How Technology And Tools Can Stretch The Productivity Of Your Staff

Has your legal department decided to redirect more work in-house and rely less on outside counsel? The recent Thomson Reuters Legal Department In-Sourcing and Efficiency Report (TR Efficiency Report) addressed this trend and discusses some best practices in how to handle this influx of work.  One best practice found, when increasing department headcount is neither necessary nor possible, was to provide technology and tools to stretch the productivity of current staff. Lawyers with increased workloads should not have to conduct new research to respond to routine legal inquiries or reinvent the wheel every time a new agreement must be drafted; having the right tools available is imperative. The following are examples of tools you can use to increase the efficiency of your legal department.

Playbooks & Checklists. A playbook can detail the company’s strategies and position on different issues that arise during the course of business; instead of conducting original research on routine issues or drafting clauses from scratch, attorneys can quickly find memorialized written guidance and suggested language for a variety of issues and challenges. The legal department may develop a playbook in connection with the company’s standard form of sales agreement. From the legal department’s perspective, some of the agreement’s clauses may be negotiable on a case-by-case basis, while others have historically been non-negotiable. A playbook of this standard agreement will detail the guidelines attorneys should follow, including clauses and issues that are subject to compromise, as well as what attorneys may agree upon during negotiations.

Other Efficiency Tools. There are a number of tools your legal department can utilize that will help attorneys and support staff produce quality work in an efficient and timely manner. For example, legal drafting and proofreading software can help streamline the drafting process, reducing clerical review time and ensuring documents are accurate and error-free. Additionally, e-billing systems automate law firm invoice review, freeing attorneys from administrative processes and allowing them to focus on legal matters.

To read about a few other efficiency tools that specifically help your legal department, please click here. Thomson Reuters has also created a resource page with incredible content which discusses best practices in redirecting and bringing more work in-house.  To view that content, please click here.