KSL ATP Legal Practice Management study guide
KSL ATP Legal Practice Management · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
Legal Practice Management is a taught component of the Advocates Training Programme at the Kenya School of Law, the professional course that pupils complete before petitioning for admission to the Bar in Kenya. The subject moves a candidate from knowing the law to running a practice that survives contact with clients, cash flow and the Advocates Act: how a firm is structured and capitalised, how fees are agreed and billed, how client money is handled on account, how files and records are kept, how staff are recruited and supervised, and how professional risk is insured and contained. The KSL ATP Legal Practice Management study guide has 9 sections and about 3,287 words.
01Legal Practice Management and Business Planning
Practice management is the discipline of running a law firm as a business while honouring professional duties. Candidates must understand the core planning cycle: environmental scanning (market, regulatory, competitor), setting objectives, choosing strategy, allocating resources, and monitoring through key performance indicators (KPIs).
269 words, about 1 min02Law Firm Structures
Legal practice structures range from sole practitioner through general partnership, limited liability partnership (LLP), limited company, and alternative business structures. Candidates must understand the trade-offs each structure presents on liability, taxation, governance, capital raising, and regulatory permission.
279 words, about 1 min03Partnerships and Incorporation
This domain drills into the internal law and governance of partnerships and companies. For partnerships, understand the default rules that apply absent a written agreement: equal profit sharing, unanimous consent for admitting new partners, no automatic expulsion right, and dissolution on notice.
276 words, about 1 min04Client Care, Engagement and Professional Conduct
Client care begins before the engagement letter is signed. Candidates must understand client due diligence (identity, beneficial ownership, source of funds), the terms of engagement (scope, fee basis, responsibilities, complaints procedure, termination), and the professional conduct duties of integrity, independence, and acting in the client's best interests.
290 words, about 1 min05Conflict of Interest
Conflicts of interest arise when a lawyer's duty to one client is or may be compromised by a duty to another, or by the lawyer's own interest. Candidates must distinguish (a) conflicts between current clients, (b) conflicts between a current and a former client, and (c) personal or commercial conflicts of the lawyer or firm.
320 words, about 2 min06Confidentiality and Client Money
Confidentiality is broader than legal professional privilege: it covers all information learned in the professional relationship, whether or not litigation is contemplated. Privilege is narrower and protects certain communications from disclosure.
303 words, about 2 min07File Management, Records and Information Technology
File management is the operational backbone of a compliant firm. Candidates must understand the matter-opening process (conflict check, due diligence, engagement letter, file reference), the file lifecycle (creation, maintenance, review, closure, retention, destruction), and the standards for a well-kept file: chronological notes, dated attendance notes, copies of correspondence, and clear records of instructions and advice.
281 words, about 1 min08Financial Management
Financial management in a law firm covers planning, monitoring, and controlling the firm's finances. Candidates must understand the three core statements: profit and loss (income and expenditure over a period), balance sheet (assets, liabilities, and equity at a point in time), and cash flow (movements in cash).
258 words, about 1 min09Financial Management, Billing and Accounting for Law Firms
Billing and accounting translate legal work into money. Candidates must understand the main fee arrangements: hourly, fixed fee, capped fee, conditional fee, contingency, retainer, and subscription models, and the risk each places on the firm.
1,011 words, about 5 min