Quality management system review procedure for legal practices
1
Issue Date: 19/04/2014 Author: Val Antoff
Revision Date: 20/04/2017 Approved by: Val Antoff
Quality management system review procedure for legal practices
LAW 9000 – Legal Best Practice
Clause 5.6 Management review
1. Purpose
To provide guidelines about the review and continuous improvement of the QMS and to reference
specific procedures that apply to this subject.
2. Scope
This procedure covers the review and continuous improvement of the QMS through the management
review process. The management review covers the operation of the whole practice, and includes both
legal and non-legal aspects.
3. Persons Affected
All professional and support staff.
4. Policy
At planned intervals during the year, the Management Review Team (MRT) willreview the QMS to ensure
its continuing suitability, adequacy and effectiveness for achieving client and regulatory
requirements.These reviews will include assessing opportunities for improvement and the need for
change to the current QMS including the quality policy and quality objectives.
5. Responsibilities
The quality systems manager (QSM) is responsiblefor scheduling the management review meeting,
preparing the agenda, keeping records and communicating the outcome to all lawyers and support staff.
The QSMwill also be responsible for coordinating thecompletion of all corrective actions agreed by the
MRT.
6. Frequency of meetings
Our legal practice holds management review meetings every six months (January and July) to evaluate
how the QMS is performing, to ensure that the QMS is effective, and to discuss areas for improvement.
Other management meetings and other activities such as internal audits, look at the effectiveness of
specific areas of the management system.
7. Management Review Team
Permanent members of the MRT are:
the principal (who acts as Chairman)
the practice manager
Quality management system review procedure for legal practices
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Issue Date: 19/04/2014 Author: Val Antoff
Revision Date: 20/04/2017 Approved by: Val Antoff
the QSM (who also acts as Deputy Chairman).
The QSM will decide on the minimum number of attendees for convening that meeting.The principal (in
consultation with the QSM) willdecide whether or not it is necessary to invite additional members and if
so, who should be involved.
8. Agenda
All members of the MRTmay contribute items for the agenda, but theymust be submitted to the QSM no
later than 2 weeks prior to the meeting date. The QSM will prepare the agenda in consultation with
theprincipal and ensure that the relevant documents have been attached. The practice receptionistwill
distribute the agenda and attached documents so that these will be in the possession of all members of
the MRTat least 1 week prior to the meeting.
Inputs to Quality Management Reviews (QMR) will include the following sources of information regarding
the performance of the QMS as well as improvement opportunities.
The standing agenda for this review meetings is as follows:
Review Inputs
results from internal and external audits
review of quality objectives compared to plan
client feedback and complaints
production and efficiency data
non-conformance trends
process performance and product conformity
status of corrective and preventive actions
recommendations for improvements to specific systems
currency of training program
appropriateness of policy statements
report on follow-up actions from previous reviews
changes that could affect the quality management systems
quality assurance of work output
risk management
financial performance
performance against the business plan
compliance with statutory obligations including licence and practising certificates
physical resources and equipment
recent industry changes and new procedures
review of regulations and codes of practice
use of procedures and check lists
attending management and industry training courses.
Quality management system review procedure for legal practices
3
Issue Date: 19/04/2014 Author: Val Antoff
Revision Date: 20/04/2017 Approved by: Val Antoff
9. Meeting Contents
The nature of the management review meeting is such that all major issues affecting our practice will be
considered as appropriate.
Review Outputsfrom QMS will be minuted and include decisions made and actions taken related to:
the improvement of the effectiveness of the QMS and its processes to achieve the quality policy
and quality objectives
assessment of the QMS continuing suitability and effectiveness in satisfying the LAW 9000
standard
resource needs
improvements to procedures, forms and work instructions
improvement of client service/value adding
improvement of product related to client requirements
improvement of resource planning and management processes
improvement of the communication systems
assessment of likely future requirements to ensure that the system will remain suitable and
effective.
10. Actions
If the results of the review are such that corrective action is necessary, theMRTwill:
consider solutions and agree on the corrective action(s)
agree on responsibility for the implementation of the corrective action chosen
agree on a time scale for the implementation and review of corrective action(s) taken.
The review and the agreed corrective actions will be recorded in the practiceimprovement register by the
QSM.All actions raised at previous meetings will be reviewed and progressed at subsequent meetings.
11. Meeting Records
The QSM is responsible for ensuring that minutes of the meeting, addressing the above agenda items
are prepared and distributed promptly.
The minutes will clearly state:
actions agreed upon
persons responsible for implementing these actions
agreed completion dates.
The minutes will be maintained in accordance with clause 4.2.4 of the LAW 9000 standard.
12. Communication of minutes
The outputs from the meeting will be communicated to all lawyers and support staff by email by the QSM.
Quality Management for Legal Practices Blog

Management review procedure for legal practices

  • 1.
    Quality management systemreview procedure for legal practices 1 Issue Date: 19/04/2014 Author: Val Antoff Revision Date: 20/04/2017 Approved by: Val Antoff Quality management system review procedure for legal practices LAW 9000 – Legal Best Practice Clause 5.6 Management review 1. Purpose To provide guidelines about the review and continuous improvement of the QMS and to reference specific procedures that apply to this subject. 2. Scope This procedure covers the review and continuous improvement of the QMS through the management review process. The management review covers the operation of the whole practice, and includes both legal and non-legal aspects. 3. Persons Affected All professional and support staff. 4. Policy At planned intervals during the year, the Management Review Team (MRT) willreview the QMS to ensure its continuing suitability, adequacy and effectiveness for achieving client and regulatory requirements.These reviews will include assessing opportunities for improvement and the need for change to the current QMS including the quality policy and quality objectives. 5. Responsibilities The quality systems manager (QSM) is responsiblefor scheduling the management review meeting, preparing the agenda, keeping records and communicating the outcome to all lawyers and support staff. The QSMwill also be responsible for coordinating thecompletion of all corrective actions agreed by the MRT. 6. Frequency of meetings Our legal practice holds management review meetings every six months (January and July) to evaluate how the QMS is performing, to ensure that the QMS is effective, and to discuss areas for improvement. Other management meetings and other activities such as internal audits, look at the effectiveness of specific areas of the management system. 7. Management Review Team Permanent members of the MRT are: the principal (who acts as Chairman) the practice manager
  • 2.
    Quality management systemreview procedure for legal practices 2 Issue Date: 19/04/2014 Author: Val Antoff Revision Date: 20/04/2017 Approved by: Val Antoff the QSM (who also acts as Deputy Chairman). The QSM will decide on the minimum number of attendees for convening that meeting.The principal (in consultation with the QSM) willdecide whether or not it is necessary to invite additional members and if so, who should be involved. 8. Agenda All members of the MRTmay contribute items for the agenda, but theymust be submitted to the QSM no later than 2 weeks prior to the meeting date. The QSM will prepare the agenda in consultation with theprincipal and ensure that the relevant documents have been attached. The practice receptionistwill distribute the agenda and attached documents so that these will be in the possession of all members of the MRTat least 1 week prior to the meeting. Inputs to Quality Management Reviews (QMR) will include the following sources of information regarding the performance of the QMS as well as improvement opportunities. The standing agenda for this review meetings is as follows: Review Inputs results from internal and external audits review of quality objectives compared to plan client feedback and complaints production and efficiency data non-conformance trends process performance and product conformity status of corrective and preventive actions recommendations for improvements to specific systems currency of training program appropriateness of policy statements report on follow-up actions from previous reviews changes that could affect the quality management systems quality assurance of work output risk management financial performance performance against the business plan compliance with statutory obligations including licence and practising certificates physical resources and equipment recent industry changes and new procedures review of regulations and codes of practice use of procedures and check lists attending management and industry training courses.
  • 3.
    Quality management systemreview procedure for legal practices 3 Issue Date: 19/04/2014 Author: Val Antoff Revision Date: 20/04/2017 Approved by: Val Antoff 9. Meeting Contents The nature of the management review meeting is such that all major issues affecting our practice will be considered as appropriate. Review Outputsfrom QMS will be minuted and include decisions made and actions taken related to: the improvement of the effectiveness of the QMS and its processes to achieve the quality policy and quality objectives assessment of the QMS continuing suitability and effectiveness in satisfying the LAW 9000 standard resource needs improvements to procedures, forms and work instructions improvement of client service/value adding improvement of product related to client requirements improvement of resource planning and management processes improvement of the communication systems assessment of likely future requirements to ensure that the system will remain suitable and effective. 10. Actions If the results of the review are such that corrective action is necessary, theMRTwill: consider solutions and agree on the corrective action(s) agree on responsibility for the implementation of the corrective action chosen agree on a time scale for the implementation and review of corrective action(s) taken. The review and the agreed corrective actions will be recorded in the practiceimprovement register by the QSM.All actions raised at previous meetings will be reviewed and progressed at subsequent meetings. 11. Meeting Records The QSM is responsible for ensuring that minutes of the meeting, addressing the above agenda items are prepared and distributed promptly. The minutes will clearly state: actions agreed upon persons responsible for implementing these actions agreed completion dates. The minutes will be maintained in accordance with clause 4.2.4 of the LAW 9000 standard. 12. Communication of minutes The outputs from the meeting will be communicated to all lawyers and support staff by email by the QSM. Quality Management for Legal Practices Blog