Process & Procedures are the documented, repeatable steps that define how legal work is performed across your department. They are the operational DNA of your legal function - the codified workflows that ensure consistency, reduce risk, and enable scalability.

Without documented processes, legal work becomes ad hoc, variable, and dependent on individual memory. This leads to inefficiencies, inconsistent outputs, and an inability to onboard new team members effectively. Worse still, it makes automation impossible - because you cannot automate what you haven’t standardised.

This station is about creating clarity. It’s about ensuring that every recurring legal task - from contract review to compliance reporting - follows a known, agreed, and optimised path. These procedures are not bureaucratic overhead; they are the foundation for performance, quality control, and transformation.

Critically, Process & Procedures are also a risk management tool. They ensure that legal work is performed in a way that aligns with the business’s risk appetite, regulatory obligations, and strategic priorities. They are the rules by which your legal tech, your team, and your business partners operate.

The scope of the Process & Procedures station typically includes:

◼️Workflow Mapping – Visualising how legal tasks are performed from start to finish.

◼️Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) – Step-by-step guides for recurring legal activities.

◼️Template Integration – Embedding approved documents into workflows.

◼️Approval Protocols – Defining who signs off and when, including escalation paths.

◼️Exception Handling – Documenting how deviations are managed and recorded.

◼️Training & Onboarding – Using SOPs to ramp up new team members quickly and consistently.

◼️Audit Trail Enablement – Ensuring processes support compliance and review.

◼️Automation Readiness – Structuring workflows to support future tech enablement

In GLS legal ops speak – the Process & Procedures 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:

◼️Clear, Accessible SOPs – Written in plain language, easy to follow, and regularly updated.

◼️Process Ownership – Named individuals responsible for maintaining and improving each process.

◼️Embedded Templates & Tools – Standard documents and checklists integrated into workflows.

◼️Visual Workflow Diagrams – Flowcharts that make processes easy to understand and follow.

◼️Training Integration – SOPs used as core materials in onboarding and upskilling programs.

◼️Feedback Loops – Mechanisms for users to suggest improvements and flag issues.

◼️Automation Compatibility – Processes structured to support digitisation and AI enablement.

◼️Compliance Alignment – Procedures reflect legal obligations and business risk appetite.

The Process & Procedures station delivers the following value to the Business:

◼️Faster Legal Support – Repeatable workflows reduce delays and bottlenecks.

◼️Improved Consistency – Standardised outputs reduce risk and improve quality.

◼️Lower Legal Spend – Efficient processes reduce manual effort and reliance on external counsel.

◼️Scalable Legal Services – SOPs enable the legal team to grow without chaos.

◼️Better Stakeholder Experience – Legal becomes predictable, reliable, and easier to engage.

Legal teams gain clarity, control, and confidence. Documented procedures reduce cognitive load, improve collaboration, and support performance management. They also enable faster onboarding, better knowledge retention, and a foundation for automation.

The Process & Procedures station 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 Process & Procedures capability will face a wide range of inefficiencies including:

◼️Inconsistent Workflows – Tasks performed differently across teams and jurisdictions.

◼️Slow Onboarding – New hires struggle to learn how work is done.

◼️Poor Automation Outcomes – No structure for tech to follow.

◼️High Error Rates – No standardisation leads to mistakes and rework.

◼️Limited Scalability – Legal cannot grow without increasing complexity and risk.

This station is tech-leveraged. SOPs and workflows support automation, integration, and performance tracking. They are essential for successful tech implementation and AI enablement. Without structured processes, legal tech cannot deliver its promised efficiencies.