The Legal Department Efficiency Audit is the essential starting point for any legal operations journey. It provides a structured, objective assessment of how legal work is currently performed, identifying inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and areas of waste. Without this baseline, any transformation effort risks being misdirected or superficial.

This audit examines workflows, resource allocation, technology usage, and service delivery models. It reveals where time is lost, where manual work can be automated, and where legal support is misaligned with business needs. It also helps quantify the cost of inefficiency – in time, money, and missed opportunities.

Critically, the audit creates a benchmark against which future improvements can be measured. It enables legal leaders to set realistic goals, prioritise initiatives, and report progress to stakeholders. Without it, legal operations will always be reactive, rather than strategic.

◼️Mapping of current legal workflows and processes

◼️Identification of bottlenecks and manual tasks

◼️Review of technology usage and integration gaps

◼️Analysis of resource allocation and workload distribution

◼️Assessment of service delivery models and responsiveness

◼️Benchmarking against legal operations best practices

◼️Recommendations for improvement and prioritisation

◼️Creation of baseline metrics for future reporting

In GLS legal ops speak – the Legal Dept. Efficiency Audit 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 Legal Dept. Efficiency Audit are as follows:

◼️Comprehensive mapping of legal processes

◼️Stakeholder interviews to capture pain points

◼️Quantitative analysis of time, cost, and volume

◼️Identification of quick wins and strategic priorities

◼️Integration with legal tech and data systems

◼️Clear reporting format for executive stakeholders

◼️Repeatable methodology for future audits

◼️Alignment with transformation and budgeting cycles

The Legal Dept. Efficiency Audit delivers the following value to the Business:

◼️Faster legal support through streamlined processes

◼️Reduced legal spend by eliminating waste

◼️Improved responsiveness to business needs

◼️Clear visibility into legal team performance

◼️Strategic alignment of legal resources with business priorities

Legal teams gain clarity on how they operate, where they struggle, and what they can improve. It empowers legal leaders to make data-driven decisions, secure investment, and build a roadmap for transformation.

The Legal Dept. Efficiency Audit 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 a Legal Dept. Efficiency Audit will face a wide range of inefficiencies including:

◼️Unidentified bottlenecks and duplicated effort

◼️Poor prioritisation of transformation initiatives

◼️Inability to measure progress or ROI

◼️Misalignment with business expectations

◼️Continued reliance on manual processes

This station leverages technology for data collection, workflow mapping, and reporting. It also informs future tech investments by identifying gaps and inefficiencies.