Legal Ops Hiring: Where to Start and Why It Matters

According to an article by Brightflag, building the right legal ops team through legal ops hiring has become a priority for legal leaders. The article defines key department roles, required experience, and salary ranges, as well as which roles to hire first and which skills matter most.

Building a mature legal ops team typically begins with senior leadership. The Director of Legal Operations manages the entire operations of the legal department, implementing strategy, overseeing spend management, ensuring regulatory compliance, and collaborating across various functions. Salaries vary by legal department size. For smaller teams, the range is from $123,000 to $500,000, while large teams are more highly compensated, with salaries ranging from $194,000 to $790,000. 

Data expertise is foundational to legal operations analysts, who identify cost savings and performance improvements by gathering and analyzing essential legal operations metrics. Compensation is typically in the $ 75,000 to $76,000 range. Legal operations specialists manage key workstreams, including matter management, e-billing, and contract management. They recommend process improvements and may evaluate technology vendors and tools to enhance efficiency. The average annual salary is $68,426.

Legal operations associates provide administrative and research support, with an average annual salary of $65,000. As teams expand, functions such as outside counsel manager and legal technology manager become increasingly important, especially in hybrid or globally distributed environments. 

Talent planning in today’s legal departments intersects with technology strategy. AI now plays a central role in automating routine work, enhancing analytics, and managing outside counsel. This means that legal ops hiring requires a reassessment of job design and skill requirements. Investing in talent, process rigor, and thoughtful technology deployment positions legal departments to operate with greater efficiency, transparency, and measurable impact.