Ask any business owner, in any sector, whether the chosen methods of operation are directly linked to safety and success and the answer will invariably be yes. In the manufacturing world, engineers and system designers seem to have a compulsive interest in process. They tend to believe that in most systems, the root cause of an error state will usually turn out to be a process deficiency.

What does this have to do with law firm success and safety? Let's focus on reducing bad payers and malpractice claims. In the realm of private practice, the key to reducing both of these risks lies in the firm's better internal processes.

Let's take a closer look at the growing number of malpractice claims that result from mistakes. Here, the benefits of structure and organization are obvious. Law firms have recognized this for many years. This is why they invest in making available to their lawyers the best research tools, compulsory continuing legal education, docketing tools and other useful technologies. Many firms encourage their lawyers to create and use basic checklists because they believe, correctly, that these reduce errors.