Legal departments have changed considerably in recent years. Whereas they used to be seen primarily as a team that mitigates risks and answers questions, they are increasingly moving towards a role as a strategic business partner. That role requires more than just legal knowledge. It is also about being able to substantiate decisions, set priorities and demonstrate your impact. Data is playing an increasingly important role in this, as it helps to better translate legal insights into business terms.

In many organisations, legal decisions are still mainly made on the basis of experience and gut feeling. That often works well in straightforward situations, but becomes more difficult as things get more complex. Think of growing contract volumes, changing legislation and a business that wants to adapt more quickly. Then it is no longer enough to rely on gut feeling to determine what takes priority or where the greatest risks lie. With data, you can substantiate those kinds of choices much better. Prioritisation then becomes less of a gut feeling and more of a consideration based on facts such as turnaround times, risk profiles and workload per type of case. This not only makes the work more consistent, but also easier to explain to the business.

Patterns

This also changes the way advice is given. Legal advice is often still reactive: a contract or query is on the table and you respond to it. If you use data systematically, you start to see patterns

Helping to shape the organisation

Reporting is changing too. Many legal teams currently focus mainly on demonstrating the volume of work they do, such as the number of contracts or pieces of advice. But that doesn’t really say much about the true value. By using data more intelligently, you can demonstrate much more clearly the impact of your work: reduced risks, faster turnaround times and fewer escalations. This not only makes the legal function more visible, but also more relevant to what the business really values. And as a not insignificant bonus, your work becomes more enjoyable too!