Van Leeuwen Law Firm

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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,…

Maximize your resources through sound financial management Current reality In-House Legal Departments may operate with little clarity or predictability in their budgeting. This can lead to unexpected shortfalls, tensions with the business, and a lack of financial context when making investment decisions. Desired state Develop a strong and sustainable approach…

Make better decisions through data. Current reality In-House Legal Departments today often make minimal use of data and metrics. These departments may struggle to access or identity the right data and lack the culture or tools to make consistent use of analytics. Desired state Manage and guide your organization through…