The rise of Legal Operations Managers

Based on our two decades of experience as a trusted legal recruitment partner, we've seen legal departments go through some major changes. We're always up to date on what's happening in the industry, and we are here to give you the inside scoop on how legal roles are evolving. In this article, we focus on one particular role: the legal operations manager.

In a world that's getting more and more legalistic and complex, companies are always trying to find ways to work smarter and save money on legal services. That's where Legal Operations Managers come in. But who are they, and what kind of background do they need? Is it a new gig for lawyers, or is it not necessary for a Legal Operations Manager to have a legal background?

A Legal Operations Manager is a relatively new role in the legal world that's all about streamlining and optimizing legal processes in a company. They act as the middleman between the legal department and other parts of the business, like IT, finance, compliance, and project management. Their main goal is to make the legal side of things run smoother, cut costs, and make sure everything's following the rules.

The intriguing aspect regarding the background of a Legal Operations Manager is that being a lawyer is not necessarily a requirement. While some legal knowledge could come in handy, they need a whole range of skills to be successful in the job. They need strong analytical skills, be good at managing projects, know their way around technology, and have great communication skills. They need  a strong business acumen, evaluate and implement new tech, handle budgets, and work with all kinds of people inside and outside the company.

For lawyers looking for something new and exciting, or something more generic, being a Legal Operations Manager could be an interesting option. It lets them combine their legal know-how with broader business skills and insights. They become the bridge between the legal world and other areas, and they get to play a bigger role in managing legal processes and making decisions based on data. Career wise it gives an interesting insight to other functional domains, which can only increase one’s market value.

More and more companies are recognizing the importance of Legal Operations Managers. More and more companies are creating specific Legal Operations teams or appointing Legal Operations Managers to address the challenges of the modern legal environment. This trend demonstrates that the role of Legal Operations Managers is becoming increasingly relevant and valuable in today's business world.