Director of Professional Development and General Manager of Human Resources. At Baker McKenzie he was Director of Talent Management and Director of Leadership Development.

This subject is also available as a non-award, standalone short course.

Outpoint your competitors, provide real value for your clients

Pricing strategies that reflect the true value of your business - so you can thrive in a crowded, competitive market.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

Explain the economic and psychological factors that influence the pricing of legal services, considering both client and law firm perspectives.

Critique established and innovative pricing strategies and tactics in the legal services market.

Develop an effective pricing strategy for a legal practice; and

Apply effective communication and interpersonal skills to communicate a pricing strategy for a legal practice.

FACILITATORS

 

Nigel Haddon
Teaching Fellow

 

Khai Phan
Teaching Fellow

In today’s competitive legal landscape, there is more at financial play than ever before. Valuable, golden opportunities are there for the taking.

Develop a deep, broad understanding of financial performance and the opportunities surrounding your organisations finances.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Capital, cash flow, and making smart money moves

FACILITATOR

 

Khai Phan
Teaching Fellow

Khai has over 20 years of experience in running professional services businesses – within large multinational organisations including Citi, HSBC and Aon, as well as boutique firms.

With a focus on practical solutions, operational efficiencies and financial discipline, Khai has been successful in helping professional services firms achieve significant growth in profitability. Another important aspect of Khai’s work is to help individuals improve their financial acumen in the business and personal context. 

Khai is the Managing Director of Financial Training Australia and General Manager of Tribel Advisory. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce with Honours in Finance and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of NSW. 

The purchase of legal services is sophisticated and ultra competitive. Are you ready to put your best financial foot forward?

In this subject, you’ll uncover insights into the client buying process and experience, for the purpose of growing your targeted customer base and accelerating your business growth.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Use contemporary thinking in legal services pricing to your advantage.

FACILITATOR

 

Vivienne Corcoran
Teaching Fellow

Vivienne Corcoran started her working life with actuaries and has since held marketing and strategy director roles for local, national and international law, accounting, engineering, IP and IT firms. She has worked and presented in Australasia, and throughout UK and Asia. Along the way, she spent 15 years in brand strategy, developing and rolling out brands for B2B and B2C brands such as Telstra, ANZ and NEC.

In the last 10 plus years, Vivienne has developed a real passion for the voice of the client. She has interviewed thousands of clients and developed and delivered client feedback programs. She is the author of the popular book “Growing Your Professional Practice” (2009). Vivienne is currently working on a PhD in client feedback with Edinburgh Business School.