Learning Legal Ops: A Beginner’s Guide to the Best Legal Operations Training

New to legal ops? Then, chances are, you already know what it means to “learn on the fly”. For many newcomers, getting up to speed with the legal ops function means collaborating closely with experienced team members and tracking down the correct information proactively — all while keeping pace in a high-expectation, fast-moving environment.

The good news? There are plenty of great legal operations training resources out there to help you hit the ground running. In this guide, we’ve rounded up the best tools and legal operations training options to help you learn the ropes and streamline performance.

CLOC Core 12

A great starting point is the resources available from the Corporate Legal Operations Consortium, or “CLOC”. They cover everything from the basics of the function to a comprehensive framework for understanding key legal ops competencies and responsibilities: the CLOC Core 12. The Core 12 also outlines the operations functions that legal operations teams should have at different stages of maturity.

Familiarizing yourself with CLOC’s model — and researching projects and initiatives that align with each of the 12 core responsibilities — is a great way to get a holistic understanding of the role legal ops plays within corporate legal departments. It’s also a sound basis for understanding how to structure a legal ops team, highlighting the ideal approach for in-house legal teams looking to apportion and prioritize initiatives like legal tech implementations, metrics tracking, process improvements, and more.

Brightflag’s Legal Ops 101 Videos

Next up, we have Brightflag’s own “Legal Ops 101” video series. The series provides an in-depth breakdown of core legal ops concepts and terminology, along with insights into legal department optimization. And unlike several other legal operations courses, it’s completely free to access.

So, whether you’re looking for advice on assessing outside counsel law firms, insights into legal data analytics, or simply a crash course on your first 100 days in a legal ops role, we’ve got you covered. There are also plenty of additional professional development resources available on the Brightflag blog to answer your questions on everything from legal change management to the latest legal technology trends.

LinkedIn

Looking to learn from industry leaders? LinkedIn is a great platform to follow seasoned legal ops professionals for advice and best practices. Many established legal operations professionals offer advice and thought leadership on this platform, making it an excellent option when you’re looking for solutions to specific challenges.

The LinkedIn legal ops community is also fairly active and responsive, so this can be a good place to get quick answers to pressing questions, build your network, and seek out personalized advice.

Which industry leaders should you be following? There are a lot of great legal ops minds out there. But to get you started, we recommend:

• Kevin Cohn
• John Bennett
• Stephanie Corey
• Lindsey Marandola
• Krysta Johnson
• Jenn McCarron
• Connie Brenton

Legal Operations Events

In-person events are one of the best ways to network and learn from legal ops professionals at the forefront of the industry. Events also often feature panel discussions and presentations on the latest legal ops trends and issues. And many events offer a diversity of in-house voices, from legal operations managers to General Counsel and beyond. This make them a great place to get acquainted with anything from the latest tech to the most pressing strategic considerations facing legal ops teams.

Some of the most significant events to keep an eye out for include:

• CLOC Global Institute
• LegalOps.com’s Running Legal Like a Business
• The Alternative In-House Technology Summit
• ACC Legal Ops Con

To learn more about these and other events, start with our blog article on legal ops conferences. You can also keep an eye on Brightflag’s events page for a comprehensive list of upcoming conferences and summits.

And if you can’t make it out to any events in person? The CLOC forum provides another easy option for connecting with other industry professionals.

Legal Ops Podcasts, Blogs, and Webinars

Our final suggestion for tapping into legal ops expertise and insights is to look for video and blog content produced by long-standing pros. Podcasts, blogs, and webinars offer a flexible and informal way to stay up-to-date with legal ops trends and insights, whether you’re at the office or on the go.

In many cases, you’ll get unique insights into how others have tackled the types of problems your team faces, like tips for implementing new technology or advice for making legal service delivery more efficient.

Worth checking out are BrightFlag’s In-House Outliers podcast, the Pearls on Gloves Off podcast by former CLOC president Mary O’Carroll, CLOC Talk, Technically Legal, and The Legal Ops Podcast from legal ops powerhouses Alex Rosenrauch and Elliot Leibu.

Keep Up With the Latest in Legal Ops, With Brightflag

Working your way through the legal operations training resources listed above should give you a good grounding in the essentials of the function. But, like any fast-paced industry, there are always new tools, tech, trends, and best practices to keep track of in the legal ops space. And staying well-informed on how others are handling legal project management and overall strategic planning is part of the job.

Staying ahead in legal ops can be challenging, but it’s easier when you have the latest updates delivered straight to your inbox. At Brightflag, we cover everything from how to manage legal work and costs effectively to the latest in AI and legal technology, recent trends, and more.

Sign up for Brightflag’s newsletter to stay informed — and make sure you’re always one step ahead.