LSSO's Legal Lean Sigma™ Process Improvement Certifications Help Legal Profession Increase Efficiency, Deliver Value and Boost Profits

BOSTON, Jan. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As law firms and legal departments seek alternative ways to become more efficient, deliver better service and boost profits, they are turning to process improvement methodologies that for years have helped corporations improve the bottom line health. Right now, demand for value, efficiency, and predictability are at an all-time high. The Legal Sales and Service Organization successfully launched its Legal Lean Sigma™ certification programs, which provide a critical bridge from traditional process improvement methodologies to the law firm world.

"Legal professionals understand the imperative to improve the way that work is performed and delivered now," said Catherine Alman MacDonagh, Esq., LSSO President and Legal Lean Sigma™ co-developer, "and our programs help them learn how to make it happen. We've built the bridge from traditional process improvement content to the law specifically by using examples and case studies from the profession."

While many firms have jumped to project management for help with tightly managing projects (such as litigation or alternative fee structures) to budget, many now realize that process improvement should take place first. That way, the deliverable received by the client is consistent; wastes, like time (and thus cost), and undesirable variation are reduced or removed from the process; and the clients are receiving a higher level of value. Once the process is improved, the projects can be better managed, we can produce more at a lower cost of production while improving client satisfaction, and increase profits significantly.

Recently, the Legal Lean Sigma Yellow Belt Certification course was added to the graduate program in Law Firm Management at The George Washington University. The Master's program was created to meet a growing need for law leaders and business professionals responsible for management of their firms.

Over the last several years, the LSSO team has delivered courses and programs to hundreds of leaders in the legal profession, including AmLaw 200 firms. In addition to the GWU program. Members of the LSSO team are faculty members of ACC's Value Challenge Master Class and presenters at the Association of Legal Administrators Large Law Firm Retreat, the Legal Marketing Association Annual Conference, LSSO's RainDance Conference and at firm retreats.

With their background and specific focus on the legal profession, the LSSO process improvement team members are uniquely capable of teaching and certifying candidates. The co-developers include Catherine Alman MacDonagh, JD, who is a former corporate counsel and has assisted firms for more than twenty years with strategy and business development, and consultant Laura Colcord, a Legal Lean Sigma Black Belt, who is an internationally-known Process Improvement expert who has pioneered the use of Lean and Six Sigma methodologies in non-traditional applications.

LSSO offers Legal Lean Sigma™ Certifications at the White, Yellow, Green and Black Belt levels and various programs, including a Leadership Overview of Legal Lean Sigma.

Professor Stephen R. Chitwood, JD and PhD is the GWU Program Director, M.P.A. and Ph.D., University of Southern California; J.D., The George Washington University. Professor Emeritus of Public Administration and former Director of the Center for Law Practice Strategy and Management, The George Washington University. He said "the response of the students (all senior level law firm business professionals and leaders) to the two days that the LSSO team spent with us was unanimously positive. The students found the presentations informative, interesting, relevant and beneficial. These instructors did much to demystify for the students process improvement in its various incarnations. They were sensitive to where the students were in their learning and understanding as we moved through the two days and tailored the pace and content accordingly. So, the overall evaluation of the two days from my perspective is Outstanding!

For more information about Legal Lean Sigma, and our upcoming February 2011 and September April 2011 programs, please visit LSSO online at www.legalsales.org and to learn about the Master of Professional Studies and Graduate Certificate in Law Firm Management, please visit http://nearyou.gwu.edu/lawfirm/index1.html.

SOURCE Legal Sales and Service Organization