Images
For
years,
legal
operations
has
been
misunderstood.
Many
general
counsel
and
chief
legal
officers
still
see
it
as
administrative
support
—
a
necessary
function
but
one
that’s
more
about
tech
admin
than
business
impact.
But
let’s
be
blunt:
In
today’s
corporate
landscape,
where
legal
departments
are
being
asked
to
demonstrate
their
value,
legal
ops
isn’t
just
a
support
function
—
it’s
a
competitive
advantage.
Forward-thinking
legal
teams
are
already
leveraging
legal
ops
to
reduce
friction,
speed
the
delivery
of
legal
services,
increase
efficiency,
and
drive
business
value
—
and
they
have
the
data
to
prove
it.
This
isn’t
just
about
cutting
costs;
it’s
about
removing
bottlenecks
that
slow
down
decision-making,
creating
seamless
workflows
that
enable
faster
contract
turnaround,
and
ensuring
legal
resources
are
deployed
where
they
add
the
most
value.
By
optimizing
how
legal
services
are
delivered,
Legal
Ops
eliminates
unnecessary
roadblocks
—
whether
through
smarter
use
of
technology,
better
alignment
with
business
priorities,
or
strategic
outside
counsel
management.
From
Tactical
Firefighter
to
Business
Driver
Legal
has
long
been
seen
as
a
necessary
function
but
rarely
as
a
business
enabler.
That
perception
is
outdated
—
and
costly.
When
legal
ops
is
fully
leveraged,
legal
teams
go
from
being
a
bottleneck
to
a
strategic
partner.
The
difference
is
stark:
-
Firefighting
Mode
–
Legal
is
reactive,
overburdened,
and
constantly
putting
out
fires. -
Business
Partner
Mode
–
Legal
is
proactive,
data-driven,
and
aligned
with
corporate
goals.
Case
Study:
How
NetApp
Cut
Outside
Counsel
Spend
by
30%
According
to
a
Corporate
Legal
Operations
Consortium
(CLOC)
case
study,
NetApp’s
legal
department
reduced
external
legal
costs
by
30%
by
implementing
legal
ops-driven
strategies,
including:
-
Vendor
scorecards
to
track
firm
performance. -
Alternative
fee
arrangements
(AFAs)
that
tied
costs
to
results,
not
billable
hours. -
Legal
tech
adoption
to
automate
contract
analysis
and
reduce
inefficiencies.
This
isn’t
just
about
cutting
costs
—
it’s
about
ensuring
every
dollar
spent
on
legal
drives
business
value.
Bridging
the
Gap
Between
Legal
&
the
Business
Too
often,
legal
teams
are
out
of
sync
with
corporate
priorities.
The
business
focuses
on
growth,
revenue,
and
innovation,
while
Legal
focuses
on
risk
mitigation
and
compliance.
When
these
priorities
don’t
align,
frustration
builds—slow
processes,
budget
conflicts,
and
a
perception
that
legal
is
just
a
cost
center.
Legal
ops
fixes
this
disconnect
by:
-
Aligning
legal
strategy
with
business
goals
–
Structuring
legal
support
around
revenue
generation. -
Optimizing
resource
allocation
–
Deciding
what
work
stays
in-house,
what
goes
to
outside
counsel,
and
where
ALSPs
fit
in. -
Enhancing
communication
with
the
C-suite
–
Using
data-driven
insights
to
show
legal’s
direct
impact
on
corporate
success.
Case
Study:
Fortune
500
Tech
Company
Automates
NDAs,
Saves
5,000
Hours
A
2023
report
from
the
Association
of
Corporate
Counsel
(ACC)
legal
ops
section
highlights
how
a
Fortune
500
tech
company
transformed
its
NDA
process
using
automation:
-
Integrated
approval
workflows
into
Salesforce,
eliminating
manual
back-and-forth. -
Freed
up
5,000+
hours
of
legal
team
time
annually,
enabling
lawyers
to
focus
on
strategic
work. -
Accelerated
deal
cycles,
improving
speed-to-revenue.
When
legal
ops
is
empowered
to
speak
the
language
of
the
business,
legal
stops
being
a
roadblock
and
starts
being
a
strategic
force.
From
Cost
Center
to
Value
Driver:
Managing
Legal
Spend
Like
a
CFO
GCs
don’t
have
a
blank
check
anymore.
Legal
departments
are
now
expected
to
demonstrate
financial
discipline
just
like
any
other
business
unit.
This
means:
-
Moving
beyond
hourly
billing
–
Implementing
value-based
pricing
(VBP)
models
that
tie
legal
costs
to
business
outcomes. -
Leveraging
spend
analytics
–
Using
outside
counsel
scorecards,
predictive
modeling,
and
financial
dashboards
to
optimize
vendor
relationships. -
Bringing
work
in-house
where
it
makes
sense
–
Shifting
40%
of
legal
work
internally
rather
than
outsourcing.
Case
Study:
How
a
Financial
Services
Giant
Cut
External
Legal
Spend
by
$20M
According
to
a
2022
Gartner
Legal
Ops
Benchmark
Report,
a
major
financial
institution
conducted
a
make-vs-buy
analysis
and
found
that:
-
40%
of
work
sent
to
outside
counsel
could
be
handled
internally
with
better
workflows. -
By
shifting
work
in-house
and
using
ALSPs
strategically,
they
cut
external
legal
spend
by
$20M
annually.
This
is
what
happens
when
legal
ops
manages
legal
spend
like
a
CFO.
AI
&
Legal
Tech:
Future-Proofing
the
Legal
Department
AI
isn’t
coming
—
it’s
already
here.
Yet
too
many
legal
teams
still
treat
it
as
a
threat
instead
of
an
opportunity.
Smart
legal
ops
teams
are
leading
the
way
by:
-
Automating
low-value
work
–
Freeing
up
lawyers
for
high-impact
strategic
work. -
Using
AI-driven
analytics
–
Predicting
risks,
legal
spend
trends,
and
operational
efficiencies. -
Integrating
legal
tech
with
business
processes
–
Ensuring
tools
like
contract
management
and
compliance
automation
support
broader
corporate
goals.
Why
Legal
Ops
Must
Lead
AI
Initiatives
Legal
ops
is
uniquely
positioned
to
own
and
implement
AI-based
projects
because
it
already
manages
legal
technology,
process
optimization,
and
vendor
relationships.
AI
adoption
isn’t
just
about
the
tools
—
it’s
about
workflow
integration,
data
governance,
and
ensuring
adoption
across
the
legal
team.
As
Microsoft’s
2023
Legal
Operations
Transformation
Report
noted,
legal
teams
that
centralized
AI
strategy
under
legal
ops
saw
faster
adoption
rates
and
stronger
business
alignment.
Without
legal
ops
leading
the
charge,
AI
risks
becoming
another
fragmented
tech
investment
rather
than
a
transformative
force
for
the
legal
function.
Final
Thought:
The
Legal
Ops
Imperative
Legal
operations
isn’t
just
about
cutting
costs,
improving
processes,
or
implementing
tech
—
it’s
about
positioning
legal
as
a
business
driver.
So
ask
yourself:
Is
your
legal
department
operating
like
a
cost
center
—
or
a
strategic
partner?
The
companies
that
empower
legal
ops
to
optimize
spend,
implement
technology,
and
align
legal
with
business
strategy
will
thrive.
If
your
legal
team
is
still
stuck
in
firefighting
mode,
it’s
time
to
rethink
your
approach.
Because
the
future
of
legal
ops
isn’t
about
keeping
up
—
it’s
about
leading.
Stephanie Corey is
a
co-founder
and
CEO
of
UpLevel
Ops. Stephanie also
co-founded
LINK
(Legal
Innovators
Network),
a
legal
operations
organization
exclusively
for
experienced,
in-house
professionals.
She
previously
founded
the
legal
operations
trade
organization
CLOC
(Corporate
Legal
Operations
Consortium)
and
is
a
former
executive
member.
Please
feel
free
to contact
and
connect
with
her
on
LinkedIn.