Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the legal landscape was changing – clients and law firms were pushing boundaries to provide more innovative and transparent legal matter management. This is why BLG is providing all its paraprofessionals with training in Legal Project Management Certification.
Over the last five years, BLG has invested in the development of its Paraprofessional Services Group, which includes more than 250 law clerks, paralegals and specialists, who have access to a detailed career framework for talent development, career support and skills training.
Now, BLG is taking an innovative approach to ensuring its paraprofessionals have market-leading skills. Partnering with the LPM Institute and LawVision, a leading legal operations training organization, every paraprofessional in the firm will receive Legal Project Management (LPM) training to help them manage matters more efficiently. Believing in the importance of the paraprofessional role, BLG is the first Canadian law firm to invest in LPM training for all its paraprofessionals.
LPM training will empower paraprofessionals to be more involved with clients and use their unique knowledge of the practice to help create and manage matter budgets and matter plans, manage the scope of the project, and meet client deliverables.
Mary Munro, BLG’s National Director of Paraprofessional Services, says there are many benefits to investing in paraprofessional training. “Our paraprofessional team has always been crucial in providing exceptional client service, but increasingly our clients are asking for paraprofessionals to be more involved in their matters. By providing our paraprofessionals continuous learning opportunities, we strengthen our team and provide clients with the best possible service.”
BLG’s paraprofessionals are excited to get more involved in matter management.
Sandra Smith is a senior law clerk in BLG’s Disputes Practice and has been with the firm for 22 years. She completed the LPM Certification this summer. “I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to take the LPM training with LawVision,” she says. “This training has taken my project management skills to a whole new level and will empower me to continue to grow in my career.”
Once paraprofessionals complete their LPM certification they will enrol in an internal Legal Operations Bootcamp, where they will continue expanding their knowledge in commercial management and apply their LPM skills on real matters. In keeping with BLG’s commitment to recognizing its talent, paraprofessionals are recognized and rewarded for their matter management contributions.
BLG’s innovative approach to elevating and investing in its paraprofessionals is a step ahead of the market, both in providing a leading client experience and a paraprofessional career that has impact right from the start.
BLG has more than 250 paraprofessionals and leads the market in paraprofessional training. If you would like to learn more about the paraprofessional role at BLG or their role in Legal Project Management, reach out to us at [email protected].
