LEAD PEERS. ALIGN THE GROUP. MOVE FORWARD.
Law Firm Practice Group Leader Training
Help practice chairs build the leadership and management skills to develop people, create shared direction, and turn group priorities into action.
FROM STRONG PRACTITIONER TO GROUP LEADER
Lead a group of lawyers
who have choices about following.
LeadWise Group provides practice group leader training for law firms through interactive workshops and tailored development programs. We help practice chairs and department leaders strengthen the capabilities required to lead peers, develop talent, manage a practice, and support the firm’s strategy.
Legal expertise and a successful practice do not automatically prepare someone to lead a group. Practice leaders also need to build trust, influence colleagues, make difficult decisions, and create accountability while maintaining their own client responsibilities.
Training gives leaders a shared language and practical tools for that work, with opportunities to apply the learning to their own groups.
WHO IT’S FOR
Support practice leaders
at different stages.
Newly appointed chairs
Clarify what the leadership role requires. Build an approach to leading colleagues, setting direction, and managing responsibilities beyond your own matters and clients.
Experienced practice leaders
Strengthen specific capabilities, refresh how the group works, and address recurring challenges in alignment, people development, collaboration, or execution.
Future chairs & co-leaders
Prepare lawyers moving toward practice leadership or sharing responsibility for a group. Develop leadership readiness and clearer ways of working together.
WHAT THE TRAINING COVERS
The skills to lead
a practice group effectively.
We tailor the emphasis to your leaders, the group structure, and what the firm expects chairs to accomplish.
Leading peers & building trust
Influence colleagues without relying solely on authority. Build credibility, listen effectively, handle difficult conversations, and create conditions for people to contribute.
Group strategy & execution
Develop shared priorities, translate goals into practical initiatives, and agree ownership and follow-through. Use group meetings and progress reviews to maintain momentum.
People management & development
Set clear expectations, delegate, give actionable feedback, and coach others. Connect the group’s development needs with its business goals and members’ individual needs.
Practice performance & the business of law
Build understanding of the practice as a business unit. Connect decisions with capacity, leverage, and profitability, using the firm’s own measures and working with its business professionals.
Client growth & collaboration
Encourage shared business development, stronger client relationships, and collaboration across practices. Help lawyers align individual efforts with the group’s priorities.
Leadership style & group dynamics
Develop self-awareness and adapt communication to different styles. Strengthen inclusion, manage conflict productively, and recognize how the leader’s behavior affects the group.
TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT OPTIONS
Shared skills.
Practice with real group challenges.
Programs can be delivered virtually or in person, for a cohort of practice leaders, a leadership team, or a defined group of future chairs.
Focused workshops
Address a priority capability through practical exercises and discussion. A workshop can fit within an existing leadership curriculum or a firm meeting or retreat.
Practice-leader cohorts
Build connected skills over a series of sessions. Leaders can apply tools between meetings, compare experiences across groups, and learn from peers facing similar challenges.
Training with reinforcement
Add facilitated peer discussions, group or individual coaching, assessments, or follow-up sessions when leaders need support applying new approaches.
CONNECT LEARNING WITH THE GROUP’S WORK
Bring a current challenge
into the room.
A strategic plan has lost momentum.
Practice turning broad ambitions into a small set of priorities, with clear owners, next steps, and a useful rhythm for reviewing progress.
A decision needs commitment from peers.
Prepare for conversations that surface competing interests, invite contribution, and build support for a direction the group can act on.
Talent development feels disconnected.
Examine the capabilities the group needs, gather members’ perspectives, and identify development priorities that support both individual growth and the practice’s business goals.
These are examples of the situations participants can work with. The exercises and tools are selected around the firm’s actual needs.
DESIGN THE PROGRAM AROUND THE ROLE
Clarify what chairs
are expected to lead.
We start by discussing the participants, the firm’s practice group structure, and where leaders need support. Clear expectations about the chair’s responsibilities, authority, and contribution help make the training relevant.
We then agree the curriculum, format, opportunities for application, and how progress will be reviewed. Depending on the program, this can include action plans, feedback, peer discussions, or examples of changes in how leaders run their groups.
Training can also connect with a practice group retreat, strategic planning work, or a broader partner development pathway.
Explore retreats & facilitation ↗
Explore Partner Development ↗
INSIGHTS FOR PRACTICE LEADERS
Explore the thinking
behind the approach.
Developing chairs people want to follow
Explore the leadership qualities, management skills, and firm support that help practice group leaders succeed.
Practice group strategic planning
Consider how discovery, shared priorities, action planning, and accountability can support execution.
Create a group development plan
Connect the group’s business needs with its members’ development priorities and the support that will help.
Learn more about the LeadWise team and experience.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Planning training for
your practice group leaders.
What is practice group leader training?
It is a structured learning experience focused on the leadership and management responsibilities of a practice chair or department leader. Topics can include leading peers, group strategy, people development, practice performance, collaboration, and accountability.
How does this differ from general leadership training for lawyers?
General lawyer leadership training develops skills used in supervising others and managing work. Practice group leader training applies those skills to broader responsibilities: leading peers, setting direction for a practice, developing the group, and coordinating execution across lawyers and offices.
Is it useful for experienced chairs as well as new leaders?
Yes. New chairs may need a foundation and clarity about the role. Experienced leaders may benefit from focused work on recurring challenges or a shared approach across the firm’s practice groups. The curriculum is tailored accordingly.
Can training reflect our firm’s expectations and performance measures?
Yes. We discuss the chair’s remit, group structure, priorities, and the measures the firm uses. This helps connect the learning with the decisions and responsibilities participants actually carry.
How does training differ from individual coaching?
Training develops shared knowledge, frameworks, and skills through structured learning and practice. Individual coaching focuses on a leader’s particular goals and situations. Coaching can reinforce training or provide focused support for applying it.
Can the program be delivered virtually or as part of a retreat?
Yes. Training can be delivered virtually or in person, as focused workshops, a series, or part of a leadership meeting or retreat. We agree the format around the audience, learning goals, and opportunities for interaction.
LET’S DISCUSS YOUR PRACTICE LEADERS
What do your chairs
need to lead more effectively?
Tell us about your practice leaders, the responsibilities they carry, and the challenges they face. We’ll explore a practical development approach.