Reimagining Legal Operations in the Law Department of the Future

Legal departments exist within the overall businesses they serve. With that has come the recognition that the business of doing law supported by Legal Operations is a core component of how in-house legal services are delivered. Womble Bond Dickinson gathered a team of in-house Legal Operations professionals to discuss the growth of Legal Ops and where they believe their industry is headed. In recent years, legal operations has become far more complex. The demand for legal operations is increasing and the entire function is becoming more strategic. The panelists agreed that today’s Legal Operations teams support not only the company’s legal department but also compliance and government relations. They play a key role in their organization’s outside counsel management, digital transformation, billing/payments, auditing, and knowledge management operations.

The role of Legal Operations will continue to change and grow in the near future, the panelists said, with the focus more on “big picture” efficiencies and best practices. They agree that more focus should be given to Legal Ops training. “As we grow and our strategic position within the company grows, we will need people with the background and training to lead those efforts,“ said Manulife’s Laurie David-Henric. “It is important that companies form legal operations teams that best meet their specific business and legal needs.” Says Tomi Stephenson, Legal.io, “Every Legal Operations team is a snowflake — no two are alike.”