By Alexis Soard, Knowledge Manager, Fennemore Craig, P.C.

I first encountered legal knowledge management four years ago. I was fresh from the world of academia where I’d been a technology librarian for years, had zero legal experience, and had just been hired to lead my firm’s new knowledge management initiative. There was only one small problem.

I had no idea where to start.

Developing a KM program from scratch can seem a little daunting. Here are some suggestions on how to develop a successful program at your firm.

• Define what KM would mean at your firm.

KM is as varied as flavors of ice cream at the supermarket. The definition of KM differs depending on who you’re talking to and when you talk to them. In general, however, most KM programs tend to center on sharing, organizing, and managing institutional information. These programs typically include determining ways to ease…