Legal Operations

First 90 Days Game Plan To Building A Legal Operations Function

How do you build a sustainable, efficient, and effective legal operations function?

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It’s like building a house: You need to work backward. You need to know your desired outcome from the start. Be realistic about the steps and the amount of time it will take to get there, and maintain flexibility as each milestone is completed. You will lay the foundation in the first 90 days and build your program brick-by-brick.

According to Colin McCarthy, Legal Operations at Twitter and CEO of Legal Operators, when it comes to building a legal operations function, you must consider four key areas:

  • A clear process for your team to systematically make and execute good decisions
  • Technology and tools to run a modern operation
  • Control legal spend to scale within your means and identify when and what kind of resources you need
  • Use data and analytics to measure success

Here’s his first 90-day game plan.

First 30 Days: Understand the Landscape and Build Relationships

“You need to understand your organization’s legal landscape first,” McCarthy says. He recommends setting up meetings with every member of the legal team. “You will learn something valuable from every single member,” he explains. “Ask open-ended questions, listen attentively, and take detailed notes.”

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He also recommends identifying other stakeholders in your business that you might work with, such as finance, sales, IT, and procurement departments. “These relationships are the cement for your success. You need to cultivate and nourish them,” McCarthy says.

Days 30 Through 60: Identify Gaps in the Current Process and Ways to Fill Them

In your next 30 to 60 days, McCarthy advises, “You must assess the current processes.” Do they work? How well? Which aspects are failing? Why? How often? What is the impact on your organization? Where can inefficiencies be smoothed out? What are the obstacles to success? “Identify all the systems that legal uses. Then identify any gaps that need to be filled, and brainstorm ways you can do it,” he explains. McCarthy also recommends to “follow up meetings with legal stakeholders and close loops to make sure you have all the information and buy in to address the gaps you identified.”

Days 60 Through 90: Implement Your Technology Roadmap

Finally, aim to implement a technology roadmap or work plan. “Identify the legal technologies you want to implement, what efficiencies are desired, and what obstacles must be overcome,” McCarthy recommends. “Then decide on the appropriate implementation timeline and resources.” And, while at it, he adds, “Have a sense of humor along the way, and don’t take yourself too seriously!”

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Olga V. Mack is the CEO of Parley Pro, a next-generation contract management company that has pioneered online negotiation technology. Olga embraces legal innovation and had dedicated her career to improving and shaping the future of law. She is convinced that the legal profession will emerge even stronger, more resilient, and more inclusive than before by embracing technology. Olga is also an award-winning general counsel, operations professional, startup advisor, public speaker, adjunct professor, and entrepreneur. Olga founded the Women Serve on Boards movement that advocates for women to participate on corporate boards of Fortune 500 companies. Olga also co-founded SunLaw, an organization dedicated to preparing women in-house attorneys to become general counsels and legal leaders, and WISE to help female law firm partners become rainmakers. She authored Get on Board: Earning Your Ticket to a Corporate Board Seat and Fundamentals of Smart Contract Security. You can email Olga at olga@olgamack.com or follow her on Twitter @olgavmack. 

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