Course overview

Legal expertise alone is no longer sufficient for career progression in the legal world. Whether in private practice or an in-house environment, lawyers are increasingly expected to lead teams, influence stakeholders, manage performance, shape strategy and build trust across complex organisations.

Yet most lawyers are promoted into leadership roles with little formal training in how to lead or manage people.

This three-day intensive training course is specifically designed for lawyers and senior legal professionals who want to strengthen their leadership capability in a way that reflects the realities of legal practice: high intellectual standards, demanding clients, regulatory risk, cultural complexity and commercial pressure.

Drawing on leadership research, executive education frameworks and practical experience delivering programmes to global organisations and leading universities, this course bridges the gap between technical legal excellence and leadership effectiveness.

Key topics include:

The difference between leadership and management in a legal context
The transition from technical expert to trusted leader
Building credibility and influence without formal authority
Motivating and developing high-performing legal teams
Managing upwards, across partnerships and within matrix organisations
Aligning legal strategy with organisational priorities.

The training course integrates proven leadership models - including organisational diagnostic tools, stakeholder analysis and strategic frameworks - and applies them directly to the professional services and corporate legal environment.

Participants will leave with a structured leadership development plan and practical tools they can implement immediately.

The expert trainer combines structured theory with practical application through:

Legal-specific case studies
Interactive group exercises
Individual and group reflection
Organisational diagnostic tools
Role-play of difficult conversations
Leadership objective setting

The focus throughout this course is on practical implementation in legal environments, rather than abstract leadership theory.

This training course is part of our collection of Strategy & Negotiation Training Courses which teach negotiation, communication, leadership, financial and management knowledge and skills.

Benefits of attending

By attending this training course, you will:

Strengthen your ability to transition from legal technician to confident leader
Develop practical tools to manage and motivate legal teams effectively
Improve your influence with senior stakeholders, boards and clients
Enhance your communication impact in high-stakes conversations
Learn structured models for delegation, feedback and performance management
Increase your credibility and executive presence
Build a strategic mindset aligned with business and organisational priorities
Gain frameworks to manage upwards and across complex governance structures
Create a personalised leadership development roadmap
Apply leadership models directly to the legal and regulatory environment

Who should attend?

This training course has been designed specifically for lawyers and legal professionals, including:

In-house lawyers
General counsel
Deputy / Associate general counsel
Heads of legal
Senior legal counsel
Legal operations managers
Compliance leaders with legal oversight
Private practice lawyers
Law firm partners
Senior associates preparing for partnership
Practice group leaders
Managing associates
Professional support lawyers with team responsibility

It is particularly valuable for:

Lawyers newly promoted into management roles
Senior lawyers seeking to strengthen their leadership impact
Technical experts transitioning into broader strategic positions
Legal professionals managing teams across jurisdictions

Enrol/reserve

This course will cover:

Learning to lead

Introductions
Expectations
Your agenda and vision

The leadership transition

Myths of leadership in law
Moving from being a technical expert to leader
Types of leader
Leadership versus management in legal teams
The 10-point framework for becoming an effective legal leader
Identifying opportunities to learn leadership skills

Module 1: Managing yourself as a legal professional

Strategic awareness

Diagnosing your organisation - PRESTEL framework
Assessing your external environment - Porter’s 5 Forces applied to legal practice
Aligning legal function priorities with business strategy

Developing personal leadership confidence

Self reflection
Building trust and engagement
Imposter syndrome and professional confidence
Emotional intelligence in legal settings
Assertiveness without aggression
Listening skills and building trust
Impact – radiating energy

Communicating with authority and influence

Influencing model
Language, persuasion and presence – radiating energy
Non-verbal behaviour
Organising complex messages for impact
Building trust with clients, boards and internal stakeholders

Journaling exercise

A practical session to reflect on the key concepts discussed, assess your own leadership style and identify areas for personal development. These reflections will form the foundation of a practical, personalised leadership action plan, ensuring delegates leave with clear objectives and tangible steps to strengthen their effectiveness as leaders and managers.

Getting things done

Multi tasking
Time management
Impactful presentations

Module 2: Leading high-performing legal teams

Understanding legal team dynamics

Team vs work group dynamics
Phases of team development
The 5 dysfunctions of a team to be aware of
Motivation in high-pressure legal roles
Managing conflict and differing conflict styles

Leading performance in legal teams

Delegation in risk-sensitive environments
Feedback, praise and performance conversations
Situational leadership

Addressing and resolving conflict

Decision-making
Credibility
Resolving conflict - understanding your conflict style

Leading virtual and cross-cultural teams

The challenges of leading virtual and remote teams
Team culture
Team charter

Journaling exercise

Module 3: Influencing and leading within the organisation

Influence and stakeholder management for lawyers

Leading your boss and managing upwards
Influencing peers and senior partners
Stakeholder mapping and engagement
The lawyer as leader and coach
Vision

Leading difficult conversations and managing competing priorities

Handling necessary and difficult conversations
Organisational level conversations
Cross-cultural leadership
Dilemma reconciliation – navigating clashing priorities

Establishing your brand

Networking
Strategy
Vision
Credibility

Leading within the organisation

SMARTQ objectives
Performance alignment
Leading in virtual and hybrid environments

Final journaling exercise

This concluding practical session will bring together the insights and learning from throughout the course. Delegates will review their leadership strengths, identify priority areas for development and consolidate their reflections ready to create a personalised leadership action plan.

Your personal action plan to achieve your full potential

Create your practical, personalised action plan so you leave with clear objectives and tangible steps to strengthen your effectiveness as leaders and managers.

Enrol/reserve

Arun Singh OBE
IBMDS

Arun Singh (Prof) OBE, FRSA is an international lawyer and consultant to an international law firm. He was formerly a partner and head of commercial law at KPMG Legal and partner at Masons (now Pinsent Masons).

Arun has advised on disputes and collaborations in a wide range of jurisdictions including Europe, countries in West and East Africa, India, Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Pakistan, Libya, Jordan, Syria, the US, Caribbean, Russia, Israel, Lebanon, Egypt, Thailand and Singapore. Arun is cited and ranked in the Chambers Guide to the world’s leading lawyers. He concentrates on international investment, joint ventures, licensing of technology, research and development, M&A, energy, outsourcing and corporate governance in developed and emerging markets; he also handles international legal risk management matters. Arun advises a range of international organisations and is a visiting professor in International Business, Leadership and Negotiations at Salford University Business School, senior associate at Oxford University’s Institute of Legal Practice and teaches international leadership and negotiations at the University of Cambridge. He has facilitated programmes in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the US.

He is a recognised corporate educator and a non-executive director of two international investment companies – one of which is listed on the London Stock Exchange, chairing the Audit Committee and Investment Committee.

He was appointed an OBE by HM the Queen in January 1999 for services to international trade, investment and intercultural management. Arun is an editor and contributor to a number of publications including Business and Contract Law (a Thorogood Special Report) and How to Lead Smart People – Leadership for Professionals (Profile Books) (recommended reading in the big four corporate advisory firms and basis for the popular international Coursera MOOC, University of London course 'Stepping Up: Leading Others').He is also a facilitator for company programmes and an experienced speaker at international corporate conferences.

More details

NEW higher discounts for multiple bookings - bring your colleagues to make your training budget go further:

30% off the 2nd delegate
40% off the 3rd delegate
50% off the 4th delegate

Please contact us for pricing if you are interested in booking 5 or more delegates

4-6 November 2026

Live online

09:00-17:00 UK (London) (UTC+00)
10:00-18:00 Paris (UTC+01)
04:00-12:00 New York (UTC-05)
Course code 17633

GBP 1,299 1,599
EUR 1,819 2,239
USD 2,091 2,559

Until 30 Sep

3 days live online training
Browser-based, no download usually required
See presenters and interact with fellow attendees
Download documentation and certification of completion
Fair transfer and cancellation policy

View basket

Not ready to book yet?

for 7 days, no obligation

17-19 May 2027

Live online

09:00-17:00 UK (London) (UTC+01)
10:00-18:00 Paris (UTC+02)
04:00-12:00 New York (UTC-04)
Course code 17634

GBP 1,299 1,599
EUR 1,819 2,239
USD 2,091 2,559

Until 12 Apr

3 days live online training
Browser-based, no download usually required
See presenters and interact with fellow attendees
Download documentation and certification of completion
Fair transfer and cancellation policy

View basket

Not ready to book yet?

for 7 days, no obligation

3-5 November 2027

Live online

09:00-17:00 UK (London) (UTC+00)
10:00-18:00 Paris (UTC+01)
05:00-13:00 New York (UTC-04)
Course code 17635

GBP 1,299 1,599
EUR 1,819 2,239
USD 2,091 2,559

Until 29 Sep

3 days live online training
Browser-based, no download usually required
See presenters and interact with fellow attendees
Download documentation and certification of completion
Fair transfer and cancellation policy

View basket

Not ready to book yet?

for 7 days, no obligation

* Early booking discounts may not be combined with other discounts or offers. As such, the discounts for 2nd/3rd/4th delegates are based on the full price; and apply only when booking multiple delegates on the same date.

Run Practical Leadership and Management Skills for Lawyers Live online for your team

Pricing from:

GBP 1,150

Per attendee, based on 10 attendees
Course tailored to your requirements
At your choice of location, or online

Contact us

We can customise this course to your requirements and deliver it on an in-house basis for any number of your staff or colleagues.

Contact our team to discuss your requirements:

Practical Leadership and Management Skills for Lawyers Training Course

Building Authority, Credibility and Impact