Self-Help Resources are tools and materials that allow a legal department’s internal clients to access legal guidance and move matters forward independently, without requiring direct legal team intervention.

These resources enable internal clients to address routine legal and compliance matters in a safe, structured, and compliant manner.

Self-Help Resources are not just about empowerment—they ensure that legal processes are followed correctly while reducing the legal team’s workload.

They leverage a broad range of formats, from pre-approved templates to automated chatbots and AI-driven legal assistants.

By implementing Self-Help Resources, legal teams can increase efficiency, reduce bottlenecks, and enable faster business decision-making.

Without Self-Help Resources, businesses face legal department overload, delays in contract processing, and increased compliance risks due to inconsistent legal support.

Self-Help Resources can cover a variety of legal needs, including:

◼️ Pre-Approved Legal Templates: Standardized contracts, agreements, and policies for routine use.

◼️ Legal Playbooks & Guides: Step-by-step instructions on handling common legal matters.

◼️ Automated Chatbots & FAQs: AI-driven tools providing real-time legal guidance.

◼️ Decision Trees & Flowcharts: Helping internal clients navigate legal processes safely.

◼️ Interactive Contract Assembly Tools: Enabling business units to generate compliant agreements.

◼️ Self-Service Compliance Checklists: Ensuring adherence to regulatory and internal policies.

◼️ Legal Intranet Portals: Centralized repositories of legal information and tools.

◼️ E-Learning & Training Modules: Educating business teams on legal best practices.

◼️ Self-Serve NDA & Simple Agreements: Reducing the need for legal intervention in routine contracts.

◼️ Regulatory & Policy Updates: Keeping teams informed about key legal and compliance changes.

In GLS legal ops, the Self-Help Resources enabler is considered both a "Foundational" and "Repeater" resource within legal operations.

A Foundational Resource: Ensures that the legal department can scale effectively—if not implemented, legal teams become overwhelmed with low-value, repetitive tasks.

A Repeater Resource: Supports multiple business functions by enabling structured, compliant self-service legal processes.

A well-structured Self-Help Resources framework improves response times, reduces legal bottlenecks, and increases operational agility.

The best practice features of Self-Help Resources include:

◼️ User-Friendly Design: Ensuring resources are easy to navigate and apply.

◼️ Pre-Approved Content: Guaranteeing legal accuracy and compliance.

◼️ Automation & AI Integration: Leveraging technology for efficiency.

◼️ Risk-Based Access Levels: Allowing different users to access tailored resources.

◼️ Training & Awareness Support: Ensuring internal clients understand how to use resources.

◼️ Regular Updates & Maintenance: Keeping resources current with legal and regulatory changes.

◼️ Decision Support Tools: Providing structured guidance for users.

◼️ Integration with Legal Workflows: Embedding self-help tools into business processes.

◼️ Audit Trails & Usage Tracking: Monitoring engagement for continuous improvement.

◼️ Scalability & Adaptability: Allowing expansion as business needs evolve.

The Self-Help Resources enabler delivers significant value to the business:

◼️ Faster Decision-Making: Reduces dependency on legal for routine matters.

◼️ Operational Efficiency: Frees legal resources for high-value tasks.

◼️ Reduced Legal Costs: Minimizes reliance on external counsel.

◼️ Greater Business Autonomy: Empowers internal clients to act independently.

◼️ Consistent Legal & Compliance Standards: Ensures correct application of policies.

◼️  Lower Risk of Legal Errors: Provides structured guidance to avoid mistakes.

◼️ Improved Contract Turnaround Times: Accelerates agreement execution.

◼️ Stronger Legal-Business Collaboration: Enhances business unit engagement.

◼️ Data-Driven Legal Improvements: Tracks self-help usage for optimization.

◼️ Scalability for Growth: Supports expanding legal operations efficiently.

The Self-Help Resources enabler provides the following benefits for the legal department:

◼️ Reduced Volume of Routine Queries: Minimizes repetitive legal requests.

◼️ Increased Productivity: Allows legal teams to focus on complex matters.

◼️ Stronger Risk Management: Ensures compliance through structured guidance.

◼️ More Efficient Legal Resource Allocation: Prioritizes legal support where it is most needed.

◼️ Faster Contract & Policy Execution: Streamlines internal legal processes.

◼️ Lower Internal Support Burden: Reduces demand on legal staff for standard inquiries.

◼️ Improved Training & Knowledge Retention: Educates business units on legal matters.

◼️ Enhanced Legal Operations Efficiency: Supports legal automation and digital transformation.

◼️ Better Business-Legal Alignment: Strengthens collaboration with commercial teams.

◼️ Optimized Use of Legal Technology: Facilitates integration with AI and CLM tools.

A Self-Help Resources framework is essential for:

◼️ Legal Teams: To streamline and scale legal service delivery.

◼️ Procurement & Sourcing Teams: To handle vendor agreements efficiently.

◼️ Sales & Commercial Teams: To manage customer contracts autonomously.

◼️ Operations Teams: To ensure compliance with business processes.

◼️ Finance & Risk Officers: To track contract and compliance obligations.

◼️ Compliance Officers: To provide structured regulatory guidance.

◼️ Contract Administrators: To facilitate efficient contract management.

◼️ Legal Operations Teams: To enhance legal automation and efficiency.

◼️ Senior Executives: To support strategic legal transformation.

◼️ External Legal Counsel: To align self-help tools with corporate legal strategies.

A business that does not implement a Self-Help Resources framework will face:

◼️ Increased Legal Bottlenecks: Over-reliance on legal teams for basic matters.

◼️ Slower Contract Turnaround: Delays in processing routine agreements.

◼️ Higher Legal Support Costs: More external counsel involvement in routine tasks.

◼️ Inconsistent Compliance Practices: Business units applying legal policies incorrectly.

◼️ Reduced Business Autonomy: Teams waiting for legal approvals on minor issues.

◼️ Weaker Risk Controls: Poor documentation and non-compliant actions.

◼️ Lower Productivity: Business units unable to progress work efficiently.

◼️ Decreased Legal Team Efficiency: Legal teams consumed by low-value work.

◼️ Knowledge Gaps: Employees lack structured legal guidance.

◼️ Missed Digital Transformation Opportunities: Failure to leverage AI and automation.

Implementing a Self-Help Resources framework requires consideration of:

◼️ Digital Legal Portals: Providing centralized access to templates and guides.

◼️ AI-Powered Legal Chatbots: Offering real-time legal assistance.

◼️ Workflow Automation Tools: Embedding self-help into contracting processes.

◼️ Cloud-Based Access & Security Controls: Ensuring data protection.

◼️ Data Analytics & User Tracking: Monitoring self-help usage.

◼️ Integration with CLM & Legal Ops Systems: Supporting seamless legal service delivery.

◼️ Scalable Knowledge Management Systems: Keeping legal guidance up-to-date.

◼️ E-Learning & Interactive Training Modules: Educating internal users on legal best practices.

The GLS Knowledge Centre has a wealth of resources available for learning more about the importance of the Group Legal Policy and how to implement one effectively—check out a few on the right.

The GLS Legal Operations Centre contains everything you need to effectively implement your own tailored Group Legal Policy in a cost-effective and timely manner. Check out the resources linked on the right. 

Also, feel free to contact GLS to book a consultation to discuss your Self-Help Resources needs right here.