Legal Ops Terminology
Case management
: The process of managing legal cases from inception to resolution, including tasks such as docketing, document management, and communication with clients.
Chambers
(CH): A judge's office.
Change management
: The process of managing organisational change to minimise resistance and ensure successful implementation of new processes or technologies.
Client satisfaction
: A measure of how satisfied clients are with legal services, including factors such as responsiveness, communication, and outcomes.
Common Law
(CL): The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on court decisions rather than statutes passed by the legislature.
Compliance management
: The practice of ensuring that an organisation's legal and regulatory obligations are met, including the development and implementation of policies, procedures, and controls.
Contract management
: The process of creating, negotiating, and managing contracts throughout their lifecycle, including drafting, review, approval, and renewal.
Cost control
: The practice of managing and reducing the cost of legal services, including implementing cost-saving measures and negotiating favourable pricing with vendors.
Cybersecurity
: The practice of protecting computer systems, networks, and data from theft, damage, or unauthorised access.
Data analytics
: The process of collecting, analysing, and interpreting data to identify patterns, trends, and insights that can be used to improve decision-making.
Data privacy
: The practice of protecting personal or sensitive data from unauthorised access or use.
Digital transformation
: The process of using digital technologies to fundamentally change how business is conducted, including in the legal operations context.
Document automation
: The process of automatically generating legal documents, such as contracts or agreements, using software tools.
Document management
: The practice of managing documents and other content, including document creation, storage, retrieval, and disposition.
E-billing
: The process of electronically submitting and managing legal invoices, including tracking and approving payments.
Electronic discovery
: The process of identifying, collecting, and producing electronically stored information (ESI) in response to a legal request or investigation. Also known as e-discovery.
Enterprise legal management
(ELM): A holistic approach to managing legal operations that encompasses people, processes, and technology.
Evidence
(EV): Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
Financial management
: The practice of managing the financial aspects of legal operations, including budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting.
Governance
: The practice of ensuring that an organisation's policies, procedures, and controls are effective and aligned with its objectives.
Information governance
: The practice of managing information assets, including data, documents, and records, in a way that supports legal and regulatory compliance, as well as business objectives.
Intellectual property
(IP): The legal rights that protect creations of the mind, such as patents, trademarks, and copyrights.
Knowledge management
: The practice of capturing, storing, and sharing organisational knowledge to support better decision-making and improve performance.
Legal analytics
: The application of data analytics techniques to legal data, such as case outcomes, to identify trends, patterns, and insights that can inform legal strategy.
Legal data management
: The practice of organising, storing, and analysing legal data, including case data, contract data, and other legal information.
Legal design
: The application of design thinking principles to legal operations, with the goal of creating more user-friendly and efficient legal processes and services.
Legal hold
: The practice of preserving potentially relevant documents and data in anticipation of litigation or other legal proceedings.
Legal knowledge management
: The process of capturing, organising, and sharing legal knowledge and expertise within an organisation to improve legal services.
Legal operations
: The management of legal business functions, including finance, human resources, technology, and project management, to improve efficiency and effectiveness of legal services.
Legal operations maturity model
: A framework for assessing and improving the maturity of legal operations functions, often based on a set of defined capabilities or competencies.
Legal process outsourcing
(LPO): The practice of outsourcing legal work to external providers, often in lower-cost locations, to improve cost-efficiency and scalability.
Legal project management
: The application of project management principles and techniques to legal matters, with the goal of improving efficiency, quality, and client satisfaction.
Legal project portfolio management
: The practice of managing a portfolio of legal projects, with the goal of maximising their value and aligning them with organisational objectives.
Legal research
: The process of conducting research on legal issues, including case law, statutes, regulations, and other legal sources, to support legal analysis and decision-making.
Legal service delivery model
: The approach used to deliver legal services to internal or external clients, such as through a law firm, in-house legal department, or legal process outsourcing.
Legal service level agreement
(SLA): An agreement that defines the level of service that will be provided by a legal service provider, including performance metrics, service levels, and penalties for noncompliance.
Legal spend analytics
: The use of data analytics techniques to track and analyse legal spend, including outside counsel fees, litigation costs, and other legal expenses.
Legal spend benchmarking
: The practice of comparing an organisation's legal spend to industry benchmarks or peer group averages, to identify opportunities for cost savings or process improvements.
Legal spend management
: The practice of managing and controlling legal spend, including the development and implementation of policies and procedures for budgeting, tracking, and reporting.
Legal technology
: The use of technology, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and blockchain, to improve legal operations performance and deliver legal services more efficiently.
Litigation management
: The practice of managing the lifecycle of litigation matters, including case strategy, budgeting, and case resolution.
Matter management
: The practice of managing the lifecycle of legal matters, including matter intake, workflow management, and matter resolution.
Metrics
: Quantitative measures used to track and evaluate legal operations performance, such as cost savings, cycle time, and customer satisfaction.
Metrics dashboard
: A visual representation of legal operations performance metrics, often used to track and report progress towards strategic objectives.
Non-disclosure agreement
(NDA): A contract that prohibits the disclosure of confidential information shared between parties, often used in the context of business transactions or employment agreements.
Objection
: A protest by an attorney, challenging a statement or question made at trial. Common objections include an attorney “leading the witness” or a witness making a statement that is hearsay. Once an objection is made, the judge must decide whether to allow the question or statement.
Outside counsel management
: The practice of managing relationships with outside counsel, including vendor selection, performance management, and cost control.
Outsourcing
: The practice of delegating business functions, such as legal services, to external providers to improve efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and scalability.
Predictive analysis
: A data analysis technique that uses statistical algorithms and machine learning models to analyse historical data and identify patterns or trends that can be used to predict future outcomes or behaviours. In legal operations, predictive analysis can be used to forecast litigation outcomes, identify potential risks or opportunities, and improve decision-making.
Predictive analytics
: A subset of predictive analysis that focuses specifically on the use of statistical algorithms and machine learning models to analyse data and make predictions about future events or outcomes. In legal operations, predictive analytics can be used to forecast legal spend, identify potential litigation risks, and optimise resource allocation.
Process automation
: The use of technology to automate repetitive or routine legal operations tasks, such as document review or contract management.
Process improvement
: The practice of analysing and improving business processes to increase efficiency, reduce costs, and improve quality.
Procure-to-pay
(P2P): The process of managing the entire procurement and payment cycle for goods and services, including legal services.
Procurement
: The process of acquiring goods or services, including legal services, through purchasing, contracting, or tendering.
Project management
: The practice of planning, executing, and controlling projects to achieve specific goals and objectives within a defined timeframe and budget.
Project portfolio management
: The practice of managing a portfolio of projects, with the goal of maximising their value and aligning them with organisational objectives.
Quality management
: The practice of ensuring that legal services meet or exceed the expectations of clients, including the development and implementation of quality standards and procedures.
Real-time reporting
: The practice of providing up-to-date information on legal operations performance, such as spend and matter status, in real-time.
Records management
: The practice of organising, storing, and disposing of records in compliance with legal, regulatory, and business requirements.
Request for proposal
(RFP): A document that outlines the requirements and expectations for legal services and solicits proposals from potential vendors.
Resource management
: The practice of managing and optimising the use of legal resources, including staff, budget, and technology.
Risk assessment
: The process of identifying and assessing potential risks to legal operations, such as cybersecurity risks or legal compliance risks.
Risk management
: The practice of identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks that could impact an organisation's legal operations or business objectives.
Service catalogue
: A centralised repository of legal services offered by an organisation, including service descriptions, pricing, and service level agreements.
Service delivery model
: The approach used to deliver legal services, such as in-house, outsourced, or a combination of both.
Service level agreement
(SLA): A contract between a service provider and client that outlines the level of service expected, including quality, availability, and response time.
Service management
: The practice of managing and improving the delivery of legal services, including service design, service delivery, and service improvement.
Six Sigma
: A data-driven approach to process improvement that aims to eliminate defects and reduce variability in processes.
Six Sigma Green Belt
: A professional certification that demonstrates expertise in Six Sigma methodologies and techniques.
Spend management
: The practice of managing and controlling legal spend, including the development and implementation of policies and procedures for budgeting, tracking, and reporting.
Strategic planning
: The process of defining an organisation's long-term vision and goals, and developing a roadmap for achieving them.
Strategic sourcing
: The practice of identifying and selecting vendors and suppliers that can provide the best value for an organisation's procurement needs.
Succession planning
: The process of identifying and developing talent to fill key roles within an organisation, including legal leadership roles.
Supplier management
: The practice of managing relationships with vendors and suppliers, including legal service providers, to ensure quality, compliance, and cost-effectiveness.
Supply chain
: The network of suppliers, vendors, and service providers that are involved in the delivery of goods and services to customers.
Supply chain management
: The practice of managing the flow of goods and services, including legal services, from suppliers to customers.
Talent management
: The practice of attracting, developing, and retaining talented employees, including legal professionals.
Team management
: The practice of managing and developing teams of legal professionals, including team building, performance management, and coaching.
Technology adoption
: The process of selecting, implementing, and integrating technology solutions to improve legal operations performance.
Time and billing
: The practice of tracking and billing time spent on legal services, including the development and implementation of timekeeping and billing systems.
Total cost of ownership
(TCO): The total cost of acquiring and owning a product or service over its lifecycle, including direct and indirect costs.
Total quality management
(TQM): A management approach that focuses on continuous improvement of quality and customer satisfaction, using data and metrics to drive decision-making.
Vendor management
: The practice of managing relationships with vendors and suppliers, including legal service providers, to ensure quality, compliance, and cost-effectiveness.
Vendor selection
: The process of selecting vendors and suppliers that can provide the best value for an organisation's procurement needs.
Vendor-neutral
: Refers to a procurement or outsourcing approach that is not biased towards a particular vendor or supplier, but instead evaluates all options objectively.
Virtual law firm
: A law firm that operates primarily online, using technology to deliver legal services remotely.
Workflow automation
: The use of technology to automate the flow of work through legal operations processes, such as matter intake or invoice processing.
Workflow management
: The practice of designing, implementing, and managing workflows to improve efficiency and productivity.
Workforce planning
: The process of forecasting future workforce needs and developing strategies to meet those needs, including staffing, training, and development.
Workload management
: The practice of managing and balancing the workload of legal staff, including workload distribution, prioritisation, and scheduling.
Back to top
