Your Final Project in this course is to draft a law firm business plan for a law firm or legal services organization (hypothetical or real)
Your Final Project in this course is to draft a law firm business plan for a law firm or legal services organization (hypothetical or real) that you hope to open after graduation.
Your law firm business plan should be comprehensive, thoughtful, and clear. It must fully and completely address all of the topics that we’ve discussed in class this semester and explain how your law firm will approach each topic in sufficient detail and depth. In addition, it should provide justifications for why the strategies and tactics you are proposing are a good fit for your firm or business. Be sure not only to explain what your law firm or legal services business plans to do, but also why and how you plan to do it.
Each of your proposals should also be effectively supported by data. This data may include, but is not limited to, realistic estimates of cost for staffing, office expenses, marketing initiatives, and owner compensation, and demographics supporting choices around law firm services offered, target market selection and outreach, staffing, and operations. The data you use to support your law firm business plan can include sources that have been assigned in this course, but will also almost certainly require outside research.
Your Final Project should also include an Executive Summary that gives a clear, concise, and complete view of how your practice will work. Because the Executive Summary is a summary of your law firm business plan, it should be written only after you have given every aspect of your law firm business plan comprehensive consideration. Often, the Executive Summary is the last thing that a business owner writes.
Your Final Project should demonstrate an understanding of the assigned material in this course and how that information affects business planning and management decisions for law firms and legal service organizations. Remember that a number of tools, checklists, sample business plans and other resources have been provided to you throughout the semester that will help you build your law firm business plan.
Formatting of Final Project
Your Final Project should be no more than 30 double-spaced pages (this is a ceiling, not a floor) using a standard size font (11 or 12 point Times New Roman, Arial or Calibri). Your work product should be written clearly and concisely, use a professional tone and be free of typographical and grammatical errors and submitted on time. (Business plans are often single-spaced, but for the purposes of this course and to minimize faculty eyestrain over the holiday season, please double space your Final Project.)
Please include a Cover Page with the name of your business, your name, the name of this class, and the date.
You should write your Final Project in paragraph form using headers and subheads and other formatting techniques such as table of contents, charts, graphs or bulleted lists as you think appropriate to clearly and succinctly communicate the information. If you elect to use visual elements like charts and graphs, be sure that you have sufficiently explained the purpose of the chart in text form as well.
Your Final Project should be your own individual work product. You may discuss the project with one another and share ideas, but your work product must be your own. You must also include citations in your Final Project for any supporting material that is referenced. Citations may be embedded or in footnotes and do not need to follow Bluebook form, but you must provide enough information about the source so that we are able to find it.
Organization of Final Project
Your Final Project must be organized into the following sections. You’ll note that these correspond with the sections on the Final Project rubric.
- Cover Page
- Table of Contents
- Executive Summary
- Law Firm Leadership
- Forming the Law Firm
- Financing the Law Firm
- Building a Client-Centered Law Firm
- Marketing the Law Firm
- Creating Law Firm Culture and Managing Resources
- Operating the Law Firm & Law Firm Budget
- Law Firm Compensation Structure
- Law Firm Technology Planning
- Risk Management, Contingency, and Succession Planning
- Law Firm Goal Setting
- The Changing Practice of Law
Your Final Project should also include citations to the sources you are relying on. You may include citations in any format that works best for you (footnotes, endnotes, or embedded notes).
The Cover Page and Table of Contents are not included in the page count. Footnotes, endnotes, or embedded notes are included in the page count.
Please review the rubric for the Final Project carefully. The best business plans in prior semesters have addressed every criteria on the rubric. The business plans that have scored the lowest did not pay enough attention to the rubric criteria.
Final Project Rubric 2024
| Criteria | Ratings | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|
| This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeExecutive Summary | 6 ptsDistinguishedThe plan includes an Executive Summary that is entirely clear and concise in summarizing the key points of the law firm business plan, laying out a roadmap for the reader to the rest of the business plan, and capturing the reader’s attention and enticing the reader to continue reading.4 ptsProficientThe plan includes an Executive Summary that is mostly clear and concise in summarizing the key points of the law firm business plan, laying out a roadmap for the reader to the rest of the business plan, and capturing the reader’s attention and enticing the reader to continue reading.2 ptsNeeds ImprovementThe plan includes an Executive Summary that is only somewhat clear and concise in summarizing the key points of the law firm business plan, and/or laying out a roadmap for the reader to the rest of the business plan, and/or capturing the reader’s attention and enticing the reader to continue reading.0 ptsNon-performanceThe plan fails to include an Executive Summary. | 6 pts | |
| This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeLaw Firm LeadershipMission, vision, values, leadership role, and skills needed | 9 ptsDistinguishedThe plan describes a specific mission, vision, and values for the business and uses data to justify this proposal; describes the author’s role in leading the business, distinguishes between leadership and ownership in a meaningful way, and uses data to justify why the author proposes this leadership role; describes the specific skills necessary to providing leadership, how the author and other leaders will obtain those skills, and uses data to justify the necessity of those skills.6 ptsProficientThe plan describes a specific mission, vision, and values for the business; describes the author’s role in leading the business and distinguishes between leadership and ownership in a meaningful way; describes the specific skills necessary to providing leadership and how the author and other leaders will obtain those skills.3 ptsNeeds ImprovementThe plan describes a broad and limited mission, vision, and values for the business; describes the author’s role in leading the business, but fails to distinguish between leadership and ownership in a meaningful way; describes specific skills necessary to providing leadership, but fails to explain how the author and other leaders will obtain those skills.0 ptsNon-performanceThe plan fails to describe a mission, vision, and values for the business; fails to describe the author’s role in leading the business; fails to describe specific skills necessary to providing leadership. | 9 pts | |
| This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeForming the Law FirmOverall description of business, organizational form, alternative forms, and steps to be taken. | 12 ptsDistinguishedThe plan describes the business at a specific level and justifies with data or other rationale the author’s choice; identifies a particular organizational form and justifies with data why that form is viable under applicable state law; justifies with data why other organizational forms are less optimal or not viable; describes the steps necessary to implement the formation and provides a specific timeline and identifies required resources.8 ptsProficientThe plan describes the business at a specific level; identifies a particular organizational form and explains why it is viable under applicable state law; specifically explains why other organizational forms are less optimal or not viable; describes the steps necessary to implement the formation.4 ptsNeeds ImprovementThe plan describes the business in generalities; identifies a particular organizational form but tails to explain or generalizes on why that organizational form is viable; generalizes why other organizational forms are less optimal or not viable; describes only generally the steps necessary to implement the formation.0 ptsNon-performanceThe plan fails to describe the business; fails to identify a particular organizational form that is viable; fails to explain why other organizational forms are less optimal or not viable; fails to describe the steps necessary to implement formation. | 12 pts | |
| This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeFinancing the Law FirmOverall financing structure and specific financing options | 6 ptsDistinguishedThe plan describes a specific overall financial plan and uses data to justify its viability; describes specific financial options and uses data to to justify the selected option.4 ptsProficientThe plan describes a specific overall financial plan for the business; describes specific financing options and provides reasonable explanations for the selected option.2 ptsNeeds ImprovementThe plan describes a general overall financial plan; describes specific financing options but fails to select a single option or fails to reasonably explain the selected option.0 ptsNon-performanceThe plan fails to describe a financial plan; fails to identify specific financing options and fails to select an option. | 6 pts | |
| This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeBuilding a Client-Centered Law FirmClient-centered law firm, client journey, service, and retention, law firm tools, systems, and workflow, professionalism and ethical operations. | 15 ptsDistinguishedThe plan describes and uses data to justify a specific framework by which the business will position itself to take on clients and create a client-centered law firm experience, specifically describes the client journey at each stage including anticipating client feelings and needs, describes the specific tools, systems, and workflow needed to create a client-centered law firm and justifies those choices with data; describes and anticipates specific changes that may/should prompt additional systems changes and expenditure and uses data to justify those changes; describes the specific ways in which the law firm’s operations support the requirements for lawyer professionalism and ethics and uses data to justify those operations.10 ptsProficientThe plan describes a specific framework by which the business will position itself to take on clients and create a client-centered law firm experience, specifically describes the client journey at each stage including anticipating client feelings and needs, describes the specific tools, systems, and workflow needed to create a client-centered law firm; describes and anticipates specific changes that may/should prompt additional systems changes and expenditure; describes the specific ways in which the law firm’s operations support the requirements for lawyer professionalism and ethics.5 ptsNeeds ImprovementThe plan describes a general framework by which the business will position itself to take on clients and create a client-centered law firm experience, generally describes the client journey at each stage including anticipating client feelings and needs, describes generally tools, systems, and workflow needed to create a client-centered law firm; describes and anticipates general changes that may/should prompt additional systems changes and expenditure; describes generally the ways in which the law firm’s operations support the requirements for lawyer professionalism and ethics.0 ptsNon-performanceThe plan fails to describe a framework by which the business will position itself to take on clients and create a client-centered law firm experience, fails to describe the client journey at each stage including anticipating client feelings and needs, fails to describe tools, systems, and workflow needed to create a client-centered law firm; fails to describe and anticipate changes that may/should prompt additional systems changes and expenditure; fails to describe the ways in which the law firm’s operations support the requirements for lawyer professionalism and ethics. | 15 pts | |
| This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeMarketing the Law FirmTarget market, tactics, alternative tactics, key messages, and rules | 12 ptsDistinguishedThe plan identifies specific target audience(s) and uses data to justify the choice; describes specific and reasonable means or tactics of marketing to the target audience(s) and uses data to justify the tactics; describes specific, alternate means of marketing and indicates why those alternatives were not selected; describes specific key marketing messages for each target audience and why those messages were selected; specifically describes the applicable ethical rules of legal marketing in the author’s jurisdiction and explains how those rules impacted the author’s choice of marketing tactics.8 ptsProficientThe plan identifies specific target audience(s) and explains choice; describes specific and reasonable means or tactics of marketing to the target audience(s) and explains the reasoning for those tactics; describes specific, alternate means of marketing and indicates why those alternatives were not selected; describes specific key marketing messages for each target audience and why those messages were selected; specifically describes the applicable ethical rules of legal marketing in the author’s jurisdiction.4 ptsNeeds ImprovementThe plan generally describes target audience(s) and explains choice; generally describes reasonable means or tactics of marketing to the target audience(s) and explains the reasoning for those tactics; generally describes alternate means of marketing, but does not indicate why those alternatives were not selected; describes general marketing messages for each target audience but does not indicate why those messages were selected; generally describes the applicable ethical rules of legal marketing in the author’s jurisdiction.0 ptsNon-performanceThe plan fails to identify target audience(s) and the reasons for that choice; fails to describe reasonable means or tactics of marketing to the target audience(s) and explain the reasoning for those tactics; fails to explore alternate means of marketing and does not indicate why those alternatives were not selected; fails to describe key marketing messages for each target audience and why those messages were selected; fails to describe the applicable ethical rules of legal marketing in the author’s jurisdiction. | 12 pts | |
| This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeCreating Law Firm Culture and Managing Firm ResourcesRecruiting, retaining, and valuing attorneys and staff, creating a positive law firm culture, and planning for needs and anticipating changes | 12 ptsDistinguishedThe plan describes the specific numbers and types of employees necessary to provide excellent client service and uses data to justify the choices; anticipates specific changes that may/should prompt additional hiring or expenditure and uses data to justify those changes; describes specific ways in which the law firm’s operations will create a positive law firm culture, demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and support professional development and health and wellness of its attorneys and staff and uses data to justify those choices.8 ptsProficientThe plan describes the specific numbers and types of employees necessary to provide excellent client service; anticipates specific changes that may/should prompt additional hiring or expenditure; describes specific ways in which the law firm’s operations will create a positive law firm culture, demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and support professional development and health and wellness of its attorneys and staff.4 ptsNeeds ImprovementThe plan generally describes the numbers and types of employees necessary to provide excellent client service; anticipates general changes that may/should prompt additional hiring or expenditure; describes general ways in which the law firm’s operations will create a positive law firm culture, demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and support professional development and health and wellness of its attorneys and staff.0 ptsNon-performanceThe plan fails to describe the numbers and types of employees necessary to provide excellent client service; fails to anticipate changes that may/should prompt additional hiring or expenditure; fails to describe ways in which the law firm’s operations will create a positive law firm culture, demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and support professional development and health and wellness of its attorneys and staff. | 12 pts | |
| This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeOperating the Law Firm and Law Firm BudgetAnticipated law firm expenses and income from client development | 12 ptsDistinguishedThe plan identifies a specific list of operational expenses for launching and managing the firm that includes start-up costs through the first year and uses data to justify the proposed expenses; identifies the specific types of cases and projects the firm will need to accept in order to cover expenses and recognize a profit (if applicable) and offers specific examples that use data to justify these decisions.8 ptsProficientThe plan identifies a specific list of operational expenses for launching and managing the firm that includes start-up costs through the first year; identifies the types of cases and projects the firm will need to accept in order to cover expenses and recognize a profit (if applicable) and offers specific examples.4 ptsNeeds ImprovementThe plan identifies a general list of operational expenses for launching and managing the law firm, without specifically differentiating start-up and first year management costs; identifies the types of cases and projects the firm will need to accept in order to cover expenses and recognize a profit (if applicable).0 ptsNon-performanceThe plan fails to identify a list of operational expenses for launching and managing the law firm; fails to identify the types of cases or projects the firm will need to accept in order to cover expenses and recognize a profit (if applicable). | 12 pts | |
| This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeLaw Firm Compensation Structure | 6 ptsDistinguishedThe plan describes a specific ownership and compensation structure for law firm owners and uses data to justify the reasons for this structure; describes specific alternate ownership and compensation structures, indicates why those alternative structures were not chosen, and identifies organizational or market changes that may require a revision to an alternative structure.4 ptsProficientThe plan describes a specific ownership and compensation structure for law firm owners and provides reasons for this structure; describes specific alternate ownership and compensation structures and indicates why those alternative structures were not chosen.2 ptsNeeds ImprovementThe plan describes an ownership and compensation structure for law firm owners; describes alternate ownership and compensation structures, but does not indicate why those alternative structures were not chosen.0 ptsNon-performanceThe plan fails to describe an ownership and compensation structure for law firm owners; fails to describe alternate ownership and compensation structures. | 6 pts | |
| This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeLaw Firm Technology PlanningTechnology planning for business operations, staffing, lawyer work product, and communications | 6 ptsDistinguishedThe plan describes a specific approach for the technology required to operate the business through day-to-day operations and in the event of an unexpected or unanticipated event and supports that approach with rules or data. The plan describes with specificity and supports with rules or data the factors that the author will consider in developing such an approach and the technology the author will use to manage the business operations of the law firm, the staffing of the law firm, the production of high-quality lawyer work product on client matters, and law firm communications.4 ptsProficientThe plan describes a specific approach for the technology required to operate the business through day-to-day operations and in the event of an unexpected or unanticipated event and supports that approach with rules or data. The plan describes with specificity the factors that the author will consider in developing such an approach and the technology the author will use to manage the business operations of the law firm, the staffing of the law firm, the production of high-quality lawyer work product on client matters, and law firm communications.2 ptsNeeds ImprovementThe plan describes a general approach for the technology required to operate the business through day-to-day operations and in the event of an unexpected or unanticipated event. The plan describes generally the factors that the author will consider in developing such an approach and the technology the author will use to manage the business operations of the law firm, the staffing of the law firm, the production of high-quality lawyer work product on client matters, and law firm communications.0 ptsNon-performanceThe plan fails to describe the technology required to operate the business through day-to-day operations and in the event of an unexpected or unanticipated event. The plan fails to describe the factors that the author will consider in developing such an approach and the technology the author will use to manage the business operations of the law firm, the staffing of the law firm, the production of high-quality lawyer work product on client matters, and law firm communications. | 6 pts | |
| This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeRisk Management, Contingency, and Succession PlanningPlanning for the financial, business, and legal risks facing the business including (but not limited to) contingency planning and succession planning. | 6 ptsDistinguishedThe plan describes a specific approach for the management of the financial, business, and legal risks facing the business including (but not limited to) contingency planning, succession planning, and crisis communications. The plan describes with specificity and supports with rules or data the factors that the author will consider and the steps the author will take in managing the financial, business, and legal risks of the law firm.4 ptsProficientThe plan describes a specific approach for the management of the financial, business, and legal risks facing the business including (but not limited to) contingency planning, succession planning, and crisis communications. The plan describes with specificity the factors that the author will consider and the steps the author will take in managing the financial, business, and legal risks of the law firm.2 ptsNeeds ImprovementThe plan describes a general approach for the management of the financial, business, and legal risks facing the business including (but not limited to) contingency planning, succession planning, and crisis communications. The plan describes generally the factors that the author will consider and the steps the author will take in managing the financial, business, and legal risks of the law firm.0 ptsNon-performanceThe plan fails to describe an approach for the management of the financial, business, and legal risks facing the business including (but not limited to) contingency planning, succession planning, and crisis communications. The plan fails to describe the factors that the author will consider and the steps the author will take in managing the financial, business, and legal risks of the law firm. | 6 pts | |
| This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeLaw Firm Goal SettingEstablishing long-term and short-term goals for the growth of the business | 6 ptsDistinguishedThe plan establishes at least 5 long-term and short-term goals for the law firm that are specifically described, measurable, time-bound, relevant and logically connected to the described mission, vision, values, and culture of the law firm, and achievable in light of the financial, legal, and operational plan and resources available to the law firm.4 ptsProficientThe plan establishes at least 5 long-term and short-term goals for the law firm that are only generally described but are relevant and logically connected to the described mission, vision, values, and culture of the law firm, and are achievable in light of the financial, legal, and operational plan and resources available to the law firm.2 ptsNeeds ImprovementThe plan establishes fewer than 5 long-term and short-term goals for the law firm that are only generally described and which, while possibly achievable in light of the financial, legal, and operational plan and resources available to the law firm, lack relevance and logical connection to the described mission, vision, values, and culture of the law firm.0 ptsNon-performanceThe plan fails to establish long-term and short-term goals for the law firm. | 6 pts | |
| This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeChanging Practice of LawImpact of advancements in the legal profession on the law firm | 9 ptsDistinguishedThe plan specifically addresses the ways in which the practice of law is changing and the specific impact of those changes on the proposed law firm and accounts for how and under what conditions the proposed law firm will respond to each of the changes and justifies those choices with data.6 ptsProficientThe plan specifically addresses the ways in which the practice of law is changing and the specific impact of those changes on the proposed law firm.3 ptsNeeds ImprovementThe plan only generally addresses the ways in which the practice of law is changing and the impact of those changes on the proposed law firm, but does not describe the changes or the impact with any specificity.0 ptsNon-performanceThe plan fails to address the ways in which the practice of law is changing and the impact of those changes on the proposed law firm. | 9 pts | |
| This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeWriting and Structure | 6 ptsDistinguishedThe plan consistently includes appropriate and complete references to assigned course material and other outside sources that support the author’s proposals; is written clearly, concisely, and in an organized manner while exhibiting the professionalism of a lawyer in tone, vocabulary, and style; is prepared in a professional manner using subheads or other formatting techniques and is entirely free of typographical errors.4 ptsProficientThe plan includes appropriate and complete references to the assigned course material and other outside sources that support the author’s proposal most of the time; is written clearly, concisely, and in an organized manner; is prepared in a professional manner using subheads or other formatting techniques and is mostly free of typographical errors.2 ptsNeeds ImprovementThe plan includes appropriate and complete references to the assigned course material and other outside sources that support the author’s proposal some of the time; is somewhat lacking in clarity, concision, or organization; is prepared somewhat carelessly with multiple typographical errors and formatting issues.0 ptsNon-performanceThe plan fails to include or includes only sporadically appropriate complete and references to the assigned course material or other outside sources that support the author’s proposals; is significantly deficient in the qualities of clarity, concision, organization; is prepared carelessly with many typographical errors and formatting issues. | 6 pts | |
| Total Points: 123 | |||
When completed, please self grade the business plan using the rubric.
Be sure to use the attached file.This will be a personal injury law firm that you can call “Johnson Injury Law Firm” based out of Las Vegas, NV.
Requirements: 30 pages double spaced max
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