10 things to avoid if you're building an in-house legal function from scratch

Burnout is real for in-house lawyers, and especially acute in first legal hires.

Here are 10 mistakes you should avoid when building an in-house legal function from scratch to help prevent you succumbing to dreaded burnout. 

In partnership with:

1️⃣ No priorities
Day one: a million things to fix - templates, IP, compliance. Normal, but you can’t do everything at once or you’ll explode.
👉 Work with stakeholders to agree the top priorities, set them as official goals, and get moving.

2️⃣ Not streamlining processes
You need simple, fast processes to get legal work done and support company goals.
👉 Audit what’s working (and what’s not). Outsource or automate repetitive work. Use tools you already have (Jira, Slack). Start thinking about intake and contracting software.

3️⃣ Being an island
Trying to do this job alone = burnout.
👉 Get help from Sales, HR, Finance - they’ll fill in the blanks and help you get comfortable with risk faster.

4️⃣ Scared of numbers
The language of business is numbers. Ignore them at your peril.
👉 Partner with Finance to learn how the company makes and spends money, projections, balance sheets, and industry jargon.

5️⃣ Scared of data
Data is your friend. Use it to prove legal’s value.
👉 Track basics in Excel, partner with analytics, and turn it into visuals for QBRs to show success (and where you can improve).

6️⃣ Not outsourcing
Process-heavy work will crush you if you try to do it all.
👉 Identify time-wasters. Shop around for ALSPs. Be ready to justify flexible legal talent spend.

7️⃣ Not automating
This is the age of AI and automation. Don’t waste hours on manual tasks.
👉 List your biggest pain points. Start automating daily with LLMs. Explore tools built for in-house legal.

8️⃣ No goals
Without goals, legal looks reactive and disconnected.
👉 Align legal goals with company goals from day one. Use OKRs/KPIs (Excel is fine). Report regularly to leadership to show impact.

9️⃣ Ignoring simplicity
No one has time for legal essays. If you take too long, the business will move without you.
👉 Say “yes” (even if qualified). Give actionable steps + rationale. Make Legal easy to contact with clear intake/contracting processes.

🔟 Outdated service levels
Old-school methods won’t cut it anymore. Not in the age of AI.
👉 Think innovative, low-cost, high-efficiency: outsourcing, automation, AI. Free up budget for more fulfilling legal work.

Attention Connaught in-house legal community!! 👋 

On Thurs 23 Oct, ITGC Connaught is back with an evening of insights, local pride + plenty of chats. I’ll be chairing a panel on the evolving role of Legal in M&A with Lisa Killilea & Patrick David Callinan, plus a year-end regulatory briefing from Jeanne Kelly.

Food, drinks + 1 CPD point included.

Huge thanks to Browne Jacobson for making it happen 💜

Register here.

Do you need help navigating an overcrowded market to find the right legal AI tools for your team, or to justify budget for one?

I am launching a private inner circle for an exclusive group of first legal hires and solo GCs wanting ongoing support and to learn as you go. ✨

You will get:

✅ authentic connection with peers in the same boat

✅ personalised attention from me

✅ private space away from public feeds

We kick off in early November. Click here to join the waitlist.

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Join me on there as I share candid insights from my journey - from lawyer to founder - and go deep on what I’m learning along the way.

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Curious about in-house practice or simply want to reach out?

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Let’s connect! 💜

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