The key functions of improving efficiency and effectiveness of legal operations include technology and innovation, financial management, vendor and outside counsel management, compliance and risk management, knowledge management, data analysis and reporting, process improvement and project management. I am quite sure that understandably, a first reaction for some may be, “all that for a legal services operation?”

Well, the functions alluded to above are supposed to support legal operations to address the challenges that present as practitioners endeavor to provide a service.

In the area of technology and innovation, legal departments/firms are expected to implement and manage legal technology and software with a view of streamlining legal workflows, document management and data analysis. For example, in supply chain management, technology has increased efficiencies to a large extent by the development of smart contracts that have made processes more efficient, secure and resilient.

In the legal industry, the use of blockchain technology in land transactions, for instance, has introduced increased client awareness and efficiency in terms of process and cost. The transaction parties would interface without the traditional intermediary service provided by counsel because the conveyance documentation and compliance features are embedded in the blockchain. It has however been observed that the various stakeholders including regulatory agencies, financial institutions, legal practitioners, real estate firms, etc are yet to fully buy into the technology in that regard.

Technological growth is exponential and legal practitioners are expected to understand its dictates and how to integrate it into their operations. Redirected focus and modelling premised on value proposition is key.

Firstly, coin the problem statement. The solution would also be generally defined with stated benefits to operations and organization efficiency.

The technology would be the means of addressing the identified problem and would have to be developed by professionals (either in house or outsourced) who are able to interrogate and resolve the back and front office of the application/solution.

Start the thought leadership process by embarking on easy to achieve interventions such as producing customized templates of transaction documentation often used by your organization and documenting the process flow in your department/firm from when the task is assigned to you to when it crystallizes to achievement of the set objective. This will be your springboard to being the solution leaders for other more complicated processes.

Colleagues will agree that practitioners should be as much a part of the solution as they would be of the problem. Therefore, leaders of legal departments /law firms should be equipped with the skill to lead innovation.

Join me in part 3 of 3 of this series in my next sharing!