In-house ACCess : In-house ACCess: Association of Corporate Counsel : ACC : The In-house Counsel Bar Association

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Below is a guest post from the Law Department Management Committee's Program Chair, Richard Bates.

Fellow ACC Law Department Management Members, as you know this is the time of year all ACC committees devote to idea generation for Annual Meeting programs.  Attached are suggestions to date.  However, we need your input for more program topics to consider.  And, our deadline for submission of program topics -- with description -- is January 16, 2009.  Please take some time to comment to this blog post (and please include a brief description) of your program ideas. 

 1.    Confronting Communication Issues in a Diverse Workforce

Without effective communication among its members and between its personnel and others inside and outside the company, a law department will find success in its mission elusive.  To avoid misunderstandings and disparate expectations, we must communicate with our clients and colleagues in a way that takes into account how the audience is receiving our communication.  We may sometimes fail to recognize – or simply misinterpret -- the gender-, culture- or generation-based verbal and nonverbal cues that we transmit and receive during the interaction.  The panel will discuss how as in-house counsel we can increase our emotional intelligence and awareness in this area and be more effective in establishing broader and more productive relationships inside and outside of the organization.  

2.    Ethical Responsibilities of In-House Counsel to the Corporate Client

Most of the ABA Model Rules deal with the private practice of law and the fiduciary duties owed clients.  As in-house counsel, we have just one client: the company, our employer.  This session will revisit the current ethical rules governing the in-house practice of law -- including those rules that apply to both in-house and private practice – and how the application of those rules has of late come under pressure.  From in-house counsel’s ethical role in e-discovery to compliance reporting, this session is a welcome refresher on ethics and the in-house practice of law.
3.    Technology Open Forum/Ask the Experts

Faced with increasing budget constraints, legal departments are looking at technology solutions to help them do more with less.  But how do you find answers to the questions you have about maximizing usage of the systems you already have, or about new systems you may be considering?  This unique session is primarily devoted to Q&A so that attendees can ask their most pressing questions and obtain candid feedback from industry experts.  This panel will help you sort through issues and solutions regarding available technologies -- including integrations between and among systems -- involving matter management, e-billing, contract management, digital signatures, and document management systems.  This session will address prevalent questions collected through ACC listservs, as well as spontaneous questions and comments from the audience.

4.    Inexpensive/Free Applications for Your Law Department

If you are wondering which inexpensive or free technology-related solutions are available for your legal department, this session is for you.  The panel will cover solutions ranging from workflow efficiencies to professional/social collaboration and networking.  This session will also include live on-screen demonstrations and tips on how to customize these solutions to meet your individual and department needs.

5.    Making an Effective Imprint on the Business Side of the Company

As in-house lawyers, we interact with all business units of our employer organization.  Often we are viewed as an obstacle or bottleneck rather than as a facilitator to the business units.  How do we change the perception of in-house counsel within an organization from an obstacle to a valuable contributor to the development and implementation of business decisions?  This program will explore how in-house counsel can add value, and be perceived as adding value, to the departments outside of legal.

6.    Information Management

How can you, as in-house counsel, select and implement effectively an information (A/K/A records) management program?  What are the requirements you will need for your particular department and organization?  How can you make it part of a knowledge (or information) management program that is effective and intuitive?  How can you be proactive in the event of a discovery request?

7.    Challenges Facing In-House Counsel in Our Current Economy

Today’s economic climate heightens the urgency of securing the maximum value for your expenditures.  How should you work you’re your in-house and outside colleagues so as to meet the CEO’s and other management’s value-added expectations?  How can we effectively manage legal costs, both internally and of outside counsel, while building and maintaining a productive and effective legal team with a positive work-life balance?

8.    In-House Counsel Malpractice Insurance Coverage

The role of in-house counsel continues to evolve, from professional employee to trusted advisor for ever-broadening stakeholder segments of the company.  Whether it is necessary to purchase or obtain professional liability insurance becomes an important consideration in taking on these new roles.  The panel will review the types of coverage available and discuss the situations where the attorney-employee is potentially exposed to liability based on the legal services they provided.