In an increasingly complex and sophisticated marketplace, lawyers seek management training to improve their businesses and help them overcome their management problems.However, general management training can be less than satisfying, partly as its foundation lies in ideas and techniques originally developed for industry rather than professional services.

There is clearly a need for management training which is directly applicable to the legal profession.

The Nottingham MBA in legal practice is designed to meet that need.Throughout the 1990s, the business challenges facing the profession have multiplied.

There has been increasing public attention to pricing; partners have moved laterally, with younger partners challenging the traditional partnership structures; new firms have emerged which raise questions about the fundamental structure of the profession; in-house lawyers are more accountable for the management of their external lawyer relationships; and there is, more recently, the threat of new overseas competitors and the rise of the multinational partnership.Most lawyers would agree that managing their firms through this changing environment is no longer a mere 'administrative matter' which can be fitted in between a court appearance and a client appointment.

For firms to develop they require good management practice which can help them in that elusive search for 'competitive advantage'.Lawyers have acknowledged the need to draw on external management expertise to support their development.

However, the ideas and techniques of management theory and education were, in the main, originally designed to help managers within multinationals and other large corporations manage large numbers of more lowly skilled employees than are traditionally found in the law firm.

In addition, the structure of most commercial businesses is very different from the special partnership formation within the legal profession.It is, therefore, not surprising that those lawyers who have attended traditional management and business courses find themselves questioning the relevance of all that they learn.

They also face the problem of having to translate good ideas back to their practice so that they can actually implement change.

Finally, the short nature of most seminars is a further limiting factor; many can only hope to offer a brief introduction to a topic, leaving very little time for delegates to participate in detailed debate.The Nottingham MBA in legal practice is, we believe, unique in being the first and only MBA which will address the particular management issues facing the legal profession, combining the best of management theory with the real business of practice.To meet the needs of busy professionals, the programme has been structured on a modular basis to be run over two years, with attendance only required at four intensive study weekends each year.Modules covered include: delivery of legal services; finance and accounting; human resources; business strategy and marketing; and management.

The final module allows the participant to choose an option which could, for example, be on the role of the managing partner or management of technology.

Thus, while incorporating the elements of a more traditional MBA, the MBA in legal practice has been adapted to focus on the needs of lawyers, wherever they work.There are no examinations and participants are encouraged wherever possible to base their assignments on issues they currently face in the office, so that they derive immediate and practical feedback from the course.The MBA in legal practice has another unique element: the extended project.

This is designed to be a consultancy style piece of work which the participant undertakes throughout the two years.

The project should address a management issue of current concern, which is likely to be based on the participant's own firm or department.In using this assessable project to replace the dissertation that is commonly found on a masters programme, we hope the MBA in legal practice will have an impact both on those taking part and their partners or employers.

In summary, the course continually encourages participants to integrate management theory with legal practice in a way that traditional management courses cannot.The profile of those who have applied to join the course to date is illustrative of the range of people who we believe will benefit.

It is certainly not restricted to those with the formal title of 'manager', although many managing partners are indeed among our participants.For example, we have partners at all levels, foreign lawyers, heads of department, senior legal advisers, practice managers (both in private practice and barristers' chambers), directors of administration and others.

Participants are drawn from the City and provinces, firms large and small.

We hope to offer a unique forum where our MBA participants can debate the full spectrum of management issues.In designing this MBA for the profession, we are aiming to meet the needs of lawyers looking to find their way through the management maze.

In addition we are introducing the concept of a totally new qualification into the business of legal practice.

We believe this will have a positive personal impact on the careers of those who graduate.

For in providing our MBA participants with a practical management framework, we hope we will be helping them to manage their practices to success.