Structuring a High-Performing Legal Ops Team

Michael Theise of Brightflag discusses structuring a high-performing legal ops team, focusing on competencies, responsibilities, and roles. He condenses the Corporate Legal Operations Consortium’s (CLOC) 12 core competencies into three responsibility levels and delineates roles appropriate to departmental maturity. 

The basic level includes core responsibilities such as financial and vendor management, cross-functional workflow alignment, and legal technology integration. These responsibilities ensure that the legal department runs efficiently, stays on budget, and supports broader business goals. Integral to this level are streamlining processes and improving workflows using technology and automation.

As legal operations teams mature, they take on intermediate responsibilities that include harnessing data analytics, aligning with broader company goals, and enhancing communication. An emphasis is placed on improving transparency with stakeholders, optimizing service delivery models, and guiding resource decisions.

At the advanced level, legal ops becomes a strategic partner embedded across the business. The focus shifts to proactive planning with leadership, managing intellectual property, supporting litigation, and overseeing knowledge and information governance. These responsibilities rely heavily on advanced technology and cross-functional collaboration.

As to structuring a high-performing legal ops team, it should be based on team size and role responsibilities. Smaller legal operations teams, with just one or two legal ops professionals, report directly to the general counsel. For moderately-sized teams, a legal ops manager often leads, coordinating with the general counsel and guiding the department’s strategic direction, along with analysts and specialized role reports. In large legal operations teams, the legal ops manager reports to the head of legal ops and oversees specialists, analysts, and other roles. 

Deciding which additional positions to create depends mainly on the legal department’s needs, the scope of responsibilities, and the overall size of the legal function within the company.