Bonus Episode: Legal Operations, Explained

Legal operations is transforming how legal work gets done, and in this episode, I break down what it is and why it matters for private practice, not just in-house teams. 

I share why I’m leaning into legal ops principles like project management and intentional systems to build a more sustainable, scalable practice. And more:

• defining legal operations as business and operational principles applied to law 

• why lawyers are not typically trained in process design, vendor management, tech implementation, or data analytics 

• how legal ops professionals build systems, optimize workflows, and manage legal spend

• what CLOC’s core competencies signal about a growing discipline 

• why sophisticated clients expect budgets, project plans, transparency, and tech that fits their systems

• designing teams and workflows that reduce inefficiency and burnout

• why the CLOC Global Institute theme “Stronger By Design” resonates 

• what I plan to share before, during, and after CLOC Global Institute 

Find out more at https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilystedman/.

Transcript

Welcome And Big News

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome back to the Grace Period. I'm here with a bonus episode. I'm your host, Emily Logan Steadman, a partner and commercial litigator at an AMLA 100 or big law firm. Today I want to talk about something that's been transforming how legal work gets done, but that many lawyers still don't fully understand. What's that? Legal operations. I'm sharing this now because I have some exciting news. I've been accepted as a media attendee, as an influencer, to the 2026 Clock Global Institute in Chicago next month, May 2026. Over the next few weeks, I'll bring you conversations and insights that will help you understand why legal ops matter, not just for in-house teams and attorneys, but for all of us in private practice too. First, what is legal operations? According to Clock, the corporate legal operations consortium, legal ops is about applying business and operational principles to the practice of law. It's an infrastructure that allows legal departments to run more strategically, more efficiently, and more effectively. Lawyers are trained to analyze legal issues. We're trained to advocate for clients, and we're trained to manage risk. We're not typically trained in project management, process design, vendor management, technology implementation, data analytics, and so much more. Legal operations professionals fill that gap. Legal ops teams and professionals build systems, optimize workflows, manage legal spend, implement technology, and turn legal departments into strategic business partners. Clock breaks legal ops into 12 core competencies: everything from financial management and technology to strategic planning and knowledge management. It's a discipline, and it's one that's rapidly growing and rapidly maturing. Some of you might be thinking, Emily, you're a commercial litigator at a big law firm. Why do you care about legal ops? Well, there's several reasons. One, the clients I serve, especially sophisticated in-house teams, increasingly build out legal ops functions and increasingly rely on legal ops. In turn, they ask law firms and attorneys to work differently. Our clients want matter budgets, project plans, they want us to use technology and artificial intelligence that integrates with their systems, and clients want predictability and transparency. If we want to be true partners to our clients, we need to understand how they're operating. We need to speak their language, and we need to bring some of these same legal ops principles into our own practices. For me, that's not theoretical. I'm actively working to embed project management and legal ops into how I manage cases and how I work with my teams. I want to build a team and a legal practice that, yes, excels on the legal merits, but also because of systems and project management and operations, it will be a practice and it will be teams that are sustainable, scalable, and designed to reduce burnout. Not just for me, but hopefully for the people I work with, both my colleagues and my clients. So why am I excited about the Clock Global Institute? Well, this year's theme is stronger by design, and that is a phrase that truly resonates with me and what I hope to bring to my practice, a level of intentionality. It's about building systems that don't just work when things are going well, but they're resilient and you can rely on them even when things get hard and hectic. It's about designing workflows that drive value, reduce inefficiency, and keep humans at the center. The Clock Global Institute is where the worldwide legal ops community comes together. There will be thousands of legal ops professionals, in-house counsel, law firm leaders, and legal tech innovators at the institute, all focused on the future of how legal work gets done and will get done. I'll be there as a media attendee, and I'm planning to bring you inside that conversation. I'll be learning from people who are building the future of legal operations. I'll be gaining an understanding of the trends, tools, and strategies shaping how legal teams operate. And I will share those insights with all of you. Because what matters for every lawyer, whether you're in-house or in private practice or just starting your career, is designing a practice and career that is stronger because it is intentional. Over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing more content leading up to the Clock Global Institute. I'll spotlight some sessions I'm excited to attend, people who are moving the work forward and more. And during and after the event, I'll bring you recaps, interviews, and actionable takeaways. The future of law isn't just about great lawyers or being a great lawyer. It's about being great at the business of law. It's about designing practices, departments, and careers that are intentional, but are also efficient, sustainable, and human-centered. Legal operations is at the center of that. If you're curious about legal apps, if you're thinking about how to work more strategically with your clients, with your team, or build a more strategic practice, if you just want to understand where the profession is headed, stay tuned. I think this is going to be a great series. Thanks for listening to this bonus episode, and I'll see you next time on the Grace Period. Disclaimer The views expressed here are solely my own and do not represent the official policy or position of my firm or any organization. This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only, not professional or legal advice. Listening to this podcast does not create an attorney client relationship.