Statistics point to another strong year for legal operations in 2019
2019 is an exciting year to be in legal operations. It may feel like we say that every year, but with the international growth of legal operations, increase in legal service providers and resources, and investments of $1 billion in legal technology – among other notable achievements – it’s clear that legal operations is poised for great things in the coming year.
Times Have Changed
In the past, legal operations may have seemed like a luxury reserved for large corporations with large budgets to match, but the continued expectation for legal departments to be run like business units has solidified the legal operations function as a necessary part of every legal department.
The proof is in the numbers. The industry has observed:
- Rising salaries for individuals in legal operations roles
- A steady growth of dedicated legal operations managers in corporate legal departments
- Shifting outside counsel work in-house with a reduction in outside counsel spend
For a more in-depth look at the numbers check out our latest white paper, Top Trends Influencing Legal Ops in 2019.
If we add in the number of paralegals, in-house counsel, and even solo-GCs who fulfill the role of legal operations without having the title, we find that many departments are already investing in legal operations and don’t even know it.
What’s Next? Planning for Legal Operations in 2019
It’s no longer a question of whether legal operations is needed, but how legal professionals can build and optimize their current operational processes. As time goes on, more and more information is being compiled around legal operations best practices, which are being shared amongst growing legal communities – like the global CLOC Institutes and ACC Legal Ops – strengthening the movement and allowing it to flourish at a rapid pace. With so many changes, how can you keep up?
As you put together a strategy for the new year, make sure you’re up-to-date on what’s happening in legal operations and how it impacts your legal department. To start, check out our latest white paper on the top trends influencing legal operations and be sure to subscribe to our legal ops blog to get the latest industry insights sent to your inbox every month.