Diveristy in the Legal Community - Essay Example

As such, some distinctive management styles are deemed to be more fitting depending on the size of the law firm. But then again, some skills possessed by an Administrator remain a constant requirement to efficiently handle the firm operations as well as promote a culture that would be mutually beneficial for all the members and the organization. This paper discusses some of the qualities and responsibilities of an Administrator across law firms of various sizes. In relation to this, it summarizes the interview conducted to know more about how Administrators from small, medium-sized, and large law firms actually handle their responsibilities and cultural diversity within the workplace.

The Firm Administrator of the small firm, which is comprised of 7 in-house lawyers, directly performs tasks in relation to hiring of secretarial personnel, dealing with payroll and other accounting aspect, educating personnel on benefit packages as well as administering disciplinary actions. Since she personally handles all these administrative functions, the Firm Administrator is highly capable of assessing and resolving difficulties on her own. With this, she recognizes the support extended by the firm's senior partner who does not hesitate to assist anyone despite a demanding working schedule.

In addition, the firm's principle of instilling knowledge with regard to effective management and legal techniques bodes well with the Firm Administrator. As such, she has found a perfectly suited firm where she can continue pursuing further studies in law on top of her undergraduate Marketing degree. Coming from a diverse African American background, the Firm Administrator believes that diversity is one of the most important characteristics any law firm should have. Given the dramatically increasing minority population, she reckons that it is imperative to have lawyers from this group in order to attract clients who share the same background.

However, she noted that in terms of hiring, skills would always command a higher priority over background.Medium-sized Firm The Firm Administrator for a medium-sized firm, which is composed of 55 attorneys, is in charge of managing business financing, interviewing associates, marketing the firm, overseeing the operations of software systems as well as ensuring that the firm is keeping up with the latest technology. Given that she is dealing with many of people with different backgrounds and attitudes, she posited that possessing good communication skill is mandatory so as to obliterate any cultural barrier which could adversely affect overall performance of the law firm.

As an administrator, she finds fulfillment in managing and counseling these people because such makes everyday unique and challenging. The Firm Administrator, who has an undergraduate degree in Business, also takes pride working for the law firm which recently celebrated its centennial anniversary as the oldest and most steadfast firm operating in Oakland County. She attributes this success to the democratic management of the firm where all the