The difference between a trend and a fad, as one futurist put it, is that a trend matters. The entire legal profession is now trying to figure out whether legal project management is a trend or a fad.

LPM is the hot topic right now, sweeping through the collective consciousness of both law firm lawyers and in-house counsel like wildfire. This viral vogue is the result of dramatic changes in legal service delivery that place an unprecedented premium on improving the efficiency, predictability, and cost management of legal services.