FAQ's

How is CRQS Organised?

The standard has also been designed to provide objective evidence of good governance to clients, insurers and other outsiders to the practice who may have an interest in its operations.

CRQS is organised into twelve sections, summarised below:

1 Business Strategy and Quality Policy

1.1 Risk and Quality Policy
1.2 Strategic Planning
1.3 Marketing

2 Governance

3 Leadership

3.1 Role and Responsibilities
3.2 Project Management
3.3 Teamwork
3.4 Supervision

4 Client and Matter Management

4.1 Receipt and Evaluation of Instructions
4.2 Conflicts of Interest
4.3 Control of Matters
4.4 Progressing Matters
4.5. Use of Counsel and Experts
4.6 Matter Closure and Follow-up

5 Risk Management

5.1 Risk Management Processes

6 Client Service

6.1 Client Service Policy
6.2 Confidentiality
6.3 Client Satisfaction Processes

7 Equality and Diversity

7.1 Anti-Discrimination Policy
7.2 Recruitment, Selection and Promotion of Personnel
7.3 External Resources

8 People Management

8.1 Personnel Policy
8.2 Recruitment and Selection
8.3 Appraisals and Reviews
8.4 Training

9 Information Technology

9.1 IT Resources
9.2 IT Policies

10 Facilities Management

10.1 Provision of Facilities
10.2 Environmental Policy

11 Financial Management

11.1 Responsibility and Compliance
11.2 Time Recording

12 Risk and Quality Management System Administration

12.1 Practice Manual
12.2 Risk and Quality Records
12.3 Risk and Quality Director
12.4 Management Review
12.5 Risk System Audits

Sample Content

In order to give visitors to this site a flavour of CRQS’s content, Section 4.1 of the standard dealing with receipt and evaluation of instructions is reproduced here in its entirety:

4 Client and Matter Management

4.1 Receipt and Evaluation of Instructions

4.1.1 The practice will have processes and procedures for the receipt and evaluation of client and referrer enquiries and new instructions, with the aim of ensuring that all work undertaken within the practice is in accordance with the risk and quality policy and any relevant quality objectives.

4.1.2 The practice will ensure that full instructions are taken on all matters and noted in suitable form for future reference. In particular:

a The client’s aims and objectives must be clearly understood and noted

b Where there are inconsistencies or outstanding issues these must be addressed within a reasonable time

c Where the client has instructed the firm on a previous occasion care must be taken to ensure if any elements of any previous instructions can or should be relied upon

4.1.3 Due consideration will be given to applicable anti-money laundering provisions.

4.1.4 Appropriate checks must be conducted to ensure that any corporate client is properly constituted and that the person purporting to represent that organisation has the necessary authority to do so.

4.1.5 An initial risk assessment must be made on all matters, but this could be systemised in areas of bulk work. There will be principal or senior management involvement in the allocation of matters to teams or individual fee earners which shows due regard to the risk profile of the matter.

4.1.6 Consideration will be given to the critical issues in achieving the client’s objectives in the matter, whether they form part of the instructions received or not.

a Consideration must also be given to whether an appropriate legal process exists to achieve the client’s objectives.

b If the instructions would involve illegality or unprofessional conduct on the part of the client or the practice, the client must be informed and their further instructions sought. If such issues are incapable of being resolved the instructions must be declined.

c When instructions are declined the client will be provided with such explanation as is appropriate in the circumstances.

What Is the Interest in CRQS to Date?

Web4Law have been working for some time with two high profile practices on the development of risk programmes to comply with CRQS. Both practices hope to undergo a LQA assessment in early 2009. Meanwhile we have approached another ten firms in the sector and have received expressions of interest from all of them.

Why is CRQS Compliant with ISO 9001?

The launch of CRQS builds upon the systems and methodology of ISO 9001 in a way that is directly relevant to large legal concerns.

Whereas the wording of the ISO standard is generic to all organisations, and is therefore incomprehensible to most lawyers, CRQS is written in terms and language that will be relevant to any large law firm. In adapting the general international quality standard in this way it becomes a more relevant managerial tool for use in a risk programme.

There are many advantages in ensuring that CRQS is also ISO 9001 compliant. Since it is an internationally recognised management standard it is capable of being applied to foreign offices and will also be recognisable to clients worldwide.

So is CRQS simply an adaptation of ISO 9001?

No – CRQS was initially developed as a distinct risk programme that was later adapted to satisfy ISO 9001 in order to meet the needs of client firms. There are numerous provisions that are relevant to large law firms that do not appear in ISO 9001, most notably risk management. CRQS is first and foremost a risk standard for commercial law firms, and an ISO 9001 adaptation second.

What is the Assessment Process?

Reflecting the distinctive and market-led nature of the product, there is a choice of three levels of assessment.

Level 1 CRQS documentary review
Level 2 CRQS full inspection
Level 3 CRQS full inspection and ISO 9001 combined (in association with a recognised ISO certification body)

All inspections will be undertaken in strict confidence and an undertaking will be provided to this effect.

Level 1 assessments are carried out off-site by LQA.

All CRQS Level 2 and 3 inspections are headed by an experienced commercial lawyer (the ‘technical assessor’) who will in most cases be accompanied by a trained auditor (the ‘professional assessor’). This combination of assessors reduces the on-site inspection days that are needed but does inevitably lead to higher on-site daily inspection costs.

Assessment Procedures

Firms seeking Level 1 assessment will need to make available copies of all Office Manuals, written procedures and associated documentation.

For firms seeking Level 2 or 3 assessment, CRQS is additionally assessed through a pitch-style questionnaire and "storyboard" exercise, followed by a presentation on-site. Practice groups are then checked for compliance through interviews and file inspections, with partners and fee earners being asked to explain and illustrate their working methods.

A firm wishing to apply for Level 2 or 3 assessment will need to be able to make its files available for inspection. To do so it will need to address the issue of client confidentiality, on which further advice can be provided.

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