The Communications station addresses one of the most overlooked yet critical capabilities of the General Counsel (GC): the ability to communicate effectively, consistently, and strategically. Legal teams often operate in the shadows, quietly resolving complex issues, mitigating risks, and enabling business decisions - yet their impact remains largely invisible unless communicated well.

GCs are rarely trained communicators, and many struggle to articulate their value to the business, their team, and external stakeholders. This lack of visibility can lead to underappreciation, underfunding, and disengagement within the legal function. Worse still, it can result in a legal team that feels disconnected from the business it serves.

Strategic communication is not about self-promotion - it’s about alignment, clarity, and influence. When done right, it turns the legal department into a trusted advisor, a business enabler, and a visible contributor to enterprise success. This station explores how communication can be harnessed as a strategic asset for the GC and the legal team.

The scope of the Communications station includes:

◼️Developing a GC-led communication strategy aligned with business priorities

◼️Internal communications within the legal team to foster cohesion and purpose

◼️Cross-functional communications to ensure legal is embedded in business operations

◼️Executive-level messaging to promote legal’s strategic contributions

◼️External communications (e.g., regulators, law firms, industry bodies)

◼️Crisis communication protocols and readiness

◼️Communication tools and channels (e.g., newsletters, dashboards, town halls)

◼️Training and coaching for legal leaders on effective messaging

In GLS legal ops speak – the Communications is considered a “Foundational” resource within the process ecosystem of an in-house legal team.

The Foundational Resource is a CRE that is responsible for determining the overall performance capabilities of a “critical” legal function. If it is not optimised, the function can never be optimised. 

The best practice features of the GLP are as follows:

◼️GC-led Communication Strategy: A documented, intentional plan that defines what legal communicates, to whom, how often, and through which channels.

◼️Audience Mapping: Identification of key internal and external stakeholders, with tailored messaging for each group - from the Board to frontline teams.

◼️Legal Impact Storytelling: Use of narrative techniques to translate legal work into business-relevant stories that resonate and inspire.

◼️Regular Internal Briefings: Monthly or quarterly updates that connect legal activity to business outcomes, reinforcing team purpose and alignment.

◼️Executive Presence: GC visibility in strategic forums, with messaging that positions legal as a proactive enabler, not a reactive gatekeeper.

◼️Crisis Communication Protocols: Pre-approved messaging frameworks for legal-led crisis scenarios, ensuring clarity and control under pressure.

◼️Feedback Loops: Mechanisms to gather and respond to feedback on legal communications, improving relevance and engagement.

◼️Comms KPIs: Metrics such as engagement rates, message recall, and stakeholder sentiment to measure communication effectiveness.

The Communications station delivers the following value to the Business:

◼️Accelerated Decision-Making: Clear, timely legal input reduces ambiguity and speeds up commercial execution.

◼️Enhanced Risk Awareness: Proactive legal messaging helps the business anticipate and mitigate risks before they materialise.

◼️Strategic Alignment: Legal’s voice becomes part of the strategic narrative, ensuring legal priorities reflect business goals.

◼️Improved Stakeholder Confidence: Transparent, consistent communication builds trust in legal’s capabilities and judgment.

◼️Crisis Readiness: Legal-led messaging during high-stakes events ensures the business speaks with one voice, reducing reputational damage.

◼️Optimised Resource Allocation: When legal’s priorities are well-communicated, the business can better support and fund the function.

For the legal team, effective communication delivers:

◼️Stronger Team Identity: Internal messaging that connects legal work to business impact fosters pride and cohesion.

◼️Increased Influence: A well-communicated legal function is invited earlier into strategic conversations, increasing its ability to shape outcomes.

◼️Reduced Misalignment: Clear messaging prevents duplication of effort and ensures everyone is working toward shared goals.

◼️Professional Development: Communication skills become part of legal leadership development, enhancing career progression.

◼️Better Collaboration: Cross-functional teams engage more readily with legal when its role and value are clearly understood.

◼️Morale and Engagement: A team that feels heard and informed is more motivated, productive, and resilient.

The Communications station is essential for:

◼️General Counsel

◼️Legal Operations Managers

◼️Legal Team Leaders

◼️In-house Counsel

◼️Legal Transformation Leads

◼️Business Unit Heads engaging with Legal

A legal team operating without a Communications strategy will face a wide range of inefficiencies including:

◼️Low Visibility: Legal’s contributions remain hidden, leading to underappreciation and reduced influence.

◼️Team Disengagement: Without internal messaging, legal staff may feel disconnected from the business mission.

◼️Reactive Posture: Legal is brought in too late, missing opportunities to shape outcomes proactively.

◼️Misunderstood Priorities: The business may misinterpret legal’s focus, leading to friction and misalignment.

◼️Poor Crisis Response: In the absence of clear protocols, legal messaging during crises may be slow, inconsistent, or damaging.

◼️Duplication and Waste: Lack of clarity leads to overlapping efforts and inefficient resource use.

◼️Strategic Isolation: Legal remains siloed, unable to influence broader business strategy.

While not a technology-first station, Communications leverages tech to scale and streamline messaging. Tools such as intranet platforms, legal dashboards, collaboration software (e.g., Teams, Slack), and automated reporting systems can amplify legal’s voice. AI-driven sentiment analysis and engagement tracking can also provide feedback loops to refine messaging.