The External Legal Ops Community is a peer network of legal professionals, operations experts, and tech innovators who share insights, templates, benchmarks, and lessons learned. It’s a collaborative space where legal teams accelerate transformation by learning from others.

Legal operations is still evolving. No single team has all the answers - but collectively, the community does. Whether it’s a service charter template, a benchmark for contract turnaround times, or a vendor management framework, the community provides practical, proven resources.

Engaging with the community also helps legal teams stay current. The legal tech landscape evolves rapidly, and peer networks offer real-time insights into what’s working, what’s not, and what’s next. It’s a source of inspiration, validation, and support.

Importantly, the community is not just about receiving - it’s about contributing. Legal teams that share their successes and failures help raise the standard across the industry.

The scope of the External Legal Ops Community typically includes:

◼️Peer-to-Peer Knowledge Sharing – Practical insights from teams facing similar challenges.

◼️Access to Templates & Tools – Reusable resources that accelerate implementation.

◼️Benchmarking & Performance Comparison – Understanding how your team stacks up.

◼️Participation in Events & Forums – Webinars, conferences, and online communities.

◼️Collaboration on Shared Initiatives – Joint efforts to solve common problems.

◼️Legal Tech Trend Monitoring – Staying ahead of innovation curves.

◼️Thought Leadership & Case Studies – Sharing what works and what doesn’t.

◼️Support for Strategic Planning – Using community insights to shape your roadmap.

In GLS legal ops, the External Legal Ops Community is considered a "Repeater" resource within legal operations.

A Repeater Resource: Supports multiple legal functions, ensuring that structured legal requests improve contracting, dispute resolution, compliance, and advisory services.

A well-structured External Legal Ops Community enhances legal team productivity, reduces wasted time, and improves service delivery across the organization.

The best practice features of the GLP are as follows:

◼️Active Participation – Regular engagement with peer networks.

◼️Template Sharing – Contributing and using proven resources.

◼️Relevant Benchmarking – Comparing performance to similar organisations.

◼️Event Engagement – Attending and contributing to legal ops forums.

◼️Trend Awareness – Staying informed on tech and process developments.

◼️Collaboration Culture – Working with others to solve shared challenges.

◼️Strategic Use of Insights – Applying community learnings to your transformation.

◼️Continuous Learning – Using the community to upskill and evolve.

The External Legal Ops Community delivers the following value to the Business:

◼️Faster Transformation – Learn from others instead of reinventing the wheel.

◼️Reduced Risk – Avoid common pitfalls by leveraging peer experience.

◼️Improved Legal Support – Adopt proven practices that deliver results.

◼️Enhanced Innovation – Stay ahead of trends and emerging solutions.

◼️Better Strategic Alignment – Use benchmarks to set realistic goals.

Legal teams gain access to practical tools, real-world benchmarks, and peer support. The community helps validate strategies, inspire innovation, and build confidence in transformation efforts.

The External Legal Ops Community is essential for:

◼️Legal departments of all sizes

◼️Legal operations teams

◼️General Counsel and Heads of Legal

◼️Legal tech and innovation leads

◼️Compliance and risk management teams

A legal team operating without an External Legal Ops Community will face a wide range of inefficiencies including:

◼️Reinventing the Wheel – Solving problems others have already solved.

◼️Limited Access to Proven Tools – Missing out on templates and benchmarks.

◼️Slower Transformation – Learning in isolation takes longer.

◼️Poor Visibility into Trends – Falling behind on tech and process innovation.

◼️Missed Collaboration Opportunities – Losing the chance to co-create solutions.

This station is not inherently tech-based but often involves digital platforms (forums, webinars, shared repositories). It also informs tech strategy through peer insights.