Why Legal Reporting is One of Legal Ops’ Most Strategic Tools

According to a Checkbox blog post, legal reporting is one of the most strategic tools in legal operations, demonstrating value while guiding business decisions. It unlocks organizational insight, influence, and business alignment. Legal reporting isn’t just about tracking activity; it is about articulating legal’s strategic impact. 

By using real-time dashboards embedded in daily workflows, legal ops can align reporting with the metrics that are important to leadership. Reporting can then inform resource and budget decisions, positioning legal as a critical player in enterprise strategy. 

Unfortunately, 71% of legal teams still rely on manual intake, making it difficult to consistently and meaningfully report. Without standardized key performance indicators and centralized systems, reporting often feels like an afterthought rather than a strategic influence. It is thus essential to establish a reliable process to consistently track incoming work, ongoing tasks, and completed deliverables.

Begin by standardizing the process for receiving requests to help track the volume and types of requests. From there, outline the typical lifecycle of legal matters, ensuring that each stage is mapped clearly. Throughout this process, collect key data points, such as the time it takes to close matters and the presence of risk indicators. 

Even small steps, such as tracking request volumes or matter cycle times, can reveal patterns and unlock efficiency. 

Legal reporting not only offers visibility but also a voice in the business conversation. With AI and automation reshaping legal ops, the ability to measure and communicate impact is vital.