In nearly every law firm’s website and marketing materials, you will find a reference to the collaborative nature of the firm or the firm’s commitment to teamwork. Dig deeper into team performance in law firms, however, and you will find that their default teams, typically departments or practice groups, vary widely in their effectiveness. Firms struggle to cultivate high-performing teams that consistently deliver results. Following are a few key attributes common to successful practice groups that your firm can use to create successful practice teams or assess the groups or departments that are currently in place:
Strong, Strategic Leadership
Successful practice groups are led by lawyers who do more than manage — they lead. Firms need to clearly articulate their expectations of Practice Group Leaders in writing. Ideally, PGLs:
- Set a clear vision for the group’s goals and direction, aligned with firm strategy and market realities.
- Manage the group’s profitability and focus on increasing profitable work.
- Lead the group’s lawyers in team efforts to market its services and develop new business.
- Inspire collaboration and accountability, creating buy-in across generations and offices.
- Communicate consistently and transparently, both upward to firm leadership and across the group.
- Delegate effectively, empowering others while keeping the group focused on priorities.
- Coach and mentor, investing in the development of the next generation of leaders and rainmakers.
Most lawyers did not go to business school and have far less leadership and management training than their counterparts in other professional service firms. Firms that invest in leadership training, coaching and support for practice leaders see stronger results and better pipelines of future leaders.
Practice Group Team Dynamics
Top-performing groups operate as integrated teams rather than collections of individual practitioners. Hallmarks of successful groups include:
- Trust and mutual respect among lawyers, professionals and staff.
- Regular attendance and active participation in group meetings, retreats and events.
- Information sharing and collaboration, especially across subspecialties and geographies.
- Shared accountability for goals like revenue growth, talent development and client service.
- Peer-to-peer support, especially during periods of high workload, personal challenges or transition.
Practice Group Leaders must be intentional about fostering these dynamics. To assist with that, over the past twenty years, law firms have also created roles for professional practice group Directors or Business Managers to help manage team operations, business development, talent recruitment/development and service delivery.
Clear, Actionable Business Plans
Effective practice groups operate with a focused, realistic business plan that guides priorities and resource allocation. These plans need not be thirty-pages long with lofty “visions” or “missions.” The best plans:
- Define strategic priorities, such as growing in specific markets or sectors.
- Include measurable goals, like revenue targets, client development activity or recruiting benchmarks.
- Assign responsibilities and timelines, creating clarity around who is doing what and by when.
- Are reviewed regularly, with course corrections made as needed.
Critically, the planning process itself can drive alignment, engagement and accountability – if done collaboratively and taken seriously.
A Distinctive and Supportive Culture
Culture is the glue that holds a practice group together — and sets it apart in the market. High-performing groups tend to share:
- A strong sense of identity, often tied to the group’s client base, industry focus or technical expertise.
- A culture of excellence, where lawyers are committed to high standards of quality, responsiveness and ethical conduct.
- Psychological safety, where team members can raise concerns, admit mistakes and share ideas.
- A spirit of inclusion, where all voices are valued.
Leaders play a pivotal role in shaping culture — through what they reward, what they tolerate and how they show up each day. Just as Managing Partners drive the culture of the law firm, Practice Group Leaders drive the culture of their team.
Effective Talent Strategy
Attracting, retaining and developing top talent is central to practice group success. Leading groups are proactive about:
- Recruiting strategically, targeting candidates who align with the group’s culture, needs and growth goals.
- Onboarding thoughtfully, ensuring lateral hires and new associates integrate quickly and effectively.
- Providing meaningful development opportunities, including client exposure, feedback and mentorship.
- Creating pathways for advancement, with clarity around what it takes to succeed and how people are evaluated.
- Fostering work-life sustainability, especially for lawyers balancing family, caregiving or health concerns.
Firms that treat talent as a long-term investment rather than a short-term resource build loyalty, continuity and institutional strength.
Client-Centered Focus
Above all, successful practice groups stay relentlessly focused on client value. This means:
- Understanding clients’ businesses, industries and pressure points better than the competition.
- Being proactive, anticipating client needs and delivering solutions before they are asked.
- Providing seamless service across offices and disciplines, with internal coordination that mirrors clients’ integrated legal needs.
- Delivering value beyond legal advice, such as thought leadership, referrals or training for in-house teams.
Client feedback – whether formal or informal – should be regularly gathered and used to inform group strategy and performance.
Smart Use of Data and Technology
While many lawyers remain reluctant adopters, the most effective practice groups use data and technology to work smarter:
- Tracking key performance indicators (KPIs), such as effective billing rates, realization rates, utilization, leverage and client satisfaction.
- Analyzing time and billing data to inform pricing, staffing and profitability decisions.
- Adopting new technologies, such as generative AI, to improve service delivery and gain efficiencies.
- Using CRM and experience databases to drive cross-selling and targeted business development.
- Leveraging collaboration tools to support hybrid work and multi-office integration.
Support from marketing, IT, finance and knowledge management teams is critical — but so is a willingness among group leaders and members to embrace change.
Conclusion
Ultimately, a successful practice group is one where the whole outperforms the sum of its individual parts. It’s where leadership, culture, talent, strategy and execution align in service of clients, the firm and each other. In today’s competitive and complex legal environment, that kind of cohesion doesn’t happen by accident — it happens by design.