Law Firm Leaders: Managing Competing Priorities

Forbes

30-04-2025

Sarah-Nell Walsh, JD is an Executive Coach for High Achieving Lawyers, Leaders, + Entrepreneurs and Founder of Wayfinders, LLC.
Leading a law firm isn't like leading in other industries. In a law firm, you're managing people and running a business while also being responsible for bringing in new clients and delivering high-caliber legal work. The result is that the demands on your time feel relentless. No matter how efficient you are, something always needs more attention.
I get it. Before becoming an executive coach, I was a litigation partner in an AmLaw 100 law firm. I know what it feels like to manage the tension between my responsibilities as a leader, business generator, lawyer, thought leader and customer service agent.
Now, after coaching hundreds of high-achieving law firm leaders, including those who've made the transition from law to the C-suite, I've seen how competing demands can stretch even the most capable professionals thin, and I have strategies for avoiding it.
As a leader, you're responsible for creating a cohesive culture, developing a strong team and keeping morale high. At the same time, you must bring in new business because, regardless of how profitable your firm is, it won't survive without a steady stream of clients.
Other industries might separate these functions into different roles. But in law firms, leaders are expected to do it all.
It's no wonder that so many firm leaders feel like they're constantly failing at something. If you focus too much on leadership, your billable hours and business development may suffer.
The same is true if you put all your energy into client work; your firm's culture and growth may stagnate. Prioritize new business, and your clients may feel neglected and your team unappreciated.
So, what to do? Here's what I recommend.
Leaders can't fill every role. It's just not possible, given the stringent demands of law firm leadership.
Some will excel at building relationships and attracting clients, while others will excel at mentoring their team or tackling legal work when complex legal questions arise.
If you're stretched too thin managing cases, hire senior attorneys who can take the lead. Delegation means shifting tasks as well as focusing your energy where it will be felt.
Many law firm leaders put a premium on what's urgent rather than what's most important. They are not always the same thing.
The best way to avoid this trap is to structure your time intentionally. Simple ways to do this are by blocking off hours for deep work, dedicating specific times for business development and protecting space for leadership tasks like mentoring and strategy.
Law is a jealous mistress, and the practice of law will take all of your time if you don't dedicate space for business development and intentional leadership. My most successful clients set performance metrics and hold themselves accountable to meeting them.
For business development, they might set a goal to reach out to two current and three prospective clients per week, have two client meetings a month and visit one client a quarter.
For leadership, they might decide to reach out to three partners in their office or practice group a week, set aside two hours to review and follow up on billable hours and profitability once a month, and visit another firm's office once a quarter.
For client service, they might create a matter list, ensure every matter is updated every week and reach out to clients monthly to discuss case updates and strategy.
If you don't control your schedule, it will control you.
No law firm leader can do it alone. A strong leadership team, whether it's practice group leaders, senior attorneys or firm administrators, can help distribute and lighten the load.
Invest in developing these leaders so they can take on more responsibility, freeing you up to focus on high-level priorities. Leadership doesn't mean doing everything yourself; it means building a team capable of carrying the firm forward with you at the helm.
Excellent client service and responsiveness are table stakes. Your team must deliver both to keep a client happy, but that doesn't mean it needs to always be you. There are many attorneys who can deliver excellent client service.
Law firm leadership and strategy are skills that can be developed, but they require a lot of time and dedication. Being able to develop business is the rarest and most sought-after talent in a law firm, much more valued than the ability to practice law and, therefore, impossible to delegate or outsource.
Many law firm leaders measure success by their billable hours, the number of clients they bring in or the amount of work they handle personally. However, success at this level shouldn't be defined by doing more but by leading in a way that allows the firm to thrive beyond one person's efforts, beginning with yours.
The most effective leaders redefine success to include the growth of their team, the firm's reputation and the sustainability of their role. If you are doing everything yourself, you're not leading; you're just working harder.
You will never be able to give equal attention to leadership, business development and client work at all times. Some periods will require more focus on one area over another, and that's okay.
The goal shouldn't be perfection. The goal should be for you to, at all junctures, be making intentional decisions about where your time and energy go rather than letting circumstances dictate that for you.
Leading a law firm is one of the most demanding leadership roles out there. It requires constant recalibration, tough decisions and a willingness to let go of the idea that you can do it all. But with the right strategies—and a commitment to focusing on what will move the firm into the future—you can lead with purpose.
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