In-House Legal Tip: Legal service request forms are essential

Your diet must include salt, and every legal team must use legal service request forms (“LSRF”). 

GLS has a unique vantage point from which to interpret the state of the in-house legal community. Consider this: 

• Each year we meet with more than 200 in-house teams.
• Each week our intelligence feeds reach more than 5,000 in-house lawyers.
• Each of our LI posts are viewable by over 300,000 in-house lawyers globally. 

With that perspective, we have noted something that we wished was not so: 

Less than 20% of in-house legal teams are systematically using legal services request forms.

Common excuses include: 

1. Too Many Forms: we already have too many forms.
2. Not Ready For It: people are used to doing things that way, and are not ready for it.
3. Will Upset People: the business will be upset by such a change.
4. Personal Touch Preferred: the “personal touch” of a call or chat is preferred.

None of those excuses are valid – not one! 

Today’s in-house legal teams need to be run like a business. This means clear and accurate data that allows for efficient execution and accurate performance reporting.   

If you are not using an LSRF then you are severely limiting the performance capabilities of your legal team. 

The LSRF is the “salt” of the legal dept. diet. Seemingly insignificant – but without it, you end up depleted. Salt is not an optional dietary inclusion. 

In our blog of Legal Operations Essentials: The Legal Services Request Form, we explain why any in-house legal team that is not using an LSRF is essentially running blind! 

We cannot stress this enough. If you are not using an LSRF then you are jeopardizing the future of your legal team. 

Okay – that is our rant over for the week. 

However, given the pressure in-house teams are under – it is frustrating to see such a powerful, simple and zero cost initiative being readily overlooked. 

If you want more in-house legal team performance and career insights – please do join the GLS Legal Operations Community

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Please check out the GLS solutions and know-how resources listed on the right side of this page – they might assist your legal team with the issues explored in this Blog. 

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