Organizational Structure of a Law Firm

Law firms have similar organizational structures as other corporations.

Law firms come in all sizes and shapes--from a small two- or three-person firm to large organizations with offices spread nationally or in some cases internationally. As a consequence, the organizational structure of law firms varies widely, depending on the size of the firm.

Identification

Law firms apply the same organizational and legal configurations of other companies. Organizational types include limited liability company (LLC), sole proprietorship, partnership and corporation. Smaller firms, consisting or two or three

partners, use the limited liability corporation (LLC) to protect each partner from liabilities incurred by the firm. Larger firms generally follow the traditional corporation route with a traditional hierarchical organization.

Function

Unlike other companies, upper-level managers in large law firms are referred to as senior partners or senior lawyers. Then, according to American Bar Association, the senior lawyer may have senior law firm administrators, such as Executive Directors and Chief Operating Officers working for them who are responsible for accounting, human resources and similar functions.

Considerations

If a law firm has more than one founding partner, then each founding partner may serve as department heads within his area of expertise. Each founder will then grow his department by hiring and training junior lawyers within that area of focus.

References

• Find Law: Choosing A Business Structure
• American Bar Association: Making Law Firm Leadership More Effective