Legal departments have traditionally been seen as an expenditure and, at best, an investment — necessary but ancillary to core business objectives, but that perception is shifting.

In a concrete way, legal has gone from gatekeepers of risk to voices in the boardroom. In one example, more companies are putting in-house legal leaders on their boards. And in another, we’re seeing lawyers across disciplines expand their roles beyond traditional legal duties to encompass technological integration and business strategy. Reddit’s legal team, for example, played a pivotal role in the company's IPO process to ensure the company’s community-centric ethos was effectively integrated.

Maintaining this evolution from risk managers to strategic business influencers will require more than technical expertise, though; it demands a fundamental transformation in how legal departments operate, communicate and deliver value.

Legal as strategic partner

Legal teams have long been pivotal in plugging revenue leaks, expediting contract reviews and ensuring compliance. But these contributions often go unnoticed when budgets and priorities are set. This is where legal leaders must step up as proactive business enablers — and have the data to back themselves up.

A key strategy is the "productization" of legal services. This approach treats legal processes as scalable, repeatable products that align with business needs. Self-service solutions, powered by technology, for example, not only expedite routine legal tasks but also position the department as a partner rather than a bottleneck. By allowing business units to access legal resources efficiently while legal teams focus on high-value strategic work, this shift transforms legal operations into visible, measurable contributors to the bottom line.

Take Salesforce's legal department, which has capitalized on this growing intersection of legal expertise and business operations to develop technologies enabling business colleagues to independently resolve legal queries. And even on a smaller scale, teams are already starting to gather the intake data they need and streamline the resolution process with tools like automated legal front door workflows.

Legal measurement

The biggest challenges facing legal teams include a lack of visibility into key business metrics, misaligned goals between legal and other departments and the perception that legal slows things down. To overcome these hurdles, legal teams must be willing to evaluate new technology and be prepared to speak the language of the board — focusing on ROI and business impact rather than just legal metrics.

Cultivating trust

Influence in the boardroom begins with trust. To earn this trust, legal leaders must demonstrate a deep understanding of business priorities and communicate how legal initiatives support these goals.

1. Leverage data to speak the board's language. Boards prioritize measurable outcomes, so data is key. Legal teams must track and report on metrics that reflect their impact on revenue growth, risk reduction and operational efficiency. Predictive analytics, for instance, can forecast risks and enable proactive decision-making — a capability that aligns directly with the board's strategic concerns.
2. Create synergy with other teams. Legal teams that partner with finance, HR and operations can break down silos and align on common goals. For example, working with HR to ensure compliance in hiring practices or with procurement to manage vendor risks demonstrates how legal drives value beyond traditional boundaries.
3. Build a future-ready legal department. Crafting compelling business cases for investments in legal technology is no longer optional. Tools like contract lifecycle management platforms, AI-powered e-discovery solutions and integrated analytics systems are essential for delivering streamlined, scalable legal services. When positioned as enablers of innovation and efficiency, these technologies underscore the legal department's strategic value.
4. Adopt an internal marketing mindset. To influence the board, legal leaders must master the art of storytelling. This means framing legal achievements in ways that resonate with stakeholders — emphasizing how initiatives like streamlined contract approvals or risk management frameworks contribute to business objectives.

The path forward

For up-and-coming legal ops professionals looking to make an impact at the executive level: Focus on understanding your business. Board members are focused on outcomes, so legal needs to present risks and opportunities in terms of impact to revenue, reputation, or regulatory compliance. The more you can speak the language of executives — KPIs, profitability, growth — the more credibility you’ll have.

Using visuals, dashboards, and storytelling techniques can help bridge the communication gap, and investing in learning technologies and being proactive in proposing solutions that align with organizational priorities help solidify your position as a strategic partner. And most importantly, by embracing such initiatives, you’re sending a clear message that will reverberate throughout your organization and time: we are here to enable — not impede — your success.