Legal departments are entering a new phase. Whether within a municipality, a hospital or the legal department of an international company, the need for greater control, transparency and strategic impact is growing everywhere. For years, legal operations has formed the organisational foundation of a broader transformation in which both value creation and efficiency are central. At the same time, the rise of AI is accelerating this movement. What once centred on optimisation is increasingly becoming a strategic question: how do we organise legal work in a way that brings together innovation, quality and scalability?
Legal operations and AI are therefore not separate initiatives that happen to coexist. They reinforce one another. Legal operations provides the foundation to build on, AI expands and accelerates the possibilities. In both cases, however, real value does not arise from a strategic decision or a technical implementation, but from adoption and change.
From structure to behaviour
With sufficient effort, the design of legal operations can be organised effectively. Processes are documented, roles are defined, dashboards are set up and governance is formalised. This creates oversight and direction. It makes legal work transparent and manageable. But structure alone does not change the way people actually work.
Value only emerges when that structure becomes part of daily practice. When data is not only collected but actively used to inform decisions. When intake processes are seen as tools for prioritisation. When transparency is experienced as strengthening professionalism rather than as a control mechanism.
In change management terms, deliverables only lead to benefits when they are accompanied by new behaviour. Adoption is therefore not the final step, but the lever that turns structure into value.
AI as accelerator and mirror
The rapid development of AI makes this issue even more visible. More and more legal teams are experimenting with and using generative AI for contract analysis, summarising case files, drafting initial texts or unlocking internal knowledge. The potential is significant. AI can accelerate repetitive work, make knowledge more accessible and create space for more complex advice and strategic positioning.
At the same time, AI acts as a mirror. It reveals how solid the organisational foundation truly is. AI performs best in an environment where processes are clear, data is structured and readily available, and quality standards are clearly defined. Without these conditions, AI cannot reach its full potential. The technology may be present, but it is not integrated into the way of working.
This is where AI and legal operations directly intersect. The building blocks of legal operations form the concrete conditions for effective AI deployment. If data is not in order, AI cannot function reliably. If work processes are unclear, AI cannot be embedded in them in a meaningful way.
AI therefore increases not only the capabilities of legal teams, but also the need for organisational maturity.
Adoption as a shared development
Technology alone does not determine success. Professionals must feel comfortable with new ways of working. They must understand the purpose of AI, where its limits lie and how it strengthens their expertise. Change always touches on questions of autonomy, expertise and responsibility. When insufficient attention is given to these questions, this is often the source of resistance.
Organisations that succeed make adoption an explicit part of their strategy. They clearly articulate why legal operations and AI matter for their ambitions. Not only to work more efficiently, but to position the legal function more strongly within the organisation. They create space to learn and experiment. They invest in training and guidance, as well as in dialogue and feedback. When successes are made visible, confidence grows. New ways of working become more natural. Change then becomes not a temporary intervention, but a shared development.
Leadership as a catalyst for change
Change requires leadership. Not in the form of tight control, but by providing direction and setting an example. When leaders themselves steer on data, actively use dashboards, not to monitor employees but to make data-driven decisions, and openly experiment with AI, they foster a culture in which innovation becomes normal.
Clear allocation of roles strengthens this process. Who is responsible for the strategic direction of legal operations? Who safeguards the quality and governance of AI applications? How is progress measured and discussed? By addressing these questions explicitly, clarity and trust emerge. Leadership makes the difference between isolated initiatives and coherent development.
Building future readiness
Legal operations and AI together mark the next phase in the professionalisation of the legal function. Legal operations provides structure, transparency and direction. AI increases speed, scalability and access to knowledge. Adoption connects the two.
Legal departments that consciously organise this alignment strengthen their position within the organisation. They become more predictable, more innovative and more strategic. Not because they use the latest technology, but because they embed technology within a mature organisational framework.
The question is therefore not whether legal operations or AI is relevant. The question is how purposefully the legal function brings these developments together. Those who prioritise adoption build a future-proof legal organisation.
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