Framework for practicing legal operations

Support your team with targeted professional training Current reality Many In-House Legal Departments do little to onboard new hires, missing an opportunity to activate and engage new team members. And once on-board, these departments typically offer fragmented training opportunities, or worse, rely on their HR teams to cover training and development. Desired state Help your teammates be effective, compliant, and energized by designing high-quality targeted training. Design a compelling new hire experience that equips your newest employees for success. Manage CLE requirements across the team to ensure compliance and help build skills in important emerging areas.Design and implement a new…

Innovate, automate, and solve problems with technology Current reality In-House Legal Departments often rely on manual, time-consuming, and fragmented point solutions. They may lack an overall technology vision and are deploying costly applications that are underused and disconnected from the team’s workflow. Desired state Create a clear technology vision that spans all of the needs of your organization. Automate manual processes, digitize physical tasks, and improve speed and quality through the strategic deployment of technology solutions. Create and implement a long-term technology roadmap Incorporate connected tools for e-billing, matter management, contact management, IP management, e-signature, and more Automate repetitive or time-consuming…

Current reality Many In-House Legal Departments are completely short-term and reactive in their planning, guided by the incoming work rather than larger strategic priorities. Desired state Set department mission/vision and develop strategic priorities that serve the needs of your department and the overall business. Bring a long-term, holistic perspective to your business planning while ensuring alignment to corporate imperatives. Connect short- and mid-term actions to long-term priorities that are aligned to the business Help your teams understand the bigger picture by creating a shared strategic framework Align to overall corporate priorities and direction Ensure strong alignment to business stakeholder needs…

Match the right work to the right resource Current reality In-House Legal Departments often assign work indiscriminately today, sending it to a “default” firm or vendor. This can lead to increased cost and diminished speed and quality. Desired state Create a complementary ecosystem of vendors, tightly connected to each other and to your business. Break your case work into pieces and route each component to the vendor best suited to deliver the desired outcome at the best cost. Analyze work types and processes (strategic nature, volumes, skill level required) to identify insourcing and or outsourcing opportunities Define and structure relationships…

Launch and support special programs and initiatives Current reality Most In-House Legal Departments lack specialized program management skills and experience, making it difficult for them to implement effective initiatives at scale. Desired state Design, implement, and lead department-wide and company-wide initiatives that work. Take on complex special projects without losing focus or effectiveness elsewhere. Staff your program teams with trained professionals – not with lawyers Design change management efforts that make the best use of your people and resources Engage and communicate with stakeholders across the company Comply with corporate initiatives without compromising the quality or volume of ongoing work.…

Free up your legal teams through focused practice operations Current reality In many In-House Legal Departments, lawyers often wear many hats out of necessity and end up handling tasks that don’t require a legal degree. Tasks often aren’t assigned strategically or with expertise in mind. This adds cost and reduces their ability to contribute elsewhere. Desired state Enable your lawyers to practice law and minimize the extent they are distracted by operational tasks and projects. Create flexible, efficient teams trained and experienced in practice specific operations such as eDiscovery, contracts management, IP management, and more. Lower costs by enabling legal…

Build effective and motivated teams Current reality Often, In-House Legal Departments are assembled without a clear overall vision, meaning they may hire for short-term need rather than overall fit and long-term effectiveness. In many cases, key aspects of the employee experience – such as career planning, skills development, and job satisfaction – are overlooked today. Desired state Design and support balanced, driven, high-impact teams. Hire for team fit and bring in a diverse, complementary mix of skills and perspectives. Identify potential leaders and encourage promising careers through targeted programs that enhance the teams’ education, experiences and exposure. Help foster a…

Tap the knowledge and capability of your entire organization. Current reality Today, In-House Departments often struggle to find and retain knowledge and best practices. Most rely on unstructured “tribal knowledge” that fails to scale as the team grows or changes, forcing costly re-work. Desired state Save team time and improve outcomes by making it easier to find answers and best practices. Nurture a culture of sharing, mutual support, and documentation across the organization. Facilitate knowledge hubs and centers of influence across the organization Ensure a consistent response on topics and issues Design an intranet experience that makes sharing and finding…

Develop firm and Design information policies that fit your business and minimize riskvendor relationships that deliver value Current reality In many cases, In-House Legal Departments will have little or no structure in their information governance. These departments manage this loosely, if at all, making it difficult to get access to the right information and exposing the company to possible risk. Desired state Define and implement clear, comprehensive guidelines for sharing and retaining information. Support your in-house team and cut risk by determining which digital and physical documents should be preserved to remain in compliance with your corporate standards and legal…

Develop firm and vendor relationships that deliver value Current reality Today, firms and vendors are often selected either for tactical reasons or due to personal relationships. Lacking clear alternatives, In-House Legal Departments may default to traditional pricing and staffing models, which can deliver less accountability and value. Desired state Create, sustain, and strengthen firm and vendor relationships that support your business needs. Bring in talent and expertise that complements your own capabilities. Define flexible, fair terms that improve transparency and reward value and innovation. Design fair, effective RFPs that reflect your business needs Negotiate rates and pricing models that create…