Law Office Management Interview

A Career in Law Office Mangagement

Randy Leitzke
Executive Director (Law Office Manager)
Lane Powell Spears Lubersky
Years in Field: 10 years

How did you begin your career in law office management?

My prior experience was in high-tech industries. Lane Powell was looking for a business-oriented person for the director position, at a time when they were on the forefront of major technological changes. They wanted stronger management and business practices.

Earlier in my career I spent over 15 years in telecommunications and software engineering companies. My last position I was the chief financial officer and vice president of finance administration and that provided a lot of background to come into this position.

What's a typical day like for a law office manager?

In this position I'm responsible for several areas: finance and accounting, client relations, marketing, library services, information technology, human resources, central records, conflict management, facilities and office services.

When I come in I turn on the computer and I have a list of what I want to get done for the day. After 10 years I know that other issues will take most of the day. This morning I had 28 emails, and 2/3 of them were things that needed to be addressed immediately. I spend a good piece of the day problem solving, addressing issues and moving projects forward. But I never know when the Human Resources Director will walk in the door and say, "We have a personnel issue," and we have to address that.

I have to be able to change hats for the different areas that demand my time. This is the highest non-lawyer position in any large law firm, and the partners see me as one of their direct avenues to find out what's happening in their business. I am the problem solver for the business piece of it. My objective is to build an environment that allows them to service their clients, without having to deal with any other issues.

What do you most enjoy about law office management?

The unexpected! I don't know what problem or issues will be raised at any given time. So I need to ensure that I'm up to speed on all areas, so when I'm questioned I can respond. Lawyers are very positive people but they’re very impatient, they don't like to hear "we'll have to get back to you," they want the answer right away.

What is most challenging about being a law office manager?

You are dealing with a number of owners of the business, and they do not like being directed. So you need to be able to deal with them in a very logical fashion about why it needs to be done.

In addition, attorneys are trained to question everything. You need to be able to exist in an environment where anything you do will be questioned. You have to have self-confidence in what you're doing. It's more likely that somebody will tell you that your decision was wrong than the opposite. If you make the right decision it's likely that nobody says anything.

The position requires a strong will. You're dealing with very intelligent, strong-willed individuals, and you can't allow yourself to be steamrolled.

What skills are most important to law office management?

A strong financial orientation is important. You definitely have to have a financial background to understand how the money moves within a business, and you need to be able to develop a business plan.

The secondary skill is in human resources. You need compassion, because you're dealing with people from many backgrounds, and people have problems. You've got to able to empathize with those problems and strike some balance between human and business needs.

The other piece is leadership versus just management. There's a strong management piece to the position, just keeping things going. But you've got step up and lead in the way that things should be done, so you must be a risk taker.

How do you learn that compassion for people?

My philosophy is that you get more from people that work here if they feel they're part of group, and they feel that you care about them. My experience raising kids has been beneficial in learning compassion. You need the capacity to walk in someone else's shoes.

In the law firm there are two environments; an attorney group and a non-attorney group. In a firm that hires the top 5% of lawyers in the country, attorneys might have a hard time understanding the problems of the people who clean up the conference room. The Executive Director needs to be able to relate to the problems that everyone faces.

Anything to add for those thinking about law office management?

In law you're dealing with a highly educated and motivated group of people. Lawyers don't go home at 5 PM. They're here to solve their client's problems, no matter what it takes. You have to be prepared for the 11 PM phone call. If something doesn't work right, they're looking for solutions, and they see me as the first step in those solutions.

Criminal Justice Home
Paralegal Articles & Resources | Find Criminal Justice Schools