The role of legal operations professionals is changing as their responsibilities grow and they contend with new and potentially disruptive technologies.

In-house legal teams are leaning into generative AI to boost efficiency and performance, but widespread adoption is exposing a knowledge gap that could derail progress if left unaddressed.

Blickstein Group recently announced the launch of MVP Marketing for Emerging Legaltechs, a marketing offering focused on building up legaltech brands with specialized marketing strategy, developing target content, generating leads, and launching campaigns.

A new study from Blickstein Group reveals some distributing trends for law firms that represent businesses, particularly large ones.

The legal profession has long been abuzz with conversations about the potential of generative AI (GenAI). While much of the initial discourse centered on speculative questions and theoretical possibilities, the answers are finally beginning to materialize. [Subscription Required]

As law firms and in-house teams embrace new technologies, poor planning risks additional expenses and headaches down the road.

"The most frequently stated concerns are that nonlawyer ownership or investment will create conflicts or low-quality work because of profit motivations," Brad Blickstein, the CEO of Blickstein Group, a legal-industry consultancy, told BI. [Subscription may be required]

KPMG is poised to become the first of the Big Four accounting firms to open a law firm in the United States, taking advantage of loosened law firm ownership rules in Arizona and accelerating the accounting industry's push into U.S. legal services.

"There's only so much you can do being an Arizona law firm, and it's only one of the Big Four," said legal industry strategist Brad Blickstein, of Blickstein Group. "If there's a moment where the Big Four is going to disrupt Big Law, this isn't it yet."

A look at how experts see in-house teams responding to new technology opportunities and challenges in 2025, from how GenAI could change the nature of their work to shifts in how they procure legal services, and more.

Brad Blickstein, founder of Blickstein Group, a consultancy for the legal industry, cautions against focusing solely on savings. "The best use of GenAI may not be just lowering the legal budget but allowing legal teams to focus on matters they couldn't before."

“It’s dangerous for law departments to manage their firms solely through invoices or compliance guidelines. You need a more holistic view," said Brad Blickstein, CEO of the Blickstein Group consultancy.

Survey Says: Blickstein Group, in collaboration with FTI Consulting, released its 17th Annual Law Department Operations Survey. The 36-page report offers in-depth insights on the top considerations for legal ops professionals, from GenAI to law firm rate increases.

Blickstein Group's 17th Annual Law Department Operations Survey found that more legal departments are encouraging their firms to adopt GenAI to elicit cost savings and efficiencies.

Despite near-universal rate increases from outside counsel, legal operations professionals are feeling increasingly positive about their law firms' willingness to innovate with artificial intelligence.

Lawyers have realized that integrating AI into their work will be challenging, but a strategic approach to how the software is used can help.

With the rise of generative AI, law firms are increasingly turning to AFAs to drive value, boost efficiency, and stay competitive in an ever-evolving legal landscape.

Printers are still alive and well across finance, healthcare, and legal services–industries that rely heavily on hard copies thanks to legal requirements and customer expectations.

Next week, ILTACON kicks off with record crowds. Here, six seasoned professionals share their strategies for navigating networking, leveraging educational opportunities, and driving business growth at the conference.

Legal operations professionals are optimistic, but operational, billing, and disclosure protocols have yet to be resolved.

More senior lawyers ask different and deeper questions about artificial intelligence technology—particularly around security and data protection—not only for their need to stay relevant and gain additional skills, but also because of their breadth of experience and years of being risk-averse, according to a legal industry panelist who spoke during a webinar Tuesday. [Subscription may be required]

Many in legaltech are split on if the FTC’s ban on noncompetes will bring massive changes in hiring and talent acquisitions, or come up short. [Subscription may be required]

From harnessing AI to supporting ESG and DE&I programs, collecting and being able to interpret data has fast become the foundational building block to the legal market’s evolution. [Subscription may be required]

The Modernize Legal project presents “a Rubik’s Cube of surveys” to simultaneously get the pulse of all sides of law firm innovation from associates, law firm leaders, practice technologists, and legaltech providers.

Legal industry experts make their picks for the biggest developments impacting the business of law, in-house legal departments and legal operations in the past year.

A significant number of legal departments want their outside counsel to use generative artificial intelligence and expect the technology to lead to better value for law firms’ services, according to the 16th annual Law Department Operation Survey from the Blickstein Group and Deloitte. [Subscription may be required]

Legal operations professionals also said they expect law firms will increase their use of alternative fee arrangements for work augmented by generative AI, a report found.

“A high percentage of the people that you really ought to know if you’re in this space are here, and you get to interact,” said Brad Blickstein, founder and principal of Blickstein Group and NewLaw Practice co-head at Baretz+Brunelle.

The key finding is that generative AI is set to play a key role within legal operations, helping to address financial challenges, business process improvements, long-term strategies, and technology adoption.

The 16th Annual Law Department Operation Survey from the Blickstein Group and Deloitte found that while some legal departments are experimenting with generative AI themselves, they expect their law firms to figure out how best to use the technology to improve legal services.

The majority of legal operations professionals believe that generative artificial intelligence — systems that produce written and visual content — will lead to cost savings, according to yhe 16th Annual Law Department Operation Survey from the Blickstein Group and Deloitte.  [Subscription may be required]

Legal professionals told Legaltech News that such an approach is necessary at a time when the demand for more clarity around generative AI remains high. Still, vendors’ learning material should be consumed in moderation, they caution.

This year’s ILTACON conference saw a growing curiosity toward generative AI, albeit with some more leveled reactions from vendors and legal professionals alike.

Managing change, counterintuitive approaches and, of course, generative AI were all on the agenda at the recent Legal Geek North America 2023 confrence in Chicago.

Fewer firms were leveraging technology to deliver more effective legal services in 2022 than in 2021, according to the Legal Pricing and Project Management (LPPM) Survey Report created by the Blickstein Group and the Legal Value Network in collaboration with Intapp. Here’s why that could be.

Law departments expecting to keep outside counsel costs in check amid strained budgets are likely to face an uphill battle as inflationary pressures remain an issue, analysts said at a virtual roundtable organized by Blickstein Group last week. Read More

The FTI Technology Digital Insights & Risk Management Study, a comprehensive report that examines the extent to which organizations are recognizing the high stakes of data and effectively managing digital risk, involved senior business leaders from various global geographies and industries.

Familiarity and friendship often lead corporate legal departments to choose one legaltech provider over another, but as vendor M&As and cutbacks grow, experts urge legal teams to do more research before adopting a tool.

The Blickstein Group’s Law Department Operations Survey includes a trove of information on everything from DEI strategies to expectations for law firm rate hikes.

General counsel are expected to rely on legal operations specialists to help them increase in-house departments’ value to the broader organization.

In times of economic uncertainty, it isn’t unheard of for talk of layoffs and cutbacks to spread. But unsubstantiated rumors can have very real effects.

The systems and processes they put in place could drive cultural change in how law departments carry out their day-to-day work.

Law department operations professionals are becoming more focused on the strategic use of technology and alternative legal service providers to boost productivity and efficiency and improve results, [Subscription may be required]

It’s too soon to tell if ALSPs will put competitive pressure on law firms’ cybersecurity services. But for now, firms have the upper hand.

After news broke that Reynen Court would be cutting staff and ending its stock offering, too, observers wondered if the problems in the broader tech market had finally reached legal tech.

As legaltech companies look to protect themselves ahead of a potential recession, some are turning to new, creative ways of securing funding. But whether these will be a feasible option in a volatile economy is likely too soon to tell.

While the recession is likely to boost the demand for ALSPs as companies face tighter budgets, the growth of New Law is still unlikely to create much competition for law firms who remain the main players in the legal market.

As an increasing number of corporate legal departments are under pressure to do more with less–or in many cases, simply to do more–more of them are relying on alternative legal services. [Subscription may be required]

If billable hours go over budget, the firm gets the blame; if a novel payment arrangement leads to higher costs, the legal department looks bad.

As the latest big firm to launch an innovation-focused subsidiary, Norton Rose Fulbright wants to ensure the effort is more than just for show. [Subscription may be required]

“Legal ops should assess what the main pain points are for their legal department and triage opportunities by impact and ease of implementation,” said Jason Winmill, managing partner of Argopoint.

"Regulatory pressures also continue to increase, which place additional emphasis on legal teams to maximize resources, financially and in time.” said Amy Yeung, general counsel and chief privacy officer of Lotame.

One thing all NewLaw initiatives have in common is that they are predicated on a desire to change for the better. So, using the most common New Year’s resolutions as a starting point, here are 10 NewLaw resolutions for 2022.

2021 showed that the legal industry can change, grow and adapt in technology and workflows, all while maintaining the same level of client service and, yes, profits. Here’s what attorneys and legal technologists predict will continue to change in 2022.

Overcoming corporate legal departments’ “reflex” to hire law firms is still an uphill battle for alternative legal service providers (ALSPs).

Facing a limited associate talent pool, stiff competition from ALSPs and calls for boosting diversity and inclusion, law firms could have plenty of incentive to begin pushing towards more alternative fee arrangements.

“Frugal innovation” could be a recipe for success at law firms, but the model doesn’t lend itself well to shortcuts. [Subscription may be required]

The most successful organizations are finding that cross-functional teams are the way to handle tech decisions, with multiple (and even non-technical) viewpoints represented in the room.

McDermott Will & Emery is putting $10 million toward legaltech startups, but it’s unclear if their model will be embraced by others. [Subscription may be required]

More legal departments are prioritizing billing data analytics and reporting. But GCs who hail from a law firm background may still be too comfortable with the billable hour to use that information to push for alternative fee arrangements.

Majority of Respondents Struggle with Technology Adoption and Implementation, Indicate Need for Change Management Support and Expertise

There is no shortage of ways for vendors to kill a promising legaltech sale, from pushing for too much buy-in too soon to being unable to answer basic questions about data security.

There has never before been such a plethora of legal technology options on the market. Whether or not that’s a good thing, however, depends on your perspective.

Some legaltech companies are finding that cold calling and email blasts are generating diminished returns from clients. But distinguishing yourself without them can require a significant investment of time and resources.

Brad Blickstein, founder of Blickstein Group reflects on ILTACON 2021, and its gradual shift of focus over the past few years.

The Big Four accounting firms continue their advance into the legal services sector despite disruption caused by alternative providers and law firms switching business models. But traditional law firms are responding to the challenge, rethinking the value they provide for clients. [Subscription may be required]

With a boost from ALSPs and practice management tech, it’s easier than ever for partners to launch their own boutique firms. But while some have gone out on their own, it’s likely others will view a job working remotely for a larger national firm as a more viable option.

A roadmap on how CIOs can lead within their organizations to successfully navigate an increasingly complex legal market in the digital era.

The reliability and cost-effectiveness of ALSPs has helped to position them for growth. But first, they may have to figure out how to broaden their service offerings without breaking the bank.

Critical points of focus for law firm CIOs helping to lead their firms into the future.

Captive ALSPs are betting that their perceived benefits has clients overlooking their potentially heftier price tags.

An increase of workload and responsibilities on in-house counsel is begging the question: Is going in-house no longer a greener pasture?

A pent-up demand for access to legal services and the attention paid to LegalZoom’s recent IPO could help push more entrepreneurs into the DIY space, but restrictions on services offered by nonlawyers and the novelty of such solutions could prove to be a major stumbling block.

ALSPs may have in-house and outside counsel beat when it comes to both e-discovery salaries and the opportunity for career advancement.

It’s becoming increasingly difficult for corporate legal departments to lure talented attorneys away from their lucrative positions in Big Law. As a result, many in-house counsel have begun focusing more on recruiting from other law departments. [Subscription may be required]

Four legal operations experts analyze the 2021 ACC CLO Report results

How is the rise of ALSPs and the Big Four impacting the legal market? What are the considerations for law firms, legal teams, and the future of law? [Subscription may be required]

Job-seeking attorneys are gravitating toward roles inside corporate legal departments, but perceptions that in-house offers a better work-life balance than a law firm or the ability to influence decision-making could prove disappointing.

The search for innovative service delivery is a significant component of any law firm evaluation–and legal departments may not be satisfied by how they are seeing outside counsel leverage technology.

Whether an ALSP is associated with a law firm or not, it has to “play nice” with firms when pitching to legal department clients.

The pandemic hasn’t fundamentally changed corporate law—but it has intensified in-house trends that were happening well before COVID-19 became a household name.

While 2020 showed that the best-laid plans can be quickly thrown for a loop, it also proved that there is an adaptability in the legal industry that few believed really existed.

In this episode of On Record PR, we go on record with Keith Maziarek, Director of Pricing and Legal Project Management at Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP and an Officer and Board Member of the Legal Value Network.

This engaging segment of ILTA News discusses, in-depth, the inaugural Survey of Legal Pricing and Project Management, produced by the Legal Value Network and the Blickstein Group, created in collaboration with Intapp. The ILTA-led discussion covers a gamut of topics and key-data points.

In the latest episode of Strategies LIVE!, Anne Reavis (Wilson Allen) sits down with Brad Blickstein and Beatrice Seravello (Baretz+Brunelle) to talk through what a captive ALSP does, along with what opportunities exist to learn from these new entities.

Big Law firms are slow to change. But a survey released this week suggests Big Law partners are warming up to new ways of pricing their work. [Subscription may be required]

The legal industry’s resistance to the utilization of technology appears to be a top challenge in further developing the pricing function, but pricing and in-house law department operations professionals disagree over the extent to which legal innovations are being leveraged, according to the results of a new survey. [Subscription may be required]

In an exclusive interview, Christopher Ende, co-founder of the Legal Value Network and Goulston & Storrs chief value officer, sees room for growth in the law firm-client relationship. [Subscription may be required]

But there are substantial opportunities to bridge the divide, say the authors of a new study. [Subscription may be required]

Lawyers’ professional conduct rules and various corporate structuring options aren’t the main roadblocks dissuading law firms from investing in legaltech companies. Instead, it’s a perception that such investments don’t fit the mold. [Subscription may be required]

While 2020 may have presented the United States with a major reckoning on diversity and inclusion, many legal departments will likely be continuing to reassess their own internal practices throughout the new year.[Subscription may be required]

Epiq announced last week that it was a launching a new supplemental staffing service geared toward corporate legal departments. Other legal vendors might be eager to follow in the e-discovery provider’s footsteps. [Subscription may be required]

The race to stay competitive in the e-discovery market is testing the boundaries of what it means to be a law firm—and how much disruption attorneys will tolerate. [Subscription may be required]

After Arizona and Utah loosened restrictions on legal services, a few law firms and legaltech companies are considering modifying their business models. But beyond that, some question whether changes will have a broader impact. [Subscription may be required]

Like many other corners of the business ecosystem, legal departments are grappling with how to improve efforts around diversity and inclusion, with the providers they rely upon being a key component. [Subscription may be required]

Throughout 2020, the Big Four accounting firms and alternative legal service providers continued to grow and solidify their place in the U.S. legal industry even amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 13th Annual Law Department Operations Survey released by the Blickstein Group found that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t hindered corporate law’s expectations or abilities. But legal departments still lack them when it comes to enforcing diversity goals. [Subscription may be required.]

Most legal operations professionals who responded to a newly released survey said the coronavirus pandemic has had a minimal impact on their roles, although a vast majority also said they’re craving more innovation from the law firms they work with.

While the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t done businesses many favors, law firms’ tech subsidiaries may be in a position to not only weather the storm but come out in a stronger position on the other side. [Subscription may be required.]